Congratulations! If you’re reading this, it means you’re thinking about going to the gym. Or maybe you’ve started, and you’re looking for some tips. Either way, I’m excited for you. And you should be excited, too. Becoming a gym-goer will change your life for the better.
General Tips For Your First Time at the Gym
Gym anxiety is very common. The gym can be an intimidating place, especially when you’re going for the first time. So if you’re nervous, take a deep breath, that’s normal and okay! It means you care. And if you care about going to the gym, that’s a good sign that you’ll succeed. Before you know it, you’ll be walking in with confidence and swagger just like any other gym bro.
Come Prepared
A goal without a plan is just a wish. I’m pretty sure that you don’t want to just sit around and wish you could go to the gym. You actually want to go. So let’s get you ready.
What do you need when you go to the gym? Let’s start with what to wear. You want to have clothes you feel comfortable in. Make sure your pants aren’t gonna fall down! Wear something you can move around in easily. Some people like sweats, others like leggings, spandex, flowy tops.
This is something you can have fun with as well. When you figure out the type of clothing you feel the most comfortable working out in, you can start to build a wardrobe. You’ll look forward to changing into your gym outfits, which will increase your confidence when you’re working out.
This next one may seem silly, but don’t forget a water bottle. In my head, I want to roll my eyes and say “Yes, mom,” because really this is mom advice. But hey, it’s a great tip nonetheless! I joke that my water bottle is my emotional support water bottle. It’s a pretty pink color, keeps my water cold, and we all know hydration is important. Especially when getting your sweat on.
One more little hack when it comes to having a water bottle: I tell people when you go to the gym for the first time, do a lap, fill up your water bottle, and leave. That leads us into the next piece of advice; asking for a tour.
Ask For a Tour
The staff is there to help you, so don’t be afraid to ask. A big piece of overcoming your gym anxiety is knowing your way around. That’s why I tell people just to begin with going and walking around. It’s totally fine to start off at the gym by dipping your toes in the water!
Asking for a tour is a great way to start. And nobody knows the gym like the staff. They’ll help you get acquainted and probably show you rooms and perks that you wouldn’t have otherwise noticed. Plus, now you have a friendly face at the gym! And that’s always a plus.
Scope Things Out
So now you’ve been to the gym. You got signed up, did a tour, and now you and your water bottle are ready to go! My tip to people from here is take some time walking on the treadmill or a piece of cardio equipment that you’re familiar with. Of course you can use the weights and machines, but it’s also perfectly fine to ease into things.
The great thing about gyms is that usually the treadmills and cardio equipment are set up facing the strength training area. Welcome to the best people watching you’ll ever do. Seriously, I recommend this as a way to learn about the gym. Watch how other people use the equipment. Not everybody will use things correctly though, so don’t follow everybody you see. This is a great opportunity to find the personal trainers in the gym and watch and learn from them.
Gym Etiquette to Keep in Mind
I know when I started going to the gym, one of the biggest reasons I had gym anxiety was because I was unfamiliar with gym etiquette. When you’re first getting out of your comfort zone and exploring the weights and machine areas, it feels like you’re in a whole new world. But I’m here now as a personal trainer to tell you, it’s not nearly as complex as it seems.
Put Your Weights Back
As Smokey Bear says, leave it better than you found it. Or, at the very least, leave it how you found it. The biggest piece of advice I can give you to not piss off gym staff or fellow members is to put your weights back.
The gym is a shared space. You’ll find it annoying when you get to a machine or area and have to bother cleaning up somebody else’s mess. We all want our workout time to be efficient, and that’s best improved by being able to easily find what you need. Plus, you’ll feel more at home if you take part in caring for the upkeep. The more organized the gym, the better experience for everybody.
Wipe Down Your Machines
Another simple common cursory measure is to wipe machines down after you use them. When you’re first touring your gym, finding where the disposable wipes are is a great idea. If you’re having trouble finding them, ask a staff member. If your gym doesn’t supply some sort of sanitary wipe system, you might want to start rethinking your membership… (lol!)
You don’t have to go crazy cleaning every little thing you touch. Use your common sense to wipe down the surface areas that your skin makes contact with. Especially when sweaty! Nobody wants to walk up to an open bench only to find somebody else’s sweat marks left behind.
Keep Cell Use to a Minimum
It’s totally fine to have your phone for music and your workout program, but don’t be that person chatting away on the phone. Just your typical social etiquette protocol when in a shared space. Use your social awareness cues and you should be pretty good.
Be Aware of Peak Times
As you start going to the gym, you may notice some times are busier than others. The gym will be most packed outside of the typical 9-5 work windows: from opening to about 9am, and starting up again around 5-8pm (or close).
If you have a flexible schedule, going later in the morning or afternoon is a great way to get comfortable in the gym. Not having to deal with crowds and sharing equipment and machines is a luxury.
But, don’t worry if you’re restricted to those busier hours. Most people are, that’s why they’re the peak times! If you’re at the gym during these more crowded hours, it’s good to be considerate of other gym goers.
One of the main ways you can be considerate is by sharing equipment. For example, if you’re using a machine or cable in a circuit or in between other exercises, allow for others to come in between your sets and “work in” with you.
You also have every right to ask somebody else, “Hey, can I work with you?” or “Excuse me, how many sets do you have left?” “Working in” with somebody is a good idea when you’re going to be taking long rests or doing other exercises in between. If you know you’re going to be using that machine exclusively, ask the person how many sets they have left so that you can take over when they’re done.
Beginner-Friendly Lower Body Exercises For Your First Gym Day
In these next sections, I’m going to cover some of my favorite beginner-friendly exercises to get you ready for your first gym day.
Bodyweight Squats
Learning how to squat properly is super beneficial. It will help you avoid back pain, keep you moving well and feeling strong as you age. You may have heard the joke, “Don’t skip leg day.” Training legs is hard. Unlike the upper body, we have to walk around on our legs after we train them. Oof. But don’t wimp out. Your lower body strength is equally as important as your upper body strength.
A great place to start is with bodyweight squats. Stand up if you can right now and imagine I’m beside you, coaching you as you squat: “Screw your feet into the floor, lean slightly forward and brace your core like somebody is about to punch you in the tummy, now lower straight down as if you’re trying to sit your butt in between your feet. Good. Lower until your thighs are at least parallel to the floor, and then push through the ground to rise back up.”
That was a lot, I know. Highlight that section. Copy and paste it into your notes. Practice it over and over. As you lower in a squat your hamstrings are tightening. You should feel your legs working on the way down as well as on the way up. Full engagement the whole time. Thinking about the muscles you should be recruiting while you’re exercising is very helpful. Once you’ve reached the bottom of your squat, your quads (the front of your thighs) and your glutes (your butt) are the main muscles responsible for contracting to push you back up to a standing position.
Split Squats
Split squats are a great unilateral lower body strength exercise for beginners. Unilateral means working one side of the body. Before rushing into lunges where there’s more movement and balance required, spend some time working on your split squat.
In a split squat, the forward leg is the “dominant’ or “working” leg, and the leg behind is the kickstand. It’s there for assisting your balance and not much more. Focus your engagement and work on that front leg.
Glute Bridges
Glute bridges are another lower body exercise, but unlike squats, bridges work the back of your legs. They are a lower body pull movement. Lower body pulls build strength in your hamstring and glutes.
Start by lying on your back with your knees bent and feet flat. Squeeze your hamstrings and your glutes and lift your hips up off the ground. Once at the top of the bridge, resist the urge just to collapse back down and actually control the lowering portion of your bridge as well.
If you’re looking to build a booty, glute bridges are a great place to start! Over time, as you become familiar with the movement and the muscle engagement, begin adding weight. The legs are big muscles, they can handle more than you realize!
Beginner-Friendly Upper Body Exercises For Your First Gym Day
Fun fact: the upper body is my favorite to train. Maybe it’s because my hip mobility isn’t great from all my years of running and cycling without proper mobility and strength training, but leg day is always tough for me, whereas upper body I get to have more fun. Well, a painful sort of fun.
Push-Ups (Modified or Regular)
Push-ups. The essential workout exercise that everybody loves to hate. For good reason, too – they’re TOUGH. Push-ups work the front of your upper body, primarily your chest. But a push-up is a full body exercise that requires decent core strength as well. Remember when starting to squat I told you to brace your core as if somebody was about to punch you in the tummy? Same thing as you go for your push-ups.
Most of us can’t do a push-up when first starting to workout. So don’t feel bad if you fall into that population. There are so many great variations and modifications to help you build up your push-up strength. In this demo I go over one of my favorites – the push-up lower. One of the best ways to increase your upper body strength and get your first full push-up is by practicing push-up lowers. Bet you thought the hard part was the push up… surprise!
Simple Exercises to Get Started With Gym Equipment
Maybe you’ve been working out at home and you’re not a beginner to exercise, but you’re unfamiliar with the machines and equipment offered at the gym. The next 3 exercises I’ll go over provide a brief intro to some easy ways to get started.
Seated Machine Row
One of the biggest benefits of joining a gym is that you’ll have a much easier time training the upper body. I can’t recommend strength training your back enough. We’re a population burdened with back pain, and terrified of using our backs when exercising.
The thing is, strengthening the muscles in your back will help combat your back pain. A lot of times these muscles are weak; they’re lengthened from sitting hunched over all day, or tightly constricted from stress and lack of mobility. Back pain is the worst, so I understand why people are scared to engage their back muscles out of fear for pain or injury.
So that being said, my recommendation is to start easy with machines that provide stability and allow for you to easily isolate and feel your back muscles working properly. The seated machine row is a great option for this.
The seated machine row primarily works your lats and your traps – your mid and upper back muscles. You want to have a braced core (noticing a theme here?), slightly extended chest and back (extended means proud chest, slightly arched back), begin with your arms extended and then drive your elbows straight back. You should feel your shoulder blades squeezing together.
If your chin/neck begins to flex and strain, you’re going too heavy. You want to maintain as close to the posture you started with as possible while still finding an intensity that is challenging enough to produce stimulus and fatigue to those muscles.
Medicine Ball Slams
I love medicine ball slams for a few reasons. First, they are fun. You may come to learn this, but some of your best workouts will happen when you’re angry. And there’s no better way to release some pent up anger or stress than picking up a medicine ball and slamming it into the ground.
Another reason I love med ball slams is they are a low impact form of plyometrics. Plyometric training focuses on power and explosiveness. You increase power by increasing the speed at which your body produces force. Begin by mastering the movement of the med ball slam: squat down to pick the ball up, brace your core as you lift it overhead, engage your arms and back as hard as you can and whip that ball down to the ground. The more familiar you become with the movement, the faster you can move, and the heavier you can go with your medicine ball over time.
It’s important to give yourself rest here. If you’re moving with intense power, you should only be working with a small amount of reps (3-8) with at least 2 minutes in between each set. This becomes especially important with higher impact plyometrics such as jumping. You may not be jumping with your med ball slam, but you still want to aim to produce the max amount of power with each slam which will require decent rest in between each set.
Smith Machine Hip Thrust
The hip thrust has become a popular exercise in the last decade. Why? Because everybody wants a nice peachy tush these days. And the hip thrust is a great exercise for building strength in your glutes.
Using a smith machine for your hip thrust is a great place to start. The smith machine controls the line of movement, so all you have to focus on is your form, muscle engagement, and finding the amount of weight that will get you the intensity you need.
Take a peak at what it looks like to set up and execute a smith machine hip thrust. One of the final pieces of advice I’ll leave you with for this one is pay attention to your lower abdominal muscles; if you begin to feel your lower back arching and doing most of the work, it probably means your core needs to be engaged better. Or, you’re going too heavy for what your glutes can handle. Start light, squeeze those hamstrings and glutes, take a video of yourself to see how your form looks, and build up week by week.
Don’t Be Afraid to Start Where You Are
The first day you walk into the gym, you might not be physically capable of doing some of the things you see a lot of people doing in the gym, but that’s okay. It doesn’t mean you can’t get there. We all start somewhere. Comparing your day 1 to somebody else’s day 100 is only going to get you discouraged.
Recognize your starting point and take pride in the fact that you’re starting at all. Believe me, starting is the hardest part! Establish your goals, your why for working out, and determine the steps you need to get there.
Remember, a goal without a plan is just a wish.
Set Yourself Up For Success by Working With a Coach
The trainers at your gym will be some of the best people worth getting to know. If you see them with some free time, ask them for tips on an exercise you’re struggling with! Most gyms give their members the option to do 1 or 2 free sessions with a trainer to know what it’s like.
There is nothing wrong with wanting more guidance, and working with a coach might be the right step for you. If you enjoy having your workouts as your alone time, but don’t want to worry about what exercises you should be doing, for how long, at what weight, etc., finding an online fitness coach is a great option for you.
If you’re curious what it’s like working with an online fitness coach, read my comprehensive guide on online fitness coaching. And if you think online fitness coaching is for you, head to my inquiry form so that we can connect one-on-one.
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