6 Tips for Beginners at the Gym

The new year has dawned, and for many, it's a time of self-reflection: What have I accomplished in the past year? What could have gone better? What do I plan to do in the coming year? These thoughts often end with signing up for a gym membership. But then what? What do you do there? How should you behave?

One or two newcomers to the gym may have noticed: The big guys are playing with the dumbbells in the back while you stick to the treadmill to avoid getting in anyone's way! But don't worry, if you follow these simple rules, you can train in the big-boy area without any problems – because that's where you want to be!

1. Keep your phone in your pocket!
Better yet, leave it at home! But for those who have their music on their phones, remember: Keep it in your pocket! You didn't come to the gym to answer your WhatsApp and Facebook messages, read emails, or watch YouTube videos, but to change your life! Do you really want to let a 5-6 inch device stop you? NO! Don't waste your valuable time in the gym on your phone or taking a thousand selfies on the gym floor.

Doing so only unnecessarily blocks the bench that someone else really wants to use for training! Gym time is me time. Focus on you! There are no calls or messages that really need to be answered in the gym, and you can take pictures afterward in the locker room – where the light is usually better and you look better pumped anyway.

2. You're at the gym, not a coffee chat!
Why do you go to work out? Why did you sign up for the gym? Probably not to have nice conversations! International Chest Day should be used intensively. Nobody at the gym has time or interest in hearing your Saturday night club story! And you don't have time to tell it either!

Time is valuable and training must be intense – but it won't be if you unnecessarily extend your breaks with weekend stories! Again, after training in the locker room, you can talk to anyone who doesn't run away!

3. Don't wait around for the machine to free up!

One of the biggest mistakes a gym newbie can make is doing nothing! To make your training as effective as possible, you should avoid standing around waiting for your next machine to become available. Especially in January and February, most gyms are filled with people trying to put their New Year's resolutions into practice, so machines can certainly be occupied!

In this case, it's important to keep a cool head and have a Plan B! The chest press is currently in use and the guy on it is busy telling his best friend about it after his first set? Then try doing push-ups to muscle failure as an alternative. Also, feel free to remind the guy on the chest press that nobody likes people who hang out on their phones all the time at the gym!

4. Nutrition is 70%, Training is only 30%!
Same story, different day. The fact that training is not the key factor in achieving your desired body fat percentage of 8%, is well known since 2017. Nutrition is the key. It doesn't matter if you belong to the low-carb meat lovers or rather take the low-fat high-carb route – a diet is a diet and always works, as long as it's consistently adhered to. The key factors here are discipline and perseverance.

So, calculate your average calorie consumption! How do you do that? The internet offers numerous calorie calculators, just take a look! But: TRAINING IS STILL IMPORTANT! After all, we want a nice body to remain at the end of a diet that can be shown off! So go to training regularly so that your body can convert the nutrients it receives into the right places!

5. A goal without a plan is just a wish!
Don't go to the gym without a plan. Even the pros who have been training for decades and stand on the Mr. Olympia stage think about how they train, which muscles they want to train, and where their weak points are.

If you go to the gym without a plan, you risk two things:

YOU ARE WASTING TIME!
Don't do that! Here too, as everywhere, it always applies: Time is valuable, don't waste it. If you know beforehand what you want to train and which exercises are suitable, then you are much more structured in the studio and can specifically go to the machines you need!

PEOPLE ARE WATCHING YOU!
If you don't know yourself what exactly you are doing, there is a high risk that others will notice that you don't know what exactly you are doing. To avoid this, turn to the nearest trainer in your gym and ask him to help you and design a training plan together. No trainers around? In case of doubt, you can even get everything you need with the help of the numerous fitness people on YouTube.

6. Don't let the big guys pressure you!
The pros. The legends. They had already sweated the benches of the gym while you couldn't even walk! They are the gods among the creatures of the gym, right?

WRONG! They are not! Yes, they've been sweating the benches longer than you, but that's the only difference between you: Time. Every bodybuilder starts somewhere. Nobody is born and then looks like Arnold Schwarzenegger in the 1985 film "Commando".

So, don't be afraid of them, because they know your position very well. On the contrary, most "big" guys in the gym look grim, but they're not! They are usually open to giving you tips and advice if there are no trainers available! Stick to these basics and nothing will stand in the way of your start in the new gym!