FabSwingers.com forum: Advice for starting gym?

By *tudentForFun OP Man
44 weeks ago

Craigavon

Any gym goers have advice for starting out? Where to find a routine/workout, how to know what to focus on etc

Hoping to push myself this year and begin the journey on my dream body

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By (user no longer on site)
44 weeks ago

What are your goals OP?

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By (user no longer on site)
44 weeks ago

If you’re new to the gym. Find out what the machines do and how to use them correctly to start with.

Then if you’re doing weights, do a push workout one day, then a pull workout and then legs on your next workout. Three days is fine for a beginner. Find all these online anywhere really.

Then work on your diet. That’s where you will see your biggest gains

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By *tudentForFun OP Man
44 weeks ago

Craigavon

"What are your goals OP?

Just to build muscle/strength really

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By *zeroMan
44 weeks ago

Glasgow

Don't go mental and attempt to lift lots straight away. Form and technique over heavy weight.

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By *inister_SpinsterWoman
44 weeks ago

Manchester(ish).

Fortunately and Unfortunately there's a million people / sites online offering varying levels of quality information.

Go and find a person in real life, someone you know thats fit and ask them for some of their time and ask their advice.

Educate yourself on what you want and why. You're better off starting slow, doing easy things well and doing them consistently.

Good luck.

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By *reative-mindMan
44 weeks ago

Exeter

Grunt, like excessively grunt when lifting heavy weights.

Helps me anyway. Good luck OP!

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By (user no longer on site)
44 weeks ago

Download the Hevy app.

Plenty of workouts on there and easy to follow instructions on using machines etc.

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By (user no longer on site)
44 weeks ago

Ask your gym if the provide an introductory session to plan a programme based on what you want to achieve.

Its actually worth paying for a couple of personal trainer sessions to begin with

Check your form regularly - doing lighter weights with perfect form and reps is better than heavier weights and imperfect form.

Keep track of what you are doing - check if your gym have an app or something to register what you did/when

Find yourself a great soundtrack to work out to - my favourite is Metronomy.

Finally wipe down the machine seats, put weights back and don't endlessly scroll on your phone between sets

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By *irthandgirthMan
44 weeks ago

Camberley occasionally doncaster

"Any gym goers have advice for starting out? Where to find a routine/workout, how to know what to focus on etc

Hoping to push myself this year and begin the journey on my dream body

Try a few local gyms if they do free sessions. Join the one you like the vibe of that you an afford. You are more likely to go to a place you enjoy.

Ask a gym instructor for advice on the machines. It's their job to make sure you can use them safely. They may even be able to write you a basic programme.

There is plenty of advice on who to follow on social media. If in doubt, just holler on here.

Remember the only person you need to be concerned about or comparing yourself to is yourself.

Consistency is the most important part. Just get to the gym and train. It doesn't need to be perfect or maximised.

You can't out train a shit diet/drinking.

Try any programme for at least 3 months, unless you really hate something in it.

There are no shortcuts. You have to put the work in.

Make lots of small goals for improvement. Be patient and manage your expectations.

Don't be afraid to ask for advice.

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By (user no longer on site)
44 weeks ago

Oh if you are not sure how to use a machine - ASK!!

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By (user no longer on site)
44 weeks ago

Go to a PT for 3 or 4 sessions to get instructions on how to use machines but also free weights.

Then the bro split is as good as any and remember that most of us in the gym are only guessing we are just better at pretending than others.

Be consistent and stick at it until you learn to like it

Good luck

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By (user no longer on site)
44 weeks ago

Independent gyms are the best by far. So see if there’s any local to you.

Don’t neglect cardio! Even though your goal is to get more muscle and get stronger you can and should do both.

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By *tudentForFun OP Man
44 weeks ago

Craigavon

Thanks everyone!

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By *exxyyDy11Man
44 weeks ago

North West

Don't lift stupid, form is everything, you can have a great workout with less weights. Like the above mentioned. Cardio is important too and like I said, form, form, form, form is important.

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By (user no longer on site)
44 weeks ago

Try and find a friend or two to join you as that'll keep you interested longer term. Try and book a few PT sessions in early to get the basics right. After that it's boring consistancy and eating the rigjt stuff. Good luck!

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By *ags73Man
44 weeks ago

glasgow-ish

"Any gym goers have advice for starting out? Where to find a routine/workout, how to know what to focus on etc

Hoping to push myself this year and begin the journey on my dream body

Don’t. Go walking every day instead.

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By *tudentForFun OP Man
44 weeks ago

Craigavon

"Any gym goers have advice for starting out? Where to find a routine/workout, how to know what to focus on etc

Hoping to push myself this year and begin the journey on my dream body

Don’t. Go walking every day instead."

Whys that

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By (user no longer on site)
44 weeks ago

"Any gym goers have advice for starting out? Where to find a routine/workout, how to know what to focus on etc

Hoping to push myself this year and begin the journey on my dream body

Don’t. Go walking every day instead."

That'll do fuck all for your body. Or your fitness.

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By (user no longer on site)
44 weeks ago

Don't just pick the PT who looks the best. They are probably good because of their genetics not their training.

Find someone who has a boy of a transition journey. They have empathy.

Build a pattern of going to the gym first. Don't go too long or too heavy. You will only get injured or frustrated. The first few months is about the fitness habit. Build up. Reps are slow. Plenty to rest.

Leave your ego at the door. Form over the PB.

Ask questions. Most serious trainers are happy to explain what they are doing.

Have fun. And let us know how it goes.

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By (user no longer on site)
44 weeks ago

"What are your goals OP?

Just to build muscle/strength really"

If you're looking to building strength and muscle and and just want to put on size, then you can't go wrong with trying to do high weight for low reps with good form through compound exercises such as squats, deadlifts, bench press and overhead press with some accessory exercises. Oh, and build a habit of routinely going to the gym and once that routine is set, you'll find you want to go rather than feel that you have to.

Then you want to eat in a calorie surplus but not do a complete 180 on your diet otherwise you'll hate it and give up. Start by changing your snacks, then your evening meals, then lunch, and finally breakfast to tailor what you eat to your gym routine.

To start lifting, I would recommend a PT for a couple of sessions to get you started and build a plan and hopefully you can go from there. Good luck, it's a lot of hard work, but so rewarding!

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By *pandjMan
44 weeks ago

Sparkford

"What are your goals OP?

Just to build muscle/strength really"

For me I have to choose between getting stronger or building muscle but this may be my age and starting later. I can gain muscle on a strength program but gained a lot more on a hypertrophy program but am weak AF compared to before.

Work out your maintenance calories and calculate 0.3g to 0.5g of fat per kg of weight a day, 1g to 2g of your lean body mass in protein and the rest in carbs. I spent ages going nowhere because I wasn't eating enough protein but also too many calories.

Don't expect results over night and you'll have to keep tweaking things that work for you.

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By *ou only live onceMan
44 weeks ago

London

I'm not being facetious, but the main thing is to show up. Make it a habit. Consistency is key.

Think about your goals but make your targets achievable - "dream body" is great, but how do you know you've got there?

As others have said, if you're brand new and can afford it, a PT would be great for some advice and to set you up, but there are lots of good online programmes. Start small, track progress and, most of all, do stuff you enjoy!

Good luck!

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By (user no longer on site)
44 weeks ago

"Think about your goals but make your targets achievable - "dream body" is great, but how do you know you've got there? "

Great point! A wise man once said that the day you started lifting is the day you became forever small. Because you'll never be as big as you want to be

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By *ou only live onceMan
44 weeks ago

London

"Think about your goals but make your targets achievable - "dream body" is great, but how do you know you've got there?

Great point! A wise man once said that the day you started lifting is the day you became forever small. Because you'll never be as big as you want to be

I can wax lyrical about *all* the areas I need to better in though...

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By *rispyDuckMan
44 weeks ago

Chinese Takeaway near you

My advise would be:

- be consistent if you want results

- stick with the tried & tested basics (leave the fancy routines for later)

- Don’t slack be consistent!

- find 2 or 3 role inspiration role models you might wanna model yourself as & follow their advice (too many chefs spoil the soup)

- Be fucking consistent!!

- Variety. Don’t just do the same exercise try different exercises & machines see what works best for you

if unsure ask how it works

- what did I say about consistency?

- lastly if you starting now to be ready for summer body

you should have started in January!!

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By (user no longer on site)
44 weeks ago

"Think about your goals but make your targets achievable - "dream body" is great, but how do you know you've got there?

Great point! A wise man once said that the day you started lifting is the day you became forever small. Because you'll never be as big as you want to be

I can wax lyrical about *all* the areas I need to better in though..."

Oh I completely agree (on me, not you

) and I'm sure the same applies to every huge and ripped guy as well with small calves

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By *ou only live onceMan
44 weeks ago

London

"Think about your goals but make your targets achievable - "dream body" is great, but how do you know you've got there?

Great point! A wise man once said that the day you started lifting is the day you became forever small. Because you'll never be as big as you want to be

I can wax lyrical about *all* the areas I need to better in though...

Oh I completely agree (on me, not you

) and I'm sure the same applies to every huge and ripped guy as well with small calves

What you got against my calves, Joe?

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By *929Man
44 weeks ago

bedlington

Just don’t over complicate it as back in the day we had zero info now there is an over abundance of info with every wanker that ever set foot in a gym masquerading as a “fitness guru” on Instagram and what not

Gaining muscle is as simple as pushing body weight up while making strength gains in the right rep range

Read/watch everything you can find by Dante trudel, Jordan peters Dorian Yates ect

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By *ssexBlkMaleMan
44 weeks ago

Essex

It’s been shown that walking 12000 steps per day is less arduous on your joints than doing say 45 minutes of intense cardio on a running machine or road running.

I used a PT who did me a tailored meal plan and training regime of legs, push and pull three / four times a week and I was eating 3500 calories a day and still losing weight whilst gaining lean muscle and went from 17st and a half stone to the 12st ish that I maintain now following similar plan and diet

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By (user no longer on site)
44 weeks ago

Agreed on finding a PT gym if you can. Bit pricey but worth it. PTs at chain gyms can be a bit flakey in my experience, someone that owns their own space probably has some dedication.

Only thing I'd add is: learn to use the free weights. People avoid them, thinking they're outdated and/or hard and/or dangerous, and thinking the machines are safer. Machines have their place but free weights are more "realistic" so they train the supporting muscles, develop your balance, and generally make for better all-round exercises.

Load light, get the technique right, learn how to safely drop the weights, get a spotter if you don't have a power cage, learn to set up the cage right if you do. Once you've learned you have that knowledge for life

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By *ophieslutTV/TS
44 weeks ago

Central

Start with small steps and build slowly.

Get professional help for a good intro programme

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By (user no longer on site)
44 weeks ago

"It’s been shown that walking 12000 steps per day is less arduous on your joints than doing say 45 minutes of intense cardio on a running machine or road running. "

Interested to earn more about this?

Some could argue sitting on your couch is less arduous still.

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By (user no longer on site)
44 weeks ago

*learn*

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By (user no longer on site)
44 weeks ago

"It’s been shown that walking 12000 steps per day is less arduous on your joints than doing say 45 minutes of intense cardio on a running machine or road running.

Interested to earn more about this?

Some could argue sitting on your couch is less arduous still."
burns less calories tho.

Our body is designed to move and typically move over long periods of time rather than short bursts.

So walking is probably more in tune with out bio mechanics.

There are benefits from other forms of exercise that offset some of the impact of running.

Imo it's do both in balance.

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By (user no longer on site)
44 weeks ago

Simplify everything at the beginning. Don't complicate things.

Be consistent and trying with a good intensity.

Don't expect results straight away.

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By (user no longer on site)
44 weeks ago

"It’s been shown that walking 12000 steps per day is less arduous on your joints than doing say 45 minutes of intense cardio on a running machine or road running.

Interested to earn more about this?

Some could argue sitting on your couch is less arduous still.burns less calories tho.

Our body is designed to move and typically move over long periods of time rather than short bursts.

So walking is probably more in tune with out bio mechanics.

There are benefits from other forms of exercise that offset some of the impact of running.

Imo it's do both in balance. "

Don't see what that has to do with being 'arduous on the joints'.

Think our bodies are designed to run as well as walk. We can do other things too like jump and roll - all in tune with our bio mechanics. So far as I understand high impact activities benefit our joints by building overall strength. Obviously if you're not used to running or whatever you need to appropriately build your fitness over time.

Walking is a poor fitness activity unless you're beginning from a very low base. For effective cardio you need to be out of breath.

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By *antam AvershiresMan
44 weeks ago

Falme

Money spent on a few months with a personal trainer is very well spent.

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By (user no longer on site)
44 weeks ago

"It’s been shown that walking 12000 steps per day is less arduous on your joints than doing say 45 minutes of intense cardio on a running machine or road running.

Interested to earn more about this?

Some could argue sitting on your couch is less arduous still.burns less calories tho.

Our body is designed to move and typically move over long periods of time rather than short bursts.

So walking is probably more in tune with out bio mechanics.

There are benefits from other forms of exercise that offset some of the impact of running.

Imo it's do both in balance.

Don't see what that has to do with being 'arduous on the joints'.

Walking is a poor fitness activity unless you're beginning from a very low base. For effective cardio you need to be out of breath."

People are more prone to injury when they don’t train in full ranges of motion and stress the joints with load bearing exercise. As you say it’s doing more than you’re capable of by doing too much too soon that causes injury.

I’m fortunate to have a physio at my gym who’s constantly telling people that they are making their bodies brittle by avoiding strenuous activities.

I’m certainly not suggesting that doing 12,000 steps a day isn’t beneficial but unless you have a job where you’re on your feet for most of the day going for a 12,000 step walk is very time consuming. The intensity is also too low to challenge the cardiovascular system. Unless you’re very overweight that is.

Being more active in general is sage advice but there’s also a lot of fitness influencers who have spread a lot of misinformation. Naudi Aguilar in particular talks complete BS for example.

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By (user no longer on site)
44 weeks ago

"It’s been shown that walking 12000 steps per day is less arduous on your joints than doing say 45 minutes of intense cardio on a running machine or road running.

Interested to earn more about this?

Some could argue sitting on your couch is less arduous still.burns less calories tho.

Our body is designed to move and typically move over long periods of time rather than short bursts.

So walking is probably more in tune with out bio mechanics.

There are benefits from other forms of exercise that offset some of the impact of running.

Imo it's do both in balance.

Don't see what that has to do with being 'arduous on the joints'.

Walking is a poor fitness activity unless you're beginning from a very low base. For effective cardio you need to be out of breath.

I’m fortunate to have a physio at my gym who’s constantly telling people that they are making their bodies brittle by avoiding strenuous activities.

Being more active in general is sage advice but there’s also a lot of fitness influencers who have spread a lot of misinformation. Naudi Aguilar in particular talks complete BS for example."
it's balance.

Walking is load bearing. It's not as high impact as running. But over training with running especially on treadmills is no good for you. Especially if you have poor form and Ill fitting footwear.

I agree it's not as cardio intensive. But I'd also say if that's your aim smash out HIIT. If you want to build none strength, squat.

But we are all different in how we train. For any new starter my concern is over training and overcoming boredom. Both lend me to not pushing steady state cardio focused exercise too much

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By *ts_Business_TimeCouple
44 weeks ago

Berkshire

Work if technique before worrying about the weight of the weights

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By *KentMan
44 weeks ago

Canterbury

Don’t be afraid to ask for help/advice in the gym.

99% of gym goers are happy to share what they are doing and why, especially if you’re not sure how to use a certain piece of equipment.

Good luck!

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By (user no longer on site)
44 weeks ago

To be honest I'd be impressed by anybody who manages to over train on a treadmill.

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