This week, Brad Bromlow answers a few questions, including "where do I start as a beginner in the gym?"
Do not be intimidated by walking into a gym and not knowing where to start. We've all been there and pushed past that first day. Take a minute to look around and see where each section is located such as cardio machines, free weights, and areas of stretching. Cardio is a good place to start to get your body warmed up and ready to begin working the muscles. After cardio, you can begin resistance training to help you build strength and muscle.
Goals & Time Restraints
The question of "Where to start" depends on so many things: how many days a week can you train? For how long? What are your goals? The list can go on and on.
If you have an entire hour to work out, 3 days a week, I recommend either full body or push, pull, legs. If it is even less, I'd go with just full body. Remember, there is no perfect split; just the split that you enjoy, helps you reach your goals, and works for your lifestyle.
Now, depending on the time constraints, you can superset or tri-set antagonist muscle groups aka muscles that aren't working much on the first (or second) exercise. For example, if you are doing a tri-set you can do a quad movement, a chest movement, then a bicep movement and your next tri-set can be a hamstring/glute movement, then a back movement, and a tricep movement.
If the gym still seems a bit intimidating then inquire about seeing a personal trainer until you feel more comfortable using the equipment.
Starting with goals
Setting goals is a great place to start because you can go at your own pace and are able to work around your schedule. Your goals should be attainable and simple in the beginning, that way you will be able to see how well your progression is going. The more time and effort you put in the more ambitious those goals can be.
Most importantly, don't give right into the deep end. If you burn out and quit after a week or two, you will be much worse off than if you achieved much less than you expected in that time span. Consistency trumps all.
Follow Brad Bromlow on Instagram @bbromlow and check out the Motion Cutoff Tank on www.modivbrand.com.
