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How do I start lifting weights as a beginner?
How do I start lifting weights as a beginner?
If you want to start coming to the gym or if your new, then your in the right place. Today, we are going to learn about common lifts, training to achieve your goals, how to structure a training plan, how often to be training, and a little bit on the nutrition side of things.
When first being introduced to the gym, you may have some questions about what to do, and I am going to try to answer as much as that as possible in this article. Just know that, most people in the gym are there to help and are friendly, so don't feel shy to ask people questions.
What are my goals in the GYm?
What are my goals in the GYm?
Even though many people go to the gym, everyone has different goals, so it would make sense to train differently to achive different results. Some common goals that people may have include the following: general health and fitness, losing weight, building muscle size, building stronger muscles, preventing injury, better mobility, bodybuilding aesthetics, supporting their main sport, and many more.
Things that are "Good to know"
Things that are "Good to know"
General stuff:
Some general guidelines that are good to know no matter your goal is that in the first 1-2 years of training, you will see a lot of strength and muscle growth. This is because your body will learn to adapt to the training that you will have started. Additionally, know that, for most people, when you first start going to the gym, the weights will feel unstable and pretty uncomfortable to move, and you will likely be very, very sore after your workouts. This is because your muscles are not yet used to the movements, but throughout the first few months, you will definitely feel more stable, stronger, and the movements will feel easier. If you feel like lifting is too hard, don't worry, your not alone; it will definetely get easier. When you first begin, make sure you start with light-medium heavy weights even if you feel like you can do more because this will help you to prevent any accidental injuries from overloading your joints or muscles. Just like any other practice - including running, learning, or any other hobby - it will become easier, and it will feel more natural as you build a routine of doing it.
Lifting Routine:
Regarding, lifting itself, know that you should never exercise the same body part two days in a row: you want to have a day in between to allow your muscle to completely rebuild and recover. A training split is the weekly routine that you can use to seperate your types of lifts. For example, you may do a full body workout every tuesday, thursday, and saturday, or you may do a Push/Pull/Legs split which means that you rotate between a workout where you do pushing movements that strengthen your chest and triceps, then on the next day you'd do pulling movements that strengthen your back and biceps, and on the third day, you would do leg exercises. There are many different splits online that you can choose from. If you can only go to the gym 3x per week, doing 3 full body workouts with at least one day between each session is most optimal for hitting your muscles as efficiently as possible.
Common Gym Slang & Terminology:
Work in - If someone is asking to "work in" with you, they're asking to use the machine that your using during your rest periods so that you guys can take turns.
Reps & Sets - For every exercise movement you do, (Ex. Bicep Curls) sets are the amount of times you will do that movement. Every time you do some curls, then stop to rest, that is a set. Reps are the number of times you perform that movement per set. So, I could curl the dumbell 8 times, wait 3 mins, then curl it again 8 times, and that would be 2 sets of 8 reps...:)
Ego-lifting - Short for "Egotistical-lifting" this is a word with a negative connotation and it refers to someone that is lifting weight that is more than they can control and their form deteriorates.
Spot - If someone asks you to spot them for a workout, they mean that they want you to support them in their lift by watching them and once they start to fail a rep, you assist them by pulling the weight.
Pump - A pump is when you have a lot of blood flow in your muscles and you feel like your muscles are inflated.
Drop Set - A set where you decrease the weight after a certain amount of reps to keep stimulating muscles, pushing them to failure.
DOMS: Delayed onset Muscle Soreness, Refers to feeling sore a day or two after working out rather than immediately afterwards.
Dumbell: The hand-sized bar with two larger cylanders on each end. Often used for bicep curls.
Barbell: Long bar that you can add weight (plates) to on each end.
Kettlebell: The ball weight with a circular handle on top
A few Common Lifts:
Squat: Legs shoulder-width apart, hands evenly spaced from shoulders, look forward, back straight, knees bend forward, butt goes back on the way down, stand back up, bracing core
Bench Press: Lay on bench, grip bar evenly, don't bend wrists, may arch back, bar starts above eyes, lower to mid chest, back up. Dont flare elbows outwards.
Deadlift: grip bar on ground with feet slightly wider than shoulders, brace core, straight back, chest forward, stand by pushing hips forward and heels down. Control on way down.
Dumbbell Curls: Hold DB by side, either both at same time or one-by-one lift weight by squeezing area on the opposite side of your elbow. Try not to swing arm, brace core and back.
Lat-Pulldown: Slide thigh under leg cushion, grip bar evenly from middle, brace back and core, pull by trying to get your shoulder blades to though in the middle of your back, down to upper chest, slow on way up.
DB Shoulder Press: Sit on bench 90deg, place dumbell on lap, use legs too assist to push dumbell next to head, push up, brace core, slow on the way down.
Leg Extension: hold handles by side, adjust leg cushion so that it is near top of ankle, squeeze quads to straighten legs, slowly release on way down.
T-Bar Row: place chest on cushion, evenly grip handles, roll shoulders back, brace core, straighten back, squeese the shoulder blades together to pull weight back towards chest, slowly release down.
Seated Cable Row: Position legs on grip, straight back, stretch arms and back forward while releaesing and squeese shoulder blades together in middle on back to pull. dont lean too much, keep shoulders tight.
Actual INTELLECTUAL and mental health benefits of exercising
Actual INTELLECTUAL and mental health benefits of exercising
Not only does lifting build make you physically healthier by improving insulin efficiency, building muscle, increasing metabolism, strengthening bones & joints, increase neuromuscular efficiency, decrease injuries, and by allowing you to be physically independent for longer, but it also has some mental and cognitive benefits.
According to Psychology Today, engaging in resistance training leads to better brain health, function, cognition, and it can help decrease depressive symptoms. This is because exercising releasing hormones like endorphins which acts like dopamine and makes you have a sense of euphoria...:)
Don't feel shy about going to the gym even if you don't know what to do. Just make a training plan, do your best, keep pushing yourself, and get better. There are always people there to help you if you need guidance on certain lifts. Remember that over time, you will get better and it will become more natural. Keep lifting and getting stronger...:)
1280 WordsJuly 24, 2025“A Beginner Workout Plan for Your First Week in the Gym.” Planetfitness.com, 2023, www.planetfitness.com/blog/articles/beginner-workout-plan-your-first-week-gym..
“The Ultimate Beginner’s Guide to the Gym.” Fitnessfirst.co.uk, Fitness First, 2022, www.fitnessfirst.co.uk/blog/the-ultimate-beginners-guide-to-the-gym.
Davies, Mollie. “How Often Should I Go to the Gym & Can I Workout Everyday?” Gymshark, 27 Mar. 2023, row.gymshark.com/blog/article/how-often-should-i-go-to-the-gym.
Yaptangco, Ariana. “How to Start Going to the Gym in 2024.” Glamour, 25 Dec. 2023, www.glamour.com/story/how-to-start-going-to-the-gym.
“The Ultimate Beginner’s Guide to the Gym.” Fitnessfirst.co.uk, Fitness First, 2022, www.fitnessfirst.co.uk/blog/the-ultimate-beginners-guide-to-the-gym.
Davies, Mollie. “How Often Should I Go to the Gym & Can I Workout Everyday?” Gymshark, 27 Mar. 2023, row.gymshark.com/blog/article/how-often-should-i-go-to-the-gym.
Yaptangco, Ariana. “How to Start Going to the Gym in 2024.” Glamour, 25 Dec. 2023, www.glamour.com/story/how-to-start-going-to-the-gym.
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