FIRST DAY IN THE GYM
It’s your first day in the gym, congratulations! You’ve taken a very big step towards incorporating fitness into your life. But fitness is not a one-time activity, it requires a lifestyle and mindset shift, a true desire and commitment towards incorporating small yet positive changes into your everyday life.
One good way to start is to understand what goals you want to set for yourself. It’s completely fine to have a larger goal: Be able to do a 50 kg deadlift, or do 100 push-ups without stopping, but always remember to set smaller, more attainable goals along the way. If your aim is to reach 100 push-ups, make a mini training plan for yourself that breaks it down further. You could set weekly targets, where you start by doing 10 push-ups and gradually work your way up to 100. This is a better strategy as it allows you to perfect your form, build stamina and endurance while reducing any risk of injury along the way.
Another good practice is to seek professional guidance. Even if you’re not looking to invest in a personal trainer just yet, sign up for a free session with a trainer, which is something most gyms offer new members. They’ll be able to provide a little help regarding your goals, an introduction to the gym’s various classes and equipment, and maybe a few helpful nutrition tips as well. Remember, fitness is equal parts of exercise and diet! You might also want to check out this post on monitoring your protein intake. Our range of supplements suit every level of gym-goers, from the beginners to athletes, so for someone who is just starting out, our WPI might be best suited.
Third, and the most important part of all, remember to enjoy yourself. You don’t need to define being fit as having a 6-pack or being able to lift a certain amount of weight. It can be as simple as going for a run a few times a week, attending a Zumba class here and there, or getting in some functional training that helps both muscle mass and overall muscle function long-term. Fitness is not meant to come in small spurts, it’s a lifetime commitment, but it’s your life. So when you start, take your time to experiment. Don’t compare your journey with someone else’s, because what works for them might not work for you, and that’s completely fine! The aim is to find the right balance between something that challenges you, while still helping you connect with your body!