First gym day - what would STW do

Speak to the trainer/coach/gym assistant, tell them your goals and get them to come up with a plan.

Well, that's what I'd do if I was starting from scratch.

Don't go too mad on your first day or you'll end up with DOMS and waste the other 9...

Lifting exercise followed by upper body pulling & pushing exercises using weights not machines and get advice on form, forget about the weight, get the form.

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Probably not a lot, your body won't be used to it and you'll destroy yourself for days and make yourself hate it if you go in hard.

If you've just joined (even if only for 10 days) then you may get a free session with a personal trainer. They are hit and miss but should be able to make sure you don't injure yourself on the first day.

Legs. Or arms. Then swap for day 2. Repeat until bored (ie, once). Give up.

Enjoy the beginner pump you will get if you've not trained for a while...

NB it's doesn't last, it's just vascular dilation as the body goes WTF I better start repairing all this damage..

This

Speak to the trainer/coach/gym assistant, tell them your goals and get them to come up with a plan.

And this

Lifting exercise followed by upper body pulling & pushing exercises using weights not machines and get advice on form, forget about the weight, get the form.

Is pretty much what I did when I decided I needed some resistance training earlier this year. Nine months later I think it is good advice.

If you're going once/twice a week, do a bit of everything. If you are going every day, get a plan.

Ignore anyone that says only do free weights and deadlifts

Wear a hat, and look surly when someone dares to ask if you’re going use the weight/machine you’re clogging up whilst checking instagram

TRT

Trenbolone

Cheers All, appreciated.

I looked up "Trenbolone" thinking he may be a YouTube covering this topic 🙂 

I find push/pull/legs works best for me...nice and flexible so you don't get stuck in a routine (as long as you train the right body parts on the right day you can mix it up).

You can do this with 3/4/5/6 days and not overtrain, but I tend to do pull/push/legs/pull/push Mom-Fri with some core on Saturday. I do 30 mins of cardio every weekday as well.

(Push is chest/tricep/shoulders, pull is back/biceps/traps). Don't be tempted to load the legs up...they will be strong from cycling but weights will work them in different ways.

The key is to start slowly and with light weights, get your form sorted before adding weight...it may feel.like you aren't working, but you will still feel it.

Get your kit/bag prepared so it is always ready when you want to go, it can be the easiest excuse. The minute you pick your bag up, you're as good as there

If you can keep to the same time, you'll be training with the same people. Over time you'll get to know each other and it's a great incentive to get down to the gym...you don't want to be the one that doesn't show up.

Most of all enjoy it, I find it really empowering...after a while you will notice small changes which will spur you on.

Is the business model not that you go the first time walking around a bit bemused, go a second time and get put off by the unfriendly regular clique hogging the kit whilst they selfie/insta/talk shit. Then never go again.....but.....keep on paying every month because you'll go again one day, you're sure?

TRX, a tree to strap it to and a nice view for the win imo.

If a bit of the motivation is to loose some belly is it worth booking a class instead? Something like circuits / pump. Once you’re in the class you’ll feel you should finish it and it’ll be full body rather than a specific area.

I tend  to train free weights at home but I enjoy it so I just keep going with it - but my wife can’t seem to enjoy weight training either at home or in the gym - so she mostly does classes or swimming. She particularly likes body pump / functional weights type classes.

Maybe try some classes if they have any. Something like circuits, body pump or kettlebells.

The Nuffield web site has a selection of beginner workouts targeted at various goals

https://www.nuffieldhealth.com/article/gym-workouts-for-beginners

Learn how to squat, deadlift, overhead press, and pendlay row.

Forget about getting your numbers up and just focus on the technique for the first few weeks.  Squat with the empty bar and deadlift with two 10kg plates initially.  You might well find mobility limitations stop you from even doing the full movements.  Keep working on those mobility issues until you are getting full range of motion and are relatively comfortable in the movements.

If you're lucky you'll be able to find a personal trainer who can teach you the movements but remember that for many PTs it's not really in their interests to teach you to be able to train independently so you might find yourself getting pushed into doing a different exercises each week.

Otherwise, youtube is your friend.  I would recommend Alan Thrall, Jonni Shreve, and megsquats for beginner technique videos.  You will find contradictory information but don't get too bogged down in the details and try to focus on the big picture.

My philosophy is to get as good as I can at my four core lifts.  Any other lifts I do apart from that is just to address any weaknesses in those movements.  It might sound boring but I get my motivation from looking at the graph showing my numbers going up over time rather than doing multiple different exercises every session.

Also, focus on where you want to be in a years time, 5 years time, 10 years time, when you're 96, etc.  Don't worry about adding weight slowly.  I've been following a program based around Jim Wendler's 531 so I only increase the weight every four weeks and I'm not afraid to drop the weight back by two cycles if I fail a set.

Jonni Shreve is good, Dr Mike Israetel Renaissance Periodization is the man. They do some videos together.

He has a playlist called Targeting the muscle which I think would really help a beginner, and he's hilarious.

Wendler 531 app

gives you a structured plan which will increase your efforts over time and give you a pretty decent muscular workout, also fits in a decent 45-60 mins

Ignore anyone that says only do free weights and deadlifts

Would be a shame to as it's probably the most sensible advice given.

Compound exercises using free weights (Squat / Deadlift / Bench) are the best bang for buck exercises out there, although you might want some guidance on correct form when starting.

Weight machines are designed to minimise the number of muscles utilsied per exercise which means you get the lowest possible benefit for time spent using them, they are literally the worst thing you can do in a gym (other than stare at yourself in the mirror, which is normally the most popular exercise).

Id speak to the trainers/coaches AND figure out what sort of trainers they are. If theyre obsessed with 'body sculpting' then they might not be a good fit if all youre after is some basic strength conditioning to supplement biking.

Not that they cant do it, just that they 'might' not have any/much interest in helping you.

Also, focus on where you want to be in a years time

This. But for me 'where I want to be' is riding epic gravel routes, so I've worked back from there to figure out what strength work will benefit this.

Really useful information in the posts overnight.  It highlights that I need more thought before stepping into the gym.

It has encouraged me to sign up to a local class in my village to see if that different experience helps me set a good routine.  I have a feeling it's having to get on my moped in the dark/misty/wet mornings to go to the gym 5 miles away that breaks my routine, more than the experience when I'm there.

All this talk did enocurage me to do 30 mins of yoga in my home gym this morning so not in vain!  Thanks for taking the time to comment everyone

I have a feeling it’s having to get on my moped in the dark/misty/wet mornings to go to the gym 5 miles away that breaks my routine

This is probably the key.

For just over a year I did nothing but train in my basement.  I had a bar and weights and I built a pair of squat stands (that I could also store the weights on) so I just started waking up half an hour earlier, rolling down the stairs, make some coffee, and get straight into a workout.

After a year I felt like being worried about dropping the weights on my squats (they would probably end up going through the floor) was starting to limit me.  I found a gym that was more or less on my commute so that I now just wake up, make the kids' lunchboxes, and then head to the gym before I head up to work.

I think I would really struggle if going to the gym involved a special trip.

Your goals dont sound too dissimilar to my own 15 months ago.  Ive dropped 20kg, am lifting double my bodyweight on some lifts and feel better than i have done for the last 20 years.  I havent done a single cardio session in that 15 months.  Forget every word i say if you are just using your 10days freebie.  You may as well go in and walk on the treadmills for your 60mins for all the difference it will make.  You do not change your fat belly in the gym.  Its impossible.  I fast walk every day for 10,000 steps and it counts for the grand total of sod all when it comes to weight loss.  I can hip thrust 100kg, do sit ups until i collapse and i feel my abs popping but if i didnt do other stuff those abs would be stuck under a layer of fat.

Its your choice but going to the gym will be demoralising when you realise you are not getting any benefits from it.  You need to sort your diet out and gear it towards your goals.

Preaching over this is what i did.

1 Hour with PT instructor.  Taught me the basics of form on compound lifts.  The bread & butter of weights.  I had the worst flexibility and couldnt even back squat the empty bar.  I used TRX straps to work on my flexibility and it has helped.

2 Get a beginners programme that works.  I use the Jeff Nippard fundementals programme as it works, its proven and its flexible.  Best £30 i ever spent.  Every single exercise he uses he has a link to a form video and advice.  I have it on my ipad and if im not sure of an exercise, within 5 seconds im watching a video of the exercise.  You get excel docs to record progress etc.   You could go for a PT instructor programme but i just couldnt see the value and really am not the kind of person to get beasted every session.  Its also too expensive for me.  I respond better to being able to say 'Ive done this'.  Everyones different.

3 Keep track of everything.  Beginners gains make you feel good.  Weights go up (sensibly) very quickly.  Weight loss with controlled diet gets quick gains and you start seeing value in every workout.

4 Stick with it.  One of the biggest benefits to the way i have done it is because its all been manageable and fun.  When people comment about being on a diet or trying to lose weight i take offence.  I am not on a diet, this is the way i am now.  I exercise because i enjoy it and i eat better because i actually feel better and enjoy eating this stuff over the rubbish i ate before.  I sleep better, i dont have all the aches and pains and lifes a little bit easier.

Hope this helps.

Speak to the trainer/coach/gym assistant, tell them your goals and get them to come up with a plan.

Lifting exercise followed by upper body pulling & pushing exercises using weights not machines and get advice on form, forget about the weight, get the form.

This +1

10 days will do nothing other than give you a bit of DOMS and a pump. It's like cycling and measuring your FTP, if you go at it consistently for 10 weeks you might add 10% to it. If you squat 3x a week for 10 weeks, you'll add maybe 3kg of muscle. What you will do is nail your squat technique so it goes from 20kg to 100+ fairly quickly (like cycling, over the 10 weeks you don't get much quantitively fitter, but you feel better and can do 100miles easily by the end).

For 10 days I'd just spam classes and take up as much free PT time as I could.

Then either get a coach / PT who fits your goals and will actually get you doing "simple" movements like squats and deadlifts, then engineer a plan to fix your weaknesses within those. And not someone fresh off an online PT course who'll give you the same generic program they give all their clients. And definitely don't pay for an online plan unless they demand video of every exercise every session to monitor you (this is why people have cameras out in the gym). Someone with an Olympic weightlifting / powerlifting / strongman background.

As for the choice of gyms ....... good old fashioned independent gyms. I'll be half the price of Nuffield, people are friendlier (in a "can I interrupt you and help you fix your squat before you injure yourself" kind of way), there's less machines, but there'll be what you need rather than 1 of everything from the Technogym catalogue.

Do some big heavy weights for arms and shoulders, until you will no longer able to wash yourself

First gym day – what would STW do

...try not to ogle the ladies and get yourself banned and put on a register! 🙂

Ohh, and any program that doesn't immediate spam you (as a cyclists, and possibly an office worker) with the following accessories is probably wrong:

- Bulgarian Split squats, nothing un-f***s tight hip flexors quicker. And every variation of goblet squats for hip mobility (or do the hip and ankle mobility work separately then do goblet squats holding the plate out at arms length to get properly comfortable with a deep squat position).
- Lat raises, as declining sets of 30+, 20, 15, 10 to sort out shoulder stability
- Face pulls, to sort out any hunching
- RDL's, Just as good for the hamstrings, better for the back than doing them from the floor, and I think they teach proper form better.

…try not to ogle the ladies and get yourself banned and put on a register! 🙂

Paging Houns!

Gyms can be a little intimidating so be kind to yourself and feel your way in - go during the day if you can, early mornings and evenings are all business in gyms and you may feel like an imposter.

Head over to somewhere like https://www.muscleandstrength.com/workouts/muscle-building and pick a workout that suits your goals/how many days you can/want to be going to the gym. As has been said, workouts that are based around the big compound movements are your best bang for your buck (bench, overhead press, squat, deadlift, rows).

Record your lifts and try and do a little more each time you go. Rest, sleep, prioritise protein. Keep going 🙂

Thanks to those who mentioned the Wendler 531 program - I bought & read the book yesterday. I've been building up from zero with dumbbells for the last few months and have recently started doing barbell lifts. I started doing the "2 days a week" variation today, and the workout felt tough but achievable which is a good start. Since my gym has 2.5kg plates as the minimum I did have to adapt a little bit (I am only 70kg and none of my lifts are yet at lift-my-own-weight level), but I have ordered a couple of 1.25kg plates for about a tenner which I can take with me to the gym to help fine-tune things.

As for the choice of gyms ……. good old fashioned independent gyms. I’ll be half the price of Nuffield, people are friendlier (in a “can I interrupt you and help you fix your squat before you injure yourself” kind of way), there’s less machines, but there’ll be what you need rather than 1 of everything from the Technogym catalogue.

I mostly agree in that I'm a firm believer in supporting your local independent shops, cafes, restaurants etc. So gyms too why not.  However we are members at Nuffield (mainly because it's close) and I have to say I can't fault them. Loads of machines of all types (way more than someone like me needs to be fair) and the staff are very friendly and helpful. As are most of the other folk there, even the "serious" ones like pro rugby players etc. Always happy to answer questions or show you how to do something. Also (which was the main thing for me) they have a 25 metre pool with wide lanes that rarely have more than one or two other people in them. Plus tons of classes if that's your thing, and things like sauna, steam room etc. All for just over fifty quid a month.

Fine words of advice above.

I have been at it in the gym twice a week now for over 12 months.

I decided to go with a personal trainer for each session as for me it’s more than just fitness, it’s about all the other stuff us blokes don’t talk about.

If it’s just training and fitness I would strongly recommend a few PT sessions to get you used to the kit, how to warm up properly.

This will get you into a comfort place and enable you to use the kit properly.

Don’t forget to smile

Loads of good advice here, I use our work gym quite a lot but I'm a big fan of variation to keep it interesting so will try some of these suggestions, thanks.

I personally can't recommend circuits enough; they work every part of you, combine weights and cardio, are social so help you to keep going back and help with flexibility which is important at my advancing age.

I use our work gym quite a lot

Username checks out.

Good point shark attack but that's work based and very much not physique 😉

https://mtb.fitness/

First gym day – what would STW do

Check out the vending machine.