New Year, New Gym
Ben Greenfield
3 Steps For Your First Day In The Gym
3 Steps For Your First Day In The GymWhen you first join a gym, it can be an intimidating jungle of cardio and weight machines, dumbbell racks, big balls, little balls, elastic bands and cables–along with a workout posters, personal trainers and fitness classes. Don’t let this stress you! Instead, use your first day as a time to experiment. Here are 3 quick and dirty tips for your first day at the gym:
-
Begin with the cardio equipment. Try the treadmill for 2-4 minutes, familiarizing yourself with the interface and buttons. Then try a couple different kinds of bicycles and see what type of seat heights and positions are comfortable for you. Move on to the elliptical trainer, stairclimber and rowing machine, experimenting with each to see what type of positions are “do-able” and whether anything hurts.
-
Next, go familiarize yourself with the weight room. Look at the pictures on the sides of weight machines that show you how to do exercises. Learn the layout of where the free weights, machines and cables are located, along with the water fountain, disinfectant and cleaning towels, and bathroom.
-
Finally, once you know what is available at your gym and where everything is located, choose one workout plan and stick to it. You don’t have to have the perfect plan to exercise. A very good place to start would be the workout described in the Get-Fit Guy episode “How To Use Weightlifting Machines.”
Finally, don’t be afraid to ask for help! Most gyms offer a free introductory session or orientation with a personal trainer.
Image courtesy of Shutterstock
About the Author
Ben Greenfield received bachelor’s and master’s degrees from University of Idaho in sports science and exercise physiology; personal training and strength and conditioning certifications from the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA); a sports nutrition certification from the International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN), an advanced bicycle fitting certification from Serotta. He has over 11 years’ experience in coaching professional, collegiate, and recreational athletes from all sports, and as helped hundreds of clients achieve weight loss and fitness success.