The Gym: A Guide for Beginners

I started my fitness journey in 2019. I was shy, quiet and reserved and like many of you reading this, I wanted to feel confident. That was when I decided to give this gym thing a go. I always had a passion for fitness. My father owned several fitness magazines which I would occasionally browse through to kill time back when I was a student. Every individual pictured in those magazines was built like a Greek God, they almost seemed too perfect.

Looking back, I remember feeling an overwhelming adrenaline rush each time my eyes gazed at those immaculate pictures. I knew, deep down, that I wanted to be like those guys in the magazines one day. I guess many men can relate to this ambition. Most men strive to look a certain way, attempting to emulate the success of others they look up to.

Fast forward to 2019. I joined a gym conveniently located close to the University, where I had just enrolled for the law course. There I was, wearing a faded-yellow t-shirt and an embarrassingly scruffy shorts, intent on becoming a jacked lawyer.

From a beginner’s perspective, the gym can best be described as an intimidating environment. You walk in completely lost, terrible music blasting all over the place and hyper-inflated men staring at you in a judgemental manner. As you contemplate whether you have made a terrible life decision, you either march forward to locate the changing rooms or backtrack the hell out of there.

Thankfully, I chose the former. You make your way into the changing room, to be met by the overwhelming scent of sweat and piss. Before you can even find a locker, you locate a fat dude on the weighing scales in the corner. He stands there looking down, completely naked, as if an extra gram will hinder his prospects of becoming an astronaut.

If you get past that scene without cracking a laugh, it would be time to change into your gym clothes, place your bag in a locker and commence your workout. You should plan ahead to know which body part you will train each day of the week. If you are able to train four times a week, I would suggest training as follows:

Monday: Chest + Triceps

Tuesday: Back + Arms

Thursday: Legs (you’ll love this)

Friday: Shoulders

Some of you may only have time to train three times per week. Well you’re in luck, because you could easily incorporate a shoulder workout into any other workout during the week. In this way, you will be able fit all your body parts within your schedule.

Right, its now time to leave the locker room and start your workout. All you see is chaos. The gym is spluttered with machines. Dumbbells are flying everywhere and you have to get out of dodge as a maniac comes power walking down the aisle. On your right, three insanely fit teenagers are going mad on the treadmill, separated only by an obese man still finding his feet on the treadmill (literally).

You trudge forward, only to see an array of benches. A variety of personalities compose this section of the gym. You will immediately notice a couple of men intensely performing bicep curls while staring intently at the mirror facing them. You will then encounter two friends pumping each other up whilst performing chest presses. In between sets, the guy in his bulking phase takes a nap in the corner of the room. Another guy is sitting on a bench, facing the mirror, in a hoodie. His face is barely visible, the hood covering the entire circumference of his head. Do not ever approach that guy! He is in his winter arc and is raging war against his demons.

Move forward and familiarise yourself with the gym environment. On your way, you will encounter an insanely acrobatic dude in a pony tail climbing some rope or running up the walls. You will hear seasoned bodybuilders grunting with every repetition as if they are out for blood.

My point is, the gym is a busy place which can be overwhelming for beginners. I was once a beginner, as was the seasoned bodybuilder who you can now hear grunting from a mile away. We have all been through the initiation stages of gym life, where you familiarise yourself with the gym, its equipment, its community, and workout what works and what does not work for you.

Start slow. Use light weights and learn to adopt the correct form for each exercise. Lifting heavy weights is pointless and dangerous if you do not adopt the correct body position and form. Familiarise yourself with the movement required to contract each muscle. As you slowly gain strength and confidence, slowly increase the weight and challenge yourself to improve daily.

The trick is to keep going. You will make mistakes, that bit is inevitable. However, always remember that failure is the best teacher. Everyone makes mistakes. The most important thing is to learn from your mistakes and move forward. That’s what winners do.

My journey from a shy teenager to a confident young man has been full of twists and turns. I have committed countless mistakes and have had to deal with setbacks. However, that is what makes me the man I am today.

Wouldn’t it be nice if there was a way to avoid the same mistakes I did and maximise your gains? Oh wait, there is! I am very grateful for the mental and physical progress I have made over the last few years. This has inspired me to help others on their fitness journey.

I have created Muscle Matthew, a fitness brand which offers beginners a vast array of useful information and guidance during their fitness journey. Members will have access to in-depth articles on nutrition and fitness, as well as personalised fitness plans and nutrition advice. But that is not all. Members of the Peak Performance plan will have a guaranteed one-on-one online consultation class with me, a qualified fitness instructor, to outline goals and track progress.

Take the first steps on your fitness journey and start your transformation with us.

JOIN TODAY!