Going to the gym for the first time doesn’t need to be daunting. Adam Hameed, personal trainer at Nuffield Health, offers some beginner workouts to help you feel confident and get the most out of your gym time.
Everyone has different reasons for joining a gym. And lots of people are worried about using the equipment if they’ve never worked out in a gym before. These beginner gym workouts are ideal for various goals, whether you want to lose some weight or burn fat, build muscle and strength or improve your fitness.
And don’t forget, your gym membership will include an induction with an expert personal trainer, so make the most of this time with them. Gym staff are really helpful and friendly so they can show you how to do the exercises and answer any questions.
In this article, Pritish Kumar Halder gives you a brief idea about the workout methods.
As a beginner, how long should I do the workout for?
Set a goal to continue with the workout programme for 3 months. Creating a long-term exercise routine is all about forming positive habits, which means giving your mind and body the time to adjust to doing something new.
Each workout should take 45 minutes to 1 hour and you should always leave 48 hours between workouts to rest and recover properly. So a Monday-Wednesday-Friday routine works well for most people.
How much weight should I lift?
As a beginner, the best thing you can do is start at the lower end of the weight spectrum and work your way up until you reach about 60/70% of your max limit (the most amount of weight you can lift for 1 repetition with good form). That will give you a rough idea of what to start on and you can slowly increase the weight little by little every week.
What are reps and sets?
A rep is how many times you repeat a specific exercise, whereas a set is how many rounds of reps you do. So if you lift 10 times on a bench press, that would be ‘one set of 10 reps’. If you took a short break and then did the same again, you’ll have completed ‘two sets of 10 reps’.
How many reps and sets you go for depends on what you’re trying to achieve. More reps at a lower weight would improve your endurance, while fewer reps at a higher weight would build your muscle mass.
When it comes to sets, people usually aim for between three to five, depending on how many you can complete without compromising your form.
Tips for each workout
Go slow – focus on your technique
Rest 60-90 seconds between each set
Keep moving when you’re resting – a gentle walk around the gym floor will keep your muscles warm and your heart rate up
Ideally perform the workout in the order listed, but if equipment is busy then switch the order for convenience.
Hitting the Gym is one of the most opted new year’s resolution for many. How many truly make it happen? There is no answer to it. But how beneficial is it to join other health-conscious fellas striving to stay fit and healthy? Is it worth spending time and money at the Gym under a trainer’s supervision? This close analysis of the Advantages and Disadvantages of Gym Workout explains further.
Why People Go to the Gym?
People may have different reasons to go to the gym instead of working out at home. Weight Loss, Muscle Recovery, and improving strength, and postpartum recovery are common ones. Surprisingly, about 67% of people with gym memberships either never use them or attend the Gym for only around two times a week.
The advantages of Gym Workout to Consider Before
Exercising is essential for everyone to stay fit physically, mentally, and emotionally. It’s a great way to promote longevity and maintaining good health and shape. Consider these benefits of going to the gym if you are about to start your fitness program.
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Professional Training
The first of the advantages of Gym workout is you’ll be under a watch of a well-trained professional for every stance you make during exercising. Even if you start the workout at home, you lack supervision, leading to minor to major complications if any exercise goes wrong. With a professional gym trainer monitoring your activities, you tend to follow a sequential approach to workouts, no matter if you are a beginner or an athlete.
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Timed sessions
From easy to difficult, every rep you perform is timed and well-monitored. This means you repeat every set of workouts under supervision according to your strength and stamina. Timed sessions, on the other hand, ensure you’ll never have to face fatigue or over-exhaustion due to rigorous exercises. A physical trainer is always there to motivate and encourage you and remind you when it’s time to stop.
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Prevention from diseases and bad habits
Working out regularly in a place with like-minded people motivates you and makes you immune to diabetes and several types of cancer. Gym Workouts benefits in healthy heart also. Intense breaths are not just intense respiration; more oxygen flowing through the body promotes more blood flow through your body’s vital organs. Intense breathing during workouts also reduces the risks of lung damage malfunctioning due to smoking.
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Better Muscular Strength
Gym Workouts do not make you Hercules but can help you carry out daily routine work smoothly. Besides gaining the much-needed muscle strength, you can shape your body as you want through Gym workouts. Most Gyms offer membership plans which are either monthly, quarterly, half-yearly or annually. You can opt for any depending on your current health status and your goals to achieve. Make sure you specify your purpose of hitting the gym, losing weight, or building your muscles. Either way, you are going to have both.
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Gym Workouts Benefits in Stress Reduction:
Having a hard time coping with your sedentary lifestyle? Or have you just got tired of being stared at for your looks? Whatever reason pushed you to decide to hit the gym, just make it count. Gyms are places where you’ll get motivated and social with many people like you. It’s all about transforming your energy from emotional to physical.
Exercising brings peace of mind and a sense of contentment with every goal you achieve, whether losing weight or gaining muscle power. When you achieve your goals, you are ultimately happy. According to a Harvard Medical Centre study, exercise can help you reduce stress hormones cortisol and adrenaline as you tend to release more endorphins during Gym Workouts.
Disadvantages of Gym Workout & Possible Risks
While gym workouts have many benefits, from fitness training to time, there are some Disadvantages of Gym Workout & Possible Risks to look out.
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Injuries due to Accidents
Muscle Strains, and Sprains, and Tendinitis are some common injuries you may face during Gym workouts. Most of the injuries are caused due to a lack of proper technique, high-impact exercises, or lack of appropriate gear.
Things you need to take care of at first are the equipment that surrounds you at the gym. Before stepping inside for a workout, make sure you are well-equipped with the right set of gears and supports. Don’t try to hurry and jump straight to rigorous levels. Seeking the trainer’s guidance is indeed the most effective way to prevent Gym injuries.
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The Cost can disturb your budget
Let’s face it, more facilities at the fitness spots mean more cost. Even hiring a highly-skilled trainer can be costly at some of the reputed gyms. Many gyms offer facilities such as private changing rooms, spas, and club-like memberships to privileged members.
All the costs add up to a total that can be enough to consider alternatives to gym workouts. A smart move is to consider your budget before choosing a fitness facility nearby where a trainer can tend to you without having you spend much.
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The Unavoidable Addiction
As a gym-goer, you may have to come across such situations after a sudden stop in gym workouts. When you start feeling discomfort after breaking the continuity, you are more likely to feel Stressful, emotionally dissatisfied, and even guilty for not achieving your goals.
The worst-case scenario, you might feel a loss of appetite, sleeplessness, and headaches. This is where you need to draw a line between the passion and obsession for gym workouts.
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Imbalance Diet
After joining, you’ll start feeling a change in your appetite within a week or so, which is usual to deal with a couple of hours of going to the gym. You will find your desire for food more intensive; your hunger may turn more abrupt and frequent.
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Feeling Inadequate in Race to Perfection
When you feel embarrassed while staring and judging yourself in front of the mirror, you are probably affected by Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD), a hypochondriacal disorder. When a person has BDD, even a minor flaw that others can’t see seems so embarrassing to you.
Remember that not everybody is perfect, and the best they can do is achieve what’s the nearest to perfection. Exercising should make you feel good and healthy inside out.
What Sums up?
Every coin has two sides, and joining the gym has its own. The advantages and Disadvantages of Gym Workout are the most common ones you might have to come across at some point of time. It’s best to find the pros and cons of going to gym before choosing a fitness facility near or far. Consider the cost, space, and distance for a start.
Reference
https://www.nuffieldhealth.com/article/gym-workouts-for-beginners
https://www.myayan.com/what-are-the-advantages-and-disadvantages-of-gym-workout
