"I'm new to training, where do I start?"

You've joined  gym or bought some and decided today is the day!

 

But what to you do is the next your question...

 

I've seen it, in a commercial gym it looks like "here's your cardio, machines & weights" great! 

 

You use a treadmill, maybe try out a machine and do a couple bicep curls. 

Where that often leads is a attempts of repeating the same test routine and either the motivation tapers off of you rely on fitness influencers to try and work out "what is the right exercise to build a 6 pack"

This is all to common for newcomers.

 

That's not a plan, it's hope of stumbling upon something that sticks.

 

Here's how avoid this scenario altogether.

 

Step #1 Ask yourself why

This is the most important and most skipped step, you need to understand why you decided to make a change.

Be specific and honest with yourself.

 

Common reasons I've come across with clients are "I wasn't feeling very active anymore" or "I want to feel stronger"

 

Maybe you want to get in shape for an event are adjust your lifestyle to be healthier. 

Great because getting to the reason is going to be the fuel for success in the next step.

 

Step #2 Establish a goal

This is why step #1 is so important. 

The need motivated to you start somewhere, the goal is the results you want to achieve. Be specific, commit to it and then you're able to work towards it.

 

Examples

 "I work in an office and don't get out much, I'd like to be able to run 5km within the next 2 months" 

for someone else it could be 

"I want to wear a tank top and have it look and feel right for me"

 

The goal is yours, make it specific enough that you can measure it tangibly and apply a timeframe that is realistic and can work in with your lifestyle.

 

Step #3 Establish where you are at

Do some initial tests to measure your skills & capacity.

If you're not great at something that's okay because you can work towards improving it.

Take notes and save them for later

 

Examples:

"I would like to get strong enough to do a pull up, so I will use the lat pull down to see how well I can perform a vertical pull at what weight"

"I want to run 5km so I am going to see how far I can walk/jog/run on the treadmill for 12 mins"

"To move weights and get stronger I need to lift things, what lifts am I comfortable with using what equipment, what equipment do I need to learn to use safetly"

 

Step #4 Build a plan

And stick to it. It doesn't have to be perfectly optimised or executed, it just needs to be tailored to your specific needs, achievable and in a  realistic timeframe.

 

Examples: 

"I want to build strength over the next 3 months so I am going to train 2 times with a week full body resistance program and adjust my diet to accomodate"

"To go hiking overseas I'll need to build leg strength, mobility and capacity to enjoy my trip so I am going to focus on conditioning & cardio training 3 times per week and go on a local bushwalk once a fortnight" 

 

You build the habit and have a go at doing it consistently, it doesn't have to be perfect but I can assure you that at the end of 3 months you are going to feel better and see results.

 

Step #5 Measure & review your progress

Your first few weeks are going to be a learning phase, great still measure it. Take notes of the times, weights, distances and how well you can perform movements because progress is incremental.

 

Examples:

"When I started 6 weeks ago I could only do 5 knee push ups, now I can do 5 full push ups"

"On day 1 I measured a 30 second plank, now I can plank confidently for 46 seconds"

"On day one my shirts were feeling tight but now they're feeling looser and I think I could wear a smaller size"

 

These are realistic type results that can be achieved by just about anyone given some consistent structure on training

 

 

Where next

Maybe it hasn't panned out the way you expected so you review and adapt your plan accordingly.

 

You got great results? Fantastic, you review your goals then either maintain or progress your plan to your next phase.

 

Either way you've built a habit, congratulations you're well on your way to having a healthier lifestyle. 

 

You're unique, so are your goals. focus on that and working on a plan to achieve it. We all have set backs and our own limitations, building a structured plan specific to you accounts for that and overcomes those obstacles to get you results.