Joe and Simon Passey

Become best friends with the pull-up bar!|Ideally your gym will have a wide range of free weights

- They are packed full of useless machines
- Most people are doing the first exercise that they read on the internet.
- The music is not motivating or inspiring.
- Too many people are walking around on their phones.
Beginners, always start with why!
Ask yourself why you are going to the gym:- Is it to lose weight?
- Is it to gain muscle?
- Improve confidence?
- Improve your performance for a specific sport?
- Improve your overall health and wellbeing?
Gym Equipment
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- Free Weights – Every good gym should have a range of dumbbells that at least go up to 30kg. If all you can see is the body pump dumbbells that go up to 10kg, then keep looking.
- Squat Rack – This is vital and every gym should have one. If all they have is a smith machine keep looking. A squat rack will also allow for overhead presses, deadlifts and power cleans. Oh and don’t be that guy/girl who curls in the squat rack!
- Pull up bars – Simple but effective. Find a bar and get used to it - it will really help your arms and upper back.
The Plan
- Know your surroundings – Get to know your gym inside out. The layout, the equipment, when it’s busy, get to know the people who work there. The more comfortable you feel, the less intimated you’ll feel.
- Wear suitable clothing- Don’t turn up to the gym in jeans and a jumper. Invest in some decent gym gear and you’ll feel more comfortable in the gym.
- Have a plan to follow – Depending on your goal have a workout plan to follow. Get one of the instructors to help you, ask for advice; it’s their job to help the people who use the gym. Or do your own research - always be looking to learn more and take it upon yourself to keep researching on your specific goal.
- Record Progress – This can be in many forms. Body Fat tests, taking progression pictures or recording your workouts. It’s a great individual tool. If on week 1 you squatted 30kg and by week 6 you're squatting 50kg, then note it down. A good workout journal will help you track your progress.
- Mind-set – Go into the gym with a clear goal and why you are doing this. Attack every workout with 100% intensity and focus. Get yourself in the zone; the best way of doing this is creating a couple of motivating playlists. Put your headphones on, block everything else out and go to work!
Tagged: Training