A Beginners Guide to the Gym: How to Get Started

Getting started at the gym can be intimidating. Everyone has experienced the nerves and confusion of going for the first time. Palms sweaty. Knees weak. Arms heavy.

Everybody starts somewhere. It's just something you have to go through. Here are 6 tips to make getting started (and sticking with it) easier:

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1. Learn the exercises before hand

Getting started at the gym is stressful for everyone. It can be even more stressful if you really have no idea what you're doing.

Take the time to learn which exercises you want to include and how to properly do them. There's nothing worse than having to look around and wonder if you're doing something right or if you look like a total idiot.

Bodybuilding.com/exercises is a great resource for beginners. It helped me so much when I first started working out. They have videos and detailed descriptions of how to do a ton of different exercises with correct form. You can also search for exercises by body part.

If you know you want work legs, take 5 minutes before you go to the gym to look at some leg exercises and watch the videos of them being done properly. That way when you get to the gym you won't feel clueless.

It's a good idea to learn and include some of the basic compound lifts such as:

• Squats

• Lunges

• Dead lifts

• Bench press

• Row

2. Practice your form at home

If it's been a while since you've exercised, take a few minutes to do body weight exercises at home. Basic compound movements such as squats and lunges can take a little bit of practice to do correctly.

Learn how to properly perform a squat, and watch yourself do body weight squats in the mirror a couple times. This is not only to help you feel more confident in the gym, but also to prevent injuries. Before doing squats with dumbbells or barbells, it's important to master the movement without adding extra resistance.

3. Have the right mindset

When you first start going to the gym, you're insecurities will tell you all kinds of lies:

• "I'm too fat to go to the gym."

• "Everyone will be secretly making fun of me."

• "I need to stick to what I know how to do, like the cardio section. I'll look dumb if I try to lift weights."

• "The weight section is for guys."

I'm gonna tell you a secret. No one really cares about what you're doing. Everyone at the gym is there for themselves. They're all focused on their own workout. No one comes to the gym to make fun of other people, and if they do then they're assholes and you shouldn't care about their opinions.

Don't let perfect be the enemy of good.

There is never going to be a "right" time. The right time is any time. You don't have to wait until the new year. Until Monday. Until you have the perfect gym clothes. Until you're thin. Just start and everything else will fall into place.

"Conditions are never perfect. Someday is a disease that will take your dreams to the grave with you." - Tim Ferriss

4. Move away from the cardio section

If I could go back and give myself advice, it would be to start lifting weights sooner. I wasted so much time at the gym just walking on the treadmill when I could have been getting closer to my goals.

Strength training isn't for men. It won't make you bulky. The way to get "toned" isn't to do 100 reps with a two pound pink dumbbell.

I feel like the stereotype that women shouldn't lift weights is going away, but getting rid of the stereotype doesn't make getting started any easier. Even before I started lifting I knew that I needed to lift to reach my goals. I would follow fitness models on Instagram and see them talking about how important weight training was.

I knew it was important and I wanted to try it, but I still didn't do it. Walking into the weight section can be intimidating. It was scary to be a female who has no idea what she's doing surrounded by dudes who all seem to be jacked.

I promise it will be worth it. Just get out of your comfort zone. You'll never grow if you keep doing the things that you're comfortable with.

"Staying in your comfort zone is like staying in bed. It's warm and comfortable but nothing will happen unless you get out of it."

5. Get a personal trainer (if you can)

I know not everyone can afford a personal trainer, but if you can get one I definitely recommend it. When you're a beginner, having someone to guide you can be super helpful.

Booking just a few sessions with a personal trainer at your gym can help you learn where everything is, what kinds of exercises you should be doing, and allow you to get feedback on your form.

If you can't afford a personal trainer and you're starting at a new gym, you could always as someone at the front desk for a tour so you're not wandering around feeling lost during your workout.

You could also film yourself doing exercises to check your own form if you don't have a trainer. I know it can feel awkward to film yourself, so try going when the gym isn't busy. A Friday or Saturday night would probably be best. I like to set up my phone on a stool or bench and film a set of squats occasionally to see how I can improve my form.

6. Find what works for you and make it a habit

Experiment with different times of the day and days of the week. It doesn't really matter when you go, as long as you go.

I prefer to workout early in the mornings. That way I get it out of the way and don't have to worry about trying to fit it in later in the day. Some people find the evenings work better for them. Find what you like and make it a routine.

Try to make going as easy as possible for yourself. If you plan on going after work, keep a gym bag in your car with everything you might need. If you plan on going in the morning, get your outfit out the night before. Limit the amount of excuses you can make.

In Harvard researcher Shawn Achor's book, The Happiness Advantage: How a Positive Brain Fuels Success in Work and Life, he discusses what he calls the 20 second rule. No this isn't about how long food can touch the floor before it's gross to eat it (it's gross as soon as it touches the floor).

The idea is that just 20 seconds of effort can be the deciding factor between whether or not you do something. He talks about how he was trying to make practicing the guitar everyday a habit. He kept his guitar bag in the closet. All he had to do was reach in and grab it to start playing. Even though it was something he knew would make him better, after a long day getting up to grab it just seemed like too much work. Just that 20 seconds of annoyance was enough to make him give up.

To start a new habit, you need to reduce the amount of will power required to do it. If your alarm for the gym goes off at 5 am and you know you have to find something to wear, find a snack, etc. you will likely find just getting to gym very difficult. On the other hand, if you have everything prepared and all you need to do is get dressed and grab your gym bag it will be easier to stick to.

Instead of thinking of it as a decision of whether or not you will go to the gym, think of it as something you just do. You probably don't mentally decide if you'll go to work. You just go. Think of the gym as the same thing. Make it a habit instead of a choice.

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In conclusion, taking the time to learn some of the basics before heading to the gym can help you feel a little less lost. Remember that even though it can feel like everyone is secretly judging you, they likely aren't. Everyone started out as a beginner.

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Comment down below how long you've been going to the gym.