3 Mistakes Beginners Need to Avoid.
Starting your training journey is hard! I have seen a lot of people with a lot of different reasons that mean they just can’t get up and running. Most of them are just easy ways out because the reality is they just aren’t ready to start, that’s fine by the way, just try and be self aware enough to say that you just can’t be arsed at the minute.
Things that aren’t valid excuses…
I don’t have time.
I’m not fit enough.
Gyms intimidate me.
I don’t want to look like a bodybuilder.
That’s enough for now, but that would be pretty long list if I committed to it.
Here are the three things I think you need to give yourself the best possible chance to succeed.
1) You have to be ready to change.
Everyone knows they probably should do more, the scales are a bit higher than they were this time last year, doctors have told you the blood pressure is up a bit, clothes are a little tighter etc etc. That is a pattern of just getting older. After about 30, everything tends to become a little harder and you put weight on easier. Knowing you should and being genuinely ready to change are two completely different mindsets. The first one says… ‘right after (insert another excuse here), i’m definitely going to start going to the gym’ rarely happens. All they do is find reason after reason that they can’t possibly do it. The person that is ready to change books an appointment, signs up to a plan, finds a coach, goes for a walk or starts eating better there and then. They don’t plan it in advance, a switch flips and they take action.
Like I said already not being bothered to change is absolutely fine it’s your body. How you want to look after it is completely your choice. But don’t give yourself another shit excuse not to start, just simply say to yourself…. ‘I can’t be arsed’ because one day that will change and you’ll know you’re ready.
2) Get a plan
This is the most important tangible thing. Going to a gym (particularly a commercial gym) without a plan designed for you in terms of your ability but also your confidence level and current mindset towards gyms means you are destined to fail. Did you know most commercial gyms are designed for maximum discomfort once you actually get to the gym floor? They don’t want you there. Those gyms cost £100,000s to run, having members actually using equipment is counter productive for them. They rely on 80% of their members never actually going. 5000 members and there is 20 people training!?!? Come on… think about it!
If you can’t afford a coach or to pay someone for a one off plan then use an AI platform. Use these prompts…
‘Build me a 2 session per week beginners gym program that uses minimal equipment without barbells but will teach me good lifting techniques such as squat, lunge, hinge, press and pull so that I can improve my plan as I grow with confidence’.
Whatever they come back with will be pretty close and then you can fine tune it for your preferences.
Everyone at our gym is on one of our plans, they start at the very beginning and work up. It takes the thought process out of the equation, they just have to turn up and train. One of our coaches is always watching and jumps in to help them with their technique or answer any questions.
3) Try before you buy
Don’t get sold on a dream, you don’t want to be shown round by a sales rep that has programmed responses to any issues you might have. Trust me, they hear the same 5 barriers over and over again and they have the perfect response to them to change your mindset. Nothing beats actually being on the gym floor and getting a feel for the place. I’m pretty sure that’s why most commercial gyms don’t actually offer a full introduction to training anymore. They wait until you sign up on a 12 month contract before letting you see what it’s really like.
Find a small gym close to you. Every member they have matters. They will give you a free introductory session or at least for a small fee! then you can go, get a feel for the facilities, chat to the members, interact with the staff and see if you get the support you need. By the end of the session you will have a good idea whether it is right for you or not.
We offer a completely free consultation and movement screen with a light training session. After that session we will make our recommendations to you then give you a couple of days to think about what you want to do. We’ll send you an email asking if you are ready to start if the answer is no then we will thank you for the time and wish you all the best. If it is yes then we will chat further to make sure that you are happy with the level of support we recommend and then get you set up.
If you have already ticked number 1 on this list then you should drop us a line, we can take care of numbers 2 + 3.
