Starting at the gym can seem daunting, even though we all know the importance of sports and physical activity.

For years, I sporadically visited the gym once a week, lacking motivation and seeing no progress. Then I stopped going for several years before starting my current gym routine. This time, I have the motivation to go to the gym (most of the time), I enjoy it and I notice progress.

Some friends showed interest in working out and were curious about how I got started. After dedicating 153 hours (roughly 6 days and 9 hours) to the gym time over 1.5 years, I can confidently say that it is now part of my routine.

In this post, I will share the key elements that worked for me in establishing a consistent gym routine. I will focus on the “how to get started” aspect, leaving the training specifics to the experts, as my focus lies on building that momentum.

Have a Gym Buddy

In those crucial early weeks of my gym journey, the game-changer that kept me consistently showing up was having a gym buddy by my side. Here’s why having a workout partner is so pivotal:

  1. Social Pressure: When you commit to going to the gym with a buddy, it’s not as simple as deciding to skip your training. You’ve made a pact, and this shared accountability makes it far more challenging to bail on a session or conveniently “forget” your gym intentions.
  2. Confidence: Everybody in the gym seems to know what they are doing. For me, this was another burden to be confident enough to do the exercises and try around. Having a buddy simply erased this burden from me.
  3. Expertise: While not a necessity, an experienced gym buddy can help you pick the exercises and guide you through the correct execution. Either way, if the buddy is not a certified trainer, remember that you are ultimately responsible for understanding your workouts and preventing injuries.
  4. Motivation: Having a buddy can help you get beyond your comfort zone and push to your limits. When working out alone, it happens easily to stay within your comfort zone by using lighter weights or doing fewer reps. Your buddy’s push can help you make significant progress. It is important to not overdo yourself, keep in mind you are responsible for your health and you know your body best. If in doubt, do not follow the push of your buddy if he goes “Let’s go, another rep”.
  5. Compliments and Encouragement: Your gym buddy will likely be among the first to witness your progress and complement it. Not gonna lie, this is nice.

If finding a local friend to be your gym buddy isn’t feasible, the next best option is to have a remote gym buddy. Even from a distance, they can provide social pressure, motivation, compliments, and some degree of expertise to support your fitness journey.

Challenge Yourself, But Respect Your Limits

To see those muscles grow, you’ve got to give your body a reason to change. Your workouts should be challenging enough to induce adaptation and strength gains, but they shouldn’t be painful. Striking a balance between pushing your boundaries for progress and avoiding the risk of injury is crucial.

This equilibrium was hard to find for me in the beginning, since I neither knew my body nor was my body adapted to lifting weights. In the beginning, I erred on the side of caution, refraining from pushing myself too hard. I prioritized learning the correct execution of exercises, conducted research and even filmed myself to rectify any form issues. While it might not be a marathon, the saying “It’s a marathon, not a race” holds here. It’s not worth injuring yourself and having to take a weeks-long break just to lift a bit more weight.

I created two guidelines I adhere to today: (1) if something feels strange, stop it and (2) always be especially careful of joints, shoulders, knees and the lower back.

Another trick I used for learning the correct execution of an exercise was to focus on one at a time. Before hitting the gym, I researched the correct form, filmed myself, and actively worked on correcting any deviations. This method prevented me from being overwhelmed by attempting to improve multiple exercises at once.

Keep a Record of Your Progress

This one is easy, meticulously record the weight and repetitions for each exercise from day one. I always have repetition ranges for every exercise and if I hit the upper boundary, I up the weights next time. This simple system has been the reason I progressed compared to my previous gym attempt.

Moreover, tracking is a source of motivation when you see the number growing. You should not compare yourself to others but you definitely can measure your growth against your past self. Witnessing those numbers increase can be a tremendous source of encouragement and a reminder of the positive changes you’re making on your fitness journey

Capture Your Progress in Pictures

Muscle growth will be slow and might go unnoticed if you see yourself every day. You can not only see your growth in the numbers but also in body pose pictures of yourself from time to time. I took my first comparison pictures three months into the journey and it was a substantial motivation boost to see positive changes in my physique.

Try to take the pictures under comparable circumstances with similar lighting to not cheat on yourself.

The Diet

I am not a nutrition expert, my approach is rather simple: I recognized that I was spending several hours per week at the gym, and I didn’t want to undermine my progress with a poor diet. Since I was not eating considerably unhealthy (as in junk food), I tracked my calorie and protein intake for a few days. I noticed I was missing some calories and some proteins in my daily diet. I started to focus on choosing more protein-rich foods and eating more.

In the beginning, this simple approach was sufficient for me. After several months I did more research on this topic to further improve.

Ride the Wave

My last suggestion would be to ride the wave and enjoy the journey. After a workout, you probably feel good and you will probably progress rather fast in the first months. Enjoy the feeling while memorising it to serve as a future reminder if you lack the motivation to go to the gym.

I also noticed improvements in my daily life, like when carrying groceries or enhanced self-confidence. These changes are the result of your consistent, honest effort over an extended period. It always makes me wonder what would be possible if I just continue.

Summary

In my journey, the initial hurdles were getting started and maintaining consistency. For both challenges, the key factors were having a gym buddy, progress tracking, and adhering to guidelines for both progress and safety.

A straightforward approach to nutrition and enjoying the results of my efforts helped me to become what I believe I am today: Healthier and more athletic than I have ever been before. And I love it.

Last, let me reiterate the fundamental thoughts that build the above guidelines:

  1. Comparison with Yourself: Your true competition is your past self, not others.
  2. Long-Term Commitment: When you see seasoned gym-goers, understand that achieving similar results requires years of dedicated practice.

So, embark on your fitness journey, and relish the process of becoming a healthier and sportier version of yourself. Embrace the challenges, enjoy the triumphs, and keep moving forward.