Beginners tips: What you need to know before hitting the gym?

It can be challenging to hit the gym for the first few times and start working out, especially if you are a student with limited time. Where do you even start? What can you do to get the most out of the little time you have?

Let’s walk you through some main tips to get you started in the gym!

Which gym machines should I use?

Gyms are full of different machines that target muscle groups in different ways. Most of the time, regular weights can target the same areas as these machines, but the difference is that these machines are more designed to target specific muscles. However, a definite must when trying to pick between these weird machines for your workout: ASK around. Try to ask regular gym goers, like other friends or family, which of these machines are worth using and which are better left alone. Not all of them are as useful as they seem, and many of the muscles these machines try to stimulate are better targeted when using regular weights.

Exercising for weight loss

People go to the gym for different reasons like losing weight, gaining muscle or just simply staying fit & healthy. What exercises you need to do depends on these reasons. Are you a student that wants to lose weight? Put your main focus on cardio, but also resistance/weight training. Many people believe putting your full attention on cardio will solve all your weight issues and burn all the calories you need. Because of this, people often neglect other types of exercise like weight lifting with the belief that it's all about cardio, but it’s not! Weight training stimulates the metabolism in a way that really helps to burn more calories in the places that count, which in turn helps you bring out the shape you want your body to help.

Exercises for muscle building

Building muscle effectively takes a lot of work, and usually takes a period of consistent exercise to really bring out the results. A good way to tackle muscle building is focusing on using weights, using body weight exercises and lastly: doing compound exercises. Compound exercises are movements that work on multiple muscle groups at once, helping you strengthen an entire area of muscles instead of just one. Most gym rats would tell you that these exercises are the key components to building muscle and strength, and this is for good reason!

Another important tip for muscle building is to try and lift heavy enough weights with fewer reps rather than light weights with a high amount of reps. Obviously, this does not mean you should lift weights that are way too heavy for you as this could lead to injury, but having a weight that is enough to tire you out after 10-12 reps is a good level to maintain. As you get used to the weight over time, and you start to gain strength, start leveling up to the next weight target for the best results.

Healthy nutrition equals results

Getting the right exercises and lifting the right weights aren't the only part of hitting the gym. Another very important element that should never be overlooked when trying to get into shape is NUTRITION. Food is the fuel that your body gets to work with, so make sure to always eat a sufficient amount of calories a day, even when trying to lose weight. Proper nutrition is proven to improve athletic performance, so if you want to really make progress in the gym, make sure to fuel your body right. The average amount of caloric intake a day is usually 2000 for women, and 2500 for men, even though this might vary depending on the person. But, this does not mean that you should go to McDonald's 3 times a day to meet your caloric threshold, as we all know by now that fatty and sugary foods are not exactly good for your body. What type of food you need to take depends on your work-out goal, but a general rule everyone should remember: try to eat healthy meals with multiple vitamins! Looking for these type of cheap healthy meals that anyone can make at home: make sure to check out our other blogs on healthy recipes!