How Often Should You Go To The Gym As A Beginner?

So you’re a newbie to the gym. You have no idea what to do when you get there. You just know that you need/want to start going. Here are some tips that I give clients new and old when they’re going back to the gym whether it’s as a beginner or a fair weather exerciser.

1. Pick 1-3 days out of the week that you can commit to. 
1. Those 2 days are non-negotiable.
2. Set a time limit. 
1. If you’re going in for cardio I’d say 30-45 minutes. If you’re going for a group exercise class you’ll spend a minimum of an hour. If you’re going to do strength training give yourself 45 minutes to an hour.
3. Be aware of the time of day that you go. 
1. Some of you may go after work and if you go after work expect for the gym to be crowded especially Monday - Wednesday. Towards the end of the week is when the gym goers usually taper off and it is somewhat doable in terms of number of gym goers.
4. Have a game plan before going in. 
1. Here is an example: You say: “Today I will try upper body.” So just focus on using the machines that target the upper body and another day do the same just do lower body. Start off slow so do sets of 3-4 but no more than 10 reps. That should give you and your body a gauge of what you can and can’t handle at this point in time.

Don’t be afraid to start with the machines. I had to start there too before I made my way over to the free weights (i.e. barbells, dumbbells, kettlebells, etc.)