How do I start my first time at the gym (female)?

How do I start at the gym? Should I go to the gym? Whenever we want to start at the gym, we feel a lot of emotions. On the one hand, we can feel expectation and motivation because of the desire to achieve our goals.

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But we can also feel fear and nervousness about not being able to meet our expectations. Or for the simple fact of not being able to live up to other people's expectations.

That is normal, that's why we decided to create this post to give you some tips on how to start in the gym, and so you can leave aside your doubts and fears, and start the right way.

What should a beginner do at the gym?

How do I start off at the gym? Now we're going to give you a series of tips that will help you.

Find yourself a situation that compromises your attendance at the gym.

For example, meet up with a friend, you need to pick up or hire a personal trainer so that you won't be allowed to skip the gym and start working out. That is a way of relating; if you don't have a partner, it can be ideal to meet her.

Try to work out first thing in the morning.

Try to go to the gym first thing in the morning, so that you avoid possible situations during the day that could get in the way of your scheduled gym time.

Buy yourself something beautiful to go to the gym. 

Do you like shops? Now you have a good reason to go! What should females wear to the gym? Buy attractive clothes to go to your training sessions. Believe it or not, that also increases your motivation.

Think about having finished the first day at the gym; you'll feel like I've made it! The comfort of knowing that you've finally taken the first step!

Remember the reasons why you decided to go to the gym.

Whenever you start in the gym, you should remember what those benefits motivated you to get started.

What are your goals? What is your motivation? Do you want to lose weight or getting a beautiful body shape? Or maybe to feel better about yourself, increase your vitality, or lead a much healthier life.

The key to success in sport is to have a proper system. Athletes who achieve great performances are those who follow a properly grounded lifestyle. It is a dynamic process.

You have to take going to the gym as a hobby but without turning it into a consuming passion. You have to apply this not only to the way you allocate your time but also to your psychic interests and the orientation of your feelings and interests.

Define realistic and achievable goals

Setting goals is the best way to start and motivate yourself in the gym, but only if they are realistic and achievable. Otherwise, it can lead to demotivation and even frustration.

Even though you should warm up before practicing the routine, your body will be able to perform the training more comfortably and with more energy. And at the same time, we prevent injuries or cramps.

The best thing you can do is set short-term goals and decrease the long term goals.

Reward yourself for every successful gym session

Mainly never punish yourself for not achieving any of the goals. However, you should reward yourself when you do make any of them. Remember, though, that rewards should not go against the goals you have.

It's not the same to tone up as to gain muscle or lose weight, set yourself some goals (realistic, so you don't get frustrated), and try room circuits that customize your gym monitors or personal trainer service.

Choose a good gym

First of all, if you are starting in a gym, you should make the right choice of which one you will attend. Find a gym where you feel comfortable, and that has the right tools.

To begin, if you are starting in a gym, you should choose which one you like. Find a gym where you feel comfortable, and that has the right tools.

It is fundamental in your strategy. It has to be in a place you can access without wasting much time. 

Think about which days you will be able to go to exercise. We remind you that they should be at least 2-3 days a week.

To feel satisfied with the gym you are going to choose; you have to take into account these factors:

• Evaluate your goals. To evaluate your physical goals, ask yourself what you expect from yourself and the gym you will be attending. If you just want to get in shape and tone your body and muscles, a "serious" gym can be intimidating. On the other hand, if your goal is to get a fit body, forget about gyms with "buzz," ballet sessions, etc.
• Pick a gym nearby. You also need to choose a gym that doesn't mean you have to waste all your time moving there. Also, choose one that has a fair price.
• Don't go to the first one you see. Look at several, and don't sign up for the first one you see.
• Make sure there are professional monitors. Introduce yourself to the manager or monitor and tell them what you are looking for, and at the same time, find out about their knowledge. Do not feel intimidated; remember that you are needed.
• Find out how serious the gym is. Beware of promises of "new machines coming next month," or you will get an ideal body quickly.
• Ask about their schedule. Are they going to change it? Have they changed it often?
• Train once or twice, even if you have to pay by the day. For some girls, training before going to work gives them energy and a good mood for the rest of the day.
• Check if the equipment is in good condition. If it is ok, ask a customer if they've been like this for a long time.
• Check the cleanliness of the gym. Is the gym clean, are the changing rooms and showers clean, do the showers work well.
• Find out the price and payment methods. Many gyms have special prices and discounts if you pay by the quarter, semester, or year.

Another critical point is that they have professional trainers who help you complete your goals and guide you in the techniques to perform the exercises and avoid injuries.

Be positive-minded 

No matter how seriously you take it, if you don't have a positive mentality, you'll stop going to the gym.

Positive thinking means being able to maintain optimal and stable attitude parameters. To determine our attitude, we must examine our functional or working capacity by asking ourselves:

• How do I handle strong positive emotions?
• What happens when they are harmful?
• What happens when I have just enough time to go to the gym?

If you can overcome all the conditions I have just mentioned, you will be able to give your best in any activity or company you choose.

Prepare a gym bag

Make a list of the essentials. Choose comfortable, breathable clothing and proper footwear. It's best to wear them to avoid the discomfort of new shoes.

Also, include a towel for the gym and a towel for the shower. Add any cleaning supplies you may need. Consider whether you will need gym gloves or other equipment.

Bring your water

Hydration is essential during all stages of training and after training. We recommend you bring water or any sports hydration drink.

It is necessary to drink water when we train in the summer, but it is also essential to do so when we exercise in winter. We may not sweat as much, but we breathe more. 

When we "see the breath," what you see are drops of water. We also lose water through urine, whose production is stimulated by the cold.

Before starting the sports routine, it is essential to have an optimal hydration state to allow us to develop activity with all our effort, so we must ingest water 30-60 minutes before the start of our routines, and we will lose a lot of sweat.

With so many recommendations to drink water, you could ask us: will the water I drink make me fat? The answer is NO; water contains no calories or fat.

Ask a professional for help.

Don't be afraid or embarrassed; a professional trainer or expert for your workouts at the gym can help you during your exercises and will suggest a routine that suits your needs. (These tips are useful for getting good results)

They will also guide you and teach you how to correctly perform each of the exercises to avoid injuries in your routines from start to finish.

Personal trainers are often experts in giving advice or feeding tips that will help you see results in your desired body in a short time.

Food is the primary energy that our body will use to carry out all the exercises that will allow you to achieve the desired results week after week, helping you to be motivated and consistent in the gym.

If you would like an exercise chart to get you started, read our article "Routine for beginner girls at the gym."

Get to know all the gym equipment.

To begin in a gym, this is something fundamental. You must know what the machines that the gym has and also inform yourself about their functions, how to use them, and the benefits they can give you. 

That will help you choose the best routine for you, allowing you to make the most of your time and working on equipment that will help you reach your goals.

Warm-up before you start

You should always warm-up before starting to exercise, this to avoid injuries. That is a habit you should implement before your workout.

If you are planning to start a gym routine, it is crucial to keep in mind that starting to exercise is not just "let's go for it."

This type of activity will take time and effort to see results in your habit. There are a few tips to keep in mind so that you can achieve your goals and see excellent results.

In total, do 20 minutes of cardiovascular exercise. That, besides making us burn calories, will help us warm up.

Remember that you should take a 2 to 4-minute break between each exercise and take advantage of this time to drink water.

A standard workout for your first steps in the gym would include gentle exercise stationary bike sessions (10-15 minutes) each day and a few 10-minute treadmill sessions per day.

Stretch before and after training

Finally, I want to tell you that stretching is a habit that you should implement in your practice.

Can a proper stretching help you overcome the stiffness? Many athletes think so. However, researchers Buroker and Scwane believed otherwise.

To prove it, they studied the effects of muscle soreness on the thighs and calves of 23 people who did a half-hour of exercise followed by static stretching. 

Their legs hurt for three days. Therefore, the stretching does not prevent the soreness, and if it seems to decrease it, this is due to the effects of the staggered "cooling" after the exercise session that causes the waste products, which cause the pain, to come out of the muscle.

Do you think it's a coincidence that the fitness girls who have better bodies at the gym are also the more flexible ones?

Is it a coincidence that Michelle Lewin can rest her palms on the floor while keeping her knees perfectly stiff? That's certainly not a coincidence of chance.

If you do a flexibility routine every day along with your daily workout, your muscles will grow faster. Stretching lengthens the connective tissues and the muscles themselves, allowing us to go further.

That implies a muscle contraction over a longer distance and, therefore, an increase in size. Stretching reduces the risk of injury and makes it easier for us to train harder and more persistently.

We already know that this type of system means a more beautiful body and muscles. Therefore, never stop stretching! Perform these simple flexibility exercises along with a few lightweight warm-ups before moving on to hard training.

You'll soon discover that your muscles are growing and your body is shaping up much faster!

STRETCHING ROUTINE

• Lie down on your back. Bend one knee upwards (approximately 90 degrees) and pull your leg towards your body with the opposite hand, making sure that you direct it carefully towards the floor. This exercise is an excellent stretch for your hips and back. Then repeat with the other side.
• Sit on the floor with your legs almost rigid but somewhat apart. Carefully pull your trunk forward, ensuring that your forearms touch the ground along the line of your calves. This exercise stretches the lower back and the biceps femoris.
• Sit on the floor with your left leg bent and your heel close to your buttock. You should stretch out the right leg. Lean carefully back to stretch your left quadriceps. Then, change your leg positions and repeat the movement with your right leg.
• Stand up, with your arms extended above your head. Cross your wrists so that the palms of your hands face each other and your fingers meet. From there, pull backward and upwards. It is excellent for the dorsal, serratus, intercostal, and other associated muscles.
• Sit on the floor with one arm crossed over your chest, trying to reach as far as possible with it, helping you with the other. Then repeat with the opposite arm. It is excellent for the muscles of the shoulders and the upper back.
• Stand, holding your arms crossed against a door and palms facing forward. Lean forward slowly to stretch deltoids and pectorals.
• To end your series of stretches, you must turn your ankles, wrists, and shoulders back and forth in a circular motion. Then, rotate your waist several times in full circles.

These are the basic stretches you should do before a training session. Doing them five to eight times should take about 15 minutes, and is the perfect way to loosen up so you can practice your fitness sessions better.

BASIC RULES FOR PROPER STRETCHING

• Never exceed the so-called pain threshold. Don't force your stretches. Move the part you are stretching to a lightly uncomfortable position, hold it for about 10 seconds, and relax and repeat three to six times. Increase the distance progressively.
• Never bounce while you are stretching. It is better and healthier to wait two or three seconds to move to a light discomfort position and hold it for 10 seconds than to bounce back and forth.
• Breathe generally at all times.
• Follow a system. Start by stretching the large muscles and move on to the smaller ones.
• Don't put your joints in dangerous positions. Avoid Indian-style sitting, shallow squats with push and bounce, and fence-type stretching.

We always recommend that you stretch after training because, in addition to avoiding injury, it will help you be more flexible.

Conclusion

Once you know how to start at the gym and decide, it will be the best choice you can make, as long as you set achievable goals and choose your gym well.

Never hesitate to ask a professional for help, and the main thing is always to be persistent and never give up.

If you manage not to give up and go to the gym regularly, you will not only feel better physically. You'll also be happier and in a better mood.

You should know that to get excellent results you should develop proper training and eating habits.

Remember that exercising is not easy, but the key is always to keep your goal in mind and aim to achieve it. You can even start working out at home.

In this way, you will be motivated to show a perfect, desirable, and healthy body. You will achieve this because of your constant exercise.