Getting Started: You Don’t Need To Know It All

When new to exercise, you may be under the impression that you need to know a lot to get started. I’m here to tell you that that’s probably not the case. 

Here’s a useful way to think about it. 

If you have a very specific goal, then you will probably need more specific instruction on how to achieve it. However, If you don’t, then you can pretty much get away with exercising however you like and still make progress. 

I will caveat “however you like” with:

1. Don’t do too much too soon, you may feel a bit too sore.

2. You don’t need to be crawling out of the gym to have a good workout.

3. You should build intensity over time, and not all in one go.

Photo Credit: Ketut Subiyanto

Remember: “If the direction is vague, the approach can be vague. And that is okay!” 

Here’s examples of some vague goals:

• I want to feel a bit stronger.

• I want my muscles to look a bit more firm.

• I want to lose a bit of weight and look more muscular.

Here’s a good way to think about it…

You don’t need Michelangelo to paint your living room a different shade of cream.

I’ve come to this conclusion because I have seen hundreds of relatively new gym-goers, within their first 3-6 months of training, make fantastic progress and feel much better about themselves just through doing a handful of exercises pretty consistently.

And, once they had been training for some time, they began to get a sense for what else they wanted their body to be able to do. Then a bit of research on how to train more effectively became useful to them.

Here’s 5 exercises you could spend your first 3-6 months on without having to know too much to do:

1. Push Ups

2. Split Squats

3. Prone Back Extensions

4. Glute Bridges

5. Overhead Press

These will help you to build a foundation of strength, coordination, flexibility and more. And you’ll also pick things up along the way and start to understand a bit more. The trick is to not overthink it, be consistent and stay curious.

You don’t need to start battering yourself lifting unmanageable amounts of weight. I just want you to start practising the shapes and the movements; adding a bit more resistance each week.

 Here’s some things to try out:

1. Start without equipment. 

2. Just make shapes and follow the moves, like a dance routine. 

3. Start to add a bit of weight. 

4. The movement should still look similar to when you were just practising the moves.

5. Add a small bit of weight each week

6. Practise 2 to 3 times a week.

As you progress through your fitness journey, you will pick up tips and specific details about how to exercise in the “correct way”. For now, don’t think about it too much and take on the advice and opinions when you feel ready to take on some constructive criticism. It takes time to learn the coordination, and time to get stronger.

Remember: “Weight lifting is just coordination training, with added resistance.”

Take Away: “You CAN get started, without knowing it all”

Take it from me, you’ll be alright, you’ve just gotta stick with it.

You’ll start to see a bigger picture over time, and the pieces will start to come together.

If you’d still like some help, then fill out this form and we can chat more.

Keep moving,

Monty