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TRAINING

Gym Split For Beginners | Start Strength Training For Improved Mood

If you’re a gym newbie it’s completely normal to be a little intimidated by the weights area. It can be daunting (to say the least) to walk in for the first time, and see everyone using all these complicated machines. You may find yourself hyping yourself up pre-gym session, only to stumble back to the safe zone of the cardio room for the third time that week. There’s no shame in that — plenty of gym-goers have felt the same way.

But the weights room doesn’t need to be a scary place. Once you build confidence and feel comfortable, you’ll soon not give it a second’s thought. Before long, you’ll be pushing yourself out of your comfort zone all the time. And remember, most people in the gym are far too wrapped up in their own workout to notice yours.

We all have to start somewhere. Even Farah Fonseca, three-time England’s Strongest Woman, didn’t feel 100% comfortable in the gym at first. It's all about confidence — as soon as you master that, there’ll be no stopping you.

3X England's Strongest Woman Shares Her Tips For Confidence

'I found strongwoman, I found lifting, and I found lifting heavy.'

Benefits of strength training

Remember: you do you. If you’re happy on the treadmill, then stick to it. But it is worth knowing about the many benefits of strength training. It may make you reconsider the weights room.

  • Build muscle and burn calories
  • Reduce your risk of day-to-day injuries
  • Increase muscle strength
  • Increase energy
  • Release of mood-lifting endorphins
  • Can improve sleep

How to begin strength training

Before you even hit the gym, first you need to decide how much time you want to dedicate to the gym. And be realistic. The more attainable your goal is, the more likely you are to achieve it — pick a training schedule that works for your lifestyle and your goals.

As a beginner, you may choose to split your training into two halves — upper and lower body — and alternate between them. A four-day training plan might look like this:

  • Monday: upper
  • Tuesday: lower
  • Wednesday: rest
  • Thursday: upper
  • Friday: lower
  • Saturday: rest
  • Sunday: rest

Once you have a logical training split and a realistic plan in place, start with machine exercises. When you’re comfortable moving your body in this way, you can start using free weights.

But there’s no rush. You should take your time to get comfortable with the weights. If you want some advice feedback on your form, ask your gym’s PT, ask another person in the gym, or even go with a friend with a little more experience.

Take home message

There we have it. It's time to hit the gym. If you’ve been wanting to take on the weights section but been putting it off, . Work out a realistic goal and training plan, go steady, and proactively seek feedback. You’ll soon be feeling confident and ready to push yourself further.

 

 

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Emily Wilcock
Emily Wilcock Content Executive
After completing an internship with Myprotein, Emily returned to university to finish her Bachelor of Science degree in Business Management and Marketing. With experience in lifestyle writing, Emily aims to entertain and educate through her work. Her focuses include recipes, real and inspiring stories, and working with writers to help provide easy-to-digest evidence-based research. Her work on recipes has been previously featured in The Supplement magazine, with a particular focus on high-protein, nutritious meals, plus advice on how to properly fuel your body. Outside of work, Emily’s top priority is food. She’s a self-professed star baker and a connoisseur of all things baked. In her spare time, she’s either cooking up a storm, our looking out for the opportunity to try out Manchester’s newest restaurants. But as a huge fan of carbs, if it’s not pasta or pasta-adjacent, she’s not interested. If she’s not in the kitchen, she’s tucked up with a book for an early night, or you’ll find her in the gym working up a sweat. Afterall, all those carbs require quite the appetite.

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