Fitness Struggles When You're Just Beginning
Want results in the gym but have no clue where to start?
We gotcha'. Sometimes just trying to plan an effective workout can be harder than doing the actual work!
Which is why we put together this quick article that'll get you started and hitting results in no time.
Just make sure you look good doing it!
1. Exercise Related Pain
It's common, and I promise we all started there! Even the Paige Hathaway's of the world.
Muscle fatigue and soreness from exercise is usually down to a build-up of lactic acid. It's not a whole lot of fun, but there are some simple ways you can combat it:
- Stretch – it's all too common that we skip this, but it's vital to improve bloody circulation to the muscles so the body can shift that lactic acid out. This allows you to recover faster and get back to the gym sooner for a more effective workout.
- Foam Roll – Seriously, take 10 minutes and grab that thing. For the same reasons as above, you need to get that blood circulating by breaking down the knots in your muscles and releasing the tightness.
- Natural Oils – fish-oil or something that contains a high amount and high-quality of EPD and DHA. These are good fats that are going to reduce inflammation in the body.
2. Getting Better Results
Exercising and heading to the gym means you're looking to improve – you're someone with a growth mindset, determined to get better! Whether it be mentally or physically, we all get beat-down when we don't see the rapid results we want.
So how do you?
- Compound Movements – full-body workouts with dynamic movements are your friend. Not sure where to start? If your gym runs classes or offers a free intro PT session, take them up on it! Be open to feedback and ask for help. We all started somewhere so don't be afraid to ask "silly" questions when it comes to working out. There's no such thing.
- Habit – when you first start out, you're likely thinking "I need to be there every day at 6 AM or I'm failing!". Not true. Not even close. Get a good routine of going 3 times a week and build up. The beginning is tough, but don't burn out or get disheartened if you're not seeing results in 1 week. Nothing worth having comes easy, and there's a reason you're open to growth when others aren't. Commit, stay the course & you'll see results with frequent workouts.
3. No Longer Feeling It
Believe it or not, and stick with me here, but you'll actually grow to love the burn! It let's you know you really did something in there!
But over time it's probably going to fade if you're hitting the same routines.
- Mix It Up – Up the intensity with more reps, different durations, weights, the order of exercises, etc.. Your body has adapted and is too used to what you're doing (how's that for growth & improvement!).
- Check Your Form – If you're mixing things up and you're still not feeling the burn... chances are something in your form isn't quite right. Ask a friend, or a trainer to give you a hand and get you back on track. Remember > no silly questions! Ask once and get better results for a lifetime.
4. When Should I Workout?
Truth be told – when it makes sense for you.
Some of us love the early morning, 5AM workout (I'm not one of them!). For others, taking an early lunch and hitting the gym at 11:30AM after the morning coffee has kicked in works best. For the night-owls, if you've got a 24/7 gym and want to hit it at midnight then do that!
Truly, there's no wrong answer here. Try each for a week and see how it fits your lifestyle.