GYM

I am no expert in fitness, in fact I'm just an average person trying to stay relatively active without getting burned out! For me that means keeping it simple, repetitive so I can see progress, and making sure I have awesome music blasting in my ears!

I don't get easily bored doing the same stuff on repeat if I enjoy it, but if that isn't something you relate to, instructor led classes might be more your thing!

This page turned out quite text heavy, so I'm working on making it look a bit better over time. So apologies for the ugly formatting right now!

My team! They're cheering you on!

Music

The most important part! This keeps me focused and in the right mindset. Some people like to listen to podcasts and audiobooks too. I've tried that but for me, it needs to be all music all the time! And for lifting, its got to be heavy.

Below is my current gym playlist - I make a new one each year and add to it as the months roll by. Feel free to use it if you have Spotify.

Oh, and if you have a gym playlist you love and want to share with me, send it my way - I'm always looking for new things to listen to!

The Absolute Basics

This is the absolute basic minimum advice for starting going to the gym that I wish I'd had organised into a handy and succinct cheat sheet when I started. But remember, everyones lifestyles and abilities are different!

How much to do?

I try to get to the gym 3 times a week, but 2 is my baseline I try to never go under. It's enough to keep progress without losing literally all my free time and getting burned out. I have found that I get more DOMS(delayed onset muscle soreness) the more space between workout days there are, so thats another benefit of a regular routine.

What do I wear?

If you are someone who likes fashion, dresses in subculture clothing, has an aethetic or just likes to look put together in your daily life, working out how you want to look at the gym might be daunting. Or it could fill you with longing to buy expensive new pieces...

I advise you to avoid getting too much stuff at first. You will work out what you actually need in time.

I am planning to put some of my current gym fits into the fashion page of this site later - I'll link it once theyre live! But I either wear baggy joggers with a small top, or the reverse - a baggy band t with leggings. ／(^ x ^)＼

So... what first?

This is where I remind you that I'm just a regular person, unqualified to provide you with an actual routine to follow... But here are some pointers.

Usually gyms will offer an induction, so always do that. There will probably be lots of options to do classes, PT sessions and the like. Don't get overwhelmed, there's no rush.

Warming up is important - at the very least do 5-10 minutes on one of the cardio machines, even if it's just walking. Some simple stretches will also help a lot.

Remember to clean off equipment after youve used it - there should be sprays around. or bring a towel for that if there isn't.

I am scared....o_o

Everyone in there was once in your shoes! Even the beefy gym bros. If they even notice you (everyone is usually in their own world), I bet they're rooting for you!

If you can convince a friend to by your gym buddy - even for a day - that can be really fun and encouraging. You got this!

EXCERCISES

Below are the four lifts I try to do every week. These are big compound lifts that use a lot of muscle groups at once, and will make your whole body stronger! (These gifs are from a bunch I have saved on my phone if I ever need to check form. I added the text to keep the excercises super easy to navigate when I'm at the gym.)