Make the Decision to Go to the Gym in 2018
Getting ready to go to the gym in January? Here’s your starter pack of all the information you’ll need to get to the gym with confidence and develop a habit that will last throughout the year.
Find the perfect gym
You’re going to be spending a lot of time at the gym, so it’s worth taking the time to find one that you like and it won’t ruin your contract that has hidden fees. Try these tips:
- Your gym must be either super cheap or super pretty
- How to find the right gym
- Selling points to look out for in a good gym
- Five strategies gyms use to hook you and how to avoid them
- How to go to the gym without being robbed
- Legal Ways to Cancel Gym Membership
Have a good first workout.
The first day you go to the gym can be daunting. A guided tour or test visit during the check-in process can help, but one day you’ll head to the gym all by yourself to start a new workout. So what are you doing?
- What to do on your first day at the gym
- How to get more comfortable at the gym when you first start out
- What to expect when you start exercising again after a long break
- How to exercise when the gym is full
- Five ways to work out in the gym when there are a lot of people
Get to know the equipment
The gym is like a playground: so much fun, so little time. Here’s a quick introduction to what you’re likely to find:
- Gym Collision: Free Weights vs. Cars
- What are these giant tires in gyms?
- 7 simulators for beginners to try
- Do a great low-stress cardio workout on a rowing machine
- Treadmill physics: why indoor running isn’t cheating
- Benefits of lifting with free weights instead of machines
Find out how to get stronger
That’s why you’re here, right? Check out these pointers on how to lift heavy objects and lower them again:
- Starting Strength is a great strength training program for beginners
- Why squats are the best exercise for building leg strength
- Why deadlifts are worth the hype and how to do them safely
- Everything you need to know to master the bench press
- Does it matter how many reps you do during your workout?
- What Good Weight Training Really Means (And When It Matters)
- Correct breathing method for more powerful weightlifting
- How to Minimize the Risk of Injury When Lifting Heavy Weights
Create a habit
You are not here for one good workout, or even for an active and painful January. You must develop a habit that will last an entire year, which includes making time for exercise and making it part of your life.
- How to find time to exercise when your schedule is already in place
- Best Ways to Improve Your Gym Workouts
- How I Forced Myself to Love My Workout
- Changing habits is more important than achieving specific goals
- Take a break from time to time at the gym to keep progress
- What the hell is “newbie profit” and what to do after that
- Four strategies that create sustainable motivation (and how you can use them to achieve your goals)
With a good attitude and the right information, you can make your January gym habit all year round. And if you want to give yourself an extra boost of confidence, start exercising now. You will feel like a veteran pro in a few weeks when the rest of the newbies arrive.