What to Expect the First Time You Go to the Gym

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Your first day at the gym can be quite intimidating. I remember spending a whole semester in one half of my university gym because the other room was, I don’t know, scary. And if you haven’t been to the gym in a long time – or never at all – you probably have questions. So, let’s talk about the very, very basics.

What does the gym look like inside?

Hey, great question! There are different types of gyms, so there is no single universal answer. I’m assuming you’re going to what is sometimes called a “commercial” or “global” gym that caters to a wide range of people and has a selection of cardio, weights and dumbbells. It may or may not have barbells. Planet Fitness, Crunch, LA Fitness, Gold’s Gym, and 24 Hour Fitness fall into this general category. If your gym is in a community center or YMCA, it will probably be similar to what I’m describing.

Before heading to the gym, check out their website. Most of them offer a free first day or week, allowing you to explore the place before committing to a membership. I wouldn’t pay hundreds of dollars for a stealth contract.

When you do, visit the website for virtual tours and photos of the facilities. Get an idea of ​​what kind of stuff they have. Check out Google Maps for Photos; you can even find a street view style tour of the interior. And finally, log into Instagram and view photos tagged with this gym. You’ll get an idea of ​​what equipment is out there, how people train and what kind of atmosphere to expect.

What do I bring?

You can come to the gym with nothing and still have a good workout. The only absolute requirement at some gyms is that you must bring a pair of shoes that are not dirty. (Some gyms ban street shoes and expect you to change into a clean pair; others don’t care.)

On the other end of the spectrum, people often bring along a full change of clothes and a bunch of toiletries and supplies to shower and change after. You don’t have to. You can walk out the front door still sweaty and take a shower at home. Some of the smaller gyms don’t even have showers.

What is the golden mean? I would bring this for the first time to a new gym:

  • bottle of water
  • A small towel (for sweat) unless I’m sure the gym provides towels
  • Headphones
  • A clean (above) pair of shoes
  • A bag that can carry everything
  • Combination lock if you plan to lock your belongings and are not sure if the gym lockers have built-in locks.

What should I do with my things while I’m there?

If you have a bunch of things, like a coat and a bag, you can put them in a locker.

It is also perfectly normal to carry a few things with you while walking. Most people will probably bring a towel, water bottle, and phone with them. You can usually carry your bag with you to the gym and just place it next to whatever machine or bench you use, as long as it’s small and doesn’t get in the way. (However, check the gym rules.)

What am I wearing?

Everything that you feel comfortable in is not indecent and in which you do not mind sweating. For the upper body, try a T-shirt or tank top. For legs, wear shorts, sweatpants or leggings. Again, check the gym rules to see if they have any special requirements. Some gyms don’t want you to take your shirt off, others don’t care.

From shoes fit any sneakers or comfortable sports shoes. Cartridges, sneakers and the like. If you really get into this sport, you will be able to find fault with shoes later . On the first day, it doesn’t really matter.

Rules for wearing socks vary, but it is recommended that you wear a mask when you are in the same room with other people, even when you are exercising. Under Armor makes a mask that is comfortable to exercise in , but you can also wear an N95 mask to be more secure if you like.

So you just, like, come in?

There will be a front desk. If this is your first time, you will probably need to talk to someone about a trial subscription or buy a day pass. This may be a separate visit from your first real workout. Be sure to ask what the normal check-in procedure is.

In many cases, you scan a key tag or show a card when you sign in, and then you can do whatever you want.

How do I know what they have and where it is?

There are two options here: you can walk around the room and see everything; or you can ask for a tour. You can also combine these approaches.

I usually ask the front desk staff if they can give me a rundown of where everything is. In a small gym, they may point out a few areas and then let you check them out yourself. Many gyms will offer a guided tour.

If you get a tour, use this opportunity to ask any remaining questions. Don’t be embarrassed, the whole idea is that they know you’re new and are trying to help .

What if this whole idea makes me nervous?

Look, day one is all about expanding your comfort zone. If you can get into the gym and not run back, you have already achieved something and the second day will be much easier.

Go to one of the less busy hours if that helps your nerves. Mid morning, mid afternoon and late evening tend to be slow times. Check Google Maps to see if it can show you peak times for your particular location.

Bring a friend or meet a friend there if you can. Even if you are both novice and ignorant, you can be novice and ignorant together .

Read what to expect. You are already doing this, so you are on the right track! If there’s a specific exercise or piece of equipment you want to try, look it up on YouTube.

If your gym offers classes, this might be a good place to start. The class will take you to the gym with a clear plan of where to go and what to do. You can save independent workouts for after class or for another day.

If you find yourself alone, try the following:

  1. Walk around the gym. Consider everything. No one will stop you or judge you. You don’t even have to pretend that you know where you are going; if someone asks, “Can I help you?” you can just say, “Oh, I’m new here and I can see where everything is.”
  2. Sit on an exercise bike (or a machine of your choice). Ideally, choose one that faces the main gym area so you can gather more information about what equipment is out there and what people do with it.
  3. Maybe that’s enough. A typical cardio workout lasts 20 to 30 minutes, so you can just ride your bike for half an hour and then go home.
  4. Or maybe you find that your confidence grows as you pedal. After five to ten minutes (the usual warm-up time), get off the bike and go check out the dumbbells, machines, or whatever else you’re interested in.

Take a free session if you want, but beware of upsells

Some gyms offer personal training at an additional cost. And as a temptation to get people to sign up, they can offer a free class or fitness test with one of their trainers. Like the tour, this is also a good time to get some answers.

You can do this if you want, but proceed with caution. Some gyms and trainers are great, but others use this opportunity to make you do a lot of hard work so you feel out of shape and then you feel like you need their services to get you in shape. I’ve heard too many stories about people who had one of these sessions and then felt terrible.

So, if you decide to continue with the session, keep yourself in control. You don’t have to be in shape the first day at the gym. You also don’t have to do a really hard workout on the first day. If a coach makes you do something that makes you uncomfortable, you don’t even need to know why you feel that way. You can just say, “You know what, I don’t think I’m ready to do this right now” and ask to move on. This is also a good test of your coach. If they try to get you to do something you don’t like, you probably won’t enjoy working with them.

Can you give me an agenda for my first day?

Of course it can! Although what makes something a chore is that you do it routinely . So, I will give you a workout option on the first day, and you can even repeat it several times, but in the end you will want to find yourself a program that lays out long-term plans.

Try this, which should give you a full body workout in a reasonable amount of time. (If one car or station is busy, just move on to the next one while you wait.)

I recommend doing two sets of each exercise because that should give you a good sample without making you too sore the next day if it’s all brand new. I recommend 10 reps per set because 10 is easy to remember. Feel free to do more or less if you like.

If you want an even shorter workout, split it in half. Do shoulder presses, pull-ups or lowers, and lunges, and then jump right into stretching. Next time, immediately after the warm-up, go to the dumbbell bench and continue your workout from there.

You don’t need to memorize everything in advance. Machines almost always have instructions that tell you how to set them up and how to use them. Also, it’s perfectly fine to watch exercise videos on your phone or take notes on your phone or paper about what you’ve been doing. It’s always good to be that guy .

What do you need to know about sports etiquette?

If there are rules for wearing masks, follow them, whether everyone else follows them or not.

If there are tissues and aerosol cans around, wipe off anything you’ve sweated on. This includes benches and seats and machine handles. Don’t forget to throw away the tissue afterwards.

You can also place your towel on a bench or car as a sweat protection.

Whatever you use, put it back when you’re done.

You can rest a minute or even a few minutes between sets. (For example, you just did 10 reps on the bench press, and now you sit on the bench for a few minutes before doing the next 10 reps.) But don’t take up more space than you need.

If someone is using an item you would like to use, you can ask them, “How many sets do you have left?” and if the answer is a lot, then you can ask “Do you mind if I work?” which means you will take turns using the equipment. If someone asks you these questions, be honest about how many kits you have left (you can make them wait) and say yes to the job if you feel comfortable.

If someone offers you advice and you don’t know how to respond, just say ok. If the advice is about following a gym rule, follow the rule. When it comes to how to properly use the equipment, such as adjusting security settings, heed their advice. On the other hand, when it comes to the correct way to do an exercise, it is 100% up to you whether you want to try their way or just go back to what you were doing. (We have a guide to responding to unwanted advice .)

And the second day?

The second day will be much easier. You will know what is available, where to find it and what is the procedure for registering and finding a place for your belongings.

Come with a plan. It could be the same as your first day or something new that you would like to try. If you’ve been doing full body strength training, the next day might just be cardio. And if you’re still nervous, don’t worry, you’ll get better every day.

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