GUIDE TO GETTING STARTED... What to expect in & out of the gym.

Over one year & 75 blogs in, I am guilty of getting carried away with these articles. But we are constantly helping new people on their journeys, so it's time to go deep into the confusing world of getting started in the gym. Hopefully I can clear things up so you can start strong & fear-free.

Before you start

If I was starting my gym journey from scratch, I would 100% go back to solid foundations of research, nutrition & consistency. By this, I mean ensuring you have read/watched/listened to lots & lots of content that aligns with your reason for being in the gym. YouTube is great as it's visual, podcasts are good on the go & blogs like this one will help you discover true experts in their fields.

Nutrition should be simple tick boxes (e.g. 150g protein daily) which you can work to always hit. Starting small builds consistency, which is far more effective than going full ham too soon!

Getting going

Once you step foot on the gym floor, you will enter a world of mistakes, learning & generally feeling "clunky". I cannot explain how good this is for building knowledge & good practice in the gym. We ALL go through this phase; I still do when I try new exercises or classes. You will see some people doing less than you, & some working way harder... both are irrelevant. Take things at your own speed & build from there, you're already doing better than the 86% of the public that don't bother going at all.

Judging your session intensity is tricky as a novice, especially because you don't know your body's recover capability or fatigue responses. Ultimately, you WILL be progressing no matter what simply out of "newbie gains" (the rapid progress we see in the first year of a fitness journey). Enjoy this dream-like period of big results from average effort!

What to do in the gym

Full disclosure, walking into the gym & first getting started with some kit is scary! I have attached a beginner's program to get you started, with simple exercises you won't need much experience to have a go at. Trial & error is par for the course, but you can help yourself by finding a gym buddy, PT or class to get you competent in some of the basics. Rest often during your sessions for at least 30-60 seconds & don't worry if you aren't in the gym for 2 hours at a time, 30 minutes might be all you need to get going.

The true aim of the game in the gym is progression. That could mean more weight, but it could also mean more reps, less rest, more sets, more time, the list is endless. All are ways of ensuring you push your body beyond what you could achieve last week/month/year. Stick to this & you'll always be on the up.

Out of the gym & recovery

Some people ruin their own journey early on by hitting it hard & then being too broken & sore to continue. Soreness is part of the gym & some would argue is a key factor in muscle growth. Initially, almost anything will lead to soreness so once again, you should start small & get to know your body. Rest inbetween sets & inbetween sessions will therefore be crucial. You don't build the physique while you're lifting the dumbbells, you build it during your rest, as a response to the training.

It would be remis of me not to mention protein here, as a key building block of gaining muscle. 1.6-2.2g per kg of bodyweight is the accepted range, but I always tend to just double my bodyweight for an easy target (75kg means I need 150g protein daily).

The final point is to enjoy yourself! The gym is a journey to be enjoyed, not a destination to get hung up over. I am always here to help, so drop a message for any advice free of charge. See you next time!

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Elliot Hutchinson // 31.08.2025

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