How to Start Going to the Gym

Beginning a consistent workout routine is one of the best decisions you can make for your health and well-being. But, navigating the strange sights, sounds smells, and unwritten rules of gym etiquette for the first time can be intimidating or embarrassing if you’re unprepared.

After working up the courage and motivation to start exercising, a bad experience is the last thing you want. That’s why we built this guide on how to start going to the gym, so you’ll want to return when you’re finished. We’ve also included a sample workout plan so you won’t waste time wondering where to start.

Our mission is to make fitness fun and effective for beginners like you, so read on to learn how you can start — and continue — crushing your fitness regimen at the gym.

Benefits of Going to the Gym

For proper motivation, let’s start with what you can expect to get out of going to the gym.

Regardless of your age, sex, or baseline fitness level, it’s never too early or late to get started with regular physical activity, and there’s only upside.

Here are just a few examples of the mental and physical health benefits you can expect after you begin working out, according to the Mayo Clinic and the United Kingdom’s National Health Service:

Achieving these benefits only requires you to show up and put your best effort forward, so let’s dive into how to get started.

What to Take to the Gym [Clothes + Gear]

You don’t need to invest in lots of bells and whistles to get started at the gym — you’ll just need a few basics to have a great workout, all of which can easily fit in a small gym bag or backpack.

If you’re planning on going to the gym before or after work, you can pack a change of clothes that will include:

• Gym shoes: For beginners, any trainers/running shoes with good support will do. Nike, On, and Adidas offer a number of great options at different price ranges.
• Socks: Working out without socks will likely lead to blisters (and some stinky feet) — cotton or moisture-wicking socks will do the trick.
• Sweat-wicking top and bottom layer: Polyester shirts and shorts are great for the gym. You can generally wear whatever you want, but we’d recommend leaving the denim at home. 

Those are the absolute basics of what you need. Here are a few additional items that can take your workout to the next level:

• Headphones + a prepared music playlist: The right playlist can help turn an average workout into a great one. We’ll cover gym etiquette in depth below, but if you want music, please bring headphones to keep it to yourself.
• Towel: Many gyms will offer towels, but if you prefer your own, bring a small one to wipe off sweat.
• Water bottle: Most gyms will also have water fountains, but if that’s not your thing, we encourage you to BYOW (bring your own water).
• Soap, shampoo, rubber flip-flops: If you’d like to shower after your workout, we’d recommend wearing rubber flip-flops in the gym. Many establishments with showers will also have toiletries, but you can pack some just in case.
• Snack: You can always grab something after your workout, but packing a protein bar or mixed nuts ahead of time will ensure you don’t spoil your hard work with a high-calorie or high-sugar post-workout snack.

What to Know Before Your First Gym Visit

Entering the gym with the right mindset, preparation, and expectations are key to ensuring sustained success. You should know your workout plan’s “why?” and “when?” in advance.

The “Why?”: Knowing what goals you’re working towards first will provide a clearer roadmap of the types of exercises you should favor for workout efficiency. Fitness is also a long-term game — setting specific goals will keep you motivated.

The “When?”: Our research found that inconsistent workout schedules are the #1 reason people lose motivation to exercise. Consistency is critical for your long-term goals, and finding the optimal time to get to the gym will help you stick to a schedule.

Let’s explore these factors in more depth below.

Your Fitness Goals

You can’t get the results that you want if you don’t know what they are. These don’t have to be very detailed to create an intelligent program that works.

For example, is weight loss your goal? If so, head directly toward the activities that will get your heart rate up and burn the most calories, such as:

●      Cardio machines

●      HIIT workouts

●      Lower body workouts

If you’re looking to build strength or muscle, you may want to stick more to:

●      Free weights

●      Compound exercises

●      PHAT

While these questions may be easy to answer, developing your program to achieve your goals can be tricky — especially for beginners. Fortunately, we offer a free workout app that will remove the guesswork with pre-set workouts that let you track and record your results.

Best Time to Go to the Gym

As many first-timers will attest, the hardest part of going to the gym is finding the time and motivation to get there. There are 168 hours in a week — you just need to find space for two to three of those to get to the gym (or ~2% of your weekly time).

The “best time” to work out will be different for everybody, but here are a few key considerations:

1. When will you be able to commit 45 minutes regularly? Find a time that is compatible with your schedule and will allow you to pencil in a few days per week to get to the gym.
2. Are you shy, or will you prefer a crowd? Gyms have rush hours that mimic traffic patterns: expect the heaviest crowds right before (7:00-9:00 AM) and after work (4:00-6:00 PM).
3. Are you a morning or evening person? We found that 65% of exercisers feel they perform best when working out in the early morning. Alternatively, you may prefer later workouts (8:00-10:00 PM) with fewer people.

Tip: Put the gym times in your calendar in advance. Having these scheduled as “appointments” will help you commit to making it to the gym. The key is finding the time that works for your schedule and provides a comfortable environment so you’ll be motivated to keep coming back.

Equipment You’ll Find at the Gym

By now, you have your gym bag packed, your first trip to the gym locked in your calendar, and you have an idea of what you want to accomplish there. Next, we’ll cover the standard equipment you’ll find at most gyms.

1. Cardio Machines

Cardio machines are best for weight loss and general health improvement goals. Most gyms will have the following equipment:

• Treadmill: The gold-standard running machine. Some may find running-in-place boring, but you can adjust the speed and incline for a great cardiovascular workout.
• Elliptical: A lower-impact cardio alternative to the treadmill, great if you suffer from joint pain.
• Stationary Bike: A sedentary workout for your legs.
• Rowing Machine: Full-body workout that simulates rowing on the water.
• Stair Climber: Simulates walking up endless flights of stairs. It is surprisingly difficult and will work your legs and burn a ton of calories.

2. Resistance Machines

Resistance machines are a great place to start building strength and muscle. These will lower your injury risk while practicing your form and technique. We recommend beginning with a few classic machines:

• Chest Press: A great way to work your center and upper chest muscles.
• Shoulder Press: Similar to the chest press machine, the seat is closer to a 90-degree angle to work your shoulders primarily.
• Assisted Pull-up Machine: Unassisted pull-ups are difficult — this machine will help you build starter strength in your lats and biceps.
• Seated Row: Another great, controlled way to work your back muscles.
• Leg Press: An alternative while you work your way up to squats and deadlifts, this will work your glutes, hamstrings, and quads from a seated position.
• Leg Curl: This machine will primarily work your quadriceps while seated.

3. Free Weights

Free weights are also great for building strength and muscle while involving your core strength. Your gym will likely have a designated area for various dumbbells, ranging from sets of five pounds to over 100 pounds.

Although they’re not dangerous, beginners may injure themselves using free weights if they underestimate the weight or overestimate their strength.

For your first visit to the gym, we recommend avoiding this area and focusing on the resistance machines and bodyweight exercises.

4. Weight Racks

These are the best for building strength and muscle since they emphasize compound exercises that work multiple muscle groups.

The bench press and squat rack are the major examples of weight racks.

For your first time using weight racks, we recommend using just the bar (which weighs 45 pounds) or a Smith machine y. This will help you assess your strength and improve your technique with low injury risk.

5. Stretching Space

You should frequent this area before and after your workouts for warmups and cool-downs.

You’ll usually see people stretching or working on core/abdominal exercises in the space, but some additional equipment you may find include:

• Foam Rollers: Great for working out muscle knots or soreness pre- and post-workout.
• Medicine Balls: Typically around the size of a basketball, these weighted balls are great for core training.
• Kettlebells: A round weight with a handle attached, kettlebells can be used for creative exercise variations that blend cardio and strength training.
• Resistance Bands: These resemble large rubber bands and can be used to train mobility and flexibility.

Tip: If you’re not sure what a machine does or how to use it, most equipment will have diagrams of the muscles worked and detailed instructions on how to use it safely.

Workout Tips for Beginners

At Flex Fitness, we’ve helped thousands of beginners get started at the gym. While everyone’s journey and goals are unique, there are a few universally helpful pieces of advice.

1. Focus on your workout, and don’t compare yourself to others. There’s nothing wrong with having role models at the gym, but everyone has different experience levels. Don’t try to copy the super-jacked person lifting heavy weights on your first day.
2. Start light with weights or bodyweight training. This is a great way to avoid injury while getting comfortable with new exercises. Best of all? You’ll still experience tremendous bulk, growth and burn as a beginner.
3. Don’t sweat the amount you lift. Focus on technique and form. Technique and form will be the foundation of your workout program and will enable you to graduate to more advanced lifts and heavier weights with minimal injury risk.
4. Prioritize the basics when starting out. Stick with push-ups, pull-ups, bench presses, squats, etc.
5. Understand that it will take time to see results. Fitness is a journey, and it will take time to reach your destination. Don’t get discouraged if you don’t wake up with a six-pack the day after your first workout.

Gym Mistakes to Avoid

On the other hand, we’re confident you’ll see better results and have a more positive experience if you can avoid the following mistakes:

1. Showing up without a plan. It can be especially overwhelming for beginners to think of a workout on the fly. Planning your exercises will lead to more efficient exercises and little time wasted.
2. Not tracking progress. Tracking your results and celebrating small wins (like a new personal record) are great ways to stay motivated. Alternatively, if you notice you’re not seeing improvement, you may need to change up your workout.
3. Following the same routine. The gym should be fun. Repeating the same exercises in the same order, week after week, can get extremely boring. Don’t hesitate to mix things up if your workouts feel stale!

These are classic pitfalls for beginners, but you don’t have to navigate these on your own. We’ve developed a free workout app  that will do all the planning and tracking for you. Whether you’re looking to build muscle or lose weight, Flex can help with hundreds of workouts.

Gym Etiquette

Before we get to our sample workout, we should discuss gym etiquette. If you don’t want to get any side eyes or nasty looks from fellow gym goers, here are a few written and unwritten rules to try to follow:

1. Put weights back when you’re done using them. Please don’t leave a mess for the person after you. Take a moment to return free weights to the rack or remove plates from barbells after you’ve finished.
2. Avoid dropping weights on the floor. This is sometimes unavoidable if you’re overly tired, but people will appreciate it if you can place weights on the floor with minimal racket.
3. Wipe down machines and benches after you use them. There’s nothing worse than discovering a big, sweaty spot on the bench you’ve been waiting for.
4. Give people space. In shared areas like the stretching space, give other gym-goers enough room to move (think six feet of space or more).
5. Don’t stare. Some people may go to the gym to be seen or admired, but we recommend staying focused on your current workout.
6. Don’t hog the gym equipment. While this varies, for example, cardio equipment can be used for 30-60 minutes, you should try to limit yourself to a maximum of 15 minutes per weight machine.
7. Use headphones. Unless you’re working out privately with a group of friends, strangers likely aren’t interested in your workout playlist.

Free Workout Plan: Week One for Beginners

At this point, you’re ready for the fun of starting your workout, but you may be wondering where to get started. There’s no singular “right” workout plan for beginners, but we’ve put together this sample workout regimen to guide your first week.

Day 1 — Cardio

• 5-10 minutes stretching
• 30 minutes on any cardio machine (elliptical, treadmill, stationary bike)

Day 2 — Lower Body Strength

Body Weight Squats: 4 sets, 8-10 reps each

• Lower your body by bending your knees and hips until your thighs are parallel to the ground.
• Drive up through your heels to bring yourself back up with your spine neutral, abs engaged, and chest proud.

Walking Lunges: 3 sets, 12 reps per leg in each set

• Bring one leg forward and drop your body down until your knees bend 90 degrees.
• Push out of your front foot to come to a standing position.
• Bring your back leg forward and repeat the movement, switching legs each time.

Calf Raises: 3 sets, 15-20 reps each

• Stand with your feet hip-distance apart and lift your heels off the ground while squeezing your calves.
• Hold for one second, then slowly lower back down.

Day 3 — Upper Body Strength

Assisted Pull-Ups: 3 sets, 6-8 reps each

• Grab the pull-up bar with an overhand grip, place your knees on the pad, and pull yourself up until your chin clears the bar.
• Lower yourself back down with control.
• Select a weight that enables you to complete 3 sets of 6-8 repetitions.

Tricep Dips: 3 sets, 12-15 reps each

• Get between parallel bars with your arms fully extended and feet crossed behind you.
• Bend your elbows to lower your body until your upper arms are parallel to the ground.
• Push yourself back up by straightening your arms.

Push-Ups: 3 sets, 12-15 reps each

• Place your palms flat on the floor, shoulder-width apart, with your legs behind you in a plank position.
• Slowly lower yourself by bending your arms at the elbow until your chest kisses the floor.
• Raise yourself back up by pushing off the ground to return to your original position.
• See our primer on push-ups for more info on form!

Day 4 — Active Rest Day

• Enjoy a 30-minute walk outside, or try yoga and stretching at home for 20-40 minutes.

Day 5 — Lower Body

Step-Ups: 3 sets, 10-12 reps each leg

• Find a bench, box, or elevated surface.
• Step up onto the bench with one foot and straighten the knee without touching your other leg to the bench.
• Come back down onto the ground, dropping onto your extended leg.
• Complete all reps on one side, then switch legs.

Glute Bridges: 3 sets, 12-15 reps each

• Lie down and bend your knees with your feet planted flat on the floor.
• Press through your heels and lift your hips towards the ceiling, squeezing your butt.
• Slowly lower with control and then repeat.

Wall Sit: 3 sets, 30-90 seconds each

• Lean with your back against a wall and slide down until your thighs are parallel to the ground (your knees should be bent at 90 degrees).
• Hold this position as long as possible.
• Flex your abdominals and keep your back against the wall for proper form.

Day 6 — Upper Body: Abs

Plank: 3 sets, 30 seconds each

• Assume a push-up position and hold yourself in place for 30 seconds (or as long as you can).
• For extra difficulty, lower yourself onto your forearms and elbows and hold as long as you can.

Russian Twists: 3 sets, 12-15 reps per side

• Sit on the floor with your legs extended at a 45-degree angle.
• Activate your core and turn your body from side to side while trying to keep your legs steady.

Day 7 — Rest Day

• Enjoy your day off, relax, and allow your muscles time to recover.
• Celebrate your first week in the gym completed!

Simplify Your Fitness Journey with Flex Fitness

The best part about working out is that you can experiment with what works for you and your goals. If you’ve made it this far, you’re motivated and on the right track to start going to the gym. However, you don’t have to begin your fitness journey alone.

With Flex Fitness, you’ll have a personal trainer in your pocket that can automatically help you set up a program, track your progress, and even connect you to a community so you can stay motivated along your journey