How to Begin Working Out
Choosing an appropriate workout routine is the most effective way to build muscle. There is a variety of bad advice out there concerning the methods and techniques that lead to effective gain in muscle mass. The most important advice for beginners is to start slow, and well within one’s comfort level. Implementing your workout routine will be next to impossible if you overwork your body. Mentally and emotionally, you will begin to hate the process of working out, and will become very likely to quit. In the beginning its all about slow and steady.
Start by going to the gym. To prevent yourself from feeling out of place, dress like most gym-going folks do, athletic shorts and t shirt for men, and tights and shirt for women. Nothing is more likely to keep you away from the gym than feeling stared at.
Next, watch what others are doing. The best way to do this is to use a machine you already know how, perhaps a treadmill or leg press machine. Take note of others’ behaviors, how much weight they can handle during their lifts, what their workout routines to build muscle seem to be, how many repetitions they do, and most importantly, how they are using each piece of workout equipment. This way you can learn how to use the gym, fit in the environment, and feel comfortable.
Now that you have an idea of what others are doing, and how the machines are used, it’s time to assess your personal strength training abilities. Going around the gym, using the different equipment. Figure out which machines you enjoy using the most, what they are called, what muscles (or sets of muscles they workout). Figure out how many sets and repetitions you can do for a given weight. Take note of these numbers (either on paper, on your phone/mp3 player, or mentally) for each workout, for the first week or so. Pretty soon you will have an idea of what your initial capacity is. This will help you compare your progress as you look back in the future and evaluate your workout routine.
Within a week (4-5 visits to the gym), you will be comfortable, and know your limits. The next step is to figure out the exact workout routine that will work best for you. That is covered on this site. You want to continue to push your limits and perfect your techniques.