Decades of proper bodybuilding experience tell us there’s no perfect training method or perfect approach to start you off into the world of bodybuilding. From the point you enter the gym to the point you leave, you have to define what’s going to work for you and not the other way around. This article will hopefully help those of you new to bodybuilding get over the mental block of starting out and getting past those first few days in the gym.

Don’t Get Intimidated

To say that stepping onto the gym floor for the first time can be a little intimidating is abit of an under statement. The amount of people who give up due to simply seeing all of those already pumped up giants lifting pounds and pounds of weight can itself make you wonder why you’re there in the first place. A feeling of stepping in too deep may creep into your mind and very soon after emptying out on all your initial enthusiasm you find yourself dissappearing from the gym for good.

Now despite the dismal picture I’ve painted above, don’t fret because help is at hand, and the reason I say this is because conquering the first few days (or weeks) of your gym experience is all about being in a strong mental state and knowing what you’re going there for.

You’re new to weight lifting, you have no muscle, you have nothing to be proud of. Accept that within your mind and accept that every single Hulk lookalike you see on the gym floor began exactly where you are. Starting with a clean mental state and accepting you have everything to gain (because you have nothing to begin with) is exactly how you’ll get in touch with the iron at the gym.

Week 1-2 – Keep Things Simple

When starting out you need to keep things simple. Depending on your background the objective of the first few days is to a) familiarise yourself with the equipment and exercises b) to build up some basic stamina and strength so that you develop a strong platform to launch your bodybuilding legacy!

Go into the gym, head over to the cardio section and spend 5-10 minutes on the bike, rower or stepper. Do this confidently, and really warm up your body parts so that you’re ready to hit the weights area.

Once you’re warmed up, head over to the weights section and work out whatever you’ve decided to work out. Aim to do 1 warm up set, low resistance (in many cases this could just be the bar with no weights) and then hit 3 sets of 10-15 reps on your specific exercise.

The objective in your early days is not to lift heavy but to lift with some resistance. Don’t over do yourself and lift within your limits. Remember you’re new and there’s nothing more unsightly for experienced bodybuilders than seeing a newbie lifting more than his muscles can handle.

In most cases when someone is new, and they’re trying to lift with good form and technique you’ll actually get the more experienced trainers coming over and giving you tips or advice. That’s a definite bonus if you intend to keep coming to the gym.

Week 3-6 – Step Things Up A Little

Hopefully you’ve passed your first two weeks, you’re getting comfortable with the people and surroundings in your gym and you may even have seen some small improvements in shape and or size. The point is you’re in the gym and you’re ready to get going.

My first tip here is not to forget the original tips given to you in weeks 1-2. None of those ever get old so stick to them however, your first 2 weeks of muscle soreness and development have earnt you the right to step up your training. Since you’re new to training you’ll probably be on a high as you’ve seen constant strength and body improvements. Use that high to step up your routine and increase the weights you were lifting by 10-20%.

I would suggest dropping the rep count to around 10 now but sticking to your 1 warmup set and 3 workout sets routine. Depending on the amount of days you’re hitting the gym try to hit 1-2 body parts per session and focus on lifting smoothly and strongly.

Read, Read, Read, Then Try

If you’ve gotten this far and managed to make it through to week 6 then you’re no longer a newbie in the gym. You’ll have probably made some friends by now and people won’t be staring at you anymore, since you’re a familiar face, so keep going and don’t give up.

The only last tip I always give newbies is to start reading about the sport you’re getting invovled in. Hopefully you were already doing this but keep doing it, because you’re going to need it. The way you workout in the early weeks is simple, your body wasn’t used to any resistance work so even the light/medium resistance you’ve been applying over the last few weeks has delivered massive changes to your bodies exterior.

This is good but don’t expect the changes to keep coming. It’s at this point you need to accept that the first few weeks your body was nice to you, but afterwards prepare to see it’s stubborn side. The rate at which your biceps have grown or your calves have exploded won’t continue. Your bodies going to be more stubborn going forward so prepare to accept that, and the only way you’re going to combat that is reading about how others have tackled certain problems and trying them out on yourself.

You see bodybuilding is and always will be a game of personal will power and experimentation. Everybodies different and you hold the key to unlocking your development. Once you have the key it’s a matter of discipline and execution but until you figure your body out, you better keep reading and experimenting.

Final Words

Pick up a subscription to a monthly bodybuilding or fitness magazine or even better head over to bodybuilding.com, there forums and community are a gold mine full of inspirational pictures and articles. If you ever lose hope head over to the bodyspace profiles on bodybuilding.com for an instant motivational chargeup. Good luck!