Starting anything new is never easy; change is never easy, changing the body you’ve had your entire life well thats damn near impossible. You’ll be ultimately attempting to change years of neglect, damage, and god knows what else. On top of that you’re also attempting to change years of evolution and genetic predisposition that has been handed to you over the centuries! Sounds like a momunmental task doesn’t it? That’s because it is.Â
 Now what makes it a monumental task at hand isn’t overcoming the genetics its all the temptations of the bad habits that you’ve accumulated over the years, believing the myths that you’ve heard so many people state as fact, and/or quitting and sprialing after having a bad day .Â
Follow these 5 very easy very basic rules for rookies as a starting point of your fitness journey (because improving your health is a long hard journey) and view some of the other content on Muscleandfitness.com to learn more about the facts on how to lose the weight, build more muscles, and live a healthier lifestyle.Â
Never “wing it” for your workout—always go into the gym with a plan developed beforehand. Your workout needs to be tailored to your training and fitness goals. If you consider yourself a novice and are unfamiliar with programming the right workout routines for your training goals, then take a look through the Muscle & Fitness website for countless articles on workout plans and how to build a program that fits you.
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Lift to Your Level
Drop the ego—if you’re a beginning lifter, then you need to start with lighter weights to perfect your form, technique, and to develop the motor skills that will allow you to move on to bigger weights. From there, you should be progressively overloading—not 100 pounds at a time, but in smaller increments that you are able to move with control and proper mechanics. Otherwise, you are setting yourself up for potential injury and you will not be developing strength properly.
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Train Smarter not Harder
Overtraining is a real problem. The body needs time to heal and recover, so going to the gym seven days per week is simply unnecessary and counterproductive. Start with three days per week to ensure that you provide yourself ample time to eat, rest, and recover.
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Get Your Zzzzz’s
Sleep is essential for muscle growth and repair. Make sure that you get seven to nine hours of sleep. This will allow your body to rebuild muscle tissue and will support your growth hormone levels.Â
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Stay Hydrated
Water is essential for an effective workout, and not drinking enough will impact your strength, stamina, and condition. A good target would be to drink half your bodyweight in ounces of water every day.
