Multitudes of first-time lifters were among those who flocked to gyms in January, each eager to reconstitute his physique into something better. For these newbies, results come quickly. But when the initial enthusiasm fades, all that’s left is the work and the willingness to persist through the litany of setbacks that befall every lifter—namely, the plateaus and the pain. Take these 13 tips to heart and you’ll soon shed the beginner stigma and graduate to full-on gym rat, with the muscle mass to match.
1) Form the Habit
Many new lifters drop out early because they never really create ate a habit of training. “Researchers discovered that it takes on average 66 days to form most habits, especially habits as complex as working out,” says fitness model and Optimum Nutrition athlete Kelechi Opara. “This means that if you started on January 1, then March 6 is the time frame the new habit of training should start to stick—not January 21, or three weeks, as most people think.” And it does get easier.
2) Focus on Technique
“Initial strength gains are neurological, meaning you get better or more coordinated at the lifts you’re training,” says Josh Bryant, M.F.S., C.S.C.S., P.E.S., owner of joshstrength .com. “Strength gains via increased muscle size come later, so it’s important to build technique. Not only will you get stronger and avoid injury, but you’ll also get more muscular because you’ll lift more.”
3) Don’t Skip Leg Day
Focusing solely on arms and chest can be a crucial mistake that severely limits how much total muscle you can add.
“Training legs will help stimulate muscle growth in the rest of your body,” says fitness model Mehmet Edip. “Legs are the biggest muscles in the body, so when you train them hard, your body releases large amounts of testosterone and growth hormone (GH), which aid muscle growth.”
4) Eat Often Enough
Far too many beginners try to gain muscle while keeping as lean as possible, which is incredibly difficult to do. A better bet is to focus on getting enough clean sources of lean protein, complex carbs, and healthy fats throughout the day to maximize recovery from your new workout schedule. “This will help keep your metabolism up while still allowing you to gain muscle,” Edip says. As a beginner, your focus should be on powering your training, not on restricting feedings for the sake of getting lean.
5) Sleep
Beginners have a tendency to go pedal-to-the-metal on training and nutrition, but one of the first things to fall through the cracks is adequate sleep. “Sleep is the secret to growth,” says Eric “the Trainer” Fleishman, a Hollywood-based fitness expert and M&F advisory board member (ericthetrainer.com). “All of your physical change occurs during slumber.” As you sleep, GH levels peak to aid in the repair of the muscle you damaged at the gym. It is generally recommended that you get seven to nine hours a night to maximize growth.
6) Listen to the Experts
“One of the biggest mistakes I see beginners making is not sticking to a program designed by a professional,” says Justin Grinnell, C.S.C.S., owner of State of Fitness (mystateoffitness. com). “They read about the next best thing and want to start it the next day in hopes of making faster progress. Unfortunately, they become disappointed with no results and more frustration.” Listen to men who’ve done it before, and steer clear of fads.
7) Be Prepared to Adjust
We wear this phrase out here at M&F: For a beginner, everything works. But nothing works forever. The key to continued growth is keeping your body guessing. Once your body acclimates to a particular stimulus, it be- comes reticent with new muscle and stingy with body fat. “Many new lifters see strength and muscle growth, simply from the new physi- ological stimulus of lifting weights,” Grinnell says. “After the initial six to eight weeks, you not only have to change your program in order to make gains, but you also need to take a serious look at your food and supplementation plan.”
8) Keep it Simple
Rob MacIntyre, C.S.C.S, spends most of his days training WWE wrestlers and world-class athletes. But even they, at one time, were beginners. And one particular problem that arises with beginners, he says, is the desire to do it all. “It’s very easy to get crushed with the amount of information that’s available these days,” he says. “In the beginning, keep your programs basic. Become proficient at a few key exercises that work lots of muscle. It’s much easier and faster to learn the correct way at the beginning than to try to correct them after you’ve been doing them wrong for years.”
9) Write it Down
“Everyone should keep a training journal, but this is especially important for beginners,” MacIntyre says. “Were those 25s on the bar or 35s? I remember doing 150 pounds that set, but did I count the bar? Writing it down makes it easy to know what to do next time and to see your progress. I have people also make note of their pains, mental state, and sleep levels around the workout because it helps give them the whole story. When someone asks you about your workout, you can just show them. It’s also inspirational to look back at training journals from years past to see how far you’ve come.”
10) Pace Yourself
When getting started—or getting back into it—it’s easy to let zeal overtake you. Because progress is rapid in many cases, it’s understandable that you would want more, faster. This can shatter both your will and your body, leaving you worse off down the road.
“I see terrible form in gyms all the time,” MacIntyre says. “And you don’t need to do something just because some- one else is. Building your body is a slow process. Don’t rush it.”
11) Revisit Motivations
Greg Chertok, M.Ed., C.C.- A.A.S.P., sport psychology consultant at Telos Sport Psychology Coaching (telos-spc.com), suggests you reevaluate your original motivators from time to time.
“Research suggests that intrinsically motivated exercisers experience more positive effect than those who are extrinsically motivated,” he says.
12) Don’t Skip the Small Stuff
A group of activities, collectively known as pre-hab, can help keep you injury-free. Research shows that dynamic warm-ups—which focus on range-of-motion activities like arm circles, knee hugs, and jumping jacks—are more effective than static stretching. Foam rolling has also been shown to increase mobility and circulation.
13) Branch Out with Supplements
If you’ve been forgoing supplements to this point, now is the perfect time to start. Optimum Nutrition’s pre-workout supp, simply called Platinum Pre-, is a basic blend of aminos and stimulants that can immediately add intensity and focus to your workouts. The tandem of 100% Whey Gold Standard and 100% Casein Protein rep- resent two of the purest forms available today.
