Initiating in the Training Room

If you've made the decision to start strength training, don't believe that it's enough to just go to the gym or a fitness club, eat right, and take supplements to achieve the desired results. Of course, if you're an ambitious person and want to take more than just basic exercises into your own hands, you need to avoid mistakes and effectively use the first stages of training. The most important thing is not to harm yourself at the beginning by overloading your body. You don't have to be Mr. Olympia or the strongest man in the world to achieve your goal. Start by finding an appropriate training plan, familiarize yourself with the equipment and techniques of the exercises, and then focus on performing a suitable warm-up phase, controlling the work of the muscles, determining the right tempo, and trying exercises with a higher load. Don't interrupt the training with bad habits, such as browsing social media or long conversations. Work hard and consistently to achieve the desired results.

Advances and retreats of the exercises are their more advanced and less advanced versions. It's beneficial to write them down in your training plan in case the chosen exercise turns out to be too challenging. For instance, if we choose a barbell squat which is too difficult to perform during training, we can opt for its easier variants, such as: the goblet squat, the hands-behind-head squat, the TRX squat. Similarly, when it comes to standing with weights, we can opt for easier variants, such as: sitting with weights, standing with dumbbells, sitting with dumbbells, one-handed standing with dumbbells.

A significant aspect of early training is the velocity at which we perform exercises. Uncontrollably lowering weight during the execution of squats or exercises on flat benches does not allow us to control the technique and muscle tension, leading to not feeling their work. Therefore, we count to four to five seconds during each repetition as we lower the weight. Uncontrollably shaking the weight is not recommended as the best method to start the training.

If you are starting your own gym workout, the rule is less is better. But the number of exercises that you do at the start of the exercise is going to be less important. But I think it's better to get the same amount of stress when you do the exercise, so your body won't recover. Regardless of the training plan, the number for each muscle exercise can be within the 1-3 and 2-4 dietary limits. But if you start the exercise at the beginning of the workout at the same number of workouts, then I think the next workout will be better than the next one. The third pillar is regeneration. This includes everything you do outside of training, such as how you eat, sleep - its length and quality, daily habits, additional activity, and stress and daily obligations. Performing strength training triggers certain biochemical processes, which need to be supplemented with adequate macronutrient intake and quantity and quality of sleep. Providing an adequate amount of food and sleep will allow us to maintain an adequate level of energy and concentration to effectively perform subsequent workouts. Tips on organizing a diet for beginners and how to take care of sleep. It is worth considering working with a dietitian who will not only set up a diet with the appropriate number of calories and macronutrients, cover the need for vitamins and minerals, but above all will ensure that you can eat all meals with pleasure! The method of small steps - first eat what you like, but go for some compromises and accept the appropriate number of calories and macronutrients. Then, with each subsequent month, introduce healthier products. No forced eating! Thanks to these three pillars, you win at the start. You learn exercises and gradually make workouts more difficult, which you have planned for the next few months.

The matter of choosing the right footwear is not as simple as it might seem, as footwear has an impact on the functioning of the knees, hips, spine and even the shoulder girdle. If we want to be sure that our motion apparatus is working correctly, we should choose footwear with a flat sole. By selecting suitable footwear, we can also ensure stability during training such as squats or deadlifts, which require stability and not swaying. Therefore, in my opinion, amortized footwear is not suitable for strength training and running footwear should be used for other types of training.

FBW, split, push/pull, upper/lower are mere names. There exists no rule stating that any one of the workout plans is meant solely for beginners and another for advanced individuals. Distributing individual parts over the course of a week is more about adjusting the training to fit a lifestyle. If you can train on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, FBW would be ideal, the training sessions wouldn't overlap, and the recovery would be suitable. However, if you can only train from Monday through Thursday, alternating training - one day upper, one day lower - would be a better solution. What distinguishes a beginner's training from an advanced one is the selection of exercises and training parameters. Advanced individuals choose more challenging exercises, perform more of them, and do so with heavier weights. You wouldn't start your gym adventure with the most challenging versions of exercises with very heavy weights and an overwhelming number of sets with very short breaks! I present here a sample program for someone starting strength training - it's just an example, which can be used as inspiration and a starting point. It is a version intended for both genders, and due to the benefits of FBW (average frequency, utilizing most movement patterns during one session), it is an ideal choice for a newcomer. This is an introductory schedule, serving to familiarize oneself with exercises, pace, breathing pattern, and training parameters. Only after completing it can one make exercises more difficult and add more, increase weight, and adapt the plan to the goal.

1. Goblet squat at a pace of 3 0 1 0, 4 × 10 repetitions, 20 seconds rest; 2. Pulling the bar out of the upper outlet at a pace of 3 1 1 0, 4 × 10 repetitions, fixed weight, 60 seconds rest; 3. Hip bridge from the floor at a pace of 2 0 1 2, 4 × 12 repetitions, inclined lift, 60 seconds rest; 4. Pressing the end of the bar at a pace of 4 0 1 0, 4 × 10 repetitions, fixed weight, 60 seconds rest; 5. Side plank (side plank), 4 × 30 seconds (+ 15 seconds weekly), 60 seconds rest.

1. Romanian deadlift at a pace of 4 0 1 0, 4 × 8, steady weight, 60 seconds break; 2. squatting with a barbell at a tempo of 3 0 1 0, 4 × 10, steady-weight, 60 sec. break; 3. rowing with dumbbells based on bench at a pace of 3 0 1 1, 4 × 10, steadfast-weighting, 60 sec. break; 4. lunges with weights at a pace of 0 1 0, 4 × 8, steadfast-weighting, 60 sec. break; 5. plank (step) 4 × 30 sec. (15 sec. weekly), 60 sec. break. The training plan should be read as follows: - exercise number, - exercise name, - recommended exercise pace, - number of sets, - number of repetitions, - rest time. Weight should be gradually increased with each set. In the first weeks, the focus is mainly on technique and pace of exercises as well as progressive loading in the range of 1.25 - 5kg per set. To control the progression of loading, you should start by recording progress and overall impressions.

The most important thing you can bring to your first workouts is a workout plan! Randomly selecting machines and tools is unnecessary and can restrict you. It's important to note the weight, number of repetitions, etc. Another important point is water. The first workouts may not be demanding, but in the long term, it's important to adapt and develop. The issue of shoes has already been discussed, but what about the rest of the clothing? Therefore, drinking a liter of water at the beginning can be a problem, but with each subsequent workout, there should be less and less of it until you have a larger bottle. What to wear for a workout is simple: clothing that you feel comfortable in and that doesn't restrict your movement. Therefore, very stretchy long or short pants and leggings are a good choice. A cotton or thermo-functional shirt - as long as you don't have a hundred kilograms on your shoulders, it doesn't matter, but if you're working with a barbell of that weight, it's better to wear cotton shirts because they're less slippery. In gyms, there should be paper towels and disinfectant available to clean the training equipment after use. Some final tips as an addition. If you have doubts, seek advice from someone who knows about it. Plan your actions wisely to have concrete goals for the month, quarter, and year. Everyone can love gym workouts, even those who are least motivated. An important question is to choose the right workout plan and diet and to hone your character to become patient, systematic, and wise in your actions.