Check-List:What you should do on Your First Day at the Gym.

Before Your First Day at the Gym

So you have finally made up your mind to join a Gym?Bravo! The first Step is acceptance that there is a “problem” that you need solved by joining a Health Club.

• Make sure you are medically fit for exercise. If you haven’t exercised for a while or you have a medical condition, ask your doctor about exercise, especially weight training and nutrition.
• Get some comfortable and acceptable training gear and decide where you will do your training—gym or at home. The following guide or check-list presumes a gym, but you can modify it for home workouts using dumbbell or barbell exercises.

First Day at the Gym

• Do not Buy or Subscribe to the Membership on day 1! Ask for Membership Trial. Most Gyms will usually give 1-3 days Free Trial before joining a Gym.
• Get Free Fitness Assessment by one of the Personal Trainers in the Facility.
• Take the Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaire (PAR-Q) by the Personal Trainer

The PAR-Q is a simple self-screening tool that is typically used by fitness trainers or coaches to determine the safety or possible risks of exercising based on your Health History, current symptoms, and risk factors. It also can help a trainer create or advice on an ideal exercise prescription for a possible client.

• Let the Trainer conduct the Physiological tests using the available Basic equipments like BP monitor and  inBody machine . Body composition analysis  provides a detailed breakdown of your weight in terms of muscle, fat, and water  as shown in the video below.
• See the Locations in your area where you can take the test- usually for free or at  a small fee.
• The Personal Trainer will be able to translate the test results and discuss tie  your goals with the recommendations from the results. This gives the coach a clear picture of what they are dealing with.
• Talk to the trainer about the possibility of taking private Personal Training sessions based on the result .We recommend starting off with a trainer to build a rock solid base start point towards your fitness goal.
• Check the lists of all services offered attached to the membership plans e.g Group Class Exercises or Swimming  Pool access which may facilitate your training towards reaching the goals faster.

First Exercise on day one at the gym

• You do NOT have to take Private Personal Training Sessions to start off with a trainer.
• Fact: When trainers talk to you, they are probably hoping to make a sale. Another fact: They also genuinely want to help you. So rather than blowing them off, make friends with them!

Many gyms offer a complimentary 1-2 PT Session with a new membership.Take advantage of this!

• Based on your Fitness Assessment Results and the advice of the trainer, you  should begin your first workout with a warm-up consisting of 10 minutes of walking or jogging or other aerobic exercise on an elliptical machine,bike or treadmill.
• Loosen up with a few very light exercises first, then choose a weight that is heavier and that starts to feel somewhat heavier as your muscles tire.
• Even if you refused Fitness Asessment by the trainer of there was no available trainer for the assessment,ask for some  basic instruction if you need it. Don’t over-train at this stage or you will be sore.
• If your aim is weight loss, you’ll need a good program designed to help you lose the weight.
• It’s probably better not to rely on YouTube as your trainer.YouTube is a great resource, but not everyone who posts a video is demonstrating exercises that are safe and effective.
• When you’re in the gym, feel free to ask a real-life trainer for some suggestions. It’s ok to admit when you are clueless than hurting the knees, or shoulders, or back.

Recommended Exercises for DAY 1 at the Gym- Full Body Workout

Using the minimum weight,do one set of 8–10 repetitions of each of the following exercises:

1. Leg press or Barbell Squat
2. Lat Pulldown
3. Dumbbell arm curl
4. Triceps pushdown
5. Crunches on the mat
6. Incline or full bench press
7. Deadlift
8. Shoulder Press

CONCLUSION

The Day After
You did one set of 8 exercises for that first day to familiarize yourself with the equipment and process. By day 30 you will do more repetitions of each exercise. Even so, if you have not been exercising and especially if haven’t done any weight training previously, you’ll likely be sore in some muscles. You will rest for three days then head on down to the gym once more on day 5.

If you don’t feel sore, you can leave two days between sessions, yielding to a rhythm of weight training session every 2 or 3 days for the next 30 days. Not too short or too long a break will see your muscles and joints well prepared for the 30-day haul.

Stop and consult a doctor if you have recurring joint pain.