EVERY PRO WAS ONCE AN AMATEUR, EVERY EXPERT WAS ONCE A BEGINNER
Once upon a time about 5 years ago, I remember feeling inadequate, out of place, intimidated and weak just standing in a gym admiring the talents of others. Watching men doing weighted pullups, seeing women pushing a prowler, deadlifting, or squatting with a barbell and shitloads of plates either side. I was out of my depth. I recall scrolling through social media, again admiring some women with platinum strength only ever wishing and dreaming that I could be just like them. Inspired by women and men competing in bodybuilding shows and looking up to them as if they were the Gods of humanity; placing them on the highest pedestal imaginable. I felt so motivated, yet felt a strong hunger and craving to be just like them, but believing I would NEVER EVER be able to become that advanced.
However, I will be the first to admit my other impressions back then of bodybuilders or fitness fanatics or in fact anyone who worked in the fitness industry: shallow, cliquey, up their own arse, arrogant, judgemental and only ever caring about aesthetics and how they looked (or turning their nose up at how others looked!) How wrong I was. Don’t get me wrong, you still come across people like that in the industry -and it can be a very cruel place. But, I was mentored by the best.
When I started training for my mental health back in 2015 (that story is for another time) I had never lifted a barbell in my entire life. I will never forget the first session I ever completed (trained by Anton of course). I was in so much agony and pain that I recall trying to cancel my next session (for Anton to say it was ok, we would just do upper body instead). There was no getting out of that one!
If you are a Newbie Lifter and feel like I once felt, 1. COMMIT YOURSELF to it. You will be surprised that Newbie Gains really do exist and it takes quicker than you think to progress on compound exercises and build some muscle. My biggest advice: 2. GET A PT or train with someone that is experienced. Trust me when I say, you will skip probably about 4+ years of mistakes just by being guided by someone who knows what they are doing; so don’t waste time trying to do it yourself. 3. GET A PT THAT CARES ABOUT NUTRITION. Anyone who doesn’t focus on this or makes you accountable to them, don’t bother wasting your time or money.
4. REMEMBER IT WILL BE WORTH THE MONEY. Many people are put off by how much paying a PT costs. Do remember, I was also in the same boat when I started training for the first time when I was just an unhappy teacher. I remember being gobsmacked by how much it would cost. However, when I worked it out, it meant the money I was using for going out to lavish dinners and drunken nights out I was now using in a better way for my health. Yes, having a PT is a luxury, but ask yourself this: could your money be better spent looking at your current lifestyle? Can you really put a price on your health? Like I said, there are a lot of shit PTs out there. However, the one you invest in, if they have a string of transformations behind them and outstanding client testimonials, just take the plunge and invest in them.
5. DON’T PUT TOO MUCH PRESSURE ON YOURSELF. I recall being a Newbie Lifter and just focusing on my performance in the gym. I don’t think I ever really started tracking my food or thinking about my nutrition properly until a few months later. Instead little nutrition goals by my coach were set overtime for that seed to be planted. It did take me a while to get my head around training techniques and sometimes it is the best thing to focus on one thing at a time. Go at your own pace and never compare yourself to others.
6. FOOD FOR FUEL: When you get into the swing of training regularly, you will soon come to realise which foods make you perform the best. In my early days, it really was trial and error. Once, having too much protein before a session meant I was extremely bloated and felt like I couldn’t carry on. After that I started to play around with my snacks before a gym session: eating a banana, munching on a protein cookie, whipping up a bagel with jam. After MANY trials and errors and playing around with snacks and meals to fuel me, I now know what I need and how long in advance of my session I need to eat. Currently, I have a meal within 3-4 hours of a session and a pre workout drink and banana just before. But, everyone is different. Play around and find out which foods work best for your performance. And no, I can’t do that fasted malarkey when you’re squatting 100kg! Please make sure you are eating enough-and no, don’t cut out carbs! Eating after your workout is also vital.
7. TRACK YOUR PROGRESS (YOUR PT SHOULD DO THIS FOR YOU). Progressively overloading on your compounds are what you should be aiming for. Consistently measuring progress to build strength is the key to success for any Newbie Lifter. Plus, a good PT will have a record of how much you’ve lifted every week.
8.WARMUP/MOBILISATION: It took me to get serious injuries to fully understand how important this is. If your PT is not getting you to foam roll or do band mobilisation, but instead getting you to do a few stretches or putting you on the cardio machines, sack them.
9.BREATHING IN AN EXERCISE: It’s not just about the technique of the exercise but knowing when to inhale and exhale. Your PT, depending on the exercise will guide you on this. Incorrect breathing can lead to bad form, headaches or dizziness. You need that oxygen to get to that muscle group you are working!
10.TIME YOUR REST PERIODS. Intensity of sessions should feel like an 8 or 9 out of 10 (10 being unbearably hard!). If not, then you’re simply not working hard enough. Rest periods can range between 2-3 minutes, maybe longer until you build up that fitness.
11. START LIGHT: Begin with lighter dumbbells. Aim to increase reps to 10-12 before you increase the weight and then go for less reps (6-8). Like Number 7, PROGRESSIVE OVERLOAD IS THE KEY TO SUCCESS.
LASTLY: 12. KNOW YOUR GOAL: I will repeat what I said earlier. Newbie Lifters should be aiming to build strength, even if your goal is fat loss. Nuckols from the Complete Strength Training Guide outlines: ‘The more foreign an exercise is, the more strength you’ll rapidly gain as your nervous system learns’. See, Newbie Gains really do exist especially with all the scientific research behind it. Roughly after 2-6 months (although every individual is different) does it get harder to progress and build muscle as your body adapts to it. So Newbie Lifters, embrace the start of your fitness journey!
Below are some exercise variations that all Newbie Lifters should be doing:
· Goblet or bodyweight squats instead of Barbell squats
· Rackpulls or Trapbar deadlifts or Dumbbell RDL instead of conventional deadlifts
· Light Dumbbell presses before you get started on Barbell bench press
· Bodyweight hip thrusts or (banded) glute bridges before Barbell hip thrusts
· Bodyweight on any of these lower body exercises: Walking Lunges, Stepups, Split Squats, Reverse Lunges
If you want something you’ve never had, then you’ve got to do something you’ve never done.
Embrace that feeling of being uncomfortable.
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