The Ultimate Guide For Going To The Gym Consistently

Going to the gym consistently can be a struggle for many people.

Luckily for you, the gym’s a friendly place and a sanctuary for you body and mind. 

Its a place that you can get away from every day life, lift some heavy weight, de-stress, and work towards a goal. 

When you look at the gym like this, it becomes a more enjoyable experience.

The Key To Going To The Gym Consistently

So, how do you get motivated to go to the gym? How do you even start?

It’s simple: By taking action. 

I know… probably not the sexy answer you were looking for but it’s the truth.

The problem with motivation is that it’s a temporary feeling, therefore, not a reliable one long term. 

By taking action and going to the gym, you’ll start to see results. Those results will then motivate you into taking more taking action. 

And the the cycle continues. 

This is how you get motivated to go to the gym consistently. 

I guarantee the more you go, the more comfortable and confident you’ll be. 

I’ve seen this time and time again with my clients. The more they go to the gym, the stronger they get, the more confident they become, and the more they go to the gym consistently.

Who Is A Beginner?

A beginner is someone who is hasn’t been going to the gym consistently. 

They’re either brand new to working out, have been exercising instead of training (more on this in a bit), or have been training for less than 6 months. 

That said, the cool thing about being a beginner is that you’ll be able to build more muscle and gain more strength than any other period in your life. 

So, you can expect crazy progress at first. 

Keep in mind, getting stronger and leaner will still take patience and consistency.

So, it’s important to remind yourself to be patient and keep going even when it gets hard. 

Just remember that everyone has had a day 1. What you may be seeing is there day 1,000 or 2,000. So, do yourself a favor and stop comparing yourself to them. 

They didn’t start going to the gym looking like that. Rather, it’s the results from weeks, months, and years of hard work from their first days in the gym. 

Remember this next time you catch yourself comparing your progress to others at the gym. 

Benefits Of Going To The Gym Consistently

As you now know, going to the gym consistently is a great goal to work towards.

Yes, you can still train at home, but bodyweight and resistance band exercises will only produce so much progress. 

Eventually, you’re going to have to add weights to keep progressing for the best results.

This is where going to the gym consistently comes in handy.

Here are a few pros and cons to joining a gym:

Pros of Going To The Gym Consistently:

• They have all of the equipment you’ll need.
• Its a motivating environment filled with like-minded and supportive people. 
• Potential to form new relationships and join classes.
• Have trainers on staff to help guide you. 
• Most efficient way to get results.

Cons Of Going To The Gym Consistently:

• Can get busy and therefore may need to adjust your training. 
• Drive time to and from gym. 
• Feelings of intimidation at first. 
• Cost of a gym membership.

If it was up to me, I’d say that the pros outweigh the cons. I’ll let you decide for yourself though. 

Note: If you want another helpful resource to help get you started in the gym, download my FREE 30 WORKOUTS YOU CAN DO FROM ANYWHERE.

To Go To The Gym Consistently You’ll Need to Get Over Your Fears

As I mentioned above, gym-phobia is a real thing that prevents people from going to the gym consistently. 

Many people fear going to the gym because they think they’ll be judged and looked at by everyone else.  

Hell, I was even intimidated the first time I went to a gym and still am when I go to new gyms.

And I’m a trainer (lol).

So if this is you, you’re not alone. It’s normal to feel this way. 

However, here’s the thing… Almost everyone thinks the same thing you’re thinking – that everyone is looking at them.

Of course there will be assholes but those are the minority.

Instead, most people know what it’s like to be new to a gym, therefore, they’re willing to help if you need it. 

So, I think you’ll be surprised at how inviting and helpful fellow gym members can be. 

Here Are A Few Things To Consider To Help With Your Gym Fear:

• Start by first working out from home so you can get comfortable performing movements. 
• Before you sign up at a gym, get a tour of the facility. Find a gym that you feel most comfortable with. Trust your gut on this one. 
• Hire a good personal trainer to show you proper form and technique (and also around the gym) so that you can perform the exercises effectively, safely, and confidently. 
• Use a separate room in the gym that’s not as crowded.
• Go with a friend.
• Start slow by going one day, then two days, and so on. 
• Wear headphones, jam out, and have fun!

Gym Etiquette 

Once you’re able to find a gym to go to consistently, it’s important to be respectful to other members and the gym itself. 

Here are a few “unwritten rules” of gym etiquette:

• Don’t leave all of your plates on the bar for the next person to take off.  Re-rack all of your weights after using them.
• Don’t take over someone’s machine or equipment. Use something else or wait until they’re done. 
• Do not stand in front of the dumbbell rack. For the love of god please don’t do this. 
• If you’re listening to music, wear headphones. You may think your music is good but not everyone else does. 
• If you need to talk on the phone, go in the locker room or lobby. No one wants to hear that shit when they’re working out. 
• Respect peoples space by not taking up a whole lot of room especially when the gym is packed. 
• Make sure to wipe off equipment when you’re done. Just like you don’t want to sit on someone’s sweat, no one wants to sit on yours. 
• DON’T be an asshole to others. That’s not cool. Everyone belongs there. 

Common Gym Lingo To Get Familiar With Before You Go To The Gym Consistently 

Let’s dive into the common workout terminology that you’ll need to get yourself familiar with.

Reps: 

Think of reps or repetitions as how many times you complete each movement in a set. 

Different numbers of reps tend to produce different adaptations:

• Sets of low reps (1-5) require higher force production and therefore build the most strength.
• Hypertrophy (muscle building) typically is best in the moderate rep range (8-12) while restricting rest so that you can get more blood into the muscle (the pump).
• Higher rep sets (15-20) increase your muscular endurance and your muscles ability to contract when fatigued or tired. 

Note: It’s important to point out that you can build muscle in any of these rep ranges. So rather than only sticking with one rep range, do all of them.

Sets 

Sets are a series of repetitions performed.

For example, 3 sets of 10 reps for a bench press would mean that you would complete 10 reps 3 separate times. 

Note: Aim for 8-20 sets per muscle group per week. 

Rest 

The amount of time you take in between sets to allow your body to recover. 

Typically the heavier you lift, the longer rest you’ll need.

• 1-5 reps: 2-3 min rest
• 8-12 reps: 90 second rest
• 15-20 reps: 30-60 second rest 

Note: This is important for strength training. You need rest to build strength and muscle. This isn’t cardio with weights. 

Tempo 

The speed of an exercise rep. It’s broken down into 3 parts:

1. Concentric: Muscles shortening
2. Eccentric: Muscles lengthening
3. Isometric at the top and bottom: Muscles staying the same length

Ideally when you first start, you want to aim for a 2-3 second concentric and 2-3 second eccentric contraction to make sure you’re controlling the weight and lifting with good form.

As you gain more experience, you can start to play around with tempo to make more progress. 

Supersets:

Performing 2 or more exercises back to back without any rest. 

For example, performing a DB chest press and then going straight into a 1 arm DB row without resting. 

This is a great way to build muscle, increase stamina and endurance, and decrease your workout time. 

How to Start Working Out At The Gym Consistently: Strength Training Basics

I go more in depth in my Ultimate Muscle Building Guide here, so make sure to go check that out. 

As for now, I’ll go over a few basics.

Your muscles job is to contract to move your bones via tendons (the things that attach your muscles to your bones) so you can lift things up.

This is accomplished when your brain sends a signal to your muscles to contract through your CNS. 

Over time, your CNS becomes more efficient at firing up your muscles so that you can lift more weight, become more efficient at the movements, and start getting more defined. 

How to Make Progress In The Gym 

As you begin to go to the gym more consistently, you’ll start to make more progress. 

This is best accomplished through progressive overload.

Progressive overload basically means doing more work over time. When you do more than you did before, you’re sending a signal to your body to grow and get stronger – A term called muscle protein synthesis.

We’ll refer to muscle protein synthesis as a muscle building signal to keep it simple. (A term I learned from the guys at MindPump)

The goal is to have the muscle building signal turned on more often than the signal to break down muscle.

So, how is progressive overload accomplished?

Ways To Progressive Overload:

• Increasing the weight
• Performing more reps 
• More sets 
• Playing with the tempo
• More range of motion 
• Improved form 
• Less rest 
• Harder variation of an exercise

Ex: 

Week 1: 3 sets, 8 reps (10 lbs)

Week 2: 3 sets, 10 reps (10 lbs)

Week 3: 3 sets, 8 reps (15 lbs)

Week 4: 3 sets, 10 reps (15 lbs)

How much muscle can you build? 

This depends on a bunch of things such as your genetics, lifestyle, drugs, etc.

But, for the average person, Lyle McDonald estimates for the first year, men can gain 20-25 lbs and women can gain 10-12 lbs. After that, it seems to go down 50% each year for both men and women.

How Much, How Hard, and How Often? 

There are 3 important aspects of progressive overload: Volume, intensity, and frequency.

All of which can be manipulated to make progress.

Volume is the amount of work you do in a workout by adding all you sets, reps, and exercises together.

Intensity is the amount of weight you’re lifting. This is relative to you. The more weight you lift, the more challenging it is, and the higher the intensity is.

Frequency is how often you perform exercises and/or workout within a week. 

All three of these are important as you progress and get more advanced. 

However, if you focus on all 3 of them at the same time, you are going to risk overtraining yourself. 

Instead, for beginners I recommend keeping it simple by focusing on frequency and intensity. 

Intensity

When you’re a beginner, you will get strong very quickly. Like, every workout quickly. This is also known as “newbie gains”.

Therefore, the stress does not need to be as big. You’ll practically build muscle from looking at weights.

(Yes, Im very jealous)

So focus on intensity (weight) at first to progress quicker.

Tip: Increase the weight in 5-10 pound increments to start off depending on the exercise. 

Frequency 

Don’t fall for the BS claims that you have to workout everyday.

We’re not professionals who live in the gym. We’re everyday people who just want to get stronger and more fit. 

You can make tremendous progress only working out 2-4 days a week because the muscle building signal usually lasts somewhere between 48-72 hours. 

(Remember, we want to keep this activated as much as possible)

Therefore, start with a number of days that you feel comfortable with. 

If that’s only 1-2, that totally ok. Start with that and work your way up to 3-4 days. 

Choosing a Weight

The goal is to find a weight that allows you to maintain good form throughout the set, but that’s also challenging enough to send a muscle building signal.

Therefore, the goal is to aim for 1-2 reps shy of failure within your given rep range. 

Some trial and error will be required. 

I recommend starting with a lighter weight while learning an exercise. 

The reason for this is it allows you to learn the movement safely.

From there, you can increase the weight until it fits the criteria above. 

Once your form starts to break down, stop the set. Bad form can lead to poor posture, bad movement patterns, less results, and increase your risk of getting hurt.

Here’s a tip: If it’s too easy, gradually increase the weight until it becomes difficult within your prescribed rep range. If it was too challenging to maintain good form, then decrease the weight.

Note: If using a barbell, ALWAYS start with the bar first.

Sample Program When You Go To The Gym Consistently 

Unfortunately, great training is boring training. 

It usually includes some variation of the main compound movements done over and over again.

• Squat
• Hinge
• Push
• Pull
• Carry 
• Lunge

These movements are the most bang for your buck in terms of strength and muscle building. 

Plus, you use these movements in every day life. 

Think of standing up from a chair – that’s a squat. Or, bending over to pick up something off the ground – that’s a deadlift. Or, reaching up to get something out of your cabinet – that’s an overhead push. 

Does this mean that these are the only exercises you should do? Of course not. 

But, to keep things simple, they should at the very least make up the majority of your program. 

The most important thing is finding a program you love to do, sticking with it, and being consistent. The goal in this article is to not only get you started, but also get you in the gym to be more consistent. 

Program Example:  

Before you start, it’s a good idea to warm up. This gets your body temperature up, blood flowing, and joints lubricated. This can be accomplished by going on the treadmill and doing mobility.

Remember, the goal is to pick a weight that is challenging enough within the given rep range. Each week you should look to increase the weight or reps. 

Program Notes

• Supersets have letters after the numbers (i.e. 4a and 4b). You complete these two exercises back to back without any rest.
• Stick to a program for 4-8 weeks until switching things up.  
• I would recommend using full body workouts at the beginning to increase your frequency of muscles worked and also so you can practice the movements more often.
• Cardio is great for your health. Perform it a few days a week for 15-30 minutes either before or after your workout. You do not need to go hard while doing this. You should still be able to have a conversation while performing cardio.

Note: (Check the google machine for exercise demos) or check out my more in depth article here where I give you examples of all of the movements you’ll need to see results. 

Bonus: Common Mistakes Beginner Trainees Make

1.Ego lifting. 

When performing these movements, please don’t be an ego lifter. 

I know you think it looks cool and all, but it really doesn’t. You’re actually missing out on progress.

Bad movement patterns can lead to injuries, poor posture, and less results/progress down the road.

Lifting is a skill and just like any other skill, you have to practice to get good at it. You think Tom Brady was able to go to the NFL as a 6th round pick and win 7 super-bowls and 3 MVP’s? 

Of course not. He had to practice consistently and work his ass off to become the greatest quarterback of all time.

Now, I’m not saying that you have to become the greatest powerlifter or bodybuilder of all time or even one at all. 

I’m only trying to make the point that its ok to suck at first. We all do. But the more you practice the better you’ll get over time. 

So, start slow and easy before adding weight.

2.Not Performing Mobility Before A Workout. 

This is important to keep your joints healthy and help prevent future injuries. 

Also, more mobility means you can move your muscles through a greater range of motion which can lead to greater strength and muscle gains. 

Spend 5-10 minutes before every workout on mobility.  

3.Not Resting 

A lot of people make this mistake. They go from exercise to exercise without any rest.

The problem with not resting is that you’re practically doing cardio with weights. 

The goal is to build strength and muscle. 

So by resting, you’re sending your body the signal to build strength and muscle.

Typically the heavier you lift and the less reps you complete under the weights, the longer rest periods you’ll need. 

So yeah… you should need to rest in between sets. If you don’t think you need rest, then you’re probably not lifting heavy enough weight.

4.Sticking With The Same Program For Too Long

Change your program every 4-8 weeks. This allows your body enough time to get stronger and build muscle for those movements while not fully adapting and not making anymore progress. 

5.Not Having a Program At All 

Having quality programming is vital to getting results. It’s what allows you to continuously progress and get results. 

This is where the difference in exercise vs training come into play. 

Think of strength training as a paved road that you’ll be able to cruz on for the rest of your life while exercise is spinning your wheels in mud. 

Exercise 

Exercise gets you to move which is better than doing nothing at all. But the goal of this article is to show you how to go to the gym to get stronger and more fit. 

Think of exercise as a bunch of random movements thrown into a workout to make it look nice and fun to burn calories, sweat, and be tired.

The problem is once you stop doing that exercise, you don’t burn those calories anymore.

This is why you see the same people using cardio equipment everyday for years without much to show for it. 

Exercise only burns 5% of your total daily calories. So, not much in terms of long term sustainability. And because there’s no progression, your body adapts to this exercise and actually burns less calories over time. 

Therefore, exercise is not an efficient way to get sustainable progress. 

Training

Training on the other hand, is a plan to get you to your goals. Usually, this means building a foundation to get stronger and and build muscle.

Training builds muscle. Muscle increases your BMR (metabolism) which makes up 75% of your total daily calories burned.

A a result, you actually burn more calories throughout the day.

Does this mean you have to get jacked and shredded? Hell no. 

All you have to do is lift heavy, eat a healthy diet, and stay active you you’ll get stronger, leaner, and confident. 

So what does this all mean? 

Include exercises you enjoy, but strength training should make up the majority of your workouts if you want the best results long term. The efficient way to loose fat is through nutrition but strength training helps a ton. 

6.Focusing On Being Sore, Tired, and Sweaty. 

These don’t have any impact on whether you had a good workout or not.

Being “sore” just means that you worked a muscle in a way its not use to, worked it too hard, or it’s a result from the eccentric “negative” portion of the movement. 

So it can be an indicator of working out the correct muscle but that’s it. 

The more your body gets use to exercises, the less sore you’ll be.

Being sweaty means that your body needed to cool down. A lot of this is based on genetics. 

Plus, if you stand outside in 90 degree weather, you’ll likely sweat. Does that mean you had a good workout? No.

For me, I don’t sweat much but I go hard in the gym. Does that mean that workout sucked because I didn’t sweat? No. 

Lastly, if you do burpees for 30 minutes straight you’re going to be tired as fuck. Does that mean you had a good workout? No. You just killed yourself doing one of the most overrated movements ever. 

So, what determines a good workout?

One word – PROGRESS.

The only way to tell if your workouts are successful or not is if you’re making progress. If you say yes than congrats, your workouts are effective. If not, then somethings off. 

7. Using Only Machines

You’re missing out if all you use is machines. 

Machines

Machines are the easiest to use and definitely something I’d recommend using as a tool to get use to the gym atmosphere. That said, I would use them only as a tool.

Pros:

• Can be good for rehab.
• Good for starters to get their muscles working. 
• Isolates specific muscles.

Cons:

• Provides stability. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but when you’re a beginner you want to teach your body how to also use your stabilizer muscles. 
• A machine has a fixed path so you’re forced to use that path. Therefore, your body has to adapt to the machine rather than the machine adapting to your body. 

Free Weights 

Free weights consist of dumbbells, barbells, and kettlebells. These are weights you can pick up and move around.

Pros:

• Allows you to use your stabilizer muscles and add more weight to get stronger and build more muscle.
• You can work in a range of motion that is safe and effective for your body.
• Free weights are more functional meaning your entire body has to work harder.
• Burns more calories (technically)

Cons:

• More technical. They require proper form and take time to learn. 

Example of Dumbbell Curl vs Bicep Machine 

Doing a standing dumbbell curl, your core has to be engaged, your feet have to be planted on the ground, your scapula has to stabilize your shoulders, in order to perform the movement and work your biceps.

On the other hand, if you’re using a bicep machine, you are stabilized by that machine so you don’t have to use your core or scapula.

All you have to use is your biceps.

With that said, both have a place. But, prioritize free weights over a machine.

Wrapping Up:

The gym can be a life changer for you. Start slow, get comfortable, and kick some ass. You’ll be thankful you did. 

Thank you so much for reading. I appreciate you as always.

-Coach Bob

Ps. Reminder – If you want another helpful resource to help get you started in the gym, download my FREE 30 WORKOUTS YOU CAN DO FROM ANYWHERE. This consists of 30 workouts that will help you get stronger, more fit, and more defined.