Beginner's Guide.

When you start!

Starting to train is a new adventure that begins. It is also listening to those who have already achieved results and who can help us progress faster or better.

It is not uncommon to see videos on the Internet of beginners doing all sorts of things with no effectiveness, to the point of being ridiculous or even downright ridiculous.

Of course we see this with our experienced beginner eyes, but imagine yourself back to the level you were at when you started training: the thirst for knowledge, the energy, the endless training because we thought more was better...

However, it is certain that the status of beginner makes you the person who can evolve the most. If there are rules for training an experienced athlete, they often have to be revised when it comes to a beginner.

Let's take a look together at what is specific for a beginner.

Beginner: Basics.

The status of beginner is special. The body and muscles are virgins in terms of specific training. It is therefore important not to overdo the first workouts to avoid being discouraged by muscle pain.

Time must also be set aside for proper learning experience: performing exercises correctly and being corrected by a qualified person.

Also know what you are doing and why you are doing it. Don't try every workout you have seen on the internet just because it is said to be a miracle workout.

Do not hesitate to ask a professional for advice to avoid a wrong start.

Listen to those around you, but educate yourself about those who like to give advice before you follow them.

A beginner will make progress anyway! Because doing a little but badly is always better than doing nothing but well.

The status of beginner is unique and allows the person who starts to make much more progress than an experienced amateur with several years of training behind him. If you stop training for a few years, you will also have the pleasure of experiencing this beginner's progression when you return. Muscle memory often retains the performances achieved in the past. Therefore, when you start again after a break, you recover your performance faster than in your first sessions. Count on about a third of the downtime to regain your full potential.

Training for beginners.

The first workouts should always be too easy. It is better to feel nothing the next day because you did not do enough, because you can always do more afterwards, than to be unable to move because you tried to follow a more advanced athlete. In that case, any workout can be forbidden for a few days. Gradually increasing the difficulty is possible, but going back because you did too much is not.

On the other hand, it is wiser to do general training to learn the exercises correctly and gradually.

First training:

• 4 sets of light abdominal exercises, such as crossed knees, hands behind head, touching opposite knee with elbow
• 2 sets of 20 reps leg extensions for thighs
• 2 sets of 20 reps of lunges for thighs and glutes
• 2 sets of 20 reps leg curls for hamstrings
• 2 sets of 20 reps bench press for chest
• 2 sets of 20 reps of back pull-ups
• 2 sets of 20 reps of barbell curls for biceps
• 2 sets of 20 reps of triceps pushdowns
• 2 sets of 20 reps shoulder flyes for the shoulders

You don't have to go to failure. It's a first session!

We finish with 10 minutes of cardio and 10 minutes of stretching.

If it goes well and the beginner is not sore the next day, he can move on to 3 sets and increase his weights if necessary. However, if this short session already causes significant muscle soreness, it is not a good idea to continue for the time being.

If you are a beginner, you do not know your level and certainly cannot judge it yourself. This program is a good way to judge yourself. It is also a good way not to get discouraged and not to give up prematurely. Someone who is successful in his progress will be more likely to continue and therefore achieve more results, unlike someone who is disappointed after one session compared to his expectations.

We will change the program once the beginner has completed 4 sets for each exercise and has no more muscle soreness the next day.

Then we move on to a more classic program, with 3 exercises of 4 sets and 12 to 15 repetitions. Every time we reach 15 repetitions, we increase the weight for the next set and decrease it if we do not manage to reach 12 repetitions. Of course, we distribute the muscle work based on the goals of each individual.

If our beginner athlete wants to come 3 times a week, a good routine would be:

• Day 1: Chest and Back
• Day 2: Abs, Thighs, Hamstrings, Calves
• Day 3: Arms - Shoulders

At 4 times a week:

• Day 1: Chest and back
• Day 2: Thighs and hamstrings
• Day 3: Arms
• Day 4: Abs and Shoulders

5 times a week may seem a bit much for a beginner, but of course this varies from case to case. If the beginner has only planned 3 days for his workouts, we will train all muscles in 3 days.

It is always better to do a little for a long time than to do a lot and not keep it up.

So before you run, don't forget to learn to walk. Don't hesitate to ask a lot of questions about training, about the exercises. If someone tells you "because it is!" it means that he doesn't know and is repeating a pattern that he learned himself. This pattern may be good, but if someone can answer all your questions and give you a valid explanation, then you should ask for advice there.

A beginner often needs a role model. He will find athletes in the gym whom he admires and listens to them, no matter what they say. The fact that these athletes achieve results does not mean that they can guide someone on the path of training. These athletes often only know their own situation and can convey it. That does not mean that it will work for you. As a beginner, you should also be careful not to reach for anabolic steroids. Most users pay a high price sooner or later. It is not good for your health. Ask yourself if it is worth it. Yes, you can save years of work, but you can also cause irreparable damage to tendons, muscles and joints because these types of products cover up most of the pain. Your body is not warned of the danger and continues to work and damage. Pain is not a bad thing, it is just a warning that your body gives to prevent you from continuing a movement and causing dangerous injuries to the body. The use of anabolic steroids can also lead to liver and heart diseases, sexual problems, hair loss, and so on.

So yes, it gives results, but for being physically "good", maybe less long than someone who is natural? Again, we are not equal when it comes to this type of products. As with any drug, there are side effects. Some will develop more primary effects than secondary, for others the opposite will be true. And no one knows in advance. If it were at least possible that the use of these products opened the doors to professional success and you could really earn well, but can we really consider that scenario with certainty? Budget gyms often easily tempt beginners to use anabolic steroids. The "appearance" is very important on social media these days. Let's also not forget that sports are meant to have better physical and mental health. Before you think about "convenience", you should think about work and learning. Even if you use anabolic steroids, it doesn't work without effort. So learn to work first, and then work well, and don't do anything just to please others. It's up to you to please yourself and surpass yourself, not others!

And there you go! Our beginner has gone to the gym without getting discouraged. However, I have noticed that most beginners who started this way tend to increase the weight and the number of sets in order to be able to do "like the old ones". If this does not cause too much pain, why not.

Nutrition for beginners.

In general, a beginner is not ready to change his diet right away, you have to give him time to find the motivation. If 25 people have told him that nutrition is important, he will probably start to believe it. There is no difference between nutrition for a beginner or an experienced athlete. The principles remain the same. However, a beginner will be more sensitive to good muscle building than an experienced athlete.

It is not uncommon to see beginners gain more than 7 or 8 kilos in their first year, sometimes even more. So when you start, do not hesitate to consult a professional coach, this will improve your muscle mass optimization.

Basic rules:

• You need protein with every meal.
• You should eat every 3 hours.
• You need slow carbohydrates at every meal, as well as fiber.
• You must eat a balanced diet.
• You should drink 2 to 3 liters of water per day.