When To Increase Your Weights In The Gym

The Gym can be a very intimidating place.

And there are few things more intimidating than increasing the weights you lift.

Whenever I rack on a few extra KGs I still hear my Mum’s Voice:

“You be careful Adam!”

And I respond like my 14-year-old self with a “Yes Mother” in my own head.

Ask most people who haven’t spent a long time in the Gym, or working out, and they will tell you that a Gym is a dangerous place and that if you lift too heavy…you will hurt yourself.

Interestingly the most common person to be injured in a Gym is a 27-year-old male,:

“Patients' mean age was 27.6 years (range, 6-100 years); 82.3% were male”

And most of the time…they are trying to get the Pectoral Muscles and shoulders of a Greek God:

“The upper trunk (25.3%) and lower trunk (19.7%) were the most commonly injured body parts” [1]

And women, I’m not sure what you have been doing but…

“Females had a larger proportion of foot injuries” [1]

Actually, I found some footage that might explain this:

From 1990 to 2007, 25 335 weight training injuries were seen in US emergency departments, correlating to an estimated 970 801 injuries nationwide

That is four injuries a day that went to an Emergency Department - in the whole of the United States.

“The most common diagnosis was sprain/strain (46.1%). The most common mechanism of injury was weights dropping on the person (65.5%)” [1]

The Gym is a relatively safe space to exert yourself physically.

It's far safer than contact sport participation.

Don’t get me wrong, Social Sport and participation in a Group Sports Activity are very very important…so much so that after years of retirement, I have rejuvenated my career as a Football Referee here in Australia.

Yes. This is in Australia. I was promised sun and sand…its all lies…

Social Sport is very important for many aspects of your wellbeing - but mainly:

• Community

• Humility

• Sense of Achievement

• Enjoyable Exercise

• Eye Hand Co-ordination

And I recommend everyone finds a sport they enjoy to participate in but you do get more injures on the field of play than you do on the Gym Floor.

This is mainly due to the duration of exercise and fatigue setting in.

However, the stigma around the Gym being dangerous, especially for non-gym goers is very real and very true.

The fact that the most common diagnoses in the Gym were sprains/strains leads me to believe one main thing that too many people are “upping the weights” far too quickly, or misunderstand how, why, and when to increase the weights they are lifting.

Thus leading to the 46% rate of strains and sprains.

So here we are.

Let me take you through when to increase your weights in the Gym, so it remains effective for your goals, sensible for you ability and above all lets you be in charge of the decisions you need to make when it comes to putting on 5 more kgs!

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Table of Contents for “When To Increase Your Weights In The Gym”:

1. What are Sets and Reps? A Practical History Lesson

2. What Sets And Reps Should I Chose?

3. How much weight should I actually choose? And at what Intensity?

4. Progressive Overload

5. When To Increase Your Weights In The Gym

6. Bottom Line

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To be able to explain and empower you to make strong and informed decisions about your weight training, I will need to first explain to you why we have different numbers for Sets and Reps. I’m a firm believer in understanding the systems in place, and why, so that when you make decisions on those systems you are making a much more informed decision.

I can’t simply tell you when to increase your weights in the gym, without first telling you the context behind the decisions that will determine the weights you chose in the first place.

If you want to know the Golden Rule for When To Increase Your Weights In The Gym - it is written at the bottom of this article. But I would encourage you to get the education and context you need to help you make a better decision when the time comes to lift heavier.

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So here is your context:

What are Sets and Reps? A Practical History Lesson

Simply put:

A Set is one group of repetitions of a particular exercise you will perform, typically with rest after the set is completed and before you commence a new set.

A Rep is the number of repetitions of a single exercise you will do within a set.

So if you did 10 push-ups, in three separate non-stop goes with a rest time in between each block of push-ups, you have achieved 3 Sets of 10 Reps of a Push-Up.

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The History of a Set

When I write my programs I play around with Reps more than I do with Sets.

I ask my online clients to typically perform 3 sets of each exercise or 5 sets of each exercise. But very rarely fewer than that.

The reason behind this is steeped in lots of Science that is very much agreed upon in the Fitness Industry.

In May 2015, a study was done on 48 men with no experience in Resistance Training and it split them into three Groups: 1 SET, 3 SETS, and 5 SETS.

Over 6 months the men trained 3x a week and the study found:

“that multiple sets would result in greater changes in strength and local muscular endurance than single-set training and that there would be a dose-response for these same measures were supported.” [2]

Concluding that multiple sets are more beneficial than singular sets in un-trained populations.

And as I am called The Gym Starter I suppose that is what I should educate you about.

This 2015 study also found that any number of sets was effective for Body Composition:

“The percentage of body fat was reduced significantly and FFM (fat-free mass) significantly increased in all training groups, with no significant difference between groups”

The whole 3 sets of 10 are quite an interesting story….

A physician 1948 called Thomas L. DeLorme prescribed 3 Sets of 10 Reps of resistance training to his injured patients to help with their rehabilitation, and he recorded his results. Once they were published, that was it.

3 sets of 10 Reps became “permanently etched into the collective subconscious of the fitness community.” [3]

So that is our default starting point thanks to Dr Tom with Sets.

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The History of a Rep

You can play around with Reps a little more in a workout - which is fun.

Because different Rep ranges elicit a different response in the Muscle.

The lower the number of Reps you are working in, the heavier the weight you should try to lift.

Here are the Guidelines:

1-5 Reps = Power

Think of this range as “very heavy, very intense” just want to get strong AF. Lots of concentrated effort and it will tax your Central Nervous System a lot more.

(Intense being a word we will come back to later)

Recommended Rest Time Between Sets: 2mins

5-8 Reps = Strength

Think of this as granite strength. Not explosive power, but solid and stable, useful for sports performance.

Not as intense as Power, but still aware you have worked hard.

Recommended Rest Time Between Sets: 90secs

8-12 Reps = Hypertrophy

Your “Popping” muscles. This is the range you want to be in to grow your muscles and make them show.

This range increases Sarcoplasm in your muscle, which is responsible for 30% of the total makeup of your muscle.

This is why it helps make them look bigger.

If only it was as easy as eating a can of Spinach!

Recommended Rest Time Between Sets: 60-90secs

12-20 Reps = Muscular Endurance

This would be where you want to be if you are an Endurance Athlete. Training and building your muscular ability to train for an extended period of time.

If you are working on this aspect of your training, then you will be typically be lifting lighter weights, but for a longer period of time.

If you’re a runner, triathlete, or cyclist this is where you will want to be, as you will not only create more ability in the muscle, but it will also help your injury prevention.

Recommended Rest Time Between Sets: 60secs

The Bottom Line on Sets and Reps

Think of Sets and Reps as an intricate web that interacts with itself.

Just because you are doing 12 Reps of an Exercise as opposed to 8 doesn’t mean you aren’t getting stronger.

Or just because you only do 6 Reps of an Exercise, it doesn’t mean that muscle isn’t gaining the long-term ability for that movement.

Each Rep Rage is a guideline. A guideline that supports all of the others at the same time.

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What Sets and Reps Should I Choose?

Like with most things, I like to keep it simple when constructing a workout and this can be overthought, over-philosophized, and over-complicated very quickly.

So this is how my brain figures it all out…whenever I am programming for one of my clients on my Strong and Confident Coaching Program

The guiding principle of my structure is Intensity.

I have to consider their Goals, Ability, and above all enjoyment.

Intensity guides everything.

I want my clients to be working most intensely when they have the most energy.

Intensity can be established in three ways in a workout:

1. More Sets

2. More Reps

3. More Weight

I will show you these looks in a workout, in a little bit. But first I will need to talk you through how to judge your Intensity - as that will tell you how and when you should increase your weights in the Gym.

But if you want a very quick answer to What Sets and Reps should I choose?

My best advice is this:

Pick an Exercise.

Pick something. Anything within the Rep ranges I have outlined previously for your goals: 3 Sets of 10 Reps. 4 Sets of 12 Reps. 5 Sets of 5 Reps.

Pick a weight - any weight you feel comfortable with - but err on the side of caution, to begin with.

Then execute. See how it feels. And amend from there.

The next time you come to do that exercise, try and do a little more.

You can do this by either - increasing your Reps, increasing your Sets, or increasing your Weight.

If you want to stay in a particular Rep range, for a particular reason - muscle growth, endurance, etc, then when you find your ability is exceeding the weight you have chosen, you can either increase the weight or increase the Sets.

Most people chose to increase their weight - because it’s simply more time-efficient.

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How much weight should I actually choose? And at What Intensity?

When you are in the Gym, on your own, without an expert…it is surprising how good you will be at judging what weight to use.

You won’t always get it right.

Sometimes it will be too light, sometimes it will be too heavy.

And that’s ok…because you need to remember:

““When it comes to Fitness there is no right or wrong; just exploration””

— Adam Berry

Yes. I quoted myself.

Let’s move on…

Personal Trainers don’t automatically know what weights to choose for each client, we simply have the best guess….and amend from there based on the performance we see.

You too can only try something. And amend from there.

Once you have your starting point there is a guideline to let you know whether or not you are working hard enough throughout a given Set of movements.

Or the more accurate term for this is “Intensity”.

When it comes to resistance training you must apply a certain level of stress on the body in order to achieve the desired outcome. As in, its pretty pointless lifting 2kg Dumbells on a Bench Press if you aren’t working to the correct intensity.

A systematic review called ”Maximizing Muscle Hypertrophy: A Systematic Review of Advanced Resistance Training Techniques and Methods” on literature between 1996 and September 2019 which was published in 2019, concluded the following:

“Effective hypertrophy-oriented training should comprise a combination of mechanical tension and metabolic stress. In summary, foundations for individuals seeking to maximize muscle growth should be hypertrophy-oriented RT consisting of multiple sets (3−6) of six to 12 repetitions with short rest intervals (60 s) and moderate-intensity of effort (60−80% 1RM) with subsequent increases in training volume (12–28 sets/muscle/week)”

Now finding your One Rep Max (1RM) isn’t necessary to see results - and this study backs that up, as you need to be working to 60-80% of your 1RM.

How To Establish 60-80% Intensity

The guide you need to use to find this Intensity is called the RPE or Rate of Perceived Exertion Scale.

This is a subjective sliding scale from 1 to 10 which will determine whether or not you are working with enough Intensity in a Set to get the desired outcome.

When I write plans for those I work with Online I don’t tell them what weight to lift, I tell them what RPE to aim for - and let them decide for themselves whether or not the weight they have chosen, is creating a big enough stimulus on their body.

This is how we establish the weights you need to lift, without having a Personal Trainer there with you on the Strong and Confident Program.

The RPE Scale looks like this:

Throughout a workout, you want to be working through the RPE Scale in this manner:

Warm Up = 1-2 RPE

Main Movement For The Day = 8-9 RPE

Rest Of Workout = 6-8 RPE

Optional Cardio-Metabolic Finisher = 8-9 RPE

In an actual Workout that I have written for my Client Tim it looks like this:

You will notice that as the workout progresses the Target RPE drops. This is to account for fatigue over a workout. If you can keep the Intensity high throughout then be my guest - but remember it’s always a balance between what is possible and what is optimal.

If what is optimal might hurt you - let’s not do that.

The Main Movement in a workout is the most important part of your workout as well - which is why it has the highest intensity attached to it. In workouts, I write this is always a multi-joint compound movement, and if all a client does in a workout is that one exercise, to the desired RPE, then that is still a successful workout.

And then the rest of the workout is there to support my client’s goals from their fitness.

When it comes to what Weight to actually choose…as you can see there is no one size fits all. Everybody is different, and everybody is different, which is why I would encourage you to use a subjective answer as opposed to an objective one.

When it comes to increasing your weights - and crucially when to increase your weights…we need to discuss one more principle before we bring it all together.

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Progressive Overload

Now, we need to go back to Ancient Greece, to learn about a Wrestler called Milo or Croton. Milo was the most successful Wrestler of his day, having won the Ancient Olympic Games, 6 times over. Milo was a six-time wrestling champion at the Ancient Olympic Games in Greece. In 540 BC, he won the boys wrestling category and then proceeded to win the men's competition at the next five Olympic Games in a row. He also dominated the Pythian Games (7-time winner), Isthmian Games (10-time winner), and Nemean Games (9-time winner).

In the rare event that an athlete won not only the Olympic title but also all three other games in one cycle, they were awarded the title of Periodonikes, a grand slam winner. Milo won this grand slam five times. [5]

So how did Milo build such strength and athleticism? Well, it comes in the principle of Progressive Overload - the core and guiding principle of any method of self-development, including building strength.

As legend has it, a baby Calf was born near Milos's home when he was a boy.

Every single day Milo put the Calf on his back and walked him on his shoulders.

Milo did this every day for four years.

The calf grew into a four-year-old bull, and as the animal grew so did Milo of Croton.

This is the guiding principle of strength training - to create a Progressive Overload over time.

As you can imagine your body will adapt to the same stimulus quite quickly also known as a “plateau”, therefore you need to change the stimulus to encourage growth.

Progressive Overload can be created in a number of ways:

• Increase the weights you lift in the Gym

• Increase the number of Reps you do

• Increase the number of Sets you do

• Improve your Form through an exercise.

• Slow down the Tempo of your Reps or increase “Time Under Tension”

• Do more workouts (to a point)

A 2011 study decided to test Progressive Overload.

Researchers found progressive overload — gradually increasing the weight and number of repetitions of exercises — to be effective for increasing bicep strength and muscle growth in both men and women. [6]

Every time you address a bar or a dumbbell, you should give yourself a thought, a task, a mindful check-in, to try and work on one thing on the progressive overload list.

Increasing Weight is always the easiest one to go for, especially as a beginner, but it is quite common to get caught between weights. I.e: 10kgs is too light, and 12.5kgs is too heavy for your Rep Range.

And this is when awareness of Progressive Overload comes into its own - by focussing more on form or time under tension at the same weight one day you will be able to make that 12.5kgs move like a hot knife through butter.

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Drawbacks of Progressive Overload

With everything in life, there is a point of diminishing returns.

This is evident in a form of training knowns as German Volume Training - upon which you are expected to do 10 Sets of 10 Reps of an Exercise.

This study in 2017, found that with such a High Load of Volume the actual gains being made after 5 Sets were non-existent. Participants were just wasting time in the Gym and working out for the sheer sake of working out.

The study also concluded, which backs up the study from before when I was discussing Sets and Reps, that:

“To maximize hypertrophic training effects, it is recommended that 4-6 sets per exercise be performed, as it seems gains will plateau beyond this set range and may even regress due to overtraining.” [7]

Ergo more is not always better in the Gym.

Therefore always try to work within the parameters of what we outlined above in terms of Sets and Reps.

With regards to trying to achieve the principle of Progressive Overload, if you go for too much…too quickly it could have negative repercussions, injury for example.

Do it slowly, steadily, and surely.

The only other thing to add here is that the stronger you get, the more slow progression will occur.

“For males, baseline strength capacity appears to be negatively associated with hypertrophy, and thus stronger males may be less likely to experience the same degree of hypertrophic adaptation over 12 weeks as compared to weaker males.” [7]

This is why being aware of all of the aspects that can create a progressive overload is important because when you find you are lifting the same weight week on week, it can get demoralizing. So having other ways and means to demonstrate and experience progress is a great way to keep motivated.

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When To Actually Increase Your Weights In The Gym

Now that you know why we do what we do when it comes to the Gym floor, you should be able to establish when it is sensible and logical for you to increase your weights in the Gym.

There are a lot of myths around this as well.

One of the most common ones is that you should “confuse your muscles”.

This is in a word:

Firstly, your muscles don’t have brains - so how can you confuse them? Secondly, there is ZERO Science to back up the Muscle Confusion theory. Thirdly, it will move you away from consistency and our bodies need consistency to be able to adapt. The more you change the less likely you are to see results.

If you really want to confuse your muscles, do it by adding a greater stimulus in a movement that you have been working on - as in - increase the weights you are lifting.

The Golden Rule is coming up…as promised.

I will now tell you EXACTLY when to increase your weights in the Gym

The Golden Rule is:

Increase your weights when in a Set you are no longer hitting “Target RPE”

By working towards your Target RPE you will be in the best position to strike a balance between the intensity required for growth (60-80% of 1RM) and your own personal ability.

Thus protecting you from Injury and still allowing Progressive Overload over time. RPE will take into account all the Progressive Overload factors, such as when you decrease or increase the tempo when you increase or decrease weight when you increase or decrease Sets and Reps your RPE should respond accordingly.

The human body can be a fickle system - especially when it comes to energy levels. RPE also allows for this. If you go to the Gym having slept well, fuelled well, and it’s early in the morning and you are full of beans.

You are likely to be able to produce more effort.

If you are sleep-deprived, tired, and just have no energy, you are likely to produce less effort.

RPE allows for these changes in your system and is more than likely still going to drive you to your goals as you will still be working to between a 60-80% intensity.

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The Bottom Line

The answer to this question of when to increase weights in the gym comes down to balance.

You will always be balancing three main factors:

1. Your own physical ability

2. Your energy levels

3. Your likelihood to cause injury

Just walking up to a Barbell with an arbitrary number of KGs on it with no context or frame of reference as to whether you can actually do it, will likely not end well.

And this brings me to my last and final point on the topic.

Tracking your workouts is the key to your success.

You must track your workouts.

Without recording what you are doing then you will have no idea if you are actually making progress, or whether or not you are able to life the weight you want to set yourself.

Track the following data as a minimum:

1. Weight

2. Sets

3. Reps

4. RPE

If you write nothing else down - those four are the key to your success.

Then from there, when you see the Weight, Sets, and Reps staying the same - and the RPE coming down - you can increase your weights.

Or if you see the Weight, Sets, and Reps staying the same - and the RPE is increasing or not coming down - maybe take some weight off, and try to acquire the progressive overload in another way.

• Time Under Tension

• Higher Rep Scheme

• More Sets

• Add a workout into your week

The amount of weight you lift is your prerogative.

All I would ask is that you keep working hard, be consistent, and always try your hardest.

That deosn’t always mean lift more weight or always push yourself beyond belief.

Sometimes working your hardest can be just showing up.

Just remember to make sure every workout is effective to work to the Target RPE and adjust accordingly.

If you do that as each workout passes, you will begin to feel more and more like this:

Because really.

Thats the goal isn’t it.

Become Strong and Confident.

Be the Bad-Ass you were born to be.

Because you deserve to be.

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Did You Find This Useful?

Thank you so much for reading my article - I really hope you found it helpful.

If you are interested in working with me then please click on the button below to leanr more about getting a free momnth of coaching from me:

Also, if you wanted to stay in touch, and learn more about your health and fitness, then send me a friend request by filling out the form below and I will send you some free goodies as well to say thank you for being here.

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References:

1. Kerr ZY, Collins CL, Comstock RD. Epidemiology of weight training-related injuries presenting to United States emergency departments, 1990 to 2007. Am J Sports Med. 2010 Apr;38(4):765-71. doi: 10.1177/0363546509351560. Epub 2010 Feb 5. PMID: 20139328.

2. Radaelli, Regis1; Fleck, Steven J.2; Leite, Thalita3; Leite, Richard D.4; Pinto, Ronei S.1; Fernandes, Liliam3; Simão, Roberto3 Dose-Response of 1, 3, and 5 Sets of Resistance Exercise on Strength, Local Muscular Endurance, and Hypertrophy, Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research: May 2015 - Volume 29 - Issue 5 - p 1349-1358 doi: 10.1519/JSC.0000000000000758

3. https://journals.lww.com/nsca-jscr/fulltext/2012/11000/Thomas_L__DeLorme_and_the_Science_of_Progressive.1.aspx

4. Krzysztofik, M., Wilk, M., Wojdała, G., & Gołaś, A. (2019). Maximizing Muscle Hypertrophy: A Systematic Review of Advanced Resistance Training Techniques and Methods. International journal of environmental research and public health, 16(24), 4897. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16244897

5. James Clear. 2021. How to Build Muscle: Strength Lessons from Milo of Croton. [online] Available at: <https://jamesclear.com/milo> [Accessed 27 June 2021].

6. Healthline. 2021. Progressive Overload: What It Is, Examples, and Tips. [online] Available at: <https://www.healthline.com/health/progressive-overload#benefits> [Accessed 28 June 2021].

7. Peterson, M. D., Pistilli, E., Haff, G. G., Hoffman, E. P., & Gordon, P. M. (2011). Progression of volume load and muscular adaptation during resistance exercise. European journal of applied physiology, 111(6), 1063–1071. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-010-1735-9

4 Gym Workouts For Beginners Both Female and Male

The Gym. That place. With the lights on and lots of people who “know” what they are doing. 

And you just don’t?

Well right now, as you are very much at the beginning of this article, you might not know what to do, and that’s ok.

But by the end of this article. You will feel confident, knowledgeable, and empowered to feel comfortable on the Gym floor and start your journey like the legend you are. 

Read this article….and:

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Continuing on our theme of creating legends - there is a ton of free help in this article - but I also send a lot of help to my friends. And I love getting new friends - I hope you do too.

And lets face it, if you are on my website, reading my article, as far as I am concerned you are already a dear friend to me.

If you would like me to send you some more help, like workouts, calorie calculators and lots of other things - some appropriate, some that are inappropriate (but that’s what being friends is all about right?) then please send me a friend request by filling out the form below.

And once you are finished with this article, you will have a message from me. in your Inbox confirming our new found friendship.

You have made a stellar choice

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Table of Contents for “4 Gym Workouts for Beginners Both Female and Male”:

1. Myth Busting Your Fears Of The Gym 

2. How To Make The Gym “Stick” 

3. Four Beginners Workouts Both Male and Female

4. Do’s and Dont’s In The Gym

5. Conclusion — Are You Ready To Become A Legend?

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4 Gym Workouts for Beginners Both Female and Male

Myth Busting Your Fears Of The Gym — Overcoming Gym Anxiety

Gym Anxiety is caused by four main factors: Feeling uncertain, comparing to others, feeling judged, and feeling like you don’t belong. 

The good news is that if you have ever spoken to a Psychologist or Psychotherapist they will all tell you one thing about feelings: They are temporary and can be worked upon to be improved. I’m not saying there is always a quick fix for your feelings, but knowing that you can work upon them to overcome fears and anxiety is a wholly positive thing. Therefore let's look at the causes of Gym Anxiety and then we can input a couple of strategies to help you 

Fear #1: I Don’t Know What To Do In The Gym (feeling uncertain): Once upon a time in the world, that feeling was true of every human on the planet. Gyms didn’t exist and so no one knew what to do. How humanity got educated on the subject is that they explored. They picked stuff up, they moved their arms and legs in different ways to slowly establish what is now known as “The Human Movement System”

In the Gym, when it comes to exercise you must remember this:

“There is no right or wrong, just exploration” 

— Adam Berry, The Gym Starter

If you still feel a little uncertain remember that hardly anyone in the Gym really knows what they are doing, but they do one thing really well.

They do what they enjoy and just keep repeating that.

And if you keep that at the heart of what you do, you will be just fine.

Another thing you can do is go into the Gym with an Online Coach in your pocket…that way you know you already have your number one cheerleader behind you, you have a plan all laid out, one that you have spoken about, read and learned and now you are prepared. And preparation protects you from failure. This is why in The Fitness Collective all my clients can print all their manuals off, or access them really easily on their smartphone so they know they have the power of the group behind them as they workout. 

You can learn more about The Fitness Collective right here: https://www.thegymstarter.com/the-fitness-collective-sign-up

Fear #2: I can’t do what everyone else is doing so what's the point? (comparison): 

“Comparison is the thief of joy”

— Theodore Roosevelt

It’s best if you stop comparing yourself to others as soon as possible, although that is easily said, not so easily done. But something that has helped my clients is the following phrase:

“Stop comparing your Chapter 1 to someone else's Chapter 14”

— Jordan Syatt

The gym is full of people. And rightly so, you have as much right to be there as anyone else does. But you have never walked a day in their shoes. You have no idea how long they have been going to the gym, what they do for work or the journey they are on. So stop thinking they are better than you, and you will never be able to catch them up…you aren’t supposed to catch them up. You’re supposed to be working on you, and that will take as long as it takes…and that's okay. 

Fear #3: Everyone is Judging Me (judgment): This is a perfectly reasonable feeling to have and the truth is we have all felt like that. What is important to remember here is that everyone in the Gym is self-obsessed. They aren’t looking at you, they are looking at themselves. 

Think of it like this: how much are you thinking about yourself when you go to a Gym? 

Lots right? Well so is everyone else. Everyone else is thinking about themselves 1000x more than they are you.

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Fear #4: Feeling Like You Don’t Belong: Every new environment is scary. Every new country you go to takes time to adapt to, every new house you move into feels a bit weird to begin with, every new job you start feels awkward at first. 

But you don’t stop at the first sign of difficulty with those things, do you? You keep exposing yourself to it. You know that exposure leads to a feeling of comfort because the more you spend time somewhere the more normal it feels. This might take longer at the Gym than at a new office because you are only there for 1–3 hours a week. So if it has been a month or two, and you still feel like you are getting used to it, that is perfectly normal. You’re doing just fine. 

4 Gym Workouts for Beginners Both Female and Male

How To Make The Gym Stick And To Remain Consistent In What You Are Doing

Here are some tips and advice on making the Gym Habit stick:

1. Have A Schedule — you must make sure you know when you are going to work out and have it in your diary. One of the biggest reasons clients work with me one on one is because they knew they had a session booked, and they weren’t prepared to let me down. You need to stop letting yourself down, put your workouts in your diary, and plan your day around them.

2. Have A Plan Of Action — The most successful Gym goers are working out on a plan. So make sure you have one ready. Get one off of the internet, to begin with, or join The Fitness Collective and get plans galore for your workouts. Knowing what you are doing is going to make you feel more confident in the Gym when you get there. 

3. Keep A Packed Bag In Your Car — I know it sounds daft. But I have had clients have to cancel on me because they have forgotten their Gym kit. I’m sure you have a busy family life, and I’m sure you have a crazy schedule. So take another barrier away and always be prepared. 

4. Join A Gym That Is Not Out Of Your Way — This might sound daft. But believe me, the difference between having a gym that is on your way to work compared to in the other direction of your house is huge. My Gym attendance skyrockets when I have a Gym that fits into my commute compared to when I don’t. 

5. Don’t Rely On Motivation — I’ve spoken about this before so I’ll just leave my YouTube Video on the subject right here for you: 

6. Make What You Do Fun — If you enjoy what you do you are more likely to do it and stick to it. At the heart of everything, enjoyment leads to adherence and adherence leads to consistency.  

4 Gym Workouts for Beginners Both Female and Male

Four Beginners Workouts For Both Females and Males

There is no reason…no reason at all to split workouts up into female and male unless the female is pregnant and then there needs to be some other considerations. But in terms of Skeletal Muscle, and especially in terms of beginning a workout routine, we don’t need to change the workouts you will be doing based on your sex. But all of the main movement patterns that you will need to work on apply to both sexes. 

But aren’t men stronger? When I write programmes for people that I don’t know I ask them to judge their workout using the RPE Scale. Which is a Scale between 1–10 and looks like this:

This scale is subjective. What one person might find as an RPE of 8, another might find as an RPE of 6. 

Remember, there is no right or wrong, just exploration. 

If you need more information on The RPE Scale then read this article I have written all about Home Workout and how to create your own one! https://www.thegymstarter.com/blog/2020/8/20/how-to-plan-and-design-a-home-workout-the-ultimate-guide

How Many Days A Week Will You Workout For?

This is completely personal to you. The main factor in deciding this is as a beginner is to do whatever feels the best for you. Do whatever you are enjoying the most, and that is all you should expect from yourself. 

I will make all four workouts for you Full Body so that you can get the most from the time you are spending at the Gym, especially if its all still new to you. 

I would expect these workouts to take between 30–45mins. If they take longer…don't worry about it. That is perfectly fine. There is no right or wrong…just exploration. I’d also love to say at this point that there might be exercises in these workouts that you find hard, difficult, or just too hard. 

That’s ok. 

If you need to substitute things in that work for your body then you can. 

That’s ok.

If you don’t know what some exercises are, then research them.

That’s ok.

There are target reps on each exercise…but if you can’t do 12 reps of the weights you have chosen.

That’s ok. 

Let your RPE dictate what weights you will do as much as possible, and you will learn to balance the two against each other. 

If you still feel lost in the jungle of the Gym Floor, most Gyms and Trainers are willing to give you an introduction. Call beforehand, book yourself in with a professional and just ask the trainer to talk you through your plan. They will be more than willing to do that.

There is nothing wrong with asking for help. At the end of the day that is the sole job of Gym Staff: to make sure you are safe, to make sure you want to continue coming to the Gym, and to help you as much as possible. 

It also shouldn’t cost you. Gym Staff have a duty to help you figure out exercises safely and machines safely in order to make sure you don’t hurt yourself in their venue. If they do ask for money…then drop me a message on Instagram (www.instagram.com/thegymstarter) and we can arrange a call to chat through everything and what to do in the Gym for you. 

The Workouts

KEY: DB = Dumbbell, KB = KettleBell, BB = Barbell, BW =Bodyweight, Band = Resistance Band

KEY: Super Set = Both exercises with no rest in between, Circuit = All exercises with rest as stated, Tri Set = All exercises with no rest in between

Workout 1 — FULL BODY STRENGTH WORKOUT

The Full Body Strength Workout requires some Dumbells, some Barbells, and some Machines. It takes you through all three main movement patterns of Legs, Push and Pull and has a great little circuit at the end for you to do. With this workout, you are looking to be quite tired at the end of each set, and make sure you take your rest because the rest will allow you to put more into the next set you are about to do. Grab a weight that you find challenging, that you think will make it tough whilst keeping form and adjust from there. It also uses three different arrangements of your Sets; the traditional 3x12, Super Sets, and a Circuit. 

Workout 2 — FULL BODY MACHINE STRENGTH WORKOUT

The Full Body Machine Strength Workout is there for you if you don’t quite have the confidence to pick up some Dumbells and Barbells yet. Just like the Free Weight workout, it will take you through all movements of Push, Pull, Legs, and again, take your rest so you can put in as much effort as possible over a set. Again, set the weights to levels you will find challenging without losing form. 

Workout 3 — FULL BODY BANDS, BALLS AND BELLS WORKOUT

The Full Body Bands, Balls and Bells workout uses Resistance Bands, Medicine Slam Balls, and Kettlebells. This is all free-standing work and you will need to have a certain element of confidence when it comes to the Squat and Catches. However, to make that easier you can bounce the ball into the wall or just do a Squat and Press (Squat Thruster) with the ball. Again, this workout follows Push, Pull, Legs and includes two circuit arrangements. You need a good playlist for this workout so join me on Spotify here: The Fitness Collective on Spotify

Workout 4 — FULL BODY HIIT WORKOUT

The Full Body Beginners HIIT Workout should take 20–30mins to complete. Unlike the other workouts, as this will require higher loads and slightly quicker tempo you should maybe get slightly lighter weights. But again, exploration is key until you get the balance you are looking for.

If you are unsure about any of the exercises in any of these workouts, then please head to my YouTube Channel (https://www.youtube.com/c/thegymstarter) where a lot of them are explained. Or if I haven’t covered them someone on YouTube will have.

4 Gym Workouts for Beginners Both Female and Male

Do’s and Dont’s For The Gym

I do not want to scare you into not going to the gym by giving you a whole bunch of rules that you need to remember as well. 

So this is a list about how you will get the most out of what it is you are doing. 

The Gym is your space to explore, but it is a shared space…so just remember its nice to be nice. These aren’t rules about whether you should train topless or not…yes…I have been in Gyms where this happens. Just be nice and courteous and you will do just fine. 

But in truth, there is nothing you can do that will cause the building to burn down…except start a fire.

via GIPHY

Dos:

Learn to enjoy yourself: This is your top priority, at the Gym. If you can master this everything else will come very easily for you. 

Leave your ego behind: A Gym is a place where you are reminded of your humanity. It’s a fantastic equalizer between humans because everyone is there for one thing…improvement. You are in an environment of self-development…not narcissism. Behave accordingly.

Lift Lighter, rather than heavier: I always encourage people to pick up a weight they can move with confidence, rather than one that is just too big and bulky they can’t even get it off the rack. Erring on the side of caution will give you cause in those moments to improve your form, do more reps and give you a great sense of accomplishment.

Track your numbers: Seeing small changes bit by bit is very hard. That is why tracking your numbers at the Gym is really important. Your Sets, your Reps, your weight lifted, and your RPE. Over three to six months when you look back…you will be amazed at how far you have actually come…even though it might not feel like it. 

Take a “Work In Process Photo” when you start: Every client I have ever trained has said the same thing when their weight loss journey has been a success: “I wish I took a photo 9 months ago”. I understand it can be well out of your comfort zone, but you will be so gutted if you don’t do it, and you throw yourself into working out fully. 

For more information on what a “Work In Process Photo” is and how to take one then read this article that is changing the Fitness Industry’s views on Before and After Pics: https://www.thegymstarter.com/blog/2020/7/1/how-do-you-track-weight-loss-with-progress-photos

Be open to the idea of a challenge: It is meant to be hard. It is meant to be a challenge and it is meant to work you over. Remember it is called a workout for a very good reason. 

“If your workout feels breezy, it’s too easy” — Adam Berry, The Gym Starter

Trust your instinct and listen to yourself — is Cardio good for weight loss? Well…do you enjoy doing Cardio? If you do…then do that. If a Lunge hurts your knees, then find an alternative that doesn’t…like a Sumo Squat. You are not a slave to your workout. It is very important that you find freedom within the structure. That means if you fancy going a bit off-piste then DO IT! It will help you develop independence and autonomy…and that is really important for your confidence. 

Dont’s:

Think it will only take 3 months — give yourself the time you deserve. If you are getting into this with the idea that all your problems will be over in just three months…please rethink your timeline

Restrict yourself with short term goals — although I understand the sentiment of “losing weight for your wedding” or “getting beach ready for Marbella 2021” personally, I don’t think it's very helpful. It can lead you into very narrow paths of focusing just on your aesthetic health, and that can be a very up and down path to tread throughout your process. 

Be disheartened if your workout sucked — we all have a rough workout, where we feel low on energy, low on mood and we are just going through the motions. This is one reason I want you to make sure the weights you are lifting is challenging you…it needs to be the sole focus of what you are doing at that moment in time. This is how working out keeps you in the present…and not thinking about next week's shopping list. If your workout does suck, just chalk it off, give yourself a pat on the back for getting something done and try to understand what happened to make it a bit more rubbish: 

Maybe you had a tough day at work, maybe you had a bad night's sleep last night, maybe you hadn’t eaten something close enough to your workout so you felt a bit low on energy.

Let your environment stop you from achieving — not all Gyms are created equal. They all have different equipment and different machines. But Google is a wonderful thing, and if there is an exercise you cannot do because the equipment isn’t there just type in “[Exercise name] alternative exercise” there will always be another way to solve the puzzle.

Use the mantra “No pain no gain” — if you are in pain, STOP what you are doing. You’re an adult. I am sure you know the difference between a muscle working, and pain in your body. If you are in pain, or something hurts, listen to yourself and find alternatives away from the pain. 

4 Gym Workouts for Beginners Both Female and Male

Conclusion

At the start of this article, I asked you to let me help you become a legend. 

If you follow this format, your fears and anxiety about going to the gym, not knowing what to do in the Gym should be under control. 

The key message to remember is that the Gym is there for you to explore yourself in. 

There is no right or wrong. 

Just be yourself, focus on doing the work, and allow yourself the time to change. 

Give it two months…and I am sure you will be walking into the Gym like this: 

via GIPHY

And sending me an email saying…

“Adam…I cannot believe what I was scared of in the first place. Thank you so much”

And you will have made my day. Nay my week. 

Good luck, Happy lifting and I can’t wait to see your progress. 

If you want some more guidance and coaching from just £20/month then you can join The Fitness Collective right now.

-Coach Adam

Did You Find This Useful?

I have plenty more articles about Working Out on this website.

Here is a selection I think would make great further reading for you:

1. How To Do Your First Push Up

2. How To Plan and Design A Home Workout

3. I’m Scared Of Going To The Gym For The First Time

Thank you so much for reading my work.

Speak to you again soon

Coach Adam