Going to the gym for the first time can be intimidating if you’ve never gone before. Everybody has to start somewhere though, and it’s great that you’re thinking about taking the first steps to improving your health! Nobody walks into the gym and instantly knows what they should be doing or how they should be working out. They may have read an article like this or had a friend help them when they were just beginning. The point is that everybody starts somewhere, and if you stick to it you’ll start reaping all of the benefits of exercise in no time!
In this guide for first time gym goers, we’ll go over some basic workout routines for beginners, some things you should bring with you, the best times to go to the gym if you want to avoid crowds, and offer some tips that will help you along your fitness journey.
Gym Routine for Beginners
Before you head to the gym for the first time you should have an idea of what exercises you’re going to be doing that day. When you’re starting out, it’s best to not try and get too advanced with workout regimens and stick to the basics.
A simple, full body-split should be what you aim for your first week of exercising, as that will hit all of your big muscle groups and give your body the time it needs to recover. A split workout routine is when you focus on a few muscle groups, usually two, during a workout. The next time you go to the gym that week you’ll do another two, and repeat this cycle until you’ve hit all of the main muscle groups.
We aren’t going to provide specific exercises here, as we don’t want to overload you with information, but there are countless resources online that have lists of good beginner lifts and movements to pick from!
Here are 2 examples of splits you may want to try out for your first week!
Full Body Split: A full body split is ideal for beginners as it eases you into working out and doesn’t get too advanced with what exercises you’re performing. You’ll be doing exercises for all of your major muscle groups on each day, and you should aim for 2-3 sets of each exercise with 8-12 reps a set.
A Full Body Split week would look like:
- Day 1: full body routine
- Day 2: rest
- Day 3: full body routine
- Day 4: rest
- Day 5: full body routine
- Day 6: rest
- Day 7: rest
You can also try a routine where you’re going to the gym more frequently. It might be a good idea to try the 3 day split the first week, and then move onto the following upper / lower body split the next week:
- Day 1: upper body routine
- Day 2: lower body routine
- Day 3: rest
- Day 4: upper body routine
- Day 5: lower body routine
- Day 6: rest
- Day 7: rest
You can adjust your workouts according to how your body feels, so don’t feel like you have to follow these routines to a T. The most important thing is that you’re getting yourself in the gym in the first place!
2. HIIT Elliptical HIIT Workout
If you’d like to focus on specific muscle groups, burn fat, and really challenge yourself, an elliptical High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) workout is a great choice. Essentially, the idea behind a HIIT workout is to alternate between high-intensity and low-intensity exercise, which can help you lose body fat and increase your strength. Those interested in HIIT workouts should try the following 25-minute HIIT elliptical workout:
Warm Up Period
|
Time (minutes) |
Resistance |
Incline % |
|
0:00 to 5:00 |
5 |
3% |
Interval Training Period
|
5:00 – 5:30 |
8 |
8% |
|
5:30 – 6:30 |
3 |
3% |
Repeat the above pattern of 30 seconds of high-intensity exercise followed by a minute of low-intensity exercise until you reach the 20-minute mark. If you find that maintaining this pace is too difficult, you can lower the resistance and incline settings. You might also add 30 more seconds to your rest period to give yourself more time to rest. However, remember that the high-effort periods are meant to be very challenging.
Cool-Down Period
|
20:00 – 25:00 |
0 |
0% |
In the cool-down period, you can turn down the resistance and incline setting to 0. Walk at a slower pace to recover.
3. 20-Minute Hill-Climbing Elliptical Workout
When you want to build your glutes and hamstrings, a hill-climbing elliptical workout is perfect, as the extra incline will make those muscles work harder. ,you can find a sample incline hill-climbing elliptical workout:
|
Time (minutes) |
Resistance |
Incline |
|
0:00 to 2:00 |
5 |
5% |
|
2:00 to 4:00 |
8 |
8% |
|
4:00 – 6:00 |
10 |
10% |
|
6:00 – 8:00 |
15 |
10% |
|
8:00 – 10:00 |
8 |
5% |
|
10:00 – 12:00 |
5 |
5% |
|
12:00 – 14:00 |
8 |
8% |
|
14:00 – 16:00 |
10 |
10% |
|
16:00 – 18:00 |
15 |
10% |
|
18:00 – 20:00 |
8 |
8% |
If you find that this hill-climbing workout is too challenging, feel free to modify the resistance and incline settings. The basic structure of the workout, however, is great to follow, as it mimics hiking up and down hills, which will put your glutes and hamstrings to work.
Give Elliptical Workouts a Try at City Fitness Philadelphia
If you’re looking for a gym with ellipticals in Philadelphia, City Fitness Philadelphia has you covered. With clubs across many different neighborhoods in Philly, we make it convenient for our members to get a workout in and become more engaged with their community. From pristine workout equipment and recovery technology to steam rooms and group exercise classes, our clubs are ready to serve any of your exercise needs.
Check out our list of clubs and membership options today! We’re also happy to offer all newcomers a Complimentary Experience that allows them to come and check out any of our locations for a day at no cost to them.