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OVERVIEW
As a side note I would also like to mention for those who are not familiar with the business that is run inside most of
these gyms to be aware of the free trainer they will offer. This free trainer is a salesman first in almost all situations.
The trainer gets paid by the company that runs the personal training business within the gym. The session they will
put you through is designed to leave you sore and certain that you need someone to push you. I have no issue with
good personal trainers and if you find one and it fits your budget that is fantastic. Just be aware you may get a
sales pitch with some pressure in some settings.
Try to attend the gyms at a time when you would normally be there. See how traffic is, how busy the floor of the gym
is and how friendly the staff and members are. If you feel like something is off, then you may just be setting yourself
up to avoid coming. Make your gym the easiest and least stressful situation it can be. This way you create the
highest likelihood that you will go with consistency and not find reasons to avoid going. No training program works
unless you do the work.
You may outgrow the gym you are in and that is fine. The goal for your fitness journey is to take that first step and
that may mean a gym so close to the house you can’t help but stop at first. Setup yourself up for success and
don’t create hurdles early on.
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3. How Do We Build Muscle?
Building muscle happens as we apply stress to the muscle which forces it to adapt. As a beginner, this is going to be
very easy as almost all resistance training is going to target muscles which have not been trained in the manner you
get with a program like the one below. Our goal in the gym is going to be to train each muscle group and get it to
respond and adapt so that each time we train we are improving. There are a few things that must be present to
make sure our time is not wasted in the gym. First and foremost, we must be safe. If we get hurt and can’t train, then
we can’t make progress. So, safety is the number one priority. Learning to execute properly will ensure the highest
likelihood that we avoid injury. Does this eliminate the chance of injury? No. The only way to do that is to sit on the
couch. However, training with proper form reduces the risk of injury to very low. As a beginner, the body has not
adapted to lift using resistance which would be likely to cause injury. In any case, if you are not sure about what you
are doing then stop. Find someone in the gym or online who you are comfortable speaking to and learning the
movements from.
Now that we understand we must stress the muscle for it to grow we need to discuss some nutrition basics.
When you enter a resistance training program it’s also a good time to start paying attention to what you are
fueling your body with. We will not go into detail but here are some basics to follow.
Daily protein intake should be between .9 and 1.2g per lb. of lean body
mass. Daily fat intake should be 20-25% of your daily calorie intake.
Daily carb intake should make up the rest of your daily calorie needs
Example for 200lb male with a 2500 calorie metabolism would be 210g protein, 270g carbohydrates, 65g of
fat. These are only estimates to ensure we are taking in enough to properly recover, diets can very much.
There are different considerations for those who are vegetarian, use Keto, or have food intolerances
Episode 1: Adaptation
Take a day off following the quad and hamstring day as well as the Back day if possible.
Rest time will be 60 seconds after first set, 90 seconds after second set, 120 seconds after 3rd set and any
additional sets as the weeks progress.
Workout 1
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Squat 10 reps
Workout 2
Workout 3
Deadlift 10 reps
DB Row 10 reps
Workout 4
DB Shrug 10 reps
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5. Cardio
Depending on your goals cardio can be a very beneficial part of the fitness journey. My suggestion for those who are
new to the process is to add 10 minutes of steady state cardio to your post workout cooldown routine. You will
already be at the gym so 10 minutes on a bike or elliptical while you watch a YouTube video (preferably mine) is a
great way to help improve body composition. This is only a suggestion but a strong one.
6. Culmination
Thank you for reviewing this beginner’s guide. Based on response I will be happy to setup guides for nutrition,
supplementation and more specific programs. Hopefully this is the beginning of a wonderful journey to a
happier version of yourself.