work out stories

Getting started working out is a difficult thing for all people if they’ve never really trained before or been active. Whether you’re overweight, middle aged, senior citizen, or just out of shape, the thought of going to the gym can feel overwhelming. One of the hardest parts of working out is taking that very first step. Below are a few tips to help you take that first step towards getting in shape and working out.

Stop Making Excuses and Just Do it

Before I started going to the gym I had all sorts of excuses. I think the typical excuse I used for the longest time was “I don’t have any time to go to the gym”. Now that I’m going regularly I know it is complete BS. You can always make time to work out, whether it is an hour, a half hour, or two hours. There is time. Unless you’re the President or Bill Gates I’m guessing you aren’t really that busy. The point is that this was the excuse I told myself, and others, so I felt better about not going. Looking back I think I was nervous about working out in front of people, looking foolish, and having to start from square one when everyone there was already in shape. The reality of the situation is that everyone had to start from square one once.

Start Slow

It’s very common for a beginner to hit the gym, see a bunch of guy’s lifting serious weight, and then feel as though they need to increase the weight they’re lifting. It is easiest way to injure yourself. Don’t do it. Take it slow and work your way up. No one starts out benching 300 lbs or running 20 miles.

Pace Yourself

The first time I started working out I made a mistake. I became so excited about working out I started going every morning, 5 or 6 times a week. I think an injury, caused by lifting too much weight (see above), and also that I was going too much, caused me to burn out eventually. When you’re starting out try pacing yourself with your workouts. Maybe 2 to 4 times a week at first before you get into a good routine.

Stick to the Schedule

One of the keys to working out is consistency. If you work out 5 days one week, take 3 weeks off, and then work out 2 days, you won’t see the same results as if you had worked out consistently each week. Make a realistic workout schedule for yourself and try your hardest not to miss any days.

And then…

Before you know it, in a very short amount of time, you will be hooked. I know I was.

This entry was posted on Thursday, February 7th, 2008 at 7:22 am and is filed under Work Out Tips. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.