Two years ago, when I first got interested in the gym, I spent the first few months just trying out different machines, afraid to venture into the free weights area.
Three months later, after watching another YouTube video on how to structure workouts properly and downloading an app with several ready-made workouts, I decided to try one. More specifically, there was a demo version of an AI trainer that created a four-day workout plan for me.
Nothing super special, but I liked the breakdown by days, and especially working mainly with dumbbells rather than a barbell. Firstly, it’s safer; you can always drop dumbbells on the floor, but a barbell can crush you. Secondly, the stabilising muscles work much more actively. Of course, this tends to get in the way of advanced athletes when they want to focus on a specific muscle, but for me, as a beginner, it turned out to be really important to strengthen these weak points.
I started tracking my progress, enjoying my new achievements, and after a couple of months, I was surprised by the new body I saw in the mirror.
But the most unexpected effect for me, though quite expected, was outside the gym. My body began to recover much faster.
Previously, after a fast bike ride or a half-hour run, the whole evening would be ‘lost’ for me. And the next day, I didn’t really feel like doing anything active.
Now that you’ve arrived home and changed into dry clothes, it’s perfectly fine to go for a walk with your family or do something productive around the house. And the next day, you can go for a run again, or maybe do a bike ride.
At first, I thought that going to the gym took up a lot of time (at the beginning, I spent two hours there four days a week), but now I only do what is necessary, and my workouts take 45-60 minutes, but as a result, they give me much, much more energy.
Which gives you more excellent, productive time. If you’re still unsure, find the gym closest to your home (the hardest part of training is getting there) and sign up for a trial session, or simply ask them to show you around.