

4 Weight Training Tips for Beginners
You did it! You made the decision to get fit and take on a new workout challenge—weight training. So where do you start? Success with weights (and in the gym) begins with a plan and evaluating your eating habits to best support your routine.
No matter your exercise experience, here are my four tips for your first time with weights:

The first step on any fitness journey should be to set a tangible and attainable goal. The best way to track progress is to have something you are working toward and to measure against. The goal can be an ideal weight or the number of days to make it to the gym or class each week. The Mindbody app helps you keep track of the classes (and services) you’ve participated in, which is an excellent way to track against your goal. As you make strides toward your goal, it should be adjustable so you can continue to push forward!

The first step on any fitness journey should be to set a tangible and attainable goal. The best way to track progress is to have something you are working toward and to measure against. The goal can be an ideal weight or the number of days to make it to the gym or class each week. The Mindbody app helps you keep track of the classes (and services) you’ve participated in, which is an excellent way to track against your goal. As you make strides toward your goal, it should be adjustable so you can continue to push forward!

One of my favorite sayings ever is, “Your fitness journey is a marathon, not a sprint.” This really resonates with me now, especially as I look back to six years ago when I decided to dedicate myself to a healthier lifestyle. A gym atmosphere can be very intimidating at the beginning of anyone’s process. I wasn’t comfortable enough yet with my physical progress to set foot in the gym, but I was ready to make a change. The solution for me was to train at home first. For a half-hour each day, five days a week, I would have an intense timed workout at home. For legs, I would do step-ups on a chair or lunges. For abs, I would do sit-ups and mountain climbers. For chest and arms, I would do push-ups.
I set a date as a goal, that I would go to the gym at the end of that summer. In the interim, I developed a solid foundation at home, that helped me feel more comfortable once it was time to go to the gym. This is a helpful tool I recommend for any beginner to bypass “gymtimidation.” Practice goal-setting and develop consistent positive behavior. In terms of which workouts to do at home, that leads us to our next step!

One of my favorite sayings ever is, “Your fitness journey is a marathon, not a sprint.” This really resonates with me now, especially as I look back to six years ago when I decided to dedicate myself to a healthier lifestyle. A gym atmosphere can be very intimidating at the beginning of anyone’s process. I wasn’t comfortable enough yet with my physical progress to set foot in the gym, but I was ready to make a change. The solution for me was to train at home first. For a half-hour each day, five days a week, I would have an intense timed workout at home. For legs, I would do step-ups on a chair or lunges. For abs, I would do sit-ups and mountain climbers. For chest and arms, I would do push-ups.
I set a date as a goal, that I would go to the gym at the end of that summer. In the interim, I developed a solid foundation at home, that helped me feel more comfortable once it was time to go to the gym. This is a helpful tool I recommend for any beginner to bypass “gymtimidation.” Practice goal-setting and develop consistent positive behavior. In terms of which workouts to do at home, that leads us to our next step!

Here on The Ensō, there are tons of helpful articles with tips and tricks. Also, the Mindbody app is an excellent resource to find professional wellness coaches in your area. These coaches can answer questions and provide educated direction based on your fitness goals. Believe it or not, the internet is still an underutilized tool when it comes to using it as a means of education for workout routines, nutrition, and the science behind them. Using reputable resources available to you, such as a professional coach or an instructional video, are excellent ways to ensure you are working out correctly.

Here on The Ensō, there are tons of helpful articles with tips and tricks. Also, the Mindbody app is an excellent resource to find professional wellness coaches in your area. These coaches can answer questions and provide educated direction based on your fitness goals. Believe it or not, the internet is still an underutilized tool when it comes to using it as a means of education for workout routines, nutrition, and the science behind them. Using reputable resources available to you, such as a professional coach or an instructional video, are excellent ways to ensure you are working out correctly.

My last tip is to slow it down. To gain the best results and avoid injury, this is extremely important. At this point, you have a goal, a solid foundation, and have used tools available to you to be prepared. Going slow can be how you attack your goal or just taking your time once you are actively training your muscles. Working at your own pace is largely imperative and, more times than not, going slowing creates more tension in a targeted muscle-building workout. The more time under tension, the higher chance there is for hypertrophy, or muscle growth.
Explore new classes and trainers on your journey with weight training through the Mindbody app or Mindbody.io!

My last tip is to slow it down. To gain the best results and avoid injury, this is extremely important. At this point, you have a goal, a solid foundation, and have used tools available to you to be prepared. Going slow can be how you attack your goal or just taking your time once you are actively training your muscles. Working at your own pace is largely imperative and, more times than not, going slowing creates more tension in a targeted muscle-building workout. The more time under tension, the higher chance there is for hypertrophy, or muscle growth.
Explore new classes and trainers on your journey with weight training through the Mindbody app or Mindbody.io!