So maybe you made a resolution at the beginning of the year to get in shape, lose weight or go to the gym. Or maybe you just decided that, hey, since I have to pay for a gym membership in my tuition, I guess I could try it out (true story). No matter what your reason is for trying to work out more, you have the motivation and the drive to do it.
But where do you begin?
I never really started working out until I started college, and even then, not until my second semester. And I wasn’t really sure where to start, so I went for what I knew best: cardio. My first day at the gym, I jogged on the treadmill and used the elliptical. Of course, there’s nothing wrong with that, but you need to do a little bit more if you want to see results, which I did.
Eventually though, I figured it all out, and I’m really starting to see the results I want, which is encouraging in and of itself.
A good place that I started was Pinterest—and yes, I know that Pinterest makes you want to bake a cake, redecorate your house, get crafty with a mason jar and work out all at once, but it will make it easier.
While browsing Pinterest, figure out what you want to work on, whether it be your arms, legs or core, find workouts that seem doable for your fitness level and that focus on the part of the body you want. Create a board that will inspire you to go to the gym and work toward your fitness goal.
Another great way is to get a gym buddy or two. They can be at the same fitness level as you or above you—either way, they will help motivate you. A gym buddy will push you to do one more set or run one more lap, and they know you’ll do the same for them. It’s like a symbiotic relationship in nature (you know, the one where the bird picks the crocodile’s teeth for food, and the crocodile gets a free dentist visit and doesn’t eat the bird? It’s like that, but a little safer, and with less crocodiles). And it’ll be fun to spend extra time with your friends bonding over a sweat sesh.
It helps to pick out days where you can set aside time to go to the gym, as well as what you’re going to focus on each day. If you have some time after your morning classes on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, choose a different part of your body to work on for each day. Giving yourself a schedule to stick to will help you keep going from week to week.
It’s easy to be excited about going to the gym when you’re starting out, but what about when the novelty wears off? You start working out, happy that you’re going to see results and feel good, but after a few weeks, all you have is a sore body and no physical change. Sticking to your gym routine is harder than starting to work out. Results aren’t as instantaneous as you hope they’ll be, and your sore muscles are screaming at you to give them a break.
Unfortunately, I don’t have a magical spell to give you that will help you look amazing and keep you motivated.
But I can tell you that perseverance will get you where you want to be. As long as you stay persistent and keep taking steps toward your goal, you’re going to be able to make it through the hard part.
To give you a little push, I’ve provided some awesome quick workouts you can do to start off, all targeting different areas.
Abs: 25 leg lifts, 25 reverse crunches, 50 Russian twists (25 each side), 30 second plank, 30 second side plank (left), and 30 second side plank (right)
Arms: as many curl and presses as you can (a hammer curl to the chest, a press up, back down to the chest, and ending with your arms down by your sides counts as one)
Legs: minute of hip raises (bonus: for an extra challenge, raise one of your legs in the air and switch to the other halfway through), 30 seconds of lunges, 30 seconds of curtsey lunges
Butt: 30 squats with weights (either one or two weights), one minute of jumping lunges (this can also be used for legs)
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