Strength training can seem intimidating at first—trust me, I’ve been there… Whether you’re a seasoned gym-goer or brand new to all types of workouts, you’re bound to discover a variety of movements that best suit your level and experience. It’s truly one of the best parts about strength training—everything can be scaled, everything can be varied!
If you’ve been thinking about signing up for your first session but you’re on the fence about making your move, here are a few pointers as to what you can expect on your first day.
1. Strength is all relative.
100 pounds is 100 pounds—plain and simple. To one, it might be the lightest weight ever! And to another, it might be a lifetime goal weight to lift. No matter where you begin in your strength journey, everyone can relate to what “heavy” weight feels like. Instead of focusing on what’s on the bar or which dumbbells you’re grabbing, bring more attention to how you’re moving the weight and any instructions from your coach. Which Segways nicely to my next point…
2. Technique technique technique!
Something that is often overlooked in strength training is mastering proper positions and form for every exercise before adding weights. If you’re a first-timer, be prepared to be lifting lighter at the start and focus on any cues from your coach to build the movement literacy needed to eventually increase the weights you’re working with. Also, making sure you’re teaching your body the correct movement patterns right off the bat can help mitigate any future injuries and the potential of developing bad habits. Take the time your body (and brain!) needs to learn each skill as best as you can.
3. Ask lots of questions.
Your coach or instructor is there for a reason! There’s probably going to be a lot of information thrown your way during the hour so if you feel at all confused or in need of some clarification, there’s absolutely no shame in asking. Depending on your class setting, asking questions to other more experienced participants could help broaden your experience a little more. Such as when they began their strength training journey and what tips they found helpful at the start. Who knows, maybe one day down the road you’ll be able to pass along some tidbits from your own experience to another newbie!
4. Don’t expect everything to click right away. Patience is key!
As I mentioned earlier, most strength lifts you’ll learn in your class are categorized more as skills than an exercise. For example, there are many more components involved in mastering a barbell deadlift or a barbell power clean than you would find with a box step up or glute bridge. You’re going to have to learn to “talk” to your body in new ways in order to make sure it understands how to brace properly, how to stay tight throughout the movement and how to correctly set yourself up for a successful lift every time you approach the bar. Some days might feel like everything is clicking all at once! Others may feel harder to nail each rep perfectly. Stay patient with yourself—the most important thing to remember in the beginning is that to continue seeing progress means to stay consistent in your practice. Keep showing up!
5. Bring an open mind!
Some coaching cues or techniques will feel strange at first—and that’s ok! Regardless of how uncoordinated, slow or ridiculous you might feel, remember everyone was a beginner at some point. Embrace the discomfort, embrace the unexpected challenges, embrace everything that’s new to you. You’ll be surprised at how much more you can learn by bringing an open mind to your first class. It will only grant you a more positive experience.
Hopefully some of these tips were helpful to you and that you took the leap to sign up for your first class! One of the hardest parts at the start is allowing yourself to be vulnerable to new beginnings. But once you make your move, I can assure you it’ll become your new favourite workout in no time.
