I sometimes ponder the thought of being a gym newbie possessing my current knowledge about weightlifting/exercise. Would I have achieved results quicker? Most likely. Would I be in better shape than I am in now? Probably. Would I have been subjected to the same occurrences in the gym? Possibly. Aside from those questions, there is one more that seems to cross my mind every now and then: Am I satisfied with how much I currently know about weightlifting? Definitely not. To tell the truth, I don’t think I’ll ever be satisfied.

When I walked into my neighborhood gym for the first time, I was 18 years old and weighed 110 pounds at 5’9”. Being severely underweight, I realized that I needed to revamp my lifestyle. I had very little knowledge about weightlifting, but I did have the benefit of understanding physiology and the way muscle works in conjunction with the body.

I did some research on weightlifting as well, with hopes that I wouldn’t look like a fool in the gym. Thinking that I had a solid foundation of knowledge for weightlifting I began my long journey to my current body (170 pounds at 9% bodyfat). I was in for a treat, soon learning that I had tons of learning to do. If I could go back and give my newbie-self pieces of knowledge I have accumulated over the years, I would be sure to include the following:

Leave your ego outside of the gym

I know this one may be hard for some, but it is really important to forget about your ego inside the gym. If you constantly dwell on the thought of others starting at you and watching you lift, you are not focused enough on the actual exercise. Another reason this is important is so you don’t feel the need to overload yourself simply because others are watching. Overloading the weight makes you detract from proper form and can result in injury (good exercise technique is more important than how much weight you do). You must realize that it is completely fine that you are not benching 200+ pounds and squatting 400+ pounds. Everyone has to start somewhere.

Proper Nutrition is as important as training

While proper nutrition alone will not give you that much sought after muscular body, it is essential for speeding up the process once you have a set workout regimen. Stick to a healthy balanced diet and try to get at least one gram of protein per pound of bodyweight the muscle repairing process every day. Proper nutrition is something that took me years to figure out. At first I was under the impression that I could just eat whatever I want because I had a fast metabolism. After putting on some unwanted fat, I knew I had to fix my diet in order to propel my training to the next level.

Avoid overtraining

Many newcomers to the gym will over train their muscles in an attempt to “feel the burn” during their workout, since they feel like that is the best indicator of a good workout (which is not true at all). You may also over train thinking that you will see results at a faster pace. This thought is wrong and can result in chronic fatigue and even loss of muscle. I have fallen victim to over training far too many times, realizing each time that I never want to have this terrible feeling throughout my body again.

Ask others for advice

Being new to the gym you may be hesitant to talk to others, moreover ask them for advice. What you will soon realize is that everyone is there for the same purpose that you are there for and that 99% of the people at the gym will be more than willing to help you out. Some instances when I ask others for help in the gym are: if I am trying out a new exercise and want my form corrected, if I need a spotter, if I see someone doing an exercise that I haven’t seen or tried myself. Don’t be shy.

Supplements do not replace food

It’s easy to get caught up in the supplement frenzy due to the fact that everyone at the gym seems to promote some miracle product that helped them get their incredible gains. At one point in my training my whole diet consisted of weight gaining shakes, protein bars and protein shakes. I was taking in a great deal of protein each day, but my results were not too good. Supplements are great to incorporate into an already well-balanced diet, but are meant for that purpose only. Don’t use supplements as a replacement for whole foods.

Warming up and stretching are important

A vital part of every workout is proper warming up and stretching. This is something that has taken me years to learn, and something that I still work to improve every day. As a gym newbie I would go directly into my workout without any warm up sets or stretching, and did not understand the importance of it until I was hit with a string of injuries. A couple of pulled muscles and a sprained wrist later, I finally understood why people stretch and warm up before workout. Not only does proper warm ups and stretching reduce the likelihood of injury, it can also decrease muscle soreness, and allow you to lift a higher weight.

Train all muscle groups including legs

Have you ever noticed a pattern in your gym when it comes to the training of muscle groups? If you pay attention you’d notice the same people always working out their chest, or doing bicep curls as a part of every workout. I have made a similar mistake in my early days; not training my legs. The legs are the largest muscle group in the body, but also the most neglected. Incorporating leg training into my routine brought my physique to another level. Make sure you train all your muscle groups. Every good physique has good proportion.

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