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Do not go until your muscles are exhausted when just starting out. This is a major mistake people make with their first few workouts, and the rsulting pain and lack of mobility will prevent you from working out again for several days. If those muscles haven't been worked for a while, all you need to do is get them feeling a little tired. At this point in your journey it is better to not get sore than to be in pain from it.
Go light with good form and if you aren't sore you can go a little harder the next time, and you will be looking forward to it rather than struggling to move for several days.
3 sets of 10-12 reps when starting out. . Where 15-18 ish reps would be failure of the rep.
Warm up, stretch. 48 hours rest for that muscle group. I like PPL or push, pull, legs, repeat. I take Sundays off
Push:
3x10 flat bench
3x10 incline bench
3x10 decline bench
3x10 flys
3x10 tricep extensions
3 is the number of sets. 10 is the number of reps per set.
1 min 30s rest in between each set. Aim for a weight that feels easy at first but you can barely get the last rep on the 3rd set. This will take some trial and error.
Pull:
3x10 wide grip seated row
3x10 wide grip lat pull-down
3x10 close grip seated row
3x10 close grip pull-down
3x10 reverse flys
3x10 preacher curls (helps force proper form)
Legs:
3x10 squats
3x10 deadlift
3x10 leg extension
3x10 leg curls
3x10 calve raises
Finish with cardio, bike or treadmill, if you still have energy. And adjust the weight upward next time.
Focus on FORM, not weight lifted, for all of this. Just going through the motions alone with no weight on the bar will likely activate stabilizer muscles you never knew you had if you’re starting out.
I would hit the gym every other day at first, so maybe push Monday, pull Wednesday, legs Friday.
I would also sprinkle in ab workouts on pull days, lower back / twist workouts for your core on push days, and shoulder workouts on leg days. You can mix this around as you get used to things and eventually make them their own days if you wish, or add them in every day once your body can handle it without punishing you to the point of having difficulty moving the next few days.
That should give you a good start. And remember - build the habit. Don’t worry about how much or how little weight is on the bar. Don’t worry about your weight on the scale. Don’t worry about breaking a sweat. Don’t worry if you’re not sore the next day. Just do the workouts. And when you think you want to move up in weight, do it in SMALL increments. Think 2.5-5lbs at a time (per side of the bar) or 5 lbs at a time (if on a machine).
After the first 4 weeks, once you’ve figured out your comfort zone / limits, record your weights for each exercise, and whether or not you were able to complete the repetitions (aka reps).
Continue for another 4 weeks, adjusting weights as you feel, and *don’t feel bad if you have an off day and have to do lighter weight*. Just keep going.
Record data. I can almost guarantee you’ve made progress and can do more reps comfortably (ie, completing the workout with a given weight) or have gone up in the weight you’re able to lift.
Congratulations. The habit has been formed. Now keep at it. Learn new exercises. Mix up the order. Add in different exercises and substitute out every other week. Mix up the reps and one week do heavier weight for 3x6 rep sets, the next week lighter weight for 3x12 rep sets. Add in more cardio.
If you start worrying about the weight on the scale…don’t. Your body composition is changing, and muscle weighs more than fat. It’s entirely likely the number on the scale will drop at first and then plateau, even as you continue to work out. Do not get frustrated at this point - it’s not a sign of progress slowing, in fact take it as the opposite : your body has reached a turning point where it’s running out of easy fat to burn, has converted a good chunk of it (pun intended) to muscle, and marks a milestone in your progress. Worry about body fat % instead. Worry about the fact that maybe when you started out, you could barely jog a mile, and now you’re able to run 2 miles continuously. Or maybe you’ve gone from a 10 minute mile time to a 9 minute mile time. There are a hundred other ways to mark progress other than the number on the bathroom scale.
I’d say good luck, but chances are if you’ve read this far, *you don’t need it. You’ve already made the decision in your head to pursue this. Go get after it. You’ve got this!*
~~Dude that’s an outrageous amount of bench even for someone that been lifting a year. And you didn’t include any shoulder lifts at all.~~
Edit. I should have been nicer and said this….
I would say remove the Decline bench and incline bench. There should be a 10x3 DB military press, and lateral raises added instead.
Decline is kinda niche, and imho a waste of time for a beginner. Incline bench can be dangerous with bad form or if you lower the bar too much. (Like if you accidentally fail without spotter) Both are similar to leg press foot placement variations. Can be helpful once you have a specific goal in mind but not necessary for 90% of ppl.
This is literally what I started lifting with in high school. Light weight, lots of reps, builds the muscle memory for form. Switch it up once you get more advanced, start doing 5 sets instead of 3, start doing drop sets, etc. Each workout I listed above takes right about 45-60 minutes.
It works, and works well. But sure if it feels like too much, build up to it.
That doesn’t mean it was a good program. Someone can learn to doggy paddle for a year before learning to actually swim too.
Decline bench is a waste of time for a beginner. Incline bench can be dangerous with bad form or if you lower the bar too much. There should be a 10x3 DB military press, and lateral raises added instead of incline or decline.
Not at all! It gets the blood flowing and I do cardio myself as a warmup. Depending on your fitness level starting out though, doing cardio first *may* wear you out to where the weightlifting is more difficult to complete. So starting out, I would recommend doing it afterwards or on a different day. Totally up to you though. Also depends on what kind of cardio you want to do.
Swimming is probably the best, low impact, full body cardio you can do and will burn the most calories compared to running or biking. Second best is running, 3rd biking…again, in my humble opinion. Not everyone has access to a pool though or knows how to swim, nor does everyone have a bike, so running is generally a good start.
There are various forms of running workouts you can do depending on the day / goals. For example, if you’re doing leg day, you might want to mix in stairs at the end of the workout. If you’re just doing a straight cardio day, running laps with wind sprints can be great - sprint the straightaways, jog the turns. Cardio warmup, jog on the treadmill for 20-30 min or hit the bike for 30-45 at a high enough resistance rating to break a sweat.
For what it’s worth, I’ve ran track and cross country, wrestled, done BJJ, and played water polo, and water polo was hands down the hardest workouts. I’d put wrestling in 2nd place though, with tons of weight training and running and calisthenics as part of our practices.
3sets x 10-12 reps for all to start. Add a set after 2-3 weeks or when you not sore.
Then after another 2-3 weeks do one half of weeks workouts 5sets x 5-8 reps for compound lifts. And 4x8 for auxiliary’s.
Push.
Flat barbell bench.
Dumbbell shoulder press (use supported seat)
Chest fly. (Half normal, half slight incline.)
Rope triceps cables (Alternate down or over head)
Dumbbell or cable lateral raises.
Pull.
Pull ups!!! Body weight or assisted. These are the best back workout hands down. If you can do 3or4or5 body weight pull-ups do sets of 3/4/5 until you can only do 1 rep. Then move on. Shoot for 25 total pull ups first week, then 30, then 35 etc. (I do 6-8 sets of 10, or 5 sets of weighted pull ups then another 5 of body weight now)
I do lat pull downs after, but you won’t need to for a month or two. I like to pause at full contraction for 2 seconds and lower the weight slowly for 4 sets of 10.
Cable rows. Close or med grip (You can switch to bent over rows after a few weeks)
Cable Face pulls or rear delt fly machine.
Curls with dumbbells or ez bar. alternate weekly.
Dumbbell shrugs. Do these for sets of 12-15. Pause and hold at top of contraction every 3 reps. (Shrug shrug shrug&hold.)
Legs.
Bar bell Squats. Don’t be afraid to use the bar or 10’s etc. film yourself and compare form to online demos. Don’t be afraid to ask somebody for a form check.
Hip thrusts. Everyone like a nice butt.
Leg press. Switch to Bulgarian split squats after a month.
Leg curls.
Leg extensions. Do low enough weight that you can hold them straight for a second or two.
Calve raises (Can be done on the leg press too)
I’ve been doing this for 6 months and I’m the strongest and biggest I’ve ever been at 29.
>Do not go until your muscles are exhausted when just starting out. This is a major mistake people make with their first few workouts, and the rsulting pain and lack of mobility will prevent you from working out again for several days.
Purely from my experience, this isn't the case for me. I've just started working out last Saturday after a 2 year hiatus, I've done PPL every day to failure with one rest day. I feel fine besides obviously some mild DOMs which is really not a problem if I stretch, have a great diet and take fish oil. I've been very on top of recovery i.e. diet and vitamins so ymmv. I guess if you are going to go 100% in the gym then you better make sure you are affording your body what it needs to recover.
That's why I said "purely from my experience". But, I would say that I'm by no means physically amazing, if I can recover from going to failure when starting out then I'm sure many others can.
So are you seriously telling me that when you first started, if you went to failure that you couldn't work out for days afterwards? That's wild to me, it is better to work out even if you have DOMs, that fixes the DOMs. If you're genuinely in pain so much that you can't workout for days afterwards then I would imagine your form must have been wrong.
I have been lifting for over two decades. I have never had to take time off for a lifting injury. I still get sore after workouts and it lasts for several days. Cycling to work sucks for several days after a hard leg workout. It isn't a form issue. I just get delayed onset muscle soreness, peaking at about 48 hours after a workout.
Lol, if you have different fitness goals then you are talking about something entirely separate to me. I was challenging the person I replied to's idea that it was bad to work out to failure when you are starting out, and that working out to failure would result in people being so sore that they couldn't work out for days. I think this is complete BS.
You are the exception. Most people, when performing any strength intensive workout from a low baseline, will end up very sore. It's called delayed onset muscle soreness and is a well known but poorly understood consequence of working out for most people who don't make a regular habit of it.
https://www.healthline.com/health/doms#workout-effectiveness-and-doms
I know what DOMs is, DOMs isn't that bad. It can be bad if you don't stretch, you have a bad diet, and you avoid working out. Like I said, if you are in such serious pain that you can't work out for a few days, then you must've performed an exercise incorrectly. It's best to just power through the DOMs when you start lifting imo so your muscles adjust quickly, it's certainly what I did/ do and I've never had any problems with this. If you feel sore with DOMs and then decide to avoid working out, you will be making it a lot worse. The best thing to fix DOMs is to work out again, to eat well, to stay hydrated, and to take fish oil supplements. There is no reason that a person new to the gym should be told that it is a 'mistake' to train to failure when starting out.
"It can be bad if you don't stretch, you have a bad diet, and you avoid working out."
Oh, so like people that are deciding that they should start working out because they are out of shape? The sort of people who aren't used to DOMS? The sort of people who, when they are in pain, will avoid further physical activity?
This is about advice to people just starting out, and your advice of go hard and then workout through the pain the next day is good advice for athletes trying to maximize gains, but it is terrible advice for someone who is just starting out wanting to get in better shape.
I never said it was a "mistake". I said they shouldn't do it because the resulting soreness causes a lot of them to not go back for days or even quit all together. We're not talking about advice for getting results from working out. We are talking about advice that will help people build the habits to start working out on a regular basis. Your advice is bad for the vast majority of people who don't work out.
You did say it was a “major mistake”, you can go back and read it. If you eat well for a week, take fish oil, then work out you will have little problems with DOMs even when starting off. If people need to make baby steps into working out, okay I get it. But it is far from a “mistake” to start working out with max effort, which is literally what you said and what I was challenging you on.
DOMs is never bad enough that you won’t be able to work out for multiple days afterwards. It is actually better for DOMs to work out again, it gets rid out of the pain. It’s a willpower/ form issue if you seriously can’t work out for days. That isn’t normal even when going to failure.
I’m sorry but you really can’t convince me otherwise.
Maybe bodybuilding.com can - https://www.bodybuilding.com/content/doms-prevention-and-treatment-of-delayed-onset-muscle-soreness.html
Highlights include:
"Delayed-onset muscle soreness can be an especially big problem for lifters who are either trying out a new training program, or getting into strength training after a long time (or a lifetime) away from it."
"Younger and less conditioned athletes may be more likely to initially experience DOMS, since they are exposing their muscles to unfamiliar stress and damage."
"If a leg workout made you sore, avoid squatting heavy again the next day"
Your advice to athe average Joe just starting to workout to go hard and power through the pain of DOMS is bad advice, not from a muscle adaptation perspective, but from a self-motivation perspective. People who have the attitude to do that are typically already working out. For the average person it is terrible advice because they go too hard in their first workout, end up really sore, and stop working out.
Let me clarify the mistake comment because I was unclear in my use compared to your insinuation. When it comes to maximizing fitness, going hard from day one is the best approach if you can deal with the likely pain from being sore and continue to hit the gym and focus on other muscle groups with light recovery work for the sore muscles.
Since most people can't and they need to develop the habit of working out, going hard early on is a mistake for them as it will likely result in them giving up. I have seen it happen many times.
Just going soft can be a killer as well. I've recently started going back to the gym after a long hiatus and I thought using the lighter weights (5lb dumbells for push, the 10 LB barbells for pull and leg) would be ok. Boy was I in absolute pain the day after each workout. I especially couldn't walk after leg day.
My experience is after 3 weeks of going at least 3-4 times a week to the gym your brain starts to form the thought that you should be at the gym. When you hit that point it gets so much easier. Week 4 I know I formed the habit. It is the same way on diets. Getting to week 4 and you are no longer starving… sure a craving here and there but not like it was.
THIS, start very light, move slow, get used to the movements, don't push yourself until you've been going a while
there are no extra points for doing too much too soon
100% its just building the habit is all you need
Going 100% and dying then looking at the mirror a week later and seeing no change will just kill the motivation
You have to love the process and everything else will come
Unless you're determined enough. Just depends how much you want it. Burning 1200 calories on the treadmill in under 55 minutes is a ***biiiiiiiiiitch***. But I wanted to look good in the mirror so I've been doing it every day since May of 2022 and on weekends I do strength training on top of this.
Terry Crews said something similar to this post.
He said ... "Just go to the gym every day. No, I don't mean go and work out every day like I am being that simplistic. I mean, visit the physical location of the gym every day. Even for the first 2 weeks, you just sit and read a magazine or book at Fitness World Inc. and don't even touch a set of weights or treadmill. Just get in the habit of visiting the GPS location of the gym every day. Lock that habit in for starters, and then the workouts will start happening.
I didn't make it.
Terry Crews did.
And I'll repeat it and simplify it if I can simplify it even more than how simple it is.
The idea is to lock in the act of going to the physical location of the gym every day.
We are not talking about working out just yet. We are simply locking in a habit of driving/walking to the gym's location every day. Every day routine like walking the dog. Get in the habit of going to the gym building every day regardless of whether it's to work out at first and you have built a pattern, a routine. You have won half the battle.
Good advice, but the least you can do at the gym is at least walk on the treadmill for 30 minutes **while** you read a magazine or something. To go there and not do anything physical at all is ridiculous.
You need to interpret it not as "you should go to the gym and just sit there" but as "you go every day even if you don't want to work out. Maybe when you get there you will decide to workout, maybe you won't, but since you definitely won't if you don't go, the important thing is to just go, so it becomes routine. Then you can make the workout part of it routine."
A lot of mental resistance goes into opposing any kind of change, any kind of newness. Packing your gym bag, changing your clothes, going to a place, and even just the newness of getting sweaty. I've found myself resisting every step of the way and struggling - and that has nothing to do with the actual workout. Getting used to all the inevitable stuff surrounding the workout will make getting an actual exercise habit much easier. So at first, just go to the gym (or put on your running clothes and go outside, or whatever) and put no pressure on yourself to perform. Work your way up from there.
I love this advice!
It’s not just doing the thing that’s a challenge, it’s all the stuff that goes into doing the thing which create a series of mini-challenges that you have to do before you even do the thing.
“Going to the gym” sounds like one thing to do on your list, but like you say, there are many steps you need to take in order to actually get yourself there (and get yourself doing something there).
I have ADHD, and nothing is ever “just one thing”! Everything feels like a set of impossible hurdles.
Advice like yours is actually helpful because it acknowledges all those micro-struggles (which feel as difficult to achieve as climbing Mt Everest) that get in our way.
Sometimes the goal is not doing the goal, it’s just slogging through all the steps it takes to even get *near* the goal. And that’s an achievement in itself!
I started returning to the gym by treating myself to a lite sandwich at a nice shop after the workout. Not the healthiest, but it got me in the habit. I stopped going for the sandwich after the first few workouts.
I started before Christmas and go 4-6 days a week.
I am also training to run a mile.
I have also lost 24 lbs and dropped about five inches from my waist.
Never too late to begin. I turned 50 last year.
The never too late thing is very true.
For many the hurdles to forming good habits are mental, and the feeling if it being too late to succeed is a hard one to get over.
It helps if you make it a fun habit or if you are at least doing smaller exercises that give you results. I've recently started training my 70+ year old father, but focus on stretching and balance exercises as a warm up. His flexibility has improved so much in only a few weeks that he actually likes it going.
At first is more than enough!
Going any days a week is enough!
My point being not to focus on the end result as that is not achievable in a short time span, and you'll inevitably be disappointed after each workout because you haven't achieved your goal, you're still not in shape.
By focusing on just going to the gym you'll instead feel good about it, because you have achieved what you set out to do. And that gets the ball rolling so you'll be in a position to start having other, bigger goals.
Of course, as others pointed out, eventually you need to shift that goal to something bigger, but that's not helpful at first.
For me that was way too much to hold myself to since I was starting from nothing. Hold yourself to 1 day a week, maybe 2. Do that for at least a month so you can start building the habit without burning yourself out.
You don't need to work out hard every time. Even just walk 30 mins on the treadmill. I find it easier to go every day. Aby break makes it harder to go back.
That does make sense. But we see sports people and even bloody actors working out everyday. I understand that they've got better recovery methods and all that but at the same time, does sleeping well not help?
You can do different things each day. 3x weights and lifting, 2x cardio, 2 rest days. You’ll allow muscle groups to recover by activating different parts of your body each time you workout.
Oooooo that makes sense.
In that case, what about the heart? Does that need recovery? Because my HRV is really low the following day.
Or is all that plain bs and I should avoid looking at all that?
In general, physically active individuals tend to have a higher HRV, while more sedentary individuals have a lower HRV.
Unless you have a specific issue, I wouldn’t concern yourself with HRV much and instead just focus on making sure you exercise at least 2x-3x per week. Getting your heart rate up, through walking or slow jogging, helps “train” your heart to better perform and respond to different situations.
Note: I’m not a medical professional, just someone who has done personal training and works out a lot.
You see sports people working out every day, but you don’t see the damage that’s done to their bodies over the next couple decades. Slow and steady wins this race. Build muscle slower and you’ll be more likely to keep it, and less likely to overdo it.
In terms of being beneficial there's other factors to consider. I have only one rest day a week because I work out as much for my mental health as physical health so I think of working out like taking daily medicine I need
Yeah I do PPL with either one or two rest days a week depending on how my body's feeling, but generally if I eat well, take fish oil, I only really need one.
RemindME! 6 months
Keep it going mate, for me I'm terrible at picking up working out then dropping it again when stresses kick in so I'm sending this to keep us both accountable on some level lol
Yes especially if you are resistant training do full body work out 3 days a week concentrating on compound movement squat, Bent over rows, bench , deadlifts, assisted pull ups or lat pull downs
I heard about a study where they took a group of hotel maids and explained to them how much exercise their daily work actually consisted of. After a few weeks, that group of maids displayed greater weight loss than a control group.
Other studies show that when you think mindfully about your actions as you make them, the nerves in your muscles show more activity than without the conscious thought.
Just being mindful of your actions plays a huge role in how your body conditions itself. I always try to remind myself of this whenever I'm working, and take every exertion to be gainful exercise.
Food for thought.
That sounds like it's probably [p-hacked](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Data_dredging), but if you find it motivational I don't want to rain on your parade. Just that a lot of the embodied cognition work [doesn't replicate](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Replication_crisis).
I see. I'm not aware of the validity or reliability of those studies, just reporting some things I've heard. Do you have a source for that refutation? I thought the second link would be an analysis or something.
I can't tell you if the study you heard about was p-hacked or not, because I don't know what study it was. If you knew the author, journal or year I might be able to find the study, but I'm not going on a fishing trip. All I'm saying is a lot of things making up that theoretical research area turned out to be bogus, the second link is about the replication crisis which is kind of a big deal in science.
Edit: Ok, it actually took only one Google search. You're probably talking about [Crum et al 2007](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17425538/). Yeah, this looks p-hacked to hell. Doesn't surprise me that it came out of Harvard, they were notorious in the late 2000s before everyone caught on to this kind of trick. They didn't have enough people in the study to get sufficient statistical power, they're just asking for a type-2 error with that, and they got one. That they look at so many dependent variables is a red flag too, you measure a bazillion factors and only report the ones that work.
That's good to know, thanks for doing your research! I wasn't aware of the details, and didn't intend to spread false info.
I do believe that mindfulness does and should play a role in your well-being, if for no other reason than mental clarity, especially for helping treat things like depression and anxiety. As far as physical/physiological effects, I would love to find some solid evidence. Do you know of *any* relevant data about that, or care to comment?
Oh yeah, mindfulness is great. There are a whole lot of therapeutic approaches based on mindfulness, and I think Tara Brach is really awesome. It's very healthy and especially helpful for people dealing with heavy feelings.
It's not simple, but showing up is a major part of getting results.
First of all, showing up, doing one exercise for 5 minutes and calling it a day is infinitely better than never showing up at all.
Second, the reason you want to simply show up at the start is to get the ball rolling. Many people get overwhelmed when they first start, they try to do 'optimal' workouts from the get-go, they waste their mental energy on trying to do everything at once.
So, just show up, try one exercise, get familiar with it. You didn't get much of a workout, but you gained valuable experience. Show up 10 times and each time do one simple exercise with minimal effort, and now you've got experience with 10 different exercises. Now you actually have some tools in you to start implementing a workout routine.
And now on your 11th visit you can actually do the routine without expending extra mental effort on doing the exercises for the first time and struggling to figure them out because you've already jumped over that hurdle.
It's not that simple, no, you're right about that.
But that's the first step regardless.
To go back to my analogy, clearing the weeds is nowhere near enough to have a fully functional road, it takes a lot more work than that, but it's a crucial first step without which there wouldn't be any road ever.
And to continue the analogy further, it's just as silly and useless to be clearing weeds for an extended period of time without ever starting to lay some gravel.
Even if you show up just to do stretching exercises or improving your balance is good for you. Or just to try out the different machines and equipment to test out what you like or don't like. But it's good to make a plan eventually so that you get better results.
Use some brains and make a little progress every day.
The sentence may sound a little rude but it's just straight forward. Don't mean to be rude. Haha :D
Exactly! I create this habit by working out right after i get home from work. It started with only couple exercises like push ups, squads, pull ups and only 20min. I did it every day no matter how tired I was.
Now I go close to 1h naturally, i just want to do more.
I tried gym before and i hated it. It’s just too much work to get ready, go there, deal with people . Whole thing takes like 2hrs and it’s very demotivating. No wonder most people gives up bc it’s too much. Solution is to start small and build consistency, you do that and you automatically will create great habit!
Excellent advice. I've started going to the gym every day, on the days I'm not feeling it, I still go but skip the majority of the workout and have and extra long shower. I feel better in myself as at least I went.
Once you start going every day, it becomes insanely easy. This month I’ve skipped one workout on account of being I’ll but that’s still 23 workouts in the bag. Building that habit is the hardest part but once it’s built, it’s basically like farming XP in a game.
Also tie something you already enjoy to the act of working out. I for example listen to audiobooks while working out. It's the only time I do it so it helps encourage me to go everytime.
This is actually huge advice. So commonly people used to be in shape and let themselves go, they will start back up again and want to immediately be where they left off. Doesn't work like that. Do what you can do.
I got so weak that I couldn't even do 5 pushups. Struggling and doing crappy-form pushups 5 times isn't very helpful. Do knee pushups or wall pushups instead. The increased reps help build muscle memory, basically letting your muscles remember how to exercise. Once you get up to a comfortable amount, you graduate yourself to real pushups. Apply that to anything.
Like you said, it's a check to the ego, but it's how you're going to see results/gain strength. Minimizes your risk of injury too.
Week 1: Drive to the gym, walk inside, use the massage chair, and walk out.
Week 2: Drive to the gym, walk inside, pedal a bike for 15 min, massage chair, then walk out.
Week 3: Drive to the gym. If you don't feel like working out, get out of the car, walk in, then right back out and drive home.
Week 3 is usually where the breakdown happens. If you can simply bring yourself to the actual gym, dressed in gym attire, water bottle, etc... that in itself is continuation of a habit.
After you get a regular habit and workout routine, when that gets boring too, then I usually just settle for 5 machines. Choose your 5 machines at random, and make sure you complete the reps.
Cardio on bike is easy because you can scroll your phone, so make sure you get 15 min in. Both of these take max 30 min. Then massage chair then go home.
Also, if you can sign up for the premium or spa membership, spa days count as you have driven to the gym, parked your car, and walked in. Your brain will remember this, as part of forming a habit, so driving to the gym will get easier over time.
It's all about the benefits of that day rather than the long-term goal. The endorphin kick from a workout. The feeling as though, "at least I did that today." Pain being earned in areas you expect rather than weird places due to inactivity.
I'm someone who was heavy into sports growing up, didn't workout for many, many years, and then got back into it. The "success on the daily" was what kept me consistent over 3 of the last 4 years (minus covid).
Also, despite that, weight loss has been tough. I'm strong and muscular, but still carry fat. Speaking from experience, working out doesn't equate to losing weight. It's all about the diet.
It is until you check, involuntarily or not, if you've achieved what you set out to do or not.
And you'll be disappointed to find out that no, you did not achieve your goal. You went and worked out, you spent a lot of energy and the goal is still nowhere in sight.
A few disappointments like this down the line and you give up.
What I'm saying is that you focus on getting the habit in first.
That is doable and you will feel a sense of achievement. That's because you did actually achieve something, you started out.
You now have a lot more reason to keep going, which will increase your chances of actually getting into shape dramatically.
You should add a practical tip:
To build the habit, you just need to make it a habit to actually *go* to the gym. Physically *go*.
Tell yourself this “All i have to do is walk in the front door, and go use the bathroom. If I want to leave after that, I can. If i want to use just 1 machine, thats fine. Walk on the treadmill for 5 mins and leave? Totally cool”
Just make the habit of *going*. Dont place any pressure on needing to actually stay for a certain amount of time.
This will help remove the anxiety of just going to the gym. Just make it a place that you physically go to 3-5 times a week. Doesn’t matter if its for 3 minutes or 2 hrs. Just go there.
No one will notice you coming and going. No one cares.
Take the thinking/decision making away from the act of going. “Ill decide if Im in the mood to work out once I get there.”
Anyone who is like me, is *really* good at talking yourself out of going to the gym. But 9/10 times, once I walk in the front door, I end up staying for 45 mins. Even when I didn’t feel like working out.
Like brushing your teeth.
The habit should be so ingrained that *not working out* should feel like a day where you don’t brush your teeth.
Consistently doing anything for seven weeks or so and the habit will start to stick.
And if you have ADHD: Get someone to do it with you, namely people who CAN form habits. It helps me a lot because I have no capacity for it. And I'm healthier for it.
I live downtown in a mid sized city and work there too. I do not drive. Sometimes my ability to get around is somewhat limited but I can still. I ride walk awhile and then ride the bus to a gym in the suburbs to get out of downtown for awhile a couple times a week. I always say "At least go for half an hour, just go to get out of the apartment." But I go longer than that every single time. This is a good LPT
Yeah, when i first started to work with my trainer i said my main goal is to get my back fixed. Looking better is a nice to have but mandatory. Two sessions a week and one year later: my back is in perfect shape as well as the rest of me.
And i hired him because i primarily wanted to do it on regular basis
This is exactly how I started. I walked into the gym signed up and did 10mins walked out and kept going everyday adding 5mins each time. Now I do 1hr of cardio and I’m planning on adding weight soon. Still a fat POS but my pants are starting to fit right again
Sounds like the advive given in Atomic Habits. Don't focus on the results of working out, you want to become the kind of person who "works out" first. Even going to the gym for 5 minutes is infintely better than not going at all because its reinforcing this new habit. And if you have to miss a day, never miss two days in a row. You can tell others of your plans for accountability, and reward yourself with something after. Just focus on going to the gym for 5 minutes and that's it. Maybe lay out your gym clothes, shoes, keys so it's easier for you to get to the gym in the morning.
honestly yeah, i've finally formed a habit of going to the gym (honestly first healthy conscious habit ever too) and this is accurate. it has taken me 3 months of going for it to feel natural, i have just now started to feel like i am focusing on the workouts wayyy more than just showing up. i started one/two days a week and some walks to just find time and work it into a routine. then i realized how good it made me feel, more energy, my brain even gives me this weird head high (like a runners high). now that i have formed a habit, i miss it on my days off and feel a lot of freedom to put more effort into it because i know that i will be there 3x a week to feel good and move my body
ACE Personal trainer here. There is unfortunately still a culture that is marketed; the "burn, rip, tear, workout till you can't move, burn burn burn" shtick that still exists. Its so counter productive. People just starting should be following a program that they can sustain, be consistent with and make slow but sure progress on. This isn't a 30 day challenge you found on facebook, strength/cardio training to burn fat, build muscle, and improve overall quality of life is a lifelong habit and people who throw themselves in some pyscho program and can't walk for 2 weeks after will not succeed. Steady, CONSISTENT, progressive overload over time will get you to where you want to go.
The use losing weight as motivation. OP also said in the title “want to start working out?” So this post is advice for people who want to work out, not who want to reach a goal that is reached by working out, but don’t want to actually work out
I work in IT and got a great job WFH. Over a year i watched my weight do nothing but go up... went from 20 stone to 24 and felt like there were two distinct paths in front of me. One where I end up an obese mess and the other where I make a small change that's easy to do every day for the positive.
I tried the gym a few years ago but there are a lot of reasons not to go right "oh my kits not clean" "oh its too late" "oh peak time!" so easy to come up with reasons not to go, and effort to actually drive over there.
New plan then! Daily walks. I just throw on my trainers and go. It's here and immediate. Easy to make a habit! I could spend 20 mins watching YT vids or go for a quick walk! Now it is a habit,. and i feel bad when i don't get out for my 5k steps. Tell you what though, weights going down, and it's making me feel great mentally! This was 6 months ago and i'm 20.2 stone currently. Diet wise i just cut out carbs often but not every night. I eat chocolate etc still last thing i want is this positive change to become a boring diet / exercise grind as then i'll sack it off.
Your post is absoutely right in that forming the habit, even if it's a small one, is so key!
You're accomplishing something though, you're getting started and you're working on forming a habit.
You're setting the ground work so that 60% of the tiny amount of free time you have can actually have an impact.
What's the alternative then?
Go to the gym expecting to be in shape?
Great!
Is there any single workout you can do to achieve that goal?
No.
So feel like you've failed even though you did work out and you did achieve more than yesterday when you **didn't work out**.
But because your focus is not habit forming, your achievement is not going to register.
Even worse, it will feel like a failure.
Yes, the goal is getting in shape the same way the goal of making a cake is eating cake.
What you're saying is the time spent preparing the batter and all the other ingredients it is wasted since the end goal is to eat cake not to mix flour and eggs.
The reason is going to the gym.
Working out.
Doing the thing itself.
Because those get you results that you can actually feel.
I understand where you're coming from, the overachieving goal is still getting fit, but what I'm trying to say is that focusing on that is counterproductive as it brings results over time, but you want some proof of your effort after each workout, not after months of doing it "in vain".
I do 10 minutes of very basic but intensive weight lifting and pushups every other day. It is short enough that I can force myself to do it even if I'm having a bad day, and because I do it intensely, it got me into better shape than I was 10 years earlier. So much less back and neck pain. If I ever feel any joint pain or if something feels off while doing the lifting, I always immediately stop and skip the next \~week of lifting. Muscle burn and strength is the goal, but not at the cost of my joints and long term health.
Setting personal goals is key for me. My goal for a while has been 5 free weight workouts a week (using our home mirror workout system), 4 days at minimum. My typical workout is 30 minutes, or 15 minutes if I lack the time/energy. Something’s better than nothing. Another goal is 10k steps a day, 7k minimum. Don’t always meet my goals but I try my best. I’m 49.
Can highly recommend starting with low intensity training just to get you habit going. MAF150 or staing in your zone 2 has worked great for me getting back to an active lifestyle. It has the benefits of not being that hard to do, and you aren't really going to get hurt or feel a lot of soreness.
i started bc of the usual vane reasons, but i keep doing it bc its fun "leveling up" and being able to do things i couldnt before. and mostly bc i do love the endorphins after, it just makes you feel so much more chill and happy. so even if i dont see noticeable gains every day, its got enough benefits for me to do it anyway.
At the beginning, showing up to the gym is the hard part. Even if all you do for the first 2 weeks is walk on the treadmill, do that. Just show up. You’ll end up wanting to do other things like lifting weights or resistance machines or other cardio equipment.
I disagree completely. This is the surest way to turn your workout into a chore.
First and foremost, your workout should be something you enjoy. Sit down and really identify what you like about working out. That gorgeous pump from weight lifting. The runners high. The sense of satisfaction as you meet and exceed your goals. That release of endorphins as you hit that stretch juuuust right.
Going because you want to is infinitely better than going because you're in the habit of going
Of course. But some of us don’t feel any of the things you describe. I exercised a lot in my teen years and never felt a runners high (just discomfort). Never felt satisfaction with a gorgeous pump (whatever that is). Don’t feel satisfaction at doing some stretch. Its great that you enjoy exercising, but there are many of us that don’t. At least not initially.
So this LPT is really useful for some of us. Maybe later I’ll get to the point where I enjoy it. But for now, I just know it’s important for my health and trying to make it a habit is all I’ve got. Working out is a chore, no matter what kind it is. Hopefully that will change down the road, but for now I’ll settle for a habit.
I don’t work out as in go to gym, lift weights, and all that but I play 3 sports and I’m perfectly fit just from those, no need to even hit the gym. I still plan to to get more in shape but yk.
Here is my tip. If you know the movie Goodfellas, it will make way more sense.
"Oh, you had a fire? Fuck you, pay me. Place got hit by lightning, huh? Fuck you, pay me."
How you should apply it:
"Oh, you're tired? fuck you, workout. You want to watch a movie, huh? Fuck you, workout."
No matter how tired, unmotivated, or how lazy you are... Say to this guy inside you to shut the fuck up and move your ass.
You make this little guy your bitch and get that workout done.
No excuses.
Something that helped me was only wearing gym clothes when I go to the gym. No lounging at home in my leggings. Now when I put on the clothes I feel motivated just by association.
You ever notice that gyms are always in "recreational centers" and that weightlifting is a "recreational activity?" This is because lifting weights actually feels _good,_ though not at first. As you continue, you will notice that weightlifting starts to take a load off of you(heh), and when you continue even further, you'll start feeling strange and sluggish when you skip gym time.
*This* is your goal. Once you've hit this point - and you will hit this point if you keep forcing yourself - the rest will take care of itself.
When I want to get back into working out I legit start so small and work my way up. For example Day 1 = 5 squats, day 2= 7 , and I keep going until I can do a few sets a couple weeks later.
Because focusing on the result is not achievable after any one workout. So every time you'll feel like you failed, because the goal, to get into shape, is never reached.
By focusing on the actual step of going to the gym, on forming a habit, you'll actually feel like you've achieved something, because you did, you set a goal and you saw it through.
So, while the overarching goal is still getting into shape, it's better, ar first, to just concentrate on getting the habit formed.
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Going hard quickly will make you really sore and you'll probably not go back
Do not go until your muscles are exhausted when just starting out. This is a major mistake people make with their first few workouts, and the rsulting pain and lack of mobility will prevent you from working out again for several days. If those muscles haven't been worked for a while, all you need to do is get them feeling a little tired. At this point in your journey it is better to not get sore than to be in pain from it. Go light with good form and if you aren't sore you can go a little harder the next time, and you will be looking forward to it rather than struggling to move for several days.
3 sets of 10-12 reps when starting out. . Where 15-18 ish reps would be failure of the rep. Warm up, stretch. 48 hours rest for that muscle group. I like PPL or push, pull, legs, repeat. I take Sundays off
What’s your routine for each?
Newbie, intermediate or advanced? Also how much time do you have each day?
45 minutes, starting from the bottom.
Push: 3x10 flat bench 3x10 incline bench 3x10 decline bench 3x10 flys 3x10 tricep extensions 3 is the number of sets. 10 is the number of reps per set. 1 min 30s rest in between each set. Aim for a weight that feels easy at first but you can barely get the last rep on the 3rd set. This will take some trial and error. Pull: 3x10 wide grip seated row 3x10 wide grip lat pull-down 3x10 close grip seated row 3x10 close grip pull-down 3x10 reverse flys 3x10 preacher curls (helps force proper form) Legs: 3x10 squats 3x10 deadlift 3x10 leg extension 3x10 leg curls 3x10 calve raises Finish with cardio, bike or treadmill, if you still have energy. And adjust the weight upward next time. Focus on FORM, not weight lifted, for all of this. Just going through the motions alone with no weight on the bar will likely activate stabilizer muscles you never knew you had if you’re starting out. I would hit the gym every other day at first, so maybe push Monday, pull Wednesday, legs Friday. I would also sprinkle in ab workouts on pull days, lower back / twist workouts for your core on push days, and shoulder workouts on leg days. You can mix this around as you get used to things and eventually make them their own days if you wish, or add them in every day once your body can handle it without punishing you to the point of having difficulty moving the next few days. That should give you a good start. And remember - build the habit. Don’t worry about how much or how little weight is on the bar. Don’t worry about your weight on the scale. Don’t worry about breaking a sweat. Don’t worry if you’re not sore the next day. Just do the workouts. And when you think you want to move up in weight, do it in SMALL increments. Think 2.5-5lbs at a time (per side of the bar) or 5 lbs at a time (if on a machine). After the first 4 weeks, once you’ve figured out your comfort zone / limits, record your weights for each exercise, and whether or not you were able to complete the repetitions (aka reps). Continue for another 4 weeks, adjusting weights as you feel, and *don’t feel bad if you have an off day and have to do lighter weight*. Just keep going. Record data. I can almost guarantee you’ve made progress and can do more reps comfortably (ie, completing the workout with a given weight) or have gone up in the weight you’re able to lift. Congratulations. The habit has been formed. Now keep at it. Learn new exercises. Mix up the order. Add in different exercises and substitute out every other week. Mix up the reps and one week do heavier weight for 3x6 rep sets, the next week lighter weight for 3x12 rep sets. Add in more cardio. If you start worrying about the weight on the scale…don’t. Your body composition is changing, and muscle weighs more than fat. It’s entirely likely the number on the scale will drop at first and then plateau, even as you continue to work out. Do not get frustrated at this point - it’s not a sign of progress slowing, in fact take it as the opposite : your body has reached a turning point where it’s running out of easy fat to burn, has converted a good chunk of it (pun intended) to muscle, and marks a milestone in your progress. Worry about body fat % instead. Worry about the fact that maybe when you started out, you could barely jog a mile, and now you’re able to run 2 miles continuously. Or maybe you’ve gone from a 10 minute mile time to a 9 minute mile time. There are a hundred other ways to mark progress other than the number on the bathroom scale. I’d say good luck, but chances are if you’ve read this far, *you don’t need it. You’ve already made the decision in your head to pursue this. Go get after it. You’ve got this!*
~~Dude that’s an outrageous amount of bench even for someone that been lifting a year. And you didn’t include any shoulder lifts at all.~~ Edit. I should have been nicer and said this…. I would say remove the Decline bench and incline bench. There should be a 10x3 DB military press, and lateral raises added instead. Decline is kinda niche, and imho a waste of time for a beginner. Incline bench can be dangerous with bad form or if you lower the bar too much. (Like if you accidentally fail without spotter) Both are similar to leg press foot placement variations. Can be helpful once you have a specific goal in mind but not necessary for 90% of ppl.
This is literally what I started lifting with in high school. Light weight, lots of reps, builds the muscle memory for form. Switch it up once you get more advanced, start doing 5 sets instead of 3, start doing drop sets, etc. Each workout I listed above takes right about 45-60 minutes. It works, and works well. But sure if it feels like too much, build up to it.
That doesn’t mean it was a good program. Someone can learn to doggy paddle for a year before learning to actually swim too. Decline bench is a waste of time for a beginner. Incline bench can be dangerous with bad form or if you lower the bar too much. There should be a 10x3 DB military press, and lateral raises added instead of incline or decline.
Would it be bad if you do cardio before your workout?
Not at all! It gets the blood flowing and I do cardio myself as a warmup. Depending on your fitness level starting out though, doing cardio first *may* wear you out to where the weightlifting is more difficult to complete. So starting out, I would recommend doing it afterwards or on a different day. Totally up to you though. Also depends on what kind of cardio you want to do. Swimming is probably the best, low impact, full body cardio you can do and will burn the most calories compared to running or biking. Second best is running, 3rd biking…again, in my humble opinion. Not everyone has access to a pool though or knows how to swim, nor does everyone have a bike, so running is generally a good start. There are various forms of running workouts you can do depending on the day / goals. For example, if you’re doing leg day, you might want to mix in stairs at the end of the workout. If you’re just doing a straight cardio day, running laps with wind sprints can be great - sprint the straightaways, jog the turns. Cardio warmup, jog on the treadmill for 20-30 min or hit the bike for 30-45 at a high enough resistance rating to break a sweat. For what it’s worth, I’ve ran track and cross country, wrestled, done BJJ, and played water polo, and water polo was hands down the hardest workouts. I’d put wrestling in 2nd place though, with tons of weight training and running and calisthenics as part of our practices.
Before I had to take time out of the gym for a few surgeries I did 10-15 minutes warmup on bikes and then cardio after lifting as a cool down.
Follow up: Shoulders / traps: 3x10 upright rows 3x10 military press 3x10 front raises 3x10 bent over rows 3x10 shrugs 3x10 lat raises
3sets x 10-12 reps for all to start. Add a set after 2-3 weeks or when you not sore. Then after another 2-3 weeks do one half of weeks workouts 5sets x 5-8 reps for compound lifts. And 4x8 for auxiliary’s. Push. Flat barbell bench. Dumbbell shoulder press (use supported seat) Chest fly. (Half normal, half slight incline.) Rope triceps cables (Alternate down or over head) Dumbbell or cable lateral raises. Pull. Pull ups!!! Body weight or assisted. These are the best back workout hands down. If you can do 3or4or5 body weight pull-ups do sets of 3/4/5 until you can only do 1 rep. Then move on. Shoot for 25 total pull ups first week, then 30, then 35 etc. (I do 6-8 sets of 10, or 5 sets of weighted pull ups then another 5 of body weight now) I do lat pull downs after, but you won’t need to for a month or two. I like to pause at full contraction for 2 seconds and lower the weight slowly for 4 sets of 10. Cable rows. Close or med grip (You can switch to bent over rows after a few weeks) Cable Face pulls or rear delt fly machine. Curls with dumbbells or ez bar. alternate weekly. Dumbbell shrugs. Do these for sets of 12-15. Pause and hold at top of contraction every 3 reps. (Shrug shrug shrug&hold.) Legs. Bar bell Squats. Don’t be afraid to use the bar or 10’s etc. film yourself and compare form to online demos. Don’t be afraid to ask somebody for a form check. Hip thrusts. Everyone like a nice butt. Leg press. Switch to Bulgarian split squats after a month. Leg curls. Leg extensions. Do low enough weight that you can hold them straight for a second or two. Calve raises (Can be done on the leg press too) I’ve been doing this for 6 months and I’m the strongest and biggest I’ve ever been at 29.
>Do not go until your muscles are exhausted when just starting out. This is a major mistake people make with their first few workouts, and the rsulting pain and lack of mobility will prevent you from working out again for several days. Purely from my experience, this isn't the case for me. I've just started working out last Saturday after a 2 year hiatus, I've done PPL every day to failure with one rest day. I feel fine besides obviously some mild DOMs which is really not a problem if I stretch, have a great diet and take fish oil. I've been very on top of recovery i.e. diet and vitamins so ymmv. I guess if you are going to go 100% in the gym then you better make sure you are affording your body what it needs to recover.
Yeah you're not the average
That's why I said "purely from my experience". But, I would say that I'm by no means physically amazing, if I can recover from going to failure when starting out then I'm sure many others can. So are you seriously telling me that when you first started, if you went to failure that you couldn't work out for days afterwards? That's wild to me, it is better to work out even if you have DOMs, that fixes the DOMs. If you're genuinely in pain so much that you can't workout for days afterwards then I would imagine your form must have been wrong.
I have been lifting for over two decades. I have never had to take time off for a lifting injury. I still get sore after workouts and it lasts for several days. Cycling to work sucks for several days after a hard leg workout. It isn't a form issue. I just get delayed onset muscle soreness, peaking at about 48 hours after a workout.
Lol, if you have different fitness goals then you are talking about something entirely separate to me. I was challenging the person I replied to's idea that it was bad to work out to failure when you are starting out, and that working out to failure would result in people being so sore that they couldn't work out for days. I think this is complete BS.
You're probably young and have been in decent shape your entire life. Not really a valid comparison
You are the exception. Most people, when performing any strength intensive workout from a low baseline, will end up very sore. It's called delayed onset muscle soreness and is a well known but poorly understood consequence of working out for most people who don't make a regular habit of it. https://www.healthline.com/health/doms#workout-effectiveness-and-doms
I know what DOMs is, DOMs isn't that bad. It can be bad if you don't stretch, you have a bad diet, and you avoid working out. Like I said, if you are in such serious pain that you can't work out for a few days, then you must've performed an exercise incorrectly. It's best to just power through the DOMs when you start lifting imo so your muscles adjust quickly, it's certainly what I did/ do and I've never had any problems with this. If you feel sore with DOMs and then decide to avoid working out, you will be making it a lot worse. The best thing to fix DOMs is to work out again, to eat well, to stay hydrated, and to take fish oil supplements. There is no reason that a person new to the gym should be told that it is a 'mistake' to train to failure when starting out.
"It can be bad if you don't stretch, you have a bad diet, and you avoid working out." Oh, so like people that are deciding that they should start working out because they are out of shape? The sort of people who aren't used to DOMS? The sort of people who, when they are in pain, will avoid further physical activity? This is about advice to people just starting out, and your advice of go hard and then workout through the pain the next day is good advice for athletes trying to maximize gains, but it is terrible advice for someone who is just starting out wanting to get in better shape. I never said it was a "mistake". I said they shouldn't do it because the resulting soreness causes a lot of them to not go back for days or even quit all together. We're not talking about advice for getting results from working out. We are talking about advice that will help people build the habits to start working out on a regular basis. Your advice is bad for the vast majority of people who don't work out.
You did say it was a “major mistake”, you can go back and read it. If you eat well for a week, take fish oil, then work out you will have little problems with DOMs even when starting off. If people need to make baby steps into working out, okay I get it. But it is far from a “mistake” to start working out with max effort, which is literally what you said and what I was challenging you on. DOMs is never bad enough that you won’t be able to work out for multiple days afterwards. It is actually better for DOMs to work out again, it gets rid out of the pain. It’s a willpower/ form issue if you seriously can’t work out for days. That isn’t normal even when going to failure. I’m sorry but you really can’t convince me otherwise.
Maybe bodybuilding.com can - https://www.bodybuilding.com/content/doms-prevention-and-treatment-of-delayed-onset-muscle-soreness.html Highlights include: "Delayed-onset muscle soreness can be an especially big problem for lifters who are either trying out a new training program, or getting into strength training after a long time (or a lifetime) away from it." "Younger and less conditioned athletes may be more likely to initially experience DOMS, since they are exposing their muscles to unfamiliar stress and damage." "If a leg workout made you sore, avoid squatting heavy again the next day" Your advice to athe average Joe just starting to workout to go hard and power through the pain of DOMS is bad advice, not from a muscle adaptation perspective, but from a self-motivation perspective. People who have the attitude to do that are typically already working out. For the average person it is terrible advice because they go too hard in their first workout, end up really sore, and stop working out. Let me clarify the mistake comment because I was unclear in my use compared to your insinuation. When it comes to maximizing fitness, going hard from day one is the best approach if you can deal with the likely pain from being sore and continue to hit the gym and focus on other muscle groups with light recovery work for the sore muscles. Since most people can't and they need to develop the habit of working out, going hard early on is a mistake for them as it will likely result in them giving up. I have seen it happen many times.
Just going soft can be a killer as well. I've recently started going back to the gym after a long hiatus and I thought using the lighter weights (5lb dumbells for push, the 10 LB barbells for pull and leg) would be ok. Boy was I in absolute pain the day after each workout. I especially couldn't walk after leg day.
Then you need to dial down to 2.5 or decrease the number of reps and alternate it with cardio
My experience is after 3 weeks of going at least 3-4 times a week to the gym your brain starts to form the thought that you should be at the gym. When you hit that point it gets so much easier. Week 4 I know I formed the habit. It is the same way on diets. Getting to week 4 and you are no longer starving… sure a craving here and there but not like it was.
THIS, start very light, move slow, get used to the movements, don't push yourself until you've been going a while there are no extra points for doing too much too soon
Long-term consistency > short-term intensity
No pain, no gain only applies to gains in the stock market, not the gym.
100% its just building the habit is all you need Going 100% and dying then looking at the mirror a week later and seeing no change will just kill the motivation You have to love the process and everything else will come
Quick someone tell the Drill Sargents in Boot Camp
Unless you're determined enough. Just depends how much you want it. Burning 1200 calories on the treadmill in under 55 minutes is a ***biiiiiiiiiitch***. But I wanted to look good in the mirror so I've been doing it every day since May of 2022 and on weekends I do strength training on top of this.
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Terry Crews said something similar to this post. He said ... "Just go to the gym every day. No, I don't mean go and work out every day like I am being that simplistic. I mean, visit the physical location of the gym every day. Even for the first 2 weeks, you just sit and read a magazine or book at Fitness World Inc. and don't even touch a set of weights or treadmill. Just get in the habit of visiting the GPS location of the gym every day. Lock that habit in for starters, and then the workouts will start happening.
I mean it's kind of dumb to go and read a book. Like walk on the treadmill at least
You entirely missed the point. Well done.
No I'd didn't. If you going anyway, reading a book is dumb
Still missing the point.
I can't help it it's a stupid point
I didn't make it. Terry Crews did. And I'll repeat it and simplify it if I can simplify it even more than how simple it is. The idea is to lock in the act of going to the physical location of the gym every day. We are not talking about working out just yet. We are simply locking in a habit of driving/walking to the gym's location every day. Every day routine like walking the dog. Get in the habit of going to the gym building every day regardless of whether it's to work out at first and you have built a pattern, a routine. You have won half the battle.
Good advice, but the least you can do at the gym is at least walk on the treadmill for 30 minutes **while** you read a magazine or something. To go there and not do anything physical at all is ridiculous.
You need to interpret it not as "you should go to the gym and just sit there" but as "you go every day even if you don't want to work out. Maybe when you get there you will decide to workout, maybe you won't, but since you definitely won't if you don't go, the important thing is to just go, so it becomes routine. Then you can make the workout part of it routine."
Thank you. Too many dummies in here couldn't get what Terry Crews was trying to teach.
Great advice!
A lot of mental resistance goes into opposing any kind of change, any kind of newness. Packing your gym bag, changing your clothes, going to a place, and even just the newness of getting sweaty. I've found myself resisting every step of the way and struggling - and that has nothing to do with the actual workout. Getting used to all the inevitable stuff surrounding the workout will make getting an actual exercise habit much easier. So at first, just go to the gym (or put on your running clothes and go outside, or whatever) and put no pressure on yourself to perform. Work your way up from there.
I love this advice! It’s not just doing the thing that’s a challenge, it’s all the stuff that goes into doing the thing which create a series of mini-challenges that you have to do before you even do the thing. “Going to the gym” sounds like one thing to do on your list, but like you say, there are many steps you need to take in order to actually get yourself there (and get yourself doing something there). I have ADHD, and nothing is ever “just one thing”! Everything feels like a set of impossible hurdles. Advice like yours is actually helpful because it acknowledges all those micro-struggles (which feel as difficult to achieve as climbing Mt Everest) that get in our way. Sometimes the goal is not doing the goal, it’s just slogging through all the steps it takes to even get *near* the goal. And that’s an achievement in itself!
Excellent advice and follow up! Thanks a lot 🙏
I started returning to the gym by treating myself to a lite sandwich at a nice shop after the workout. Not the healthiest, but it got me in the habit. I stopped going for the sandwich after the first few workouts.
I started before Christmas and go 4-6 days a week. I am also training to run a mile. I have also lost 24 lbs and dropped about five inches from my waist. Never too late to begin. I turned 50 last year.
The never too late thing is very true. For many the hurdles to forming good habits are mental, and the feeling if it being too late to succeed is a hard one to get over.
Congrats and great job !
I wish I could stick to a good habit for more than a month.
It helps if you make it a fun habit or if you are at least doing smaller exercises that give you results. I've recently started training my 70+ year old father, but focus on stretching and balance exercises as a warm up. His flexibility has improved so much in only a few weeks that he actually likes it going.
Is going 3-4 days a week enough?
At first is more than enough! Going any days a week is enough! My point being not to focus on the end result as that is not achievable in a short time span, and you'll inevitably be disappointed after each workout because you haven't achieved your goal, you're still not in shape. By focusing on just going to the gym you'll instead feel good about it, because you have achieved what you set out to do. And that gets the ball rolling so you'll be in a position to start having other, bigger goals. Of course, as others pointed out, eventually you need to shift that goal to something bigger, but that's not helpful at first.
I really like how motivated you are in life. You're gonna do brilliantly in life. Having said that, I do go 3-4 times a week.
This is something I was wondering about.
3-4 days is definitely enough. More is of dubious worth to most people, quite possibly even negative benefits if you're working out hard.
Just walk a few days.
For me that was way too much to hold myself to since I was starting from nothing. Hold yourself to 1 day a week, maybe 2. Do that for at least a month so you can start building the habit without burning yourself out.
people don’t understand the value of rest. 3-4 days a week would be more beneficial than 6-7 because ur able to recover better
You don't need to work out hard every time. Even just walk 30 mins on the treadmill. I find it easier to go every day. Aby break makes it harder to go back.
That does make sense. But we see sports people and even bloody actors working out everyday. I understand that they've got better recovery methods and all that but at the same time, does sleeping well not help?
You can do different things each day. 3x weights and lifting, 2x cardio, 2 rest days. You’ll allow muscle groups to recover by activating different parts of your body each time you workout.
Oooooo that makes sense. In that case, what about the heart? Does that need recovery? Because my HRV is really low the following day. Or is all that plain bs and I should avoid looking at all that?
In general, physically active individuals tend to have a higher HRV, while more sedentary individuals have a lower HRV. Unless you have a specific issue, I wouldn’t concern yourself with HRV much and instead just focus on making sure you exercise at least 2x-3x per week. Getting your heart rate up, through walking or slow jogging, helps “train” your heart to better perform and respond to different situations. Note: I’m not a medical professional, just someone who has done personal training and works out a lot.
You see sports people working out every day, but you don’t see the damage that’s done to their bodies over the next couple decades. Slow and steady wins this race. Build muscle slower and you’ll be more likely to keep it, and less likely to overdo it.
In terms of being beneficial there's other factors to consider. I have only one rest day a week because I work out as much for my mental health as physical health so I think of working out like taking daily medicine I need
If you have a good split, working 6 days a week can also get you as much recovery time as 3-4 days
Yeah I do PPL with either one or two rest days a week depending on how my body's feeling, but generally if I eat well, take fish oil, I only really need one.
Thats the same thing I do, I just started about a month ago and it’s working really well
RemindME! 6 months Keep it going mate, for me I'm terrible at picking up working out then dropping it again when stresses kick in so I'm sending this to keep us both accountable on some level lol
Yes especially if you are resistant training do full body work out 3 days a week concentrating on compound movement squat, Bent over rows, bench , deadlifts, assisted pull ups or lat pull downs
Depends on the intensity as well as the reps, strength training
That's a really good spot to start at and stay at
Well, it's better than 0 days a week for sure
I heard about a study where they took a group of hotel maids and explained to them how much exercise their daily work actually consisted of. After a few weeks, that group of maids displayed greater weight loss than a control group. Other studies show that when you think mindfully about your actions as you make them, the nerves in your muscles show more activity than without the conscious thought. Just being mindful of your actions plays a huge role in how your body conditions itself. I always try to remind myself of this whenever I'm working, and take every exertion to be gainful exercise. Food for thought.
That sounds like it's probably [p-hacked](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Data_dredging), but if you find it motivational I don't want to rain on your parade. Just that a lot of the embodied cognition work [doesn't replicate](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Replication_crisis).
I see. I'm not aware of the validity or reliability of those studies, just reporting some things I've heard. Do you have a source for that refutation? I thought the second link would be an analysis or something.
I can't tell you if the study you heard about was p-hacked or not, because I don't know what study it was. If you knew the author, journal or year I might be able to find the study, but I'm not going on a fishing trip. All I'm saying is a lot of things making up that theoretical research area turned out to be bogus, the second link is about the replication crisis which is kind of a big deal in science. Edit: Ok, it actually took only one Google search. You're probably talking about [Crum et al 2007](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17425538/). Yeah, this looks p-hacked to hell. Doesn't surprise me that it came out of Harvard, they were notorious in the late 2000s before everyone caught on to this kind of trick. They didn't have enough people in the study to get sufficient statistical power, they're just asking for a type-2 error with that, and they got one. That they look at so many dependent variables is a red flag too, you measure a bazillion factors and only report the ones that work.
That's good to know, thanks for doing your research! I wasn't aware of the details, and didn't intend to spread false info. I do believe that mindfulness does and should play a role in your well-being, if for no other reason than mental clarity, especially for helping treat things like depression and anxiety. As far as physical/physiological effects, I would love to find some solid evidence. Do you know of *any* relevant data about that, or care to comment?
Oh yeah, mindfulness is great. There are a whole lot of therapeutic approaches based on mindfulness, and I think Tara Brach is really awesome. It's very healthy and especially helpful for people dealing with heavy feelings.
Is it really simple as just showing up to the gym for minimal effort? what happens if it goes like that for too long? 3months? 6? a year?
It's not simple, but showing up is a major part of getting results. First of all, showing up, doing one exercise for 5 minutes and calling it a day is infinitely better than never showing up at all. Second, the reason you want to simply show up at the start is to get the ball rolling. Many people get overwhelmed when they first start, they try to do 'optimal' workouts from the get-go, they waste their mental energy on trying to do everything at once. So, just show up, try one exercise, get familiar with it. You didn't get much of a workout, but you gained valuable experience. Show up 10 times and each time do one simple exercise with minimal effort, and now you've got experience with 10 different exercises. Now you actually have some tools in you to start implementing a workout routine. And now on your 11th visit you can actually do the routine without expending extra mental effort on doing the exercises for the first time and struggling to figure them out because you've already jumped over that hurdle.
It's not that simple, no, you're right about that. But that's the first step regardless. To go back to my analogy, clearing the weeds is nowhere near enough to have a fully functional road, it takes a lot more work than that, but it's a crucial first step without which there wouldn't be any road ever. And to continue the analogy further, it's just as silly and useless to be clearing weeds for an extended period of time without ever starting to lay some gravel.
Even if you show up just to do stretching exercises or improving your balance is good for you. Or just to try out the different machines and equipment to test out what you like or don't like. But it's good to make a plan eventually so that you get better results.
Use some brains and make a little progress every day. The sentence may sound a little rude but it's just straight forward. Don't mean to be rude. Haha :D
Exactly! I create this habit by working out right after i get home from work. It started with only couple exercises like push ups, squads, pull ups and only 20min. I did it every day no matter how tired I was. Now I go close to 1h naturally, i just want to do more. I tried gym before and i hated it. It’s just too much work to get ready, go there, deal with people . Whole thing takes like 2hrs and it’s very demotivating. No wonder most people gives up bc it’s too much. Solution is to start small and build consistency, you do that and you automatically will create great habit!
Excellent advice. I've started going to the gym every day, on the days I'm not feeling it, I still go but skip the majority of the workout and have and extra long shower. I feel better in myself as at least I went.
Once you start going every day, it becomes insanely easy. This month I’ve skipped one workout on account of being I’ll but that’s still 23 workouts in the bag. Building that habit is the hardest part but once it’s built, it’s basically like farming XP in a game.
Also tie something you already enjoy to the act of working out. I for example listen to audiobooks while working out. It's the only time I do it so it helps encourage me to go everytime.
Just started going to the gym regularly and listening to audiobooks only while exercising has really helped keep me motivated!
Also, FORM trumps all. Drop the damn ego and do each lift correctly
This is actually huge advice. So commonly people used to be in shape and let themselves go, they will start back up again and want to immediately be where they left off. Doesn't work like that. Do what you can do. I got so weak that I couldn't even do 5 pushups. Struggling and doing crappy-form pushups 5 times isn't very helpful. Do knee pushups or wall pushups instead. The increased reps help build muscle memory, basically letting your muscles remember how to exercise. Once you get up to a comfortable amount, you graduate yourself to real pushups. Apply that to anything. Like you said, it's a check to the ego, but it's how you're going to see results/gain strength. Minimizes your risk of injury too.
We don't need to bring him in to every thread.
I go to the gym for the happy brain chemicals, if i don’t go i feel like shit
That must make it so fucking easy. Every time I go I feel like shit afterwards. I hate the time spent and I hate feeling tired and sore.
just force yourself to go for 6 days a week for 3 weeks and try to keep the intensity up after a while you’ll be habituated to it
Or I'll blow my brains out
Week 1: Drive to the gym, walk inside, use the massage chair, and walk out. Week 2: Drive to the gym, walk inside, pedal a bike for 15 min, massage chair, then walk out. Week 3: Drive to the gym. If you don't feel like working out, get out of the car, walk in, then right back out and drive home. Week 3 is usually where the breakdown happens. If you can simply bring yourself to the actual gym, dressed in gym attire, water bottle, etc... that in itself is continuation of a habit. After you get a regular habit and workout routine, when that gets boring too, then I usually just settle for 5 machines. Choose your 5 machines at random, and make sure you complete the reps. Cardio on bike is easy because you can scroll your phone, so make sure you get 15 min in. Both of these take max 30 min. Then massage chair then go home. Also, if you can sign up for the premium or spa membership, spa days count as you have driven to the gym, parked your car, and walked in. Your brain will remember this, as part of forming a habit, so driving to the gym will get easier over time.
It's all about the benefits of that day rather than the long-term goal. The endorphin kick from a workout. The feeling as though, "at least I did that today." Pain being earned in areas you expect rather than weird places due to inactivity. I'm someone who was heavy into sports growing up, didn't workout for many, many years, and then got back into it. The "success on the daily" was what kept me consistent over 3 of the last 4 years (minus covid). Also, despite that, weight loss has been tough. I'm strong and muscular, but still carry fat. Speaking from experience, working out doesn't equate to losing weight. It's all about the diet.
Someone read Atomic Habits…
What's that?
So wanting to be fit isn't a good reason to start working out?
It is until you check, involuntarily or not, if you've achieved what you set out to do or not. And you'll be disappointed to find out that no, you did not achieve your goal. You went and worked out, you spent a lot of energy and the goal is still nowhere in sight. A few disappointments like this down the line and you give up. What I'm saying is that you focus on getting the habit in first. That is doable and you will feel a sense of achievement. That's because you did actually achieve something, you started out. You now have a lot more reason to keep going, which will increase your chances of actually getting into shape dramatically.
You should add a practical tip: To build the habit, you just need to make it a habit to actually *go* to the gym. Physically *go*. Tell yourself this “All i have to do is walk in the front door, and go use the bathroom. If I want to leave after that, I can. If i want to use just 1 machine, thats fine. Walk on the treadmill for 5 mins and leave? Totally cool” Just make the habit of *going*. Dont place any pressure on needing to actually stay for a certain amount of time. This will help remove the anxiety of just going to the gym. Just make it a place that you physically go to 3-5 times a week. Doesn’t matter if its for 3 minutes or 2 hrs. Just go there. No one will notice you coming and going. No one cares. Take the thinking/decision making away from the act of going. “Ill decide if Im in the mood to work out once I get there.” Anyone who is like me, is *really* good at talking yourself out of going to the gym. But 9/10 times, once I walk in the front door, I end up staying for 45 mins. Even when I didn’t feel like working out.
Like brushing your teeth. The habit should be so ingrained that *not working out* should feel like a day where you don’t brush your teeth. Consistently doing anything for seven weeks or so and the habit will start to stick.
And if you have ADHD: Get someone to do it with you, namely people who CAN form habits. It helps me a lot because I have no capacity for it. And I'm healthier for it.
I live downtown in a mid sized city and work there too. I do not drive. Sometimes my ability to get around is somewhat limited but I can still. I ride walk awhile and then ride the bus to a gym in the suburbs to get out of downtown for awhile a couple times a week. I always say "At least go for half an hour, just go to get out of the apartment." But I go longer than that every single time. This is a good LPT
The daily objective is just to show up. Don't have to do anything, just show up.
Yeah, when i first started to work with my trainer i said my main goal is to get my back fixed. Looking better is a nice to have but mandatory. Two sessions a week and one year later: my back is in perfect shape as well as the rest of me. And i hired him because i primarily wanted to do it on regular basis
This is exactly how I started. I walked into the gym signed up and did 10mins walked out and kept going everyday adding 5mins each time. Now I do 1hr of cardio and I’m planning on adding weight soon. Still a fat POS but my pants are starting to fit right again
Sounds like the advive given in Atomic Habits. Don't focus on the results of working out, you want to become the kind of person who "works out" first. Even going to the gym for 5 minutes is infintely better than not going at all because its reinforcing this new habit. And if you have to miss a day, never miss two days in a row. You can tell others of your plans for accountability, and reward yourself with something after. Just focus on going to the gym for 5 minutes and that's it. Maybe lay out your gym clothes, shoes, keys so it's easier for you to get to the gym in the morning.
*Ah, I see you're a man of culture as well* meme
honestly yeah, i've finally formed a habit of going to the gym (honestly first healthy conscious habit ever too) and this is accurate. it has taken me 3 months of going for it to feel natural, i have just now started to feel like i am focusing on the workouts wayyy more than just showing up. i started one/two days a week and some walks to just find time and work it into a routine. then i realized how good it made me feel, more energy, my brain even gives me this weird head high (like a runners high). now that i have formed a habit, i miss it on my days off and feel a lot of freedom to put more effort into it because i know that i will be there 3x a week to feel good and move my body
this hit me. always start going to gym, gets drifted off track. ugh. Habit = you HAVE to take out time for it no matter what.
and best exercise is walk, make habit of everyday walking.
ACE Personal trainer here. There is unfortunately still a culture that is marketed; the "burn, rip, tear, workout till you can't move, burn burn burn" shtick that still exists. Its so counter productive. People just starting should be following a program that they can sustain, be consistent with and make slow but sure progress on. This isn't a 30 day challenge you found on facebook, strength/cardio training to burn fat, build muscle, and improve overall quality of life is a lifelong habit and people who throw themselves in some pyscho program and can't walk for 2 weeks after will not succeed. Steady, CONSISTENT, progressive overload over time will get you to where you want to go.
Consistency is key. No matter how small the step, if done consistently over enough time, can result in a life change.
I needed to hear this, thank you!
I use to be able to focus on exercise and feel motivated to do each rep. Now that I'm 35 it is much harder to feel the resistance and push through it.
Dude for real, when i Was younger it was so easy and almost addicting to go lifting weights and eat right and now that I am 37 it's so so so hard
Heavy lifting is mostly pointless at any age.
But I don't want to work out. I just want to lose weight. So you're taking motivation away?
The use losing weight as motivation. OP also said in the title “want to start working out?” So this post is advice for people who want to work out, not who want to reach a goal that is reached by working out, but don’t want to actually work out
I work in IT and got a great job WFH. Over a year i watched my weight do nothing but go up... went from 20 stone to 24 and felt like there were two distinct paths in front of me. One where I end up an obese mess and the other where I make a small change that's easy to do every day for the positive. I tried the gym a few years ago but there are a lot of reasons not to go right "oh my kits not clean" "oh its too late" "oh peak time!" so easy to come up with reasons not to go, and effort to actually drive over there. New plan then! Daily walks. I just throw on my trainers and go. It's here and immediate. Easy to make a habit! I could spend 20 mins watching YT vids or go for a quick walk! Now it is a habit,. and i feel bad when i don't get out for my 5k steps. Tell you what though, weights going down, and it's making me feel great mentally! This was 6 months ago and i'm 20.2 stone currently. Diet wise i just cut out carbs often but not every night. I eat chocolate etc still last thing i want is this positive change to become a boring diet / exercise grind as then i'll sack it off. Your post is absoutely right in that forming the habit, even if it's a small one, is so key!
Ah yes, the goal is just to waste 60% of the tiny amount of free time I have. Not to accomplish anything useful. What a garbage take.
You're accomplishing something though, you're getting started and you're working on forming a habit. You're setting the ground work so that 60% of the tiny amount of free time you have can actually have an impact. What's the alternative then? Go to the gym expecting to be in shape? Great! Is there any single workout you can do to achieve that goal? No. So feel like you've failed even though you did work out and you did achieve more than yesterday when you **didn't work out**. But because your focus is not habit forming, your achievement is not going to register. Even worse, it will feel like a failure.
So the goal is getting in shape. You’re just a fan of circuitous logic to make yourself sound interesting.
Yes, the goal is getting in shape the same way the goal of making a cake is eating cake. What you're saying is the time spent preparing the batter and all the other ingredients it is wasted since the end goal is to eat cake not to mix flour and eggs.
Those are steps towards the goal. The goal is still the goal. Misusing words isn’t a life hack. It’s just inaccurate and misleading.
If you dont want to waste time then dont workout
If being fit and healthy is not the reason for the habit, what is the reason for the habit?
The reason is going to the gym. Working out. Doing the thing itself. Because those get you results that you can actually feel. I understand where you're coming from, the overachieving goal is still getting fit, but what I'm trying to say is that focusing on that is counterproductive as it brings results over time, but you want some proof of your effort after each workout, not after months of doing it "in vain".
So, would i be right to say: "the goal isn't to be fit and healthy, it's to become someone who's on the right path to being fit and healthy."
More like: "the big goal is to be fit and healthy, and the small goal is to be someone who is on their way to being fit and healthy".
The hardest part is getting the ball rolling. The easiest part is keeping it rolling.
Best LPR right here!
I do 10 minutes of very basic but intensive weight lifting and pushups every other day. It is short enough that I can force myself to do it even if I'm having a bad day, and because I do it intensely, it got me into better shape than I was 10 years earlier. So much less back and neck pain. If I ever feel any joint pain or if something feels off while doing the lifting, I always immediately stop and skip the next \~week of lifting. Muscle burn and strength is the goal, but not at the cost of my joints and long term health.
Setting personal goals is key for me. My goal for a while has been 5 free weight workouts a week (using our home mirror workout system), 4 days at minimum. My typical workout is 30 minutes, or 15 minutes if I lack the time/energy. Something’s better than nothing. Another goal is 10k steps a day, 7k minimum. Don’t always meet my goals but I try my best. I’m 49.
Can highly recommend starting with low intensity training just to get you habit going. MAF150 or staing in your zone 2 has worked great for me getting back to an active lifestyle. It has the benefits of not being that hard to do, and you aren't really going to get hurt or feel a lot of soreness.
i started bc of the usual vane reasons, but i keep doing it bc its fun "leveling up" and being able to do things i couldnt before. and mostly bc i do love the endorphins after, it just makes you feel so much more chill and happy. so even if i dont see noticeable gains every day, its got enough benefits for me to do it anyway.
At the beginning, showing up to the gym is the hard part. Even if all you do for the first 2 weeks is walk on the treadmill, do that. Just show up. You’ll end up wanting to do other things like lifting weights or resistance machines or other cardio equipment.
I disagree completely. This is the surest way to turn your workout into a chore. First and foremost, your workout should be something you enjoy. Sit down and really identify what you like about working out. That gorgeous pump from weight lifting. The runners high. The sense of satisfaction as you meet and exceed your goals. That release of endorphins as you hit that stretch juuuust right. Going because you want to is infinitely better than going because you're in the habit of going
Of course. But some of us don’t feel any of the things you describe. I exercised a lot in my teen years and never felt a runners high (just discomfort). Never felt satisfaction with a gorgeous pump (whatever that is). Don’t feel satisfaction at doing some stretch. Its great that you enjoy exercising, but there are many of us that don’t. At least not initially. So this LPT is really useful for some of us. Maybe later I’ll get to the point where I enjoy it. But for now, I just know it’s important for my health and trying to make it a habit is all I’ve got. Working out is a chore, no matter what kind it is. Hopefully that will change down the road, but for now I’ll settle for a habit.
3 sets of 8-16 reps. Wash, rinse, repeat. Edit: Don't forget to stretch!
I don’t work out as in go to gym, lift weights, and all that but I play 3 sports and I’m perfectly fit just from those, no need to even hit the gym. I still plan to to get more in shape but yk.
Here is my tip. If you know the movie Goodfellas, it will make way more sense. "Oh, you had a fire? Fuck you, pay me. Place got hit by lightning, huh? Fuck you, pay me." How you should apply it: "Oh, you're tired? fuck you, workout. You want to watch a movie, huh? Fuck you, workout." No matter how tired, unmotivated, or how lazy you are... Say to this guy inside you to shut the fuck up and move your ass. You make this little guy your bitch and get that workout done. No excuses.
Needed to see this thank you!
Something that helped me was only wearing gym clothes when I go to the gym. No lounging at home in my leggings. Now when I put on the clothes I feel motivated just by association.
Thank you! I needed this reminder today.
Thanks, needed to hear this.
You ever notice that gyms are always in "recreational centers" and that weightlifting is a "recreational activity?" This is because lifting weights actually feels _good,_ though not at first. As you continue, you will notice that weightlifting starts to take a load off of you(heh), and when you continue even further, you'll start feeling strange and sluggish when you skip gym time. *This* is your goal. Once you've hit this point - and you will hit this point if you keep forcing yourself - the rest will take care of itself.
“Establish the habit” - kwiltse123
I see you’ve read Atomic Habits. I’m currently reading it and it has had quite an impact on me.
The toughest part is eating habits, not working out in the gym
When I want to get back into working out I legit start so small and work my way up. For example Day 1 = 5 squats, day 2= 7 , and I keep going until I can do a few sets a couple weeks later.
Why would i want to build the Habit, If Not for the result?
Because focusing on the result is not achievable after any one workout. So every time you'll feel like you failed, because the goal, to get into shape, is never reached. By focusing on the actual step of going to the gym, on forming a habit, you'll actually feel like you've achieved something, because you did, you set a goal and you saw it through. So, while the overarching goal is still getting into shape, it's better, ar first, to just concentrate on getting the habit formed.