Lifting into the new year: a beginner’s guide to weightlifting 

As the new year rolls in, many beginners flock to gyms with hopes to transform their fitness and wellbeing. For those exploring the world of weightlifting, the gym can seem overwhelming. Rows of heavy dumbbells, loud music, and experienced bodybuilders can easily create an intimidating atmosphere. This step-by-step guide is here to help simplify your fitness journey and make your experience easier. 

Setting clear, achievable goals ensures your workouts have a direction

Step 1: set realistic, attainable goals
Begin by figuring out what you want to achieve in the gym, whether your goal is increasing your strength, endurance, or building muscles. Setting clear, achievable goals ensures your workouts have a direction. Avoid setting vague goals like ‘getting in shape’ and instead aim for something measurable, such as: 

• Lifting a certain weight in six months 
• Increasing muscle mass in quads by 5% 
• Perfecting the form of three different exercises in three months 

Within your first week in the gym, test out a variety of machines or free weight exercises. Then, pick the ones you enjoy the most that align with your fitness goals. Following this, choose a workout split to ensure that you are not overworking your muscles and training different muscle groups on different days. Common workout splits include:

• Push (chest, triceps, shoulders), pull (back, biceps), legs (quads, hamstrings, glutes, calves) – each muscle group trained two times per week with one rest day of your choice
• Full-body – works all major muscle groups in each session, typically done two-four times per week 
• Upper body, lower body – alternates between upper-body and lower-body workouts

Step 2: focus on the basics
Before diving into heavy-weight and complicated exercises make sure to prioritise learning proper form. Improper form not only limits progress but also risks injury. Start with bodyweight exercises or light weights to build a foundation. Key movements to master may include:

• Squat variations: builds lower-body strength and core stability
• Bench press: develops upper body, for your push days 
• Lat pulldown/rows: builds back and biceps 

Step 3: pace yourself and stay consistent
It’s tempting to go all-in during the first few weeks of lifting, but consistency is more important than intensity. Don’t overload your muscles too fast or you risk injury, and most importantly, don’t fall into the trap of ego lifting. A beginner programme should look like this:

• Frequency: two-four sessions per week 
• Duration: 45-60 minutes, including warm-up and cool-down 
• Volume: 8-12 reps per set, two-four sets per exercise 

Progress slowly, increasing weights or reps only when you can maintain proper form throughout the movement. 

Step 4: recognise the importance of warm-ups and recovery
Skipping warm-ups is a common mistake that makes you more prone to injury. Start with five-ten minutes of light cardio and dynamic stretches to prepare your body for exercise. Recovery is equally as important – your muscles grow when they repair themselves, so give yourself enough rest between workouts. 

Step 5: fuel with proper nutrition
To support muscle growth and recovery, focus on building your meals around a protein source. However, don’t overdo it – you will still see progress without chugging dozens of eggs every night.

Try to see it as time you take out of your day to better your health, strength, and wellbeing

Step 6: embrace the process
For some people, exercise may seem like a chore, but once you start embracing and trusting the process you’ll find yourself actually looking forward to going to the gym. Try to see it as time you take out of your day to better your health, strength, and wellbeing. This will make being consistent easier. Results take time, so be patient and avoid comparing yourself to seasoned lifters – they were once beginners too. Focus on your own journey, celebrate your progress, and remember that consistency is key. 

Additional tips:

• Find a gym buddy 
• Figure out what genre of music makes you push harder 
• Get yourself some cute gym clothes 
• Find influencers on social media who inspire you – they’ll also give you tips on form, ideas for exercises, and meal inspiration

As you embark on this new chapter, embrace the challenges and enjoy the process of becoming healthier, stronger and more confident. Happy New Year and happy lifting!