Gentlemen. As you know, lifting is a huge part of the RP mentality. It's good for you, you look better, you feel better, you can kick ass if need be, people respect you more, and you're generally more of a badass.

HOWEVER, nothing is worse than the guys who lift like pussies. And I don't mean light weight, you've gotta start somewhere and people will respect you more than you think for actually getting to the gym. Owning that you're weak because you're just starting out is a great way to start garnering respect (i.e. asking for a spot or for help on a lift you aren't really comfortable with. most guys will gladly help if you ask). What I'm talking about is the assholes. If you've been in the gym more than once or twice, you've seen guys who curl in the squat rack, guys who use the vagina tightening machine, guys who brag about squatting 500 pounds but only move about 3 inches, guys always talking about the latest supplement but never seeing any gains, etc. You know what I'm talking about. I'm here to tell you to not be That Guy, and give you some pointers on how to do it.

  1. Curling in the squat rack. Jesus. Don't do it. You should never do upper-body stuff in the squat rack, and rarely in the olympic rack (high pulls, bent-over barbell rows, etc.). Also, priority of the SQUAT racks goes to the guys who are SQUATTING, and priority of the olympic racks go to the guys doing the OLYMPIC lifts (also the deadlift). This really applies to all lifts/racks/machines. On that note, free weights are better than machines 90% of the time, especially for beginning lifters.

  2. In all lifts, and especially the squat, start light. Don't give in to your douchebag friends bragging that they squat more than you. They probably have never hit depth. Starting light allows you to make sure you're doing it right. Nothing makes strong guys in the gym lose respect for you faster than a shitty squat depth. Don't forcibly add weight to your lifts until you can do the weight you're at now correctly. Slow progression is like building a pyramid. Sure, you aren't getting there the fastest, but you'll be there the longest and the most stable. For example, I started programming hang cleans about 6 months ago (I've been lifting consistently for 2 years and I was waiting to program them until I could bench more than my body weight and squat twice my body weight.) and I haven't added any weight more than once per month because I haven't let myself go up until I can do the weight with good form. That's the mentality you should always have. Quality over quantity. Always.

  3. Supplements. You shouldn't be taking supplements until you're eating 6 meals a day. I mean 6 FULL meals. Check the comments for my eating schedule. THE MOST you should be taking is protein, and maybe creatine if you feel like getting weird.

When it really comes down to it guys, if you're going to the gym regularly for the first time in your life, good for you. Most committed lifters will actually help you. They may look intimidating, but those who are actually strong (and the ones you want to listen to) will be very willing to help as long as you aren't an asshole. In my experience, the more "underground" the gym is, the more you'll have to earn the respect of the members, but the more help you'll get when you prove that you're serious.

TL;DR: Pick up a lot of heavy shit and eat a lot of dead shit.