Gym nerves

DubbleFUPAwitCheez · 2019-06-04T19:08:35+00:00

One of those roid monkeys would probably be more than happy to give you advice and maybe even take you under their wing. You'll certainly get more detailed advice than you will here. I've been approached many times by young men in the gym asking me advice and I haven't turned em down once. If they do react negatively it's a them problem, not you; go ask someone else.

Steve_rebooting · 2019-06-04T19:05:12+00:00

That super jacked guy that intimidates you.... He started where you are at one time. Don't use it as intimidation but motivation as to what you can accomplish.

*Disclaimer - many people are on some type of testosterone, so don't always assume a great body was built naturally. Just keep your goal in sight and move forward with it*

Stick to a compound lift program (like stronglifts mentioned above/below) - Learn how to do the compound lifts properly (deadlift, squat, benchpress, overhead press) - Get your trainer to teach you these; Ensure you tell him that you specifically want help with those lifts and you don't need some weird circuit training regime from him. Not all trainers are made equally and the guy you got might focus on something different. Try to find a powerlifter to train you

effyouasshole · 2019-06-04T18:51:26+00:00

Look into the StrongLifts 5x5 program. That's an excellent beginner program that focuses on squats, bench press, deadlifts, overhead press, and rows. The website has videos demonstrating how each exercise is done, and there's a clear explanation on how progression occurs. There's also a free phone app to help track your progress.

Getting a trainer is an option, but the down side is cost. They're not cheap. If you're motivated and focused, you should be able to figure out enough on your own to get started.

rpsheepdog · 2019-06-04T19:24:08+00:00

If it's an actual PL gym like you're saying, then most of the people there are there to get in and get after it, not dick around with pointless gym stuff. They will Probably be helpful if you're legitimately about getting stronger and bigger, but only if you are genuine with your questions and not trying to be buddy/buddy. I would also limit questions about help to one or two per gym session. Also, come in with a definite goal (not some lofty shit).

"hey man" I'm new to this, but really want to get a decent bench/squat/dead and tell me if im doing *insert a cue you've already researched and know to look for"

acp_rdit · 2019-06-04T19:16:46+00:00

pay for an hour of two of trainer time to get you started with a routine, the gym front desk might have in-house trainers or at least they will have some contacts

not cheap but worth it so you have someone to demonstrate the motions and watch you so you don't fuck yourself up for life doing things wrong

you got one set of knees and one back

SeasonedRP · 2019-06-04T20:24:57+00:00

Wait to be contacted and go from there. If this is a real PL gym and someone is training you, do as you're told and don't get on here asking questions about 5x5 or whatever the program du jour is being better or dumbass stuff like that. Don't call people "roided guys." Conduct yourself in a respectful manner and people there will be respectful to you. And if this is a real PL gym, and someone is going to train you, you have an opportunity almost no one on here has and that is to learn proper technique. Almost nobody other than good competitive powerlifters has good technique. Learn from them.

GirTheRobot · 2019-06-04T20:32:00+00:00

When I first started out I had a buddy show me some exercises. Even if I didn't have him, I used bodybuilding.com and some of their lists. For instance, if you're looking to do an arm day, look at one of their arm day routines. They'll have a list of all the exercises and videos of how to do them with proper form. Take your time--practice makes perfect.

I've been doing it for a couple years and I still occasionally hop on a new machine I've never used before. I sit there and read the instructions on it, fiddle with the different settings, scratch my head when it doesn't seem to work how I think it should...re-read instructions. It's okay to not know how any of that stuff works.

But hey dude my biggest advice is your fucking nutrition. Take it from me I made that mistake. You need a caloric surplus and you need 1-1.2g of protein/lb of body weight otherwise you will NOT get any gains. I stayed the same weight for about a year and a half because I didn't follow these rules. Now I'm at about 157lb, eat 2500 calories/day and a good 160g of protein and I'm finally gaining weight (used to hover around 153). You don't want to waste your time like I did.

And also get on some program and stick with it. PHUL, 5x5, 531, whatever--I'm sure anything is fine. The program you look at it will tell you how to do those moves with proper form, too.

into_being · 2019-06-04T22:08:10+00:00

Do some research on proper lifts (squat, bench, deadlift, press). "Starting strength" by Rippetoe is a good but comprehensive start for technique, etc. He probably has some old videos. There's plenty of other how-to videos online. No shame in watching them on your phone prior to lifting or in between sets.

Stronglifts 5x5 or 3x5 are good linear progressions for starting out up to about the 6 month plateau. You'll need to switch it up... eventually.

I agree with much of the advice here. Go in humble like in your post. Be willing to fuck up and look stupid and ask questions. That's what being new looks like. Everyone's been there and plenty want to share the things they've learned. If there's a dude who clearly knows what he's doing, and not totally 'in the zone', tell him your brand new and ask if he could watch you lift and give you some pointers.

Most meatheads love the opportunity to critique and give feedback. It's validating. It's not always useful (broscience), but it helps build perspective.

Ideally you can find a gym-buddy with around the same experience level to help out with spotting/loading/unloading. The accountability and camaraderie can be very helpful.

Also, keep a log. It's great to look back in 1, 5, 10 years and see how far you've come.

SalporinRP · 2019-06-04T22:40:01+00:00

From my experience the nicest people at the gym were the huge powerlifters.

Just go up to one of them when he's not looking busy and ask for his advice. Say you are just starting off lifting and that you want to build a solid base of strength but don't know where to start. I'm sure they'd be happy to help.

I'd be happy to give you some advice as someone who's been lifting for 7-8 years. A few things I want to ask first:

What are your current body statistics? Height, weight, bf% (rough estimate)
What is your goal in mind in terms of lifting? Pure aesthetics? Pure Strength? Good mixture of both?
How many days a week are you free to work out?

So now I'm going to give you some advice regarding starting out:

Follow a beginner lifting program. There are tons online. A lot of people recommend stronglifts. There is an app for it so it is easy to track your lifts.
Don't worry about feeling like a pussy or whatever for lifting low weight. Focus on your form. You can find video examples of every single lift on youtube.
Eat a high protein diet. I don't know if you're skinny or fat but eating a ton of protein is essential either way. Eggs, chicken, beef, turkey, etc. Get some whey protein online/from your local supplement store and drink a shake after every workout.
Starting out you will be sore. Very sore. Deadlifting will make you feel like a grandpa the next morning. But just stick with it and push through.
STRETCH. I cannot emphasize this enough. Before your lift do active stretches. Active stretches are stretches where you are moving. After your lift do static stretches. Static stretches are the stretches where you hold in a certain position and feel the burn. Stretching will help with recovery and flexibility. Improving my ankle and hip flexibility helped me improve my squat/deadlift almost as much as gaining muscle did.

TheDero · 2019-06-04T23:27:29+00:00

This was literally me 1.5 yrs ago. I could see myself making the same xact post.

None of the guys would give you shit for wanting to get your body into shape. They'd probably all be more than happy to help you as well. You're overthinking it man, lol.

Ripped dudes /= dickheads

Get in there and start training and enjoy yourself.

boy_named_su · 2019-06-05T00:17:13+00:00

just start with https://stronglifts.com/5x5/ . It's very simple.

Make sure you watch the form videos for each lift, such as https://stronglifts.com/squat/

Go to the doctor and get a blood test for your vitamins, minerals, hormones, and fix any deficiencies.

You want to figure out your total daily energy expenditure and add 200. There are calculators online

Eat enough protein, as per https://examine.com/nutrition/how-much-protein-do-you-need/

Red_Pill_Brotherhood · 2019-06-05T00:21:54+00:00

Start with a program like 5x5 since you're a beginner. Read "Starting Strength" by Mark Rippetoe. Eat right, be consistent in their and focus your training around bench, squat and deadlift as a beginner. Don't be nervous or whatever. All those guys started somewhere. Respect to you for getting started!

mallardcove · 2019-06-04T20:00:42+00:00

Most advanced lifters are too focused on their own workouts to give a shit about anyone else.

The only way you will draw negative attention is if you are ego lifting and/or doing lifts with shitty form.

AceMav21 · 2019-06-05T00:10:14+00:00

Go to the back locker room guy ask about the good stuff

Title	Gym nerves
Author	Sexy_Serratus
Upvotes	10
Comments	31
Date	June 4, 2019 6:45 PM UTC (7 years ago)
Subreddit	Posted in /r/askTRP
Original Link	https://old.reddit.com/r/asktrp/comments/bwscy7/gym_nerves/
Archive Link	https://theredarchive.com/r/askTRP/gym-nerves.241264 https://theredarchive.com/post/241264

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