How to Gym: A Beginner’s Guide to Not Freaking Out on Day One

31 May

Hey there, beginner — welcome to our blog!

Starting your strength training journey can feel a bit intimidating, especially if you’re new to the gym. But don’t worry — we’ve got your back.

This guide is here to give you the knowledge, tools, and confidence to get started. We’ll walk you through everything from building the right mindset and creating consistent habits, to common mistakes to avoid — and we’ll even throw in a sample workout to help you hit the ground running!

Mindset matters

Let’s start with the most important piece of the puzzle: your mindset.

After years of working with clients, I’ve noticed one factor that consistently determines success — and it’s not the perfect training plan, flawless diet, or even skipping leg day (though, let’s be honest, that one does sting).

It’s mindset.

That’s not to say the other pieces don’t matter — they absolutely do. But without the right mindset, your chances of long-term success drop dramatically.

Before you begin this journey, take a moment to think about who you want to become through this process, and why it matters to you.

We all get bursts of motivation — those dopamine-fueled surges that make us excited to start something new. But motivation fades. Staying committed? That takes something deeper. That’s where your why comes in.

Your reason doesn’t have to be big or dramatic. It just has to be meaningful to you. These small, personal reasons are what keep you showing up when motivation runs out. And that’s where discipline is born — and discipline, unlike motivation, is what leads to results.

So, before your first session, ask yourself: Why do I want this? Dig a little deeper. Find your why.

(Yeah… that got deep. But it’s worth it.)

5 non-negotiables

Next, let’s look at non-negotiables when starting your gym journey. Steer away from these and say goodbye to your journey. No, seriously, this stuff is important!

Start gradually

When you start this journey, adopt the mindset that you’re here to learn. This isn’t a sprint — it’s a marathon (although, technically, you could do both since it’s about fitness, but you get the idea).

Focus on mastering the basics first (we’ll cover those later) before moving on to more advanced moves. Too often, people jump into complicated exercises on day one because they look impressive — but they completely skip the fundamentals. Don’t be that person. Build a strong foundation, and everything else will follow.

2. Be consistent

"Success is nothing more than a few simple disciplines, practised every day." — Jim Rohn

3. Prioritise form over anything else

Prioritise quality over quantity. Learn to do the exercises the right way and don’t ever compromise technique.

4. Be Patient

Building strength and fitness takes time. Don't get discouraged if you don't see results immediately. Stay consistent with your training, and the progress will follow.

5. Leave your ego at the door

Oh boy, this one’s important.

You’ve probably seen your fair share of gym fail videos (and if you haven’t — honestly, well done). Most of the time, it’s someone making a total fool of themselves because they couldn’t keep their ego in check. They lifted more weight than they could safely handle just to impress others. They ignored proper form because they were trying to lift heavy weights too soon. Don’t be that person. Leave your ego at the door.

Make strength training a habit

Just like building any other habit, showing up to the gym is going to be hard before it gets easy. James Clear, in his book Atomic Habits (a must-read!), emphasises the power of small changes in creating lasting habits. He outlines Four Laws of Behaviour Change, which are a simple set of rules to build habits. They are:

Make it obvious
Make it attractive
Make it easy
Make it satisfying

Now let’s apply this to creating the habit of going to he gym and strength training:

Make it obvious: Schedule your workouts in your calendar so you know exactly when it's gym time. And the night before, pack your gym bag or lay out your clothes — it’ll be one less thing to think about, and it’ll make showing up to the gym that much easier.
Make it attractive: Hooked on an audiobook? Can’t wait for your favourite podcaster’s new episode? Save all that for the gym — only watch or listen while you’re there, and trust us, it’ll have you sprinting through the gym doors every time!
Make it easy: Start with short, manageable workouts and gradually increase the duration and intensity.
Make it satisfying: Reward yourself for completing your workouts. We don’t mean go on some crazy junk food binge or a weeklong bender. Choose rewards that are still aligned with your goals!

Be a good gym-goer (gym etiquette 101)

This section could also be titled ‘how to human’ because honestly, while there aren’t many differences in how you must behave at the gym vs in the real world, so many people turn into absolute a-holes at the gym. Or are they a-holes outside the gym too? Hmmm… Either way, follow these simple rules below, and you won’t be one. 😉

Keep the gym clean - Use a gym towel at all times and wipe down equipment after you use it.
Respect the gym equipment - Don’t slam the weights down for no reason.
Put the weights back after using them - This includes plates and dumbbells. No one else is here to clean up your mess.
Don't hog equipment - If you're using a piece of equipment, be mindful of other people who may want to use it. Don't take up more than your fair share of time and space.
Don't be afraid to ask for help - If you're unsure how to use a piece of equipment or have questions, ask a staff member for help or Google it.
Respect others' privacy and don’t creep on them - This means no staring and don't record them without their permission!
Smile and say hi to other gym goers - You’ll be surprised to find that the biggest and scariest-looking people at the gym are the nicest!
Be kind to others. There’s no place for rudeness at the gym.

See, gym nice = real world nice 😊

Gym Checklist

You might be wondering what to take with you to the gym — don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. Here’s a quick list of essentials most people pack for the gym:

Gym bag - To put all the below in, duh!
Towel - So, you don't drip sweat all over the equipment you’re using and make life miserable for the next person using it. Gross!
Water bottle - Most gyms have a water cooler, so take a water bottle.
Deodorant - No explanation needed; you know what this is for :)
Gym pass - Most gyms will issue you a pass when you sign up. Take it with you every time you hit the gym.
Gym clothes - Wear gym gear that makes you feel confident and comfortable. And for F*** sake, do NOT wear jeans.
Shoes - Whatever you do, don’t wear thongs/flip-flops or slippers. Unless you’re Gen-Z. Apparently, Gen-Z wear Crocs to the gym. Whatever, you do, you friend 🙃.
Now, if you don’t want to be judged, any sports shoe will do. Just keep in mind that most running shoes have lots of cushioning, which can mess with your stability during lifts like squats and deadlifts. If you feel a bit wobbly, that might be why. That’s why we recommend weightlifting shoes — they’re designed for better support. We know these can be pricey, so any flat-soled shoes like Converse will do the trick just fine
Headphones - Listen to your favourite playlist, podcast, or audiobook while you work out.

Your first day at the gym

Here we are — the day has finally come! You’ve laced up your shoes, gathered your courage, and made it to the gym. You might be feeling a mix of nerves, excitement, and uncertainty — and that’s completely normal. Your first day doesn’t have to be intense; think of it as a relaxed introduction.

Use this time to explore the space. Familiarise yourself with the layout, locate the strength training area and cardio machines, and get a sense of where everything is. If you're up for it, say hello to a few people — it can make the gym feel more welcoming. Over time, it might even become a community for you.

Once you’ve looked around and settled in, give the beginner routine below a try to ease into strength training. Remember, today isn’t about pushing yourself to the limit — it’s about showing up, trying things out, and leaving on a positive note so you’ll feel good about coming back.

Sample strength training guide

When you’re new to the gym, the first months should be all about prioritising getting the basics right. That means no random workouts, no advanced moves to show off, and no ego-lifting. Good things take time, so get the basics right before anything else.

That said, here’s a guide on what movements you need to prioritise over the coming months, with prescribed sets and reps.

For beginners, a suggested split is a three-day full-body program that prioritises correct technique/form. This is done to get the most experience in the prescribed movement patterns in the shortest amount of time. This means the effort of each set should be relatively moderate, so you come to your next session fresh to practice again.

That said, try to leave at least a day of rest in between each session. And yes, cardio can be done on those rest days if you wish.

This practice phase can run for around 12 weeks, depending on how comfortable you feel with the exercises. The exciting part? If you’re a complete beginner and new to strength training, you’ll likely start building lean muscle mass during this stage. We’ll dive deeper into why that happens in a future blog post.

Exercises to master

Explore our exercise library here— just click on any exercise to learn more about it, watch video demonstrations, and read coaching cues and tips.

DB = Dumbbell BW = Bodyweight

Push-ups
DB Bench Press
BW Squat or Goblet Squat
DB Romanian Deadlift (RDL)
DB Single-arm Shoulder Press
BW Forward Lunge
DB Bent-over Row
Pull-ups: Assisted/ BW

Here’s how you can structure the exercises for a three-day full-body workout split. These sessions should last approximately 30 minutes.

Day 1: Full Body

Push-ups
BW Squat or Goblet Squat
DB Bent-over Row
DB Single-arm Shoulder Press

Day 2: Full Body

Pull-ups: Assisted/ BW
DB RDL
DB Bench Press
BW Forward Lunge

Day 3: Full Body

DB Single-arm Shoulder Press
BW Squat or Goblet Squat
DB bent-over Row
Push-ups

This is an example of how to organise a week of training, factoring a day of rest in between sessions. Feel free to tailor the schedule to make it work around your schedule.

  
      Monday
      Tuesday
      Wednesday
      Thursday
      Friday
      Saturday
      Sunday
    

  
      Full Body
      Rest
      Full Body
      Rest
      Full Body
      Rest
      Rest
    

Conclusion

Well, that’s it. Piece of cake, right?

Honestly, some might find this a walk in the park, but others will find this daunting as hell. This is why building the right mindset, having a plan, and setting expectations is key. And practice, practice, practice! Eventually, you’ll become a pro and make strength training a part of your lifestyle. You got this!

Project Train