5 Training Tips for the rank Novice.

Every one starts somewhere is something you really do need to keep reminding yourself when you spend your days in a lifting environment where a 140kg bench press is considered pretty weak.  So as much for myself as for any readers who might find this article useful here are 5 tips to keep in mind when your just starting out.

Technique is by far the most important thing you are going to learn.

When your just starting you don't really know any better so you don't bring the baggage that another self taught lifter or someone who hasn't shall we say been receiving the best tuition.  You should take this as an advantage and source out good information on technique.

Good technique will not only keep you safe when you start to increase your workloads but it is also going to allow you to shift far more weight in future and just be a better lifter in general.  Take your time when your warming up, learn how to feel your way through movements and don't  rely too heavily on visual cues outside of looking at video to see your position etc.

Don't buy into the hype.

Try as best you can to stay away from sensationalist information sources or anything that tries to sound too technical. The business end of nutrition and training is not a complicated process in fact it is the opposite.  Getting leaner and stronger when your starting from scratch is literally a case of getting your hands dirty and trying it out.

Programs like starting are not with out their flaws (far from it) but they have the general idea right as far training goes you should keep the frequency reasonable and stick to nailing down the fundamental's of lifting (squats, deadlifts, presses and compound pulls).

Nutritionally speaking simply just experimenting with some various approaches (low carb, the warrior diet, calories in v calories out, if it fits my macros to name but a few) over a 4-6 week period and recording your weight and waist size on a daily basis you will find out what your react well too and get a handle on how to approach your nutrition.  It's not a one size fit's all you have to experiment to see what fits.

Find something you enjoy.

There are a multitude of reasons why lifting weights and being in charge of your nutrition and body shape are wonderfully empowering and perception shaping things, but if you don't have something a hook that is going to keep you coming back for more your not going to realise these benefits.bge

If it's just getting better at bench press that makes you want to train then that's good enough, getting involved with sports or something that makes you feel involved and that you above all else enjoy you are going to have a much easier time in keeping consistent.

When you start off keep and open mind and try different training styles, try your hand at some comps and just have a laugh.

Get a training buddy and talk to people!  

Linked to the previous and next tip this one helps a lot, if you can drag someone along with a similar goal set you can really help each other to keep yourself accountable and push each other in the gym.  At the same token if you see some hoss pushing 180kg for reps on bench press warming up don't coward away in the corner like a scared child go over and chat to him or her,

The best way to learn is to do, the second best way to learn is to talk to people who have been at it for ages and as a result have accrued a wealth of experience.  Sure you might get a bit of bro science or talk but the benefits of talking to an experienced lifter far out weigh the negative,

Consistency Trumps everything else.    

Above all else getting into the habit of showing up to the gym and sticking to your planned nutrition 80-90% of the time is going to be the biggest hurdle to overcome,  anyone can go at it 190 mile an hour for 2-3 days and burn out but the people who actually get anywhere are those to stick at it.

For this reason at the start less is more, if you can make it a habit to show up and stick to healthy eating then over time you can start to wade in deeper and take more control over what your doing when you have accrued some experience.

Marc.