You signed up after months of second-guessing, walked through the doors for the first time and were hit with a realisation: you are not sure what you are actually meant to be doing. Everyone else seems to know, and you are convinced they are all watching you. Almost every new member feels exactly this, and it passes faster than you think. If you have just joined a gym and want to know what to do next, here is the step-by-step guide we give new members at Hammer’s Gym in Nunawading, your local if you live around Doncaster, Mitcham, Forest Hill or Box Hill.
1. Be honest about your starting point and set realistic goals
If you have never trained before, doing too much too early leaves you sore, exhausted and likely to skip the next few sessions or, worse, injured. That undoes the one thing that produces results: consistency. Start with two or three sessions a week, keep them to 30 to 45 minutes and build gradually. Be patient. Our guides to setting fitness goals and what happens in your first 30 days will keep expectations realistic.
2. Get to know the gym
Familiarity kills nerves. Book a floor orientation with a trainer, or walk the gym at a quiet time and note the equipment, take photos of the machines and read the instruction panels. Then look up a couple of short demonstration videos for anything unfamiliar. When you come back to run your own session, you already know where everything is and roughly how it works, which changes how confident you feel completely. Our underrated gym machines guide introduces a few pieces worth knowing.
3. Pick a simple training split
The goal is to train every major muscle group (legs, chest, back, shoulders, arms and core) once or twice a week. Match the split to how often you can train:
- One or two days a week: full-body sessions, with a couple of exercises for each muscle group.
- Three or four days: an upper/lower split, alternating upper-body and lower-body days.
- Five or more days: push/pull/legs, or a couple of body parts per day.
Our balanced gym program guide has a ready-made version of each, and types of weight training explained covers which style suits your goal.
4. Learn a handful of exercises well
You do not need fifty exercises; you need six or seven done properly. A squat or leg press, a hinge such as a Romanian deadlift, a press, a row, a pulldown or assisted pull-up and a core exercise cover everything. Machines and dumbbells are perfect for learning. Start light, focus on form and add a little weight each week using progressive overload for beginners.
5. Bring a friend
Training with someone at your level, or a little more experienced, breaks through gym nerves faster than anything else. You are not in it alone, sessions are more fun and you both turn up more often. Hammer’s offers friendship rates when you join together and complimentary PT sessions you can share. Read why you need a workout buddy.
6. Use the group classes
Classes are the easiest way to start. You get a great workout, someone at the front tells you exactly what to do so you never have to plan a session, and you meet like-minded people who quickly become training partners. Try a strength fundamentals class, a BoxFit or a beginner Muay Thai session from the timetable; see the benefits of group fitness classes.
7. Remember nobody is watching
Everyone on the floor is focused on their own set, their own phone or their own reflection. Experienced members were all beginners once, and most are happy to help if you ask. If nerves are a real barrier, our 10 ways to reduce gym anxiety will help.
Your first four weeks
Week one: an orientation or PT session plus one class. Week two: two full-body sessions and a class. Weeks three and four: three sessions following your chosen split, adding a little weight each week, plus a sauna or stretch session to recover. By the end of the month you will walk in like you own the place.
It gets easier, fast
The first visits are the hardest, and Hammer’s Gym is built to make them comfortable: floor orientations, personal trainers who will teach you the basics, beginner-friendly classes and a community with no egos. Ask at reception about complimentary PT sessions and guest passes for friends when you sign up, and if you are still deciding, claim a free one-day trial first. We are in Nunawading, minutes from Mitcham, Blackburn, Box Hill and Doncaster. See you soon.