{"id":14148,"date":"2018-01-22T09:00:14","date_gmt":"2018-01-22T09:00:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bulk.com\/uk\/the-core\/?p=14148"},"modified":"2023-05-04T10:30:38","modified_gmt":"2023-05-04T09:30:38","slug":"gym-dos-donts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bulk.com\/uk\/the-core\/gym-dos-donts\/","title":{"rendered":"Top 10 Do\u2019s & Don\u2019ts at the Gym"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

The New Year; the time when we all promise to get fitter, stronger, richer (anyone have any tips on that one?!) and most importantly \u2013 healthier. It\u2019s no secret that January is the time when gyms see the biggest increase in numbers (which is great of course!) but with that comes a set of \u201cGym Rules\u201d that we all must abide by in order to be happy, healthy beasts!<\/p>\n

Whether you\u2019re just starting off, getting back to the grind or even a dedicated lifter \u2013 we all need to remind ourselves of good gym etiquette as well as some beginners tips because trust me when I say this: If you curl in the squat rack you are asking for trouble.<\/p>\n

Just. Don\u2019t.<\/p>\n

It leads to bad places.<\/p>\n

1) Do Know Your Goal<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Before you even step foot in the gym make sure you know what you\u2019re trying to achieve. Is it general fitness? Strength? To build muscle? You need to figure this part out FIRST so you can train TOWARDS that goal. Training for a purpose provides you with motivation, measurable progress and most importantly \u2013 the feeling of achievement when you\u2019ve reached your goal.<\/p>\n

2) Don\u2019t Restrict Yourself<\/strong><\/h2>\n

While it is important to have measurable and specific goals, it can be beneficial to try your hand at all aspects of fitness before you set up camp in the CrossFit corner \u2013 especially if you\u2019re new to the lifestyle. The best way to do this is to keep an open mind, connect with people with other areas of interests and even visit different types of gyms and get a taste to how diverse your training can really be. Personally, I started lifting with my mind set on powerlifting. Then, I made some friends who did CrossFit and I quickly realised that was NOT for me (I laugh at my attempts\u2026) and THEN I discovered kickboxing after visiting a local club; and now I am a proud member of Spartan Academy. This was for me and since then I train for that by incorporating strength training, endurance training and (my attempt at) high intensity training. So play around, see what you like and you will eventually find your true love\u2026of lifting.<\/p>\n

Yes. It\u2019s a thing.<\/p>\n

You know.<\/p>\n

3) Do Ask for Help<\/strong><\/h2>\n

If you\u2019re new to the gym and feel intimidated by the \u201cbig and strong\u201d people – don\u2019t fret. We\u2019ve all been there. The truth is these \u201cbig\u201d people are just people who started off just like you! If you\u2019re unsure about how to use something \u2013 ask someone. We don\u2019t bite (Yeah, I just sneakily called myself a \u201cbig and strong\u201d person. I can throw a fine kick, though!)<\/p>\n

4) Don\u2019t Be the \u201cForm Fixer\u201d<\/strong><\/h2>\n

This may be controversial as help is often appreciated in the gym; don\u2019t consistently offer unsolicited advice when unasked. Offering to help to someone who clearly is new is one thing; but critiquing someone\u2019s form or technique when not asked can be irritating. This doesn\u2019t apply to everyone and the situation may vary but in general \u2013 don\u2019t be the form fixer. They will learn (or maybe you will) but for now \u2013 leave them at it. Unless they\u2019re attempting to deadlift with their neck\u2026 then I\u2019d say it\u2019s fairly okay to kindly step in and save their life.<\/p>\n

5) Do Eat Enough Food!<\/strong><\/h2>\n

This is a no brainer but unfortunately needs to be said. If you are going to be training you need to ensure you give your body the fuel that it needs to perform and recover. This applies to those attempting to lose weight, too. You may need to drop your calories to drop the pounds but don\u2019t starve yourself. This will hinder progress, motivation, recovery and the ability to stay sane because we all need chocolate!<\/p>\n

There is no \u201cDon\u2019t\u201d to follow this because it\u2019s simple\u2026 don\u2019t not eat enough food!<\/p>\n

Simples!<\/p>\n

6) Don\u2019t Be Fooled by Instagram<\/strong><\/h2>\n

While it is recommended to start your training with a specific plan in order to avoid confusion and provide you with a direct approach to reaching your goals; don\u2019t be fooled by Instagram and the \u201c30 Day Squat Challenges\u201d. Of course you can make progress in 30 days but don\u2019t expect your dream body within that time frame. Have patience, remain consistent with your training and the results will follow.<\/p>\n

7) Do Follow a Plan<\/strong><\/h2>\n

A training plan is one of the most valuable pieces of arsenal in your pocket if you really want to make measurable progress. It needn\u2019t be complicated or lengthy but it needs to be done. I\u2019ve written about this before in my article \u201cWhy and How to Plan in the Gym<\/a>\u201d where you can find all the information you need to make your own plan, tailored to your own goals. Simples!<\/p>\n

8) Do Train to Stimulate<\/strong><\/h2>\n

If you\u2019re reading this, the chances are, you either love to train or you want to fall in love with training (oh, it will happen \u2013 trust me!). Obviously, you want to be able to train as best you can as often as possible. One way NOT to be able to do this is to absolutely obliterate your muscles every time you hit the gym. Some people feel that if they\u2019re not limping home after leg day that they had a \u201cbad workout\u201d or didn\u2019t train hard enough \u2013 and this is far from the truth. In order to spur muscle growth and strength you need to STIMULATE the muscles to change or adapt to stimulus (i.e. Training). This does not mean you need to be crying through your workout; you just need to challenge yourself \u2013 continuously \u2013 and the rewards will follow. No limping required!<\/p>\n

9) Don\u2019t Train to Annihilate<\/strong><\/h2>\n

As I\u2019ve mentioned; a stimulus is required in order to spur muscle growth and increase strength. You cannot effectively do this if you\u2019re tearing your muscles to shreds in every session. This will result in extreme fatigue, pain, injury and even muscle and strength losses. A damaged body is not a strong body.<\/p>\n

Train to stimulate not to annihilate.<\/p>\n

10) Don\u2019t Curl in the Squat Rack<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Gospel.<\/p>\n

About the Author<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Michelle is a scientist, an athlete and a writer and she\u2019s proud to have faced her demons head on and she\u2019s beating them. In weight lifting she found an outlet to help change her life \u2013 and she\u2019s loving it! Follow her journey with BULK POWDERS\u00ae.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

      The New Year; the time when we all promise to get fitter, stronger, richer (anyone have any tips on that one?!) and most importantly – healthier. It’s…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":29,"featured_media":14149,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[1975],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-14148","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-fitnesstraining"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bulk.com\/uk\/the-core\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14148","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bulk.com\/uk\/the-core\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bulk.com\/uk\/the-core\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bulk.com\/uk\/the-core\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/29"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bulk.com\/uk\/the-core\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=14148"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.bulk.com\/uk\/the-core\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14148\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":22816,"href":"https:\/\/www.bulk.com\/uk\/the-core\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14148\/revisions\/22816"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bulk.com\/uk\/the-core\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/14149"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bulk.com\/uk\/the-core\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14148"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bulk.com\/uk\/the-core\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=14148"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bulk.com\/uk\/the-core\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=14148"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}