Key First Steps

The first steps you take within a new venture can often be the most important as it will create a momentum and ensure good practice is set in stone from the very beginning.

Sometimes diving in the deep end will be an option for people, however looking at things with a strategic prospective and identifying the key steps you need to take to achieving your goal will help optimise your efforts.

Identifying Your Goal

When you’re looking to start a fitness and training programme it is important to identify what your goal is and therefore know what steps you need to take to get there. Your goal could include factors such as, physical appearance, measurements/weight, fitness goals etc.

When setting goals, it is important to start with at a moderate level where the goals are a challenge but not unachievable, this creates momentum and ensures you aren’t discourage due to setting your goals to high.

Picture goal setting as stepping stones and each one is a step closer to where you want to be, this will help emphasise their importance as they are there to keep you on track.

Planning

Planning will go hand in hand with identifying your goals, as once you know what you want, you plan how you’re going to get there.

Planning will prove vital when you take lifestyle factors into consideration such as, work, education and family. The more you factor in to your timeframe will ensure you optimise what time you do have to train and fit your programme in.

Once you devise a plan on how you’re going to approach a new routine, you will be able to set the foundation and alter things down the line to be better suited. This will again, help you follow the correct path and optimise your results as you wont be led astray.

Equipment & Attire

Equipment and attire isn’t necessarily a necessity when you’re beginning a new workout program, however can make things more comfortable and convenient.

There Is a vast array of fitness attire and accessories out there to chose from which will aid you with both how you feel and how you train. Investing in clothing to suit your goal will be beneficial as you will need to wear unrestrictive and comfortable clothing which will help optimise your performance, as well as this you will want to feel confident appose to self conscious if you’re to train in a public location.

Equipment is designed to often make your workouts more effective and provide more variety to your sessions. Equipment can include things such as:

Weight lifting belt
Wrist Straps
Joint support
Weight lifting shoes

With equipment, it will only be effective should you use it correctly, It is advisable to seek assistance should you not know how.

Practice

Anything new you do will often require practice and education to ensure you’re doing things correctly. With training and exercise, practice can be a key factor to preventing injury and optimising your results.

Using weight training as an example, people will often jump in with excessive weights and poor form which will ultimately hinder progress. Instead, gaining an understanding via a personal trainer, gym assistant or self education will help ensure a positive impact on your progress.

Factors to consider when weight training may include:

Form
Range of motion
Tempo
Positioning

With weight training, it can be beneficial to utilise the fixed weight machines provided in gyms to build a foundation of strength prior to moving on to free weight exercises.