How to Start a Workout Routine at the Gym – Fitness Tips for Beginners! - Snacking in Sneakers (2024)

One of the most common New Year’s Resolutions is to start working out. Yet unfortunately, it’s also one of the resolutions that most people don’t stick with for the long term.

One of my readers suggested that I write a post on how to start a workout routine at the gym, with specific fitness tips for beginners just starting their journey- and I loved that idea!

So today, I’ve got workout tips for beginner exercisers to help you avoid becoming too sore, injured, or discouraged. These will help you to stick with your new fitness goals for the long haul…

Here are 6 workout tips for beginners to help you start a workout routine at the gym that you can stick to…

Disclosure: This post contains Amazon affiliate links. As an affiliate, I earn a commission on qualifying purchases.

Disclaimer: This following is for informational purposes only and is not meant to be medical advice. It is always wise to check with your doctor prior to beginning any exercise program.

1. Be clear on your fitness goals.

Step back for a second and ask yourself: What are you working toward? Weight loss? Overall better health? Training for your first 5K? Improving strength? Staying active to play with your kids?

The specific goals that you have will help you shape your training plan.

Along the same lines, consider searching out fitness activities that you will enjoy. So many people see exercise as drudgery, when in reality it can be very enjoyable. Maybe you are someone that would thrive on the group environment in classes, or perhaps it’d be better for you to throw your headphones on and go solo on the elliptical. Think about what appeals to you.

What You Should Do:

Write down your overarching goal, and then start to break that into smaller chunks that motivate you to get started. The best way to approach workout goals for beginners is simply to keep breaking it down into smaller and smaller steps that are achievable so you don’t get overwhelmed.

Here are some ideas for gym goals for beginners and how to chunk them down into smaller steps, assuming you are brand new to a fitness plan:

• Overall health: Start with 3 cardio sessions per week. Once you have that in place, add in 1 to 2 strength training sessions each week. Your long term goal is to work up to 30-60 minutes of cardio most days of the week, plus at least 2 strength training sessions/week – but starting out with that to begin with is likely to set you up for failure. You want to work up to that.

• Training for your first 5K: You can find a free beginner 5K training plan right here on our site, which focuses on 3 days a week of run/walk intervals to help you build up your running endurance. You could also consider hiring a running coach for guidance, or joining a local running club that could help you get started and provide comradery along your journey.

• Improving strength: If you’re brand new and just starting out, consider a full body strength workout, 2x/week to start. SparkPeople has a good list of 10 different gym exercises that create a full body workout. If you don’t feel comfortable using the machines yet, you can do this beginner body weight circuit workout. Once you have that under your belt, you can experiment with an extra day a week, as well as progressing in the number of sets and weights. If you are not at all familiar with strength training equipment or different muscle groups, consider hiring a personal trainer for help putting together your plan.

2. Plan when you will go to the gym, and prepare for that.

It’s easy to say “I’m going to work out a few times this week.” It’s a lot harder to actually do that. Put clear action steps into place that will help make that happen.

What You Should Do:

One of the best workout tips for beginners is to think through your schedule for the week and actually plan in your calendar when you will go.

Will it be before work or after work? Do you need to set the alarm earlier? Do you need to put workout clothes in your car so they are ready after work? {I’ve always got my favorite adidas duffel bag packed and ready to go in my car.} Do you need to make sure you have an extra healthy snack mid-afternoon so you’re not starving when you get to the gym? {I keep larabars in said gym bag in case I need a snack.} These are all things to think through.

One of my favorite things that helps with both tips 1 and 2? Using a fitness planner and tracker! I created this fun printable version that has goal setting worksheets, a weekly fitness planner page, a meal planner page, a habit tracker, and so much more! It’s perfect for helping you think through your goals, commit to your workouts, and track your progress.

Grab your printable fitness tracker here!

3. Warm up and cool down.

Warming up helps increase blood flow to the muscles, getting them ready for more strenuous exercise. Cooling down helps your heart rate gradually return back to a normal level, and cool downs may include stretching at the end. Both of these parts of the workout help you prevent injuries – essential for new exercisers who want to stick with their goal.

What You Should Do:

• Planning a cardio workout on the treadmill, elliptical, or bike? Do the first 5 minutes at a slower speed and resistance than you will use for the remainder of the workout. Slow downfor the last 5 minutes before concluding your workout. Consider stretching, and also possibly foam rolling.

• Strength training? Hop on the treadmill or elliptical at a comfortable pace for about 10 minutes prior to starting your strength workout. Stretch your muscles after working out.

4. Start slow.

This is not because I don’t think you can do what you set your mind to. However, many people that set overly ambitious goals at the beginning tend to have one of two things happen:

a. They follow their plan and end up sore and unhappy by the end of week one. (Often leading to disliking exercise and scrapping their future plans).
b. They don’t follow their plan, and end up feeling like a failure for not doing so.

Which brings me to my next fitness tip for beginners: starting slow and steady is usually your best bet. When you start slower and build on your plan over time, you are more likely to make a lifelong habit out of your fitness routine – which is ideally what you want!

What You Should Do:

• If you’re working on cardio: If you’re brand new to the gym, I’d suggest starting with a machine like the treadmill or elliptical for 15 to 30 minutes, 3x/week. The speed and incline/resistance will depend on your personal abilities. I generally recommend that for your very first workouts, just leave the treadmill level or leave the elliptical resistance at zero – it’s usually easier to get started that way. Then, you can start manipulating those variables to increase the intensity of your workout. To determine that, use the “talk test” – work out at a speed and incline/resistance where you can still talk to someone, but you are breathing faster. If you can’t get out a few words, you’re working too hard.

• If you’re working on strength training: There are a ton of strength training methodologies out there, many of which are appropriate for beginner workout routines. If you are a brand to strength training, I’d recommend something simple & moderate in intensity. Consider a full body program with 8 to 10 exercises. For each exercise, start at a weight you can use to do two full sets of 8-12 reps. As you get more comfortable with strength training, or for those may looking to get back into a strength routine after some time off, you can experiment with some other methodologies. I’m partial to the 5×5 programmyself.

{Note that everyone’s personality is different though. If you feel like you do best when you set an ambitious goal and schedule and challenge yourself to it – then by all means, go for it!}.

5. Learn proper form.

When thinking about how to start a workout routine at the gym, be sure one aspect of your plan includes learning proper form for strength exercises. Proper form ensures…

a. You are getting the most out of the exercise and are enhancing your chances of progress & success.
b. You are minimizing your risk of injury.
c. You don’t feel silly wondering “is this how I am supposed to do this?”

What You Should Do:

There are a few ways to learn proper form; the easiest being a session or two with a personal trainer that can walk you through a basic workout. It’s a wise investment so you understand exactly how to use the machines or the free weights properly.

If you don’t feel comfortable hiring a trainer, the circuit machines usually have some decent visuals on them depicting how to use them – so your chances of form being way off on those is typically less than free weight exercises.

(I say typically, because I’m sure many of you have seen some of those videos floating around the internet with people using machines in insane ways that are nowhere near correct.)

Another helpful workout tip for beginners regarding strength training: Check out the ACE Exercise Library for some pictures and videos that demonstrate how to do common exercises. I really like this library because you can sort through exercises based on level, so you can choose beginner-friendly ideas that will be good to start with.

Proper form applies to cardiovascular equipment, although that is usually more intuitive for people.

The biggest mistake I see on that equipment is people holding the sides of the treadmill. If you are a healthy adult with no balance issues, don’t hold the side of the treadmill as you walk/run. Holding on can mess with your gait and reduces energy expenditure on there. {Obviously if you have balance issues and need to hold on, that takes precedence!}

6. Be realistic about progress.

If you haven’t been in a fitness routine for a considerable amount of time, you can’t expect to be in top-notch shape after a few weeks. Progress comes gradually and requires a long term commitment.

If there’s one fitness tip for beginners that I wish people would follow more, it’s not giving up when they don’t see or feel immediate results in a short time frame! 🙂

However, after a few weeks, you should start noticing small changes – like that you need to go up in weight on your bicep curls because you can do 12 reps no problem, or how you can walk a little faster on the treadmill now without feeling out of breath.

Celebrate those small victories on your way through the longer journey, and don’t let yourself become discouraged!

What You Should Do:

Track your progress in a journal or online, including your times, distances, weights, etc. If you’re a pen and paper person like myself, you will love the printable fitness planner and tracker that I created (or you can feel free to just keep track of everything in a regular notebook).

If you’re more of an app kinda person, there are plenty of workout tracking apps available – like Strava for walking, running, and cycling, or the Strong Workout Tracker Gym Log for strength training workouts.

This will help you see how you are progressing over time, even if it feels like you are not moving fast enough.

The Bottom Line

Starting a new fitness routine can be tough, but with these tips, you’ll set yourself up for success. Be clear in your goals, make a plan, start slow, and be consistent. You’ve got this!

Share: If you’re new to the gym, did these tips help? And if you are a veteran exerciser, what are your tips for how to start a workout routine at the gym?

PS – This post was focused on the fitness side of things, but of course – working out and eating right go hand and hand! If you’re looking for tips on improving your nutrition habits in a sustainable way, be sure to check out my 28 Day Nutrition Challenge e-book. It’s only $5.99 and has 90 pages of information, walking you through 28 days of small steps to improve your eating habits!

Feel free to pin this post to refer to later!