Elli-Torial 1: Gym Do’s and Don’ts

This blog was inspired by a conversation during Tuesday’s “Tidbit Newsday.” For reference, go to the SoundCloud “The Drew Show” and check out Tuesdays show. Without further adieux…

 

The gym. The Iron Temple. The House of Gainz. The Shrine of Shred. The Base of Bulk.

A place where on paper people go to not just get stronger, but to also better their health and possibly be in a place where they can feel good about their efforts as they escape the insanity that is life for at least an hour. What lies behind those steel doors are dangers one new to the path of swoleness might not be prepared for. Luckily for you, I am here to help you navigate through the Multiverse of Muscles and give you the dos and don’ts of your gym of choice. Before I go into that, one must never go into a place of iron and body dysmorphia without being prepared. Think of this as your preworkout that you will eventually get addicted to.

Before starting the gym one must:

Know why they are going. Do you have a specific goal you want to reach? Like going to the store, writing a list before you go makes it easier to get in and out. The same goes for the gym, knowing what your fitness goal is prior will help you stay goal-oriented and help keep you honest.

Make two gym playlists. Everyone works out with different mindsets. Not only that but workouts can give off different vibes. Your mind is probably going to be in a different state doing cardio or an aerobic workout compared to weight lifting. Running always feels easier when the music goes to a faster upbeat sound, whereas lifting heavy ass weight typically has music going dumb hard. Music inspires even more when you have 225lbs over potentially crashing on your chest.

Find a schedule to stick to. “Oh, I’ll go home change, and head over to the gym.” “I’ll go to the gym right after work!” Sound familiar? I understand that during the day we all hit walls where we just want to eat decompress and go to bed. I probably do it more than I should, which is why I understand the importance of finding a routine. Find the time in your day when you can have at least an hour for the gym. Write it in your calendar and set alarms, now it’s nonnegotiable for missing. Not only that but write out what you’re exercising that day. Monday is push exercises, Tuesdays are pull exercises, take a Wednesday rest day and finish Thursday with legs. Once you make this a part of your schedule it will become second nature and will make going to the gym feel therapeutic.

Now that we got the warmup out of the way it’s time to get you prepared for your first pump and trust me, you never forget your first.

DO’s:

  • Start with light weights until your form is right, only then should you gradually move up the weight.
  • Take your time in between sets, don’t feel rushed just focus on giving your body the time to rest.
  • If someone asks you “How many sets do you have left?” Be honest and if they seem upset always offer to let them work in. It’s polite and could help you gain more than just a pump.
  • Take care of your shoulders, without your shoulders you aren’t lifting your chest, arms, or back.
  • Put a set of abs in the middle of your workout, if you wait until after your workout you’ll never do them.
  • If the weight is sketchy ask for a spotter. having a spotter feels a lot better than crumbling under the weight.
  • Respect the process. The gym is home to a lot of different body shapes and sizes, everyone is working to improve themselves so give positive vibes.
  • Read the room. Wipe down the equipment after you’re done, if someone asks for a spot help them out, and make sure you give the people around you enough space for their exercise. In short, turn your brain off to the outside world but pay attention to your surroundings.

Now the important part

DON’TS:

  • Look down while in the locker rooms. You will see full-frontal, keep your chin up at all costs.
  • Stare. I get it, the gym has a lot of fit and attractive people in there, DO NOT BE A CREEP.
  • Hit on people. A lot of the time people are at the gym to focus on themselves or to get away from stress in their lives, don’t make the gym a place they could feel uncomfortable. Again… DO NOT BE A CREEP.
  • Dry scoop preworkout. I don’t care how bad they hurt you it isn’t worth it.
  • Take up someone’s mirror space. This is an unspoken rule: If someone is doing an exercise and you start doing one right in front of their mirror space, just know you suck and you will be hated.
  • Curls in the squat rack. Unless you are curling 135lbs, leave the curls outside the rack. The squat rack is the crown jewel of the gym and is tough to come by, it is meant for heavy lifting and legs.
  •  Be a gym lurker. If you want to use a machine/bench ask how many sets they have. If they say they’re almost done give them the space they need and they’ll signal when they’re done. Do not hover over them or the space they need to do the exercise.
  • Go for a fad diet. We all want the best results as soon as possible, but when you change your diet dramatically there’s always a burnout followed up by guilty fast-food nachos late at night. Much like the gym, start slow and gradually cut back on unhealthy foods until you find healthy alternatives.
  • Judge. We all start somewhere and have our own way of doing things. Unless their form is potentially dangerous, let people do their exercises in peace.

Finally my last don’t is Don’t be afraid to start. New beginnings are daunting as is so adding more pressure on yourself will only make you push it off later and later. Take a deep breath, and know that the people in the gym are all like you, striving for a goal. Gym culture can be seen as a toxic bro cesspool of tank tops and way too short shorts. And while the tank top part is typically true the people at most gyms are similar to you. Nervous and a little afraid regardless of how many times they go. You don’t have to see the finish line, you just need to see your next step.

In the words of the late great Nipsey Hussle “Dedication, hard work plus patience.”

The marathon continues.