Have you walked in a gym and instantly felt out of place? All the equipment can feel overwhelming if you do not know where to start. Having a plan is important because it gives you confidence in what you are doing.
How to make your plan
First thing first, understand what your goals are. Guys and girls usually have different goals. Girls typically want a smaller waist, toned arms, stronger legs, and a bigger butt. Guys on the other end usually focus more on bulking up by gaining a stronger back, bigger legs and arms, bigger chest and bigger shoulders.
Once you have established your goals, the next step is to write these down on a piece of paper or your cell phone. Focus on each goal’s category. For example, if your focus is to get toned arms, make a category that states “arms” on your phone or piece of paper. Under this, decide five exercises you want to incorporate to hit these goals.
Finding these exercises may seem time consuming, but just like a test in school it is important to be prepared. Find five exercises that hit you goal and personalize it to your needs. Toning for example is less weight more reps meaning find a weight that seems light to you, and do more repetitions then you normally would.
“I would say people get nervous for two reasons,” Dustin Malandra, Cabrini’s athletic trainer, said. “Either they go in there without any idea of what to do, not having a plan or not being an experienced gym-goer or they’re intimidated by the general atmosphere of the gym.”
Now that you have decided your goals and your goal categories, fill in five exercises for each. With each of these exercises it is good to do multiple reps. You can keep it simple and do three reps of 25 or change it up for each. It is completely up to you. If you think you need more exercises do it, cardio is always good for you. Jump on the bike, elliptical or treadmill and get those legs pumping.
“Sometimes I have a plan but most of the time I don’t,” Ava DeLong, early childhood major with a special education minor, said. “It depends if I want to work on just one thing. I feel better when I go to the gym with a plan because I know I hit everything on my list. When I go without a plan I do less because I don’t have it all planned out and I feel overwhelmed.”
What happens if I do not know how to do an exercise
Do not worry if you do not know how to do an exercise. You can always watch a quick video on your phone on how to perform it. Another resource is anyone working at the gym. The trainers will always explain or show you it because that is their job.
“When it comes to resources for Cabrini students, they can always ask a student-worker if they’re unsure of how to perform an exercise properly,” Malandra said. “There are also great resources online, such as exrx.net.”
Perfecting your plan
If you plan on going to the gym more than twice a week, it is good to work out specific body parts on separate days. For example, you can do arms one day and legs the next. This will also help with soreness on your body. Anytime you see a good workout that seems like you could do it or want to try it, add it to your plan. At the top of your workout plan you could also add a inspirational quote or anything you need to remember.
“Going in with a plan makes me feel good and helps me to keep going,” Erin Quill, exercise science and health promotion major and psychology minor, said. “All my muscles feel worked. I honestly feel more healthy and less stressed when I have a set plan.”
