Joining the gym? Part 2

If you're signing up to a gym for the first time and you've read Part 1 of this post, you're ready for this. You're not going to build muscle or drop the kilos just by going to the gym. In this post you will discover what else it takes to achieve these goals. You have probably heard this a million times before. When you start lifting weights or a new fitness program, don't expect overnight results. This is so true. It takes time, but if you go the right way about it, you will get results. The gym can help you get excellent results but it can also be a big waste of money if you don't know what you're doing.

Motivation is the key
Firstly you need the motivation to keep returning to the gym. It is so easy to loose the motivation and just give up. I stay motivared by always having rests. If you try going 6-7 times per week you will probably quickly loose interest. Go just 3 times per week. If you go 3 times, you're not wasting your money, you're muscles have time to recover and you wont loose interest so quickly. Also only get a 1 month membership (if they don't have 1 month memberships get the shortest they do have). At the end of each month have a 1 - 2 week rest. After the 1-2 weeks you'll be far more excited about returning.

Get your own program
When you first sign up, know exactly what you want to achieve. If you're unsure see Part 1 of this post. You will get the best results if you have your own personal program. You could try searching the internet for a program but there is one problem with this. The people writing these programs know nothing about you, so it's not personal. I recomend either asking to have a trainer at your gym create you a program (many gyms will do this free of charge). Or join an online fitness forum. There are always people on these forums who will be happy to help you and they usually know what they're talking about. Just sign up and post a thread. Try to include:

• your age
• what you want to achieve
• your height and weight
• how long you've been training
• details about your diet

Just be honest and with this information other members will be sure to help you create a good personal program.

A good diet is essential
You could work out every day for 12 months, but if you don't eat the right food you wouldn't see any results. I see this happen all the time, people spend hours at the gym but wonder why they're still so skinny or why they aren't loosing the weight. It is always because they don't have a good diet. If you're serious about building muscle you need to eat a lot. (obviously not junk food) Protein is crucial if you want to get bigger. You could try protein supplements but make sure you research them well first, they often have side effects. I'm no expert on diet, so I suggest you do your own research. Just remember without a good diet you wont get the results.

In summary, only get short memberships and have breaks to stay motivated. Get a personal program made for you, to help achieve your goals and eat well. If you follow the points outlined above you will see the results. Just keep at it.