The thought of starting a new workout routine can be scary, especially when you start hitting the gym. Going to the gym can be extremely hard for someone new to working out. The equipment is new, you have to workout in front of other people, and most of all you are not sure which exercises you should be doing to get the maximum results that you are looking for.  It is no wonder so many people who are new to workouts stop going to the gym after only a month or two.

Luckily for you, if you are new to working out there are a few steps that will jump start your path to building real muscle. When you follow these simple steps you will not only be able to see quick results, but you will find yourself feeling more confident, more healthy, and more excited about building muscle.

First, Set Your Schedule

Have you ever heard the phrase, “We are creatures of habit”? Well, it is true. Our bodies are designed to protect us, they are designed to make sure that we can do whatever we need to do when we need to do it fitness for singles.

Because of this, our bodies like to have a schedule in place. When you have a routine, your body gets used to that routine and it prepares you physically and mentally for that routine. This is why you find yourself getting up on the weekends at the same time that you would get up for work and why you seem to get hungry at the same times every day.

Working out is no different. Once you have developed specific workout times, and stuck to them for about a month, you will start to notice that your body automatically craves working out at that schedule.

Your workout routines will need to keep changing in order to keep building muscle, but you will have the desire to workout at the same times every week.

So your first step is to pick three to five days out of the week and designate these as your official ‘workout days’.

Always Stretch First

When you are hitting the gym after a long day of work, it is very tempting to just rush through your workout, doing only the things that you need to do so that you can finally get home and be done with your day.

But as tempting as it is to just hit the gym and start your workout, you need to take the time to stretch out your muscles first.

Just giving yourself five minutes of good stretching will allow your muscles to get through a longer workout without feeling tired or drained. You should also stretch after your workout to be sure that you don’t wake up with sore muscles the next day.

Start with 6 to 15 Reps each of 2 to 4 Exercises

Now that you know your workout schedule and the importance of stretching, it is time to figure out how you are going to be working out. You want to start by picking two to four exercises that will work one area of your body, (either the upper body or the lower body).

For instance, if you wanted to workout the upper body you could do bench presses, the row machine, and bicep curls. While working out the lower body can include lunges and squats.

If you are working out at a gym, maybe you could see if they have a ‘free session’ with a trainer. Even if you don’t choose to keep the trainer, you can still get an idea of what your exercise routine should be.

Once you have your exercises picked out, you should do 6 to 15 reps of each. You should also be sure that you do the same amount of reps on each side. For instance if you do 15 bicep curls on the left arm you need to do 15 bicep curls on the right arm.

The thought of picking a new exercise routine can be a little intimidating, especially if you are new to working out. But if you follow these simple steps you will start seeing results in no time.