What to Expect When You Start to Work Out

We’ve all been there. You look at the after pictures of a body transformation and start feeling the desire to give yourself similar results. Then, the pesky part of working out comes into play, and you either go way too hard or get way too impatient, inevitably just giving up. In this blog, we will share some tips on how to set your expectations appropriately and avoid setting yourself up for failure.

You won’t be the strongest one at the gym on your first day.

That juicehead across the gym didn’t start off looking like that. He looked a lot like you do today. As humans, it’s natural to compare ourselves to others, especially when it comes to things like varying levels of fitness in a gym. According to a recent study, “One in two Americans have been found to be intimidated at the thought of working out at a gym [and] feel the idea of working out among other people in a gym environment is a daunting prospect.” Don’t let the famously coined term, ‘gymtimidation,’ keep you from following through on your workout regimen.

It’s going to really hurt afterward.

You’ve heard the phrase ‘no pain, no gain’? Well, when it comes to working out, they really mean it. That’s because for your muscles to get bigger, the fibers literally have to break and heal again over and over and over again. Health experts have confirmed that, “After you workout, your body repairs or replaces damaged muscle fibers through a cellular process where it fuses muscle fibers together to form new muscle protein strands or myofibrils. These repaired myofibrils increase in thickness and number to create muscle hypertrophy.” So, yes, expect pain. You have to power through in order to make noticeable gains. 

You’re going to be tempted to skip a workout plenty of times.

Going off the last point, whether pain or outright laziness causes it, you’re going to be tempted to skip your workout constantly. Remember that habits take time to form and, until it feels natural, they will probably feel like a chore. Livestrong echoed this point by simply stating, “There will never be a shortage of excuses to skip the gym.” By expecting the temptation of skipping a workout, you’ll position yourself better to avoid giving in to the aforementioned temptations.

Results will not be immediate.

If there were a way to get ripped after one quick trip to the gym, then everybody would be ripped. It’s unfortunately not that easy. Realistically, it will take weeks, maybe months, to start seeing any visible and tangible benefits of your efforts. US News pointed out, “People who are trying to lose weight would love to drop pounds—especially fat—quickly and easily. Of course, that’s not how weight loss typically works.” Don’t get discouraged if you don’t see a jock looking back at you after the first few workout sessions. Good things take time.

At the end of the day, setting healthy expectations is key to ensuring longevity in your efforts. We hope you found these tips valuable, and we wish you the best in your fitness journey.