Everything you need to know to start going to the gym.

By Palmer Du

About the Author:

  • Experience: 2 Years relevant experience (working out consistently)
  • Favorite workouts: Leg, bench, and shoulder press; plus any arm
  • Favorite protein sups: barebells protein bars and dymatize iso 100 powder – expensive but worth

  • Do you work out everyday? No but I try to :)

  • Palmer’s workout split:
    • Push-pull-leg (can add core or butt day too)
    • Other splits: full body, upper-lower, 4/5 day split, arnold (tbh though don’t worry about the split, just do what works w ur schedule. Most import thing is just going to the gym)

Exercises

Just google/watch youtube vids/ask ppl in the gym/ask Palmer for how to do an exercise if you’re confused! Choose any number from the following exercises:

Legend: () = muscles, {} = variations

- Chest: - Flat bench press (mid chest/triceps) {bar/dumbbell/machine} - Incline bench press (upper chest/triceps) {bar/dumbbell/machine} - Decline bench press (lower chest – under boob definition/triceps) {bar/dumbbell/machine} - Pec fly (inner chest) {cable machine/flat on bench w dumbbells/pec deck} - Shoulder: - Shoulder press (upper shoulder) {bar/dumbbell} - Lateral raises (side shoulder) {dumbbell/cable/machine} - Rotations (rotator cuff) - Triceps: - Triceps extension - Skull crushers - Dips

(change grips/how wide u hold for everything in back category each day) - Back: - Rows (rhomboids) {cable machine/bent-over w barbell/single handed w dumbbells} - Lateral pulldowns (lats) {big bar at cables/single handed w machine} - Pullups (lats) - Lower back: - Deadlift (lower back, hamstrings, glutes, abs) ADVANCED – use proper form! - Romanian Deadlift (lower back, hamstrings) - Back extensions - Biceps: - Curl {dumbbell/incline/cable machine} - Preacher curls {single handed w dumbbells/barbell/machine} - Shoulders: - Face pulls - Reverse flies {dumbbells/pec deck}

- Compound: - SQUATS (barbell/dumbbell/special bells) {Quads, glutes, lower back and abs for stability} - Hack squat (quad/glutes) - Leg press (quad/glutes) {flat machine/decline machine} - Quads: - Leg extension [aka you’re not walking down the stairs] - Lunges (walking/w bench) - Hamstrings: - Leg curls - Hips: - Hip abduction (inside/outside hip) {squeeze/push} - Glutes (bootie): - Hip thrust {machine/barbell} - Calves: - Calf raises {machine/dumbbells and standing elevated} - Calf extension

- Core: //(do all + some cardio for a good core/cardio day to fit into you’re split) - Situps {normal/tabletop} - Crunches - Russian twists - Leg kicks - Leg raises - Plank {hold/dips} {flat/side} - Kettlebell swings - Twist machine and crunch machine @ gym - @home: - Almost everything in core category - PUSHUPS!!!!! (best push workout for beginners) {arms out to side/arms close to body/diamond/clap} - Wall sits (quads) - Burpees (cardio/quads/calves/core) {w/without pushups in between} - Buy an at home pullup bar - Forearm - Farmers carry - Forearm curls - Cardio… - Treadmill - Stair master (good leg workout too!) Ofc there are more exercises in the world, these are just the ones I incorporate into my routine at the moment! Even I’m still learning so this list will def be updated in the future.

Example 6 days:

Day 1: Push (Chest focused)

  • Any chest press {barbell}
  • Different chest press {dumbbells}
  • Shoulder press {dumbbells}
  • Tricep dips
  • Lateral Raises {dumbbells}
  • Pec flies {cables}

Day 2: Pull (General)

  • Deadlift (can replace w back extensions)
  • Back rows {cables}
  • Lateral pulldowns {cables}
  • Preacher curls {dumbbells}
  • Face pulls

Day 3: Leg (v1)

  • Squats
  • Leg curls
  • Calf raises
  • Leg press {decline machine}
  • Hip abduction {outer/inner/both}
  • Leg extension

Day 4: Push (Arm focused)

  • Any chest press {barbell}
  • Different press {dumbbells}
  • Shoulder press {barbell}
  • Skull crushers
  • Lateral raises {cables}
  • Tricep Extensions

Day 5: Pull (Lats)

  • Lateral pulldowns {cables, wide grip}
  • Back rows {barbell}
  • Reverse flies {pec deck}
  • Lateral pulldowns {single handed w machine}
  • Bicep curls {cables}
  • Lateral pulldowns {cables, narrow grip}

Day 6: Legs (v2)

  • Leg press
  • Calf extensions
  • Hack Squat
  • Leg curls
  • Hip thrust
  • Leg extension

Then just repeat for the rest of your life!

Note that the 6 days dont have to all be in one week; I only go to the gym 4-5 times a week and just queue up whatever day would be next.

Tips/tricks:

  • Most important thing is building the habit. AKA physically getting your ass to the gym as much as u can, even if you can only do one or two workouts that day…still ok! U just wanna train yourself to get there. Home workouts are ok but actually going there is better for building the habit in my experience.
  • THE ONLY THING STOPPING YOU FROM GOING IS YOURSELF. DON’T MAKE EXCUSES JUST GO. Tired? It’s ok just show up and do as much as you can. Time/money? There are plenty of home workouts you can do as well, amplified by just a few pieces of equipment like dumbbells and a pullup bar. Stressed? Well let me tell you about one of the best ways to relieve that… Of course, I’m not perfect either, but I like to think of it week by week rather than day by day. ->
  • Realistically, you only need to go to the gym as many times as u have in your split, for example push-pull-leg only 3 times. More is better ofc but if you’re not in love with the gym then that amount is good enough. If you can go on average around 4-5 times a week though, that’s really good. I don’t stick to a MTWTFSS schedule either, just one day then the next in case something pops up middle of the week. Skipped a day? Just do it next time and push stuff back, easy.
  • Activating a muscle means flexing it and using it during the workout.
  • More reps, lower weight: more muscle endurance (harder muscles); less reps, higher weight: more muscle strength (bigger muscles)
  • A wider grip on bench, rows, and lat pulldowns means less arm, more of the other muscles.
  • Do compounds first (presses, deadlifts, squats, leg press), then do your targeted workouts to avoid tiring individual muscles for the compounds.
  • U don’t need individual forearm/core/butt days in my experience, they’ll get worked passively. Core if you’re activating it, forearm during pull days, butt during leg day/deadlift if you’re activating it. If you want to focus them tho then that’s perfectly fine too.
  • 99.9% of people are super nice! Especially the buff ones cuz that means they go to the gym a lot. Don’t be afraid to ask how many sets someone has left, or especially about advice on your form. Literally everyone was there at some point, and everyone knows you’re just trying to learn.

Sets and reps:

  • Reps are the number of individual exercises you do in one set. Combine multiple sets with 1-2 min breaks in between for a good workout!
  • 8-12 reps for 3-5 sets are a good range for almost any exercise.
  • Make sure you’re selecting the right weight, you want to make sure you’re keeping good form for the entire set, and just starting to burn out at the end of the last rep.

Before workout:

  • Get some good warmup stretches and reps in! do a super low weight for a bit just to get blood flowing. Strech out whatever muscles you’re planning to hit that day. This will help you ease into the workout and prevent cramping/pains

During workout:

  • BRING WATER: helps cool u down and stay hydrated. Invest in a nice water bottle that’ll keep your shit nice and cool. Good for general life too.
  • FORM FIRST: workouts can be harmful and extremely inefficient if you are not keeping proper form! Rule of thumb, make sure you’re only moving and activating the muscle groups mentioned above. If you’re swinging your whole body to move the weight… :/. If you can’t keep proper form for at least 8 sets then ->
  • DROP THE WEIGHT: get your ego out of the way because there is nothing embarrassing about lowering weight. Remember, the only competition is against yourself! No one cares about how much you lift, I promise, there will always be someone stronger than you anyways. Imo its so cringe when I see someone with bad form just trying to manhandle the weight…we all know its cheating bro.
  • Slow and steady! Make sure you’re in control of the weights and not the other way around. To practice control, lower the weight and contract for 2 seconds, hold for 1 second, extend for 2 seconds. Do this for your normal number of reps and remember: always put form first.
  • Hold at the top: when taking pauses, make sure you’re pausing when your joints are all fully extended or else you’ll tire your muscles out quicker.
  • Bring good shoes esp for leg day: closed toed, flat shoes with no platform.
  • Activate core whenever you can: flex abs during almost any workout for more stability/workout those boys at the same time.
  • Music buff: music helps drown out noisy distractions so u focus on the lift. also hypes u up (scientifically proven +5% to any lift)

After workout:

  • Stretching/foam rollers($)/massage gun(\(\)) really help with not being sore the next day

Diet:

  • Good workout fuels are carbs for energy and protein for building muscle.
  • Protein:
    • Eat protein soon before or soon after a workout, 30-45 mins is optimal I think. But ya get it in quick for maximum efficiency.
    • Recommended amount of protein intake for weightlifters is 0.5-0.8 grams of protein per pound of body weight per day according to the American College of Sports Medicine (1)
    • Protein powder/shakes/bars are super convenient ways of getting ur protein in, they’re just more expensive but imo super worth it. Protein bars esp make for healthier snacks.
  • Carbs:
    • Eat good carbs; if you don’t supplement your muscles with energy, then your body will start breaking down your muscles for energy. Y’know why starving ppl are super frail and weak? That’s why. Basically you’ll lose muscle instead of gaining them!
    • By carbs I don’t mean sugar or caffeine, I’m talking carbohydrates! The stuff your body makes ATP with, remember whole grains are best
    • Eat clean: try your best to eat whole grains and lean protein. Avoid fast/processed food. The best way to do this is learning how to cook! Not even anything fancy or hard, 99% of what I cook is ground turkey, chicken breast, and frozen spinach! Season well and serve w brown rice and that’s a great meal that’s super easy to meal prep.
  • NO LIQUID CALORIES: sugary drinks are literally poison, I’m sorry but our parents were right. Water is king; try to cut out soda, iced tea, energy drinks, sugary coffee, boba. Im not saying u gotta abandon them completely but just be conscious. Investing in a water bottle helps w this too.
  • Pre-workout: idk I don’t use it! In my experience, I don’t need any kind of pre-workout supplement for energy as long as I’m getting good carbs in, but ofc everyones body is different. I’ve heard creatine is super clean and healthy but idk I’m still a lil skeptical, sounds too good to be true… there are ride or dies for the stuff out there though so maybe ask them about it.
  • Weight:
    • Weight is just calories in vs calories out, simple as that. If you want to burn fat, do high intensity cardio exercises during a calorie deficit.
    • I do not bulk, cut, or diet; I just try to eat good, clean, and at a calorie surplus. I am super lucky to afford to eat whatever I want, since I have extremely high metabolism. However, my 30 year old self might say something different.

Intensity (Advanced):

  • Once you’ve mastered the basics, you’ll probably be focused on muscle growth (bigger/stronger muscles) meaning you need to focus on intensity!! AKA go hard. During the workout, you should be finishing every set with enough energy to only do 1-2 more reps left in the tank, otherwise known as having 1-2 reps until failure. Then, I like to save the last set to apply one of the following intensity techniques:
    • DROP SETS: a personal favorite of mine; during your last set, do your normal number of reps until failure (cant do more even if you tried), then drop the weight by a little less than half and repeat! Really squeeze every last drop out of your muscles. I like to do 2 drops total, but its also normal to do only 1. Whatever gets you all squeezed out.
    • Long length partials: I’m currently experimenting with these so I’ll see how it goes. Do partial (incomplete; only move the muscle a portion of the full range of motion) reps in the “stretched” part of the exercise. “Stretched” referring to the half of the exercise where the muscle is longest and not compressed. For example, extending your arm into a straight line has your bicep fully stretched, while bringing it back into a triangle shape has your tricep fully stretched.
    • Full partials: I haven’t really tried these but basically you go higher weight and when you can’t do full range of motion, keep going but only moving as much as you can go.
  • Time under tension – Muscles grow when they’re placed under tension. This is why its better to go slow and steady and do at least 8 reps. You want to stretch those muscles effectively. This is also why it’s not bad to do lower weight for higher reps.
  • Progressive overload – force your body to get stronger. Week over week you should be either increasing the amount of weight in each exercise (if you prefer less reps) or increasing the amount of reps (if you prefer more reps). Of course, this increase should be small like 5 pounds or 1 rep added. Once you hit a wall, then focus on time under tension, aka increase the amount of time down, holding, and up.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Discipline! - Working out consistently has made me noticeably better with doing other chores like going to the grocery store, cooking food, doing laundry, showering, cleaning up, etc. Going to the gym is the hardest habit you can build (imo) and do everything else becomes a cake walk
  • Physical heath – “Uhm obviously your body will feel good if u workout Palmer🤓…stupid”. Ok sorry didn’t mean to upset you☹but what I mean is that you’ll go to sleep easier because you’re more tired and you’ll be less tired performing physical tasks and your body will have more energy because you’re conditioning it to spend more energy on a daily basis and you’ll probably (hopefully) be eating better and cleaner which works I promise you and yea. So don’t be snappy with me :/
  • Mental health – There are multiple studies showing strong connections between mental and physical activity, ill even cite one right now: (2). I feel calmer and happier and not like a pos when I’m working out consistently, just avoiding depression every time I go. Before I started working out a lot I had very little motivation for stuff, and now I do and I’m pretty sure it’s because I work out often. Super cathartic as well. I’m not guaranteeing anything (esp if you have a mental illness) but give it a try!
  • Looks 😼 – You’ll look better duhhh! Not only that but that leads to increased confidence and social reputation. It’s a really nice feeling when you can fill/fit your clothes, trust. Some people will say you shouldn’t go to the gym just to look good, but I say any reason is a good one as long as it gets you there!
  • Fun – Listen I’m not a masochist I swear but over the years I’ve really grown a love for working out. I actually used to hate working out. But during covid and after a breakup, it made feel just a little bit better. Plus I always wanted to be buff, so I went. And I just kept going. Not because I liked it, but because I knew it was good for me and there was no reason to stop going. But now the push and drive is just so satisfying. Going into what I call “kill mode” where I exert myself to the max is a super cool and unique feeling. And no that’s not a crazy thing to call it.

Cons:

  • Time commitment – I spend about 1.5 hours a day on average working out, which I’ll admit is a luxury to have. Workouts don’t need to be that long so just do whatever works for you, as long as you have a routine. This can be turned into a positive though if you can get yourself better with time management along the way. But yea definitely don’t put aside work or school or family for gym, it’ll always be there for you, other stuff I can’t say for sure.
  • Memberships – I’m also lucky to have a free, nice, not-stinky school gym I can go to until midnight. Most people have to pay for a gym membership though which can be expensive.
  • Looking too good and being too strong and everyone liking you too much and making too much money and…

Conclusion

Hope this helps whoever reads it :). I know this is soooo long but I genuinely think I’ve answered every question that anyone’s ever asked me about working out. But of course, I’ll try to update this as much as possible when I learn new stuff. Anyways, thanks for reading this and DROP WHATEVER YOU’RE DOING AND GO TO THE GYM RIGHT NOW!

References

(1)	“Protein Intake for Optimal Muscle Maintenance – ACSM PROTEIN INTAKE FOR OPTIMAL MUSCLE MAINTENANCE.” PROTEIN INTAKE FOR OPTIMAL MUSCLE MAINTENANCE, American College of Sports Medicine, 2015, www.acsm.org/docs/default-source/files-for-resource-library/protein-intake-for-optimal-muscle-maintenance.pdf?sfvrsn=688d8896_2. 

(2)	Ohrnberger J, Fichera E, Sutton M. The relationship between physical and mental health: A mediation analysis. Soc Sci Med. 2017 Dec;195:42-49. doi: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2017.11.008. Epub 2017 Nov 8. PMID: 29132081.
    a.	(link) https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29132081/