New to fitness? Start here.

Step 1: Understand your goal

Most people start for one of these reasons: to build muscle, get stronger, lose body fat, feel fitter, or build a habit they can keep. Pick the one that matters most to you right now. You can change it later.

The good news: the basics are the same for all of them. Lift weights a few times a week, move more in daily life, eat enough protein, and sleep well.

A common myth: you can't choose where your body loses fat. Doing lots of sit-ups, for example, won't burn fat from your belly in particular. Fat loss happens across your whole body over time.

Step 2: Learn the basics of a gym workout

Most gym workouts follow the same simple shape:

1. Warm up (5 to 10 minutes). Some easy cardio, like walking or cycling, then a light first set of your first exercise.
2. Main exercises (4 to 6 moves). For example, a leg exercise, a pushing exercise for your chest and arms, and a pulling exercise for your back.
3. Rest between sets (1 to 2 minutes). Enough time to catch your breath.
4. Cool down. A few minutes of easy movement to finish.

Two words you'll hear a lot: a rep (repetition) is doing a move once. A set is a group of reps done in a row. “3 sets of 10” means do the move 10 times, rest, and repeat until you've done that 3 times.

Step 3: Pick a simple routine

A good first routine is two or three full-body workouts a week, with a rest day in between. “Full-body” means each workout trains your legs, chest, back and core, not one body part per day.

Each workout can include one exercise for each of these:

• Legs: a squat or leg press.
• Push: a chest press or push-up.
• Pull: a row or lat pulldown.
• Hips: a hip hinge, like a Romanian deadlift with light dumbbells.
• Core: a plank or a carry, holding weights while you walk.

Keep the same routine for several weeks. Repeating it is how you learn the moves and see your progress. Our free tools will soon help you plan it.

Step 4: Learn how to choose weights

Start lighter than you think. Choose a weight you can lift for every rep with good form, and finish each set feeling you could have done 2 or 3 more.

When the last set feels easy for two workouts in a row, add a little: one or two more reps, or the smallest weight step your gym has. This is called progressive overload: slowly asking a bit more of your muscles over time.

Good form comes first. If your form slips, the weight is too heavy for now. Go back to a weight you control well.

Step 5: Keep going at your pace

Turning up matters more than any single workout. You will miss sessions. When you do, just do your next one. One missed day doesn't undo your progress.

Feeling sore a day or two after a new workout is normal and fades as your body gets used to it. Sharp pain, or pain in a joint, is different: stop that exercise and get it checked if it doesn't go away.

Rest days and sleep are part of training. Your muscles get stronger while you recover.