Originally posted on https://www.fithaus.io/blog/fitness/the-glory-of-newbie-gains/

Getting into the gym for the first time can definitely be intimidating for some. We’ve heard it first hand from many of our clients! Many of our clients also want results as fast as possible.

On the bright side, if you’re new to the gym and you’re just starting out, you can benefit from something amazing called “Newbie Gains”. We’ve all seen certain people make massive gains in their first year of training – like that friend that just learned to deadlift a couple months ago and is seeing very fast results.  This phenomenon refers to the fast increase in strength, size and muscle mass that occurs when beginners first start lifting weights. If you’re consistent, when you first start training you can expect to see benefits and results fairly quickly. We like to call this “Newbie Gains”.

This can be a thing of beauty as if you’re new to lifting weights, your body can be very responsive to the effects of resistance training which can lead to super fast results. I’ve seen this first hand with many of our clients as well as close friends of mine. This mainly due to your nervous system becoming more accustomed to the movements involved with your training regimen and learning to use the muscle mass you already have to perform the movement correctly. The stimulus is new to your body, so the human body is simply going to respond strongly to it. If you’re consistent, you can definitely expect to see significant results in your first year of training.

As a general rule of thumb, you can definitely expect your gains within your first year of training to come much quicker relative to your gains after the fact. This will have experienced weight lifters extremely jealous as there are definitely diminishing returns from weight lifting over time. This means that all else equal, you shouldn’t expect your gains in year 5 of training to be comparable to your gains in year 1. Our bodies can adapt quickly if you follow our training programs and also watch your nutrition. I can guarantee that many experienced weight lifters would love to harness that power to see gains so quickly. A personal trainer can help you optimize those gains in your first year of training to help you reap the most benefit from your training regiment, which is one of the top reasons why you should hire a personal trainer. The main key here is to be consistent, and if you are, you’ll see tonnes of added benefit.

Generally speaking, newbie gains can last for the first six months to a year and if done properly, can result in you reaping the highest gains at any point throughout the course of your training. If you’re just starting off with resistance training, chatting with your personal trainer about your fitness goals in greater detail will be a great starting point to making sure your workouts are designed accordingly. It’s also important to make sure that you understand what to look for in a personal trainer to make sure that they have the appropriate credentials and experience to help you reach your goals. If you’re able to stick with a frequency of at least three times per week, while also factoring in our nutritional recommendations, you’ll be sure to set yourself up for success!

Many of our clients are beginners in their training routine and as such, can expect to benefit from significant gains in the first year of their training. The key is to stay dedicated and maintain a training frequency of 3x per week while also factoring in our nutritional recommendations. If you’re open to completing additional workouts on your own without the presence of your trainer, that’s also a huge bonus as well that can accelerate your results. It’s important that you factor in our nutritional recommendations with any of your training programs as this will help you get the most out of your workouts and fuel your daily life. Our nutritional programs are included free of charge with any of our packages and we highly recommend you take advantage of this!

After training for a year, the Newbie Gains will typically come to an end and you may find that you’re experiencing a plateau. This can be where beginners lose focus and interest since the results aren’t flowing as fast as they used to. It’s important to have a personal trainer to design your workouts accordingly to help you push through these plateaus which will help you continue to progress towards your goals. It’s important that as you progress that you shift your workout program into a more advanced program. This will help you continue to reap the benefits you’re looking for. If you’re not comfortable designing the program on your own, you should seek the advice of a personal trainer to help you with program design. It’ll also help with the added motivation and accountability so that you’re continuously headed in the right direction. As with any training program, it’s important to not get discouraged and to stay consistent. We’ll be there for you every step of the way on your fitness journey!

If you’d like to set up a complimentary session with one of our trainers, you can email us directly at [email protected] and one of our reps would be happy to assist. You can also call us at 1-888-682-0724 or sign up directly on our website.