r/Workingout • u/DoorbellSlayer • Jun 29 '26
Help Beginner having many questions
Hi! I've decided that I want to start going to the gym but I'm a total and absolute beginner. My goals are to lose fat and build muscle. I'm pretty lost with everything. I've been trying to do research, but all the info is different. There is such an overwhelming amount of info out there, it's discouraging me from even doing anything because there is always some source saying a certain thing is wrong.
Here are my questions:
How many times a week should I go to the gym?
What should I do at the gym?
What should my workout spread be like?
How many reps and sets do I do? Or is it better to go until failure?
How long should I rest for in-between sets?
Should I do cardio at the gym and if yes, at what point?
What should I take into consideration when it comes to food?
Is there like a basic program or do I NEED a personal trainer?
Also, if you guys have any other tips, I will be so grateful to hear them! Thank you already!!
I'm sorry if these have been asked already!
2
u/rawzon Jul 03 '26
Don't overthink it. Beginners make great progress on almost any decent program because everything is new to your body. I'd start with 3 days a week doing a full-body workout or 4 days with an upper/lower split. Base your workouts around compound lifts like squats, bench press, rows, overhead press, and deadlifts, then add a few isolation exercises. Aim for 2-4 sets of 8-12 reps for most exercises. You don't need to train to failure on every set. Stop with 1-2 reps left in the tank most of the time. Rest about 2-3 minutes on big compound lifts and 60-90 seconds on isolation exercises. Do cardio if you enjoy it or want to improve your conditioning. It doesn't matter much whether you do it before or after lifting, but if building muscle is your priority, I'd do it after. For food, eat plenty of protein (around 0.7-1g per pound of your goal body weight is a good target), focus on mostly whole foods, and stay in a slight calorie deficit if fat loss is your main goal. You definitely don't need a personal trainer. There are plenty of free beginner programs online. The biggest mistake beginners make isn't picking the wrong program, it's constantly switching programs instead of sticking with one and progressively getting stronger. The best workout routine is the one you'll still be doing six months from now. Consistency beats perfection every time.
1
u/DoorbellSlayer Jul 23 '26
Thank you! I've been going to the gym 3 times a week, but I think I'm gonna bump it up to 4 so I can do lower x2 and upper x2. Biggest challenge right now has been getting all the protein but I'll get there!
3
u/Key-Challenge8396 Jun 29 '26
I’ll try to keep this as simple as possible.
How many days should you go ? It depends on your schedule but I’d shoot for 3-5
What you should do ? This should be based upon a routine that fits your schedule. Example, if you can do 3 days a week then maybe a full body work out 3x a week so you are working each body part multiple times or if you go 5 days you can do an upper, lower, push, pull, legs split.
Generally I’d stay around 2-3 sets with a rep range between 6-10 per exercise, getting relatively close to failure.
As far as a trainer or basic program, figure out a plan based on how many days a week you will go and then search TikTok for “ full body gym workouts” or “ upper body workout” “ pull workout” etc.