Welcome to The Fitness Novice!
I’m Justin, the founder of The Fitness Novice. I hope you’ll find valuable information and resources here to help you get started on your fitness journey!
Working out is a huge passion of mine. When I was just starting out, it quickly became something I looked forward to every day, even though I had no idea what I was doing. However, I know that for a lot of people, including many of my own friends, getting started on and committing to a workout routine can be quite difficult. That’s why I created The Fitness Novice.
But first, I’d like to tell you more about who I am.
Unrealistic Motivations Lead to Unlikely Surprise
You might think that my motivation to start working out as a kid going into his senior year of high school was to get stronger so I could finally make the football team. Or to look more attractive and get my first girlfriend by the time I went to college.
In reality, I was just an avid eater, and wanted to be able to eat whatever I wanted to without suffering the consequences. I was also tired of my mom’s constant scrutiny. She would sigh in distress every time I came home from school to enjoy my favorite afternoon snack: an entire cheese pizza. She was always commenting on how I was gaining weight and how my face was getting chubbier by the day.
As idealistic as it sounds, going to the gym, in my mind, was a way for me to continue enjoying my favorite foods without becoming overweight and more importantly, without hearing my mom’s constant nagging (only later would I realize that 1) diet does in fact matter, and that 2) the nagging wouldn’t stop no matter what I did).
Once I finally started working out, however, I began to love everything about it. From the thrill of finally being able to curl a heavier dumbbell to the satisfaction of seeing noticeable transformation over time, I found myself in a game in which I was constantly completing new missions and chasing new goals. Of course, being able to eat my favorite foods and still maintain a decent physique was the cherry on top. Since I first joined my local gym that summer of 2016, working out has become a part of my daily routine, and it’s here to stay.
I’ve Seen it All Too Often
Over the years, I’ve had plenty of people come to me asking for fitness advice. They see my work ethic and the results I’ve achieved, and they get all excited to starting going to the gym. Unfortunately, of all the people that I’ve given advice to, or even worked out with, only a small handful of these people have truly committed to working out on a regular basis.
This could be due to a variety of reasons. Some people don’t know what to do at the gym, and find it to be a waste of time. Some people don’t do exercises correctly, don’t have targeted approaches to their workouts, or simply don’t have patience, and are disillusioned when they don’t see significant progress after a while. There are also people who are just not very committed from the start, so even small inconveniences and conflicts will postpone their next workout session for days, weeks, or even months.
Others may simply be intimidated from going to the gym in the first place, and may have lots of confusion and concerns about how to get started working out. They read so many things online, see so many workouts and training programs, and hear so many opinions on just about anything related to working out. They’re overwhelmed, and as a result, scared that they will do something wrong or embarrass themselves in front of others.
Whatever the cause may be, so many people that I interact with never end up accomplishing the fitness goals they once talked so enthusiastically about, and aren’t able to realize the potential that I know they have. This is frustrating for me, because I enjoy seeing other people having fun and succeeding in the gym as much as I enjoy working out myself.
Let’s Break the Cycle
With The Fitness Novice, I aim to provide as much information and clarity about getting started in the gym as I’ve gained from my years of training. I want to address the many questions and concerns that you may have when starting your fitness journey so that you have everything you need to tailor your workouts and more effectively meet your goals. I was once someone who had many of these same questions, and having a place to go to for answers sure would have helped me a ton!
Whether you are getting started in the gym for the first time and simply have a lot of questions, are getting back into working out and looking to really commit this time around, or have even been working out for a while but would like some advice to maximize your results, there are resources here to help you on your path to success.
Now I’m not a professional bodybuilder, nor am I a certified personal trainer. I’m not in the position to tell you what exercises you should be doing and how to execute them with proper form. In fact, I’m still learning new things in the gym all the time. I’m just someone who’s very passionate about working out and wants to spread that passion to others. I want to share what I’ve learned over the years and eliminate as many barriers as I can, so that unlike so many who fail or never even start, you’ll finally give your fitness goals a try, achieve great results, and perhaps even find an exciting new hobby.
All the best on your fitness journey,
Justin
TheFitnessNovice.com
