When i first got into training i had little to no idea of what i was doing, the only thing i wanted to do was put in muscle and look ripped. I spent the best part of 6 months picking up random weights and trying out different resistance machines before i actually began to build knowledge and a good understanding of how to actually workout. This is common for most beginners so If you are fairly new to weight training I’m going to give you a few tips on how to skip the ‘ i have no clue what I’m doing stage’ 

SET GOALS

For me this is one of the most important things you can do, set goals and make sure they are achievable. Knowing what you want to achieve is great, you can then begin to think up ways you can achieve them opposed to just training for the sake of training.

START WITH COMPOUND LIFTS

I would highly recommend performing the compound lifts to build your all round strength before you start to isolate muscle groups. Here are the main lifts and presses you should be incorperating into your workouts:

• Squats
• Deadlfts
• Military press 
• Barbell row 
• Bench press

* I would definitely add dips and pull ups into your regime also.

NOT HAVING A PLAN

 To help you achieve your goals you need to actually have a plan and know what your doing. If your training say 3-4 times a week make sure you know what your doing every day and what muscle group you are training, this will also help you keep track of your progress as every few weeks you will find that certain exercises will become easier and then you can begin to up the weight or intensity.

NOT HAVING A MEAL PLAN

When your starting out your body will most likely ache like crazy because its not always used to the exercises and movements you are doing so its going to need all the nutrients it can possibly get in order to help the body recover and grow. So make sure you have a solid diet and your getting in plenty or protein and carbs in order to fuel your body.

Now you know what to do and what not to do so please take some of these tips on board and you will be well on your way to making some good gains!