Heading back to school, uni or college is the perfect time to create a new routine and start building habits to help you progress through your first semester, both at the gym and in the classroom.
We know your first few weeks can be a little overwhelming, seeing friends after the summer break or taking in the spectacles of a brand new environment.
Implementing these tips will help you settle into a routine even faster, and have you continuing those gains you made during summer.
Scroll down to read our top tips for starting a new workout routine at school, and sticking to it!
Where are you going to train?
This might sound simple, but believe us when we say to do your research!
Getting your new gym right the first time will save you time and money, take advantage of free trials and day passes to try out a variety of gyms before committing to a membership.
What should you be looking for? Well, let's make a little checklist...
Location - is the gym in a convenient place? Near school, home or en-route to either? If the gym is easy to get to, you'll visit more often!
Opening Times - will the gym be open when you want to train? duhhhh.
Equipment - is there a good variety of equipment that suits your training methods and interests? "If you're the strongest in your gym, you're in the wrong gym."
Environment - arguably the most important... is it a motivating environment to train in, with a sense of community and belonging?
Friends - let's face it, you don't want to train on your own all year. Speak to friends to see what gym they're at, or if you want to join a new one together!
If you can put a tick next to each of the above, we're pretty sure you've found the perfect gym to start lifting some weight!
Don't forget, during freshers week local gyms offer awesome deals to incentivise students; keep an eye out for these.
Plan your workouts around your study timetable
If you want to stick to your workout routine, you need to make sure your sessions fit in with your study timetable.
Whether you want to fit a few workouts in during study breaks, or you prefer to hit the gym outside of school hours, having everything in one calendar will help you keep track of your daily schedule.
So, you know what you're training and when; holding yourself accountable when you feel like skipping a session (or class...).
Take advantage of your phone calendar, or stick a physical calendar on your fridge.
Follow A Workout Programme
So, we've got the gym sorted, and when we're training... But what are we doing when we hit the gymnasium?
If you're experienced in the gym, you might be able to make some decent progress without giving each session too much thought. But, if you really want to make progress, you need to have a plan together before you step foot in the gym.
Having a programme in place allows you to work towards an end goal, having a clear plan of what you're training each day. If you're new to the gym environment, getting yourself a personal trainer to cover the basics and help build a programme to follow is key.
And, if you need help with your training and workouts, the Gymshark Conditioning App is your new best friend; you can download it here.
