Hey listen, we get it! You’re feeling impatient about those Noob Strength Gains. You went to the gym once, maybe even twice and you can’t yet find your six-pack abs. You can’t quite bench your body weight. You have failed to even deadlift your body weight. Pull-ups? Well, you can only do 1 or 2.
THAT’S OK!! Things are going to change.
How Long Does Noob Status Last?
You want all your friends and followers to know how Swole you’re getting, right? Sorry to burst your bubble, but you’re not Swole yet. At least give it 3-6 months before you announce your new hobby and your aggressive strength goals. You’re sure to get some enthusiasm and support along the way but go slow with your social posting.
Preparing Your Noob Strategy
Exercise
Getting into shape as a gym beginner takes time, patience, and consistency. The first six months should be focused on building a strong foundation of strength, mobility, and endurance. This means prioritizing full-body workouts that train major muscle groups with compound movements like squats, deadlifts, push-ups, and rows. These exercises improve coordination, engage multiple muscles at once, and develop a base level of functional strength. Training at least three to four times per week with a focus on proper form will help you avoid injuries and create the foundation needed for long-term progress.
To maximize strength gains, your workouts should incorporate progressive overload, meaning you gradually increase resistance, reps, or intensity over time. High-intensity workouts, such as supersets or circuit training, will also help improve endurance and burn fat while building muscle. It’s essential to listen to your body and avoid overtraining—allowing for rest days and active recovery, like stretching or light cardio, will keep your muscles and joints healthy as you adapt to the demands of weight training.
Nutrition
Nutrition plays a critical role in determining how effectively you gain muscle and burn fat. If you’re a hard gainer (someone who struggles to gain weight), you need to eat in a caloric surplus, meaning you consume more calories than you burn. Focus on nutrient-dense foods like lean proteins, healthy fats, and complex carbohydrates. Eating frequently – every 3 to 4 hours – will ensure a steady supply of nutrients for muscle growth. Supplements like protein shakes and creatine can also help if you have trouble meeting your daily caloric and protein needs.
For easy gainers (those who put on weight quickly), it’s crucial to be mindful of food choices. Instead of overeating and gaining excess fat, focus on lean proteins, high-fiber vegetables, and healthy fats while maintaining a controlled calorie intake. Strength training combined with a slight caloric surplus will allow for muscle growth without unnecessary fat gain. Regardless of your body type, proper hydration and micronutrient intake (vitamins and minerals) are essential for energy, recovery, and overall performance in the gym.
Lifestyle
Finally, adopting a healthy lifestyle outside the gym is just as important as your workouts and nutrition. Getting at least 7-9 hours of sleep per night helps muscle recovery and hormone regulation. Managing stress through mindfulness, stretching, or even light activities like walking can improve recovery and reduce the risk of burnout. Recovery tools like foam rolling, massage, and contrast showers can also help alleviate soreness and keep you performing at your best.
By combining structured workouts, proper nutrition, and a well-balanced lifestyle, you’ll build a solid foundation of strength and fitness within six months, setting yourself up for long-term success.
Final Thoughts
Being Swole takes months, even years of dedication and consistency. You can get healthier by working out a few times… actually, no you can’t. Being healthier still takes consistency over months and years and requires additional lifestyle adjustments. The Noob Strength Gains will set in quickly with determined consistency, so stay the course, give it some time, and push it HARD when it’s time to push!
Read more: Treadmill Workouts: You’re Doing It Wrong
