Your First Month at the Gym

You step into the gym, and all your promises, bargains, and resolutions with yourself go out the window. Why?

Usually cause you don’t really know what to do. There are all these machines, treadmills, stationary bikes. There are really big people throwing around intense weights like toys. Everyone seems focused and driven, and you’re a clueless sack of potatoes. What do you do?

You learn. Then you plan. Then you stick to your plan.

We invented The Surge Code, a routine designed to build strength and aesthetics. But what do you do if you’ve never hit the gym before? You can’t just pick up a routine and be expected to stick to it. So we’ve added this guide to your first month at the gym. This will prepare you for The Surge Code; it will help you build a solid base to grow from. SPLIT INTO WEEKS.

Week 1:

Four days. Keep a day of rest in between each day. If you’re an absolute beginner, you might need more rest, and the first week could become two weeks. I couldn’t walk properly for a week after the first time I did squats. Take the time you need to rest. Rushing will only lead to injury.

You can refer to our post detailing the methods of each workout here.

Day 1: Learn the Overhead Press, Bench Press, and Deadlift. Don’t add weight; stick to only the bar (which is 45 lbs on its own). At this stage, your priority is form. Learn how to do it properly. Take this time now. Not 100 lbs later when you mess up your shoulders attempting heavier weight with terrible form. Ask for help from experienced friends, or better yet, make use of your gym’s employees. Most, if not all, have a personal training license and can help you perfect your form. Many gyms also offer a free session when you sign up. Form is crucial. Do 5 sets for 5 reps each with just the bar for each workout.

If the bar proves too heavy for you, don’t sweat it. We all start somewhere. Your gym should have smaller bars that range from 10 lbs to 90 lbs. Use whatever weight you need to. There’s no rush.

Day 2: On the second day, your focus is on Squats. An entire gym session is dedicated to this because it’s the most technical workout, requiring adequate mobility of the hips, ankles, and knees. These are really easy to mess up, so you definitely want someone to show you the ropes. After you’ve been shown how to perform squats, study your form. Watch yourself in the mirrors. Have someone record you from the side. If you’re lacking in mobility, and your torso isn’t upright, invest in squatting shoes (these sneakers are higher heeled to help you perform). Do 10 (or 15) sets of 5 reps.

Day 3: On the third day, practice Good Mornings and Bent Over Rows. Use only the bar or really low weight. For the Rows, I recommend grabbing Olympic 10 pound rubber plates if your gym has them. Or use the safety bars on the squat rack to rest the bar on, so you don’t need to bend excessively to pick it up. Even if your specific plan won’t require these workouts (if you’re an ectomorph), these are still really good supplementary workouts and will help you develop your frame.

Day 4: On the final day of this week’s plan, all you have to do are Dips and Pull-ups. Attempt them at your own body weight first. See how many you can do. If you are overweight or underweight, it’s highly likely you won’t be able to, so make use of the assisted machine. Try doing reps with weight added to support you. See how much assistance you need. Experiment with the weights until you can do it for 5 sets of 10 reps.

Weeks 2 & 3:

By now, you should’ve read through our book, Reprogram Your Body, and our other blog posts. You know your body type, your current capabilities, and you’re not as sore as you were during the first week. Continue doing that routine, adding a bit of weight each week. The sets should still feel comfortable, meaning that you don’t need to strain hard to push through.

This might seem like a waste of time. Why not just go ahead and do higher and higher weight? Because you want to perfect your form. By repeating these movements at easy weights, you’re building up motor patterns, muscle memory, and mobility.

Week 4:

This will be the first test week, and you’ll be following The Surge Code.

At this point, you’ll be attempting your Personal Records (PRs) for each of the main barbell workouts. For the barbell accessory workouts, you’ll be finding your 5 rep max. For the body-weight exercises, you’ll attempt your max number of reps. Follow the pyramid routine outlined our book, and work your way up the weights till you can’t do any heavier. Usually, this means adding 5 pounds to each side of the bar with each set.

The Surge Code split is:

Day 1: Squats, Bench Press, Good Mornings, Dips

Day 2: Deadlifts, Overhead Press, Bent Over Rows, Pull-ups

*Refer to your body-type to see which workouts you’ll have to hit PR’s in.

**If you need to split this further, feel free to do so. But only for this week.

For example, you could do something like this:

Day 1: Squats, Good Mornings

Day 2: Deadlifts, Bent Over Rows

Day 3: Bench Press, Dips

Day 4: Overhead Press, Pull-ups

The goal is to determine your PR. So rest as you need to between the days. Once you’ve found your PRs, you can officially begin the Surge Code.