A lot of you might have started your fitness journey in January.

A lot of you might not have started still. Whichever bracket you’re in – I’m here to help you make the best start possible and stay on track once you’re on it.

There’s plenty of good information out there in magazines, social media, and on TV, but there’s equally as much rubbish out there that can hinder your progress and help form bad habits.

Let’s go through some do’s and don’ts that I’ve learned from my experience in the industry.

l You don’t need all the fanciest kit.

New gym shoes, a lifting belt, a headband, and a mouthguard should be the bottom of your list.

On the flip side – if a new shiny pair of gym shoes fill you with excitement and motivation to train, absolutely buy them.

Just don’t feel they are necessary to start. You can squat just as heavily in a pair of old trainers as in the newest Nike lifters.

l Supplements. The word supplement means ‘a thing added to something else in order to complete or enhance it’.

When starting the gym (I was guilty of it too) you don’t need to buy whey protein, BCAA, CLA tablets, creatine and the rest of the supplement roster.

Prioritise good food, with good levels of protein and fruit and veg, and you’ve got yourself the recipe for a progress sandwich.

Yes sandwiches are allowed. Good food and good sleep beat anything you can buy in tablet form.

l Don’t do too much too quickly. You can always put an under-cooked chicken back in the oven.

Once it’s burnt – it’s burnt. Treat your training and fitness journey the same.

Start easy and build up. Training once a week for a year is going to warrant better results than training five days a week for a month. Avoid burnout at all costs. You won’t regret it.

l Ego lifting. More plates do not equal more dates.

Leave the ego lifting for those who don’t read the Manx Independent.

Focus on technique, using proper form, and performing exercises at the correct speed making sure the muscle does the work it needs to.

Loading five plates on each side of the leg press and having it crash down at the speed that your Apple Watch thinks you’ve had a fall and rings your next of kin isn’t the plan.

Hopefully these tips will give you some idea of how to go about your fitness journey.

If you would like more information, fire me a message on either of my socials.

I’d be happy to help.

If I can stop just one person chalking their hands before going a run, I’ve done my job.

Happy fitness!