Advice for first time/unfit guys just starting to exercise/ beginner/ gym goer (compiled)

[hidingnhiding]

Hi guys,

 

I havent been exercising consistently for the past few years, now I am not fat but I am super unfit with belly and all so it's been making me damn depressed. Trying to get started in exercising both to look better (not the gym bod kind, but just being overall fit and minimally to have a flat tummy) but currently I suck at about every exercise. For context, 2.4km timing is about 15min and I can barely do beyond 10 pushups at a time.

 

I have considered signing up for a gym membership but a friend told me it might be better to train up my basic fitness first before signing, rather than signing up straightaway and not being able to utilise much of the equipment since I'm so weak and I'll just be wasting my money. 

 

So I need some advice from you guys -

 

1) Should I sign up for gym membership straight or train up first? As I honestly do not have that much cash to spare so I wouldnt want to waste the monthly fees if it might not be worth it.

2) For non-gym training, may I know what possible exercises or workouts I can do to build up my overall fitness? (cutting fat, building some muscle at least, stamina etc.) So far I do train IPPT exercises whenever I am about to take the test but I know all it does is just improve my score, rather than actually improving my fitness. Would HIIT in this case be enough?

 

Thank you guys so much in advance for the advice.

[Guest Guest]

q1) a) assume u local and safra mbr - u cn try per entry, so no time 2 go, u pay nothing, if happy den sign mbr lo

https://www.safra.sg/energyone-gym/per-entry-rates

q1) b) if u not safra mbr - still got activesg gym, cheaper, depending u local not:$2.5 or $3.3, no need mbr

https://www.myactivesg.com/Facilities/Rates/Individual-rates#ActiveGYM

 

q2) if no gym, like home ex, u cn look up jordan yeoh mysian, a lot of no-gym ex 4 u 2 train

https://www.youtube.com/@jordanyeohfitness/videos

or patrick fr taiwan, also got home ex 4 u

https://www.youtube.com/@PatrickFit/videos

thr r many other out thr, u jus search lo

[T Gunner]

.

 

 

Edited January 3, 2023 by T Gunner

[milogarang]

agree with guest's comments. start from activesg gym if you have budget constraint. commitment and consistency is something you need if you want to see results. i believe diet and lifestyle plays an important part (what you eat, your sleep, your stress level, etc) so it is good to evaluate and see what changes are needed.

 

there are many online resources. however you may want to think about consulting a trainer on how to achieve your fitness goals. you can look at this instagram as a start - https://www.instagram.com/beachbodbrah/

[Kimochi]

Come up with a foolproof plan for your exercise regime. With specific time and details what you aim to do ( your planned goal setting ) aim is to plan easy to follow and stick to and not complicated  and put off .

 

You do not need gym membership to get fit . You can start with jog and walk around park or stadium anywhere deem good sport to jog and easily accessible. Calisthenics is very good form of exercise as well . Remember to go super slow including thorough warming up. 

 

Also plan hydrate and sleep into your equation. (Adequate rest is also my weak spot) 

[Derren]

Generally speaking, there are 4 types of exercise: Aerobic, Strength, Balance and Flexibility. Most people focus on aerobic and strength training. Aerobic works on your cardiovascular fitness while strength training develops muscular strength and endurance.

 

For aerobic, it's best to build up your base for cardiovascular fitness with steady-state low to moderate intensity aerobic exercise such

as brisk walking, slow jogging and swimming 20-45 mins 2 to 3 times a week. When you feel that your conditioning has improved (which could take several weeks), you may want to add 1 to 2 sessions of High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) every week. Health Promotion Board (HPB)

organises Quick HIIT classes which you can join through the Healthy365 app. FOC!

 

For strength training, you can start off with bodyweight exercises such as push-up, pull-ups and jump squats which work on different parts of the body. As you progress and get stronger, you can add variations which make it harder so that your body continues to adapt. There are many youtube and tiktok clips to follow from the comfort of home. You can also get resistance bands from Decathlon which are affordable and easy to use. 

 

Thus you do not necessarily need a gym membership. There are of course some advantages to having access to a gym. But it is definitely not necessary. 

 

 

Edited January 9, 2023 by Derren

[Guest Eat, shit, lose weight]

I've been trying to lose weight. And have never been successful all my life. 

 

Because I only know lose weight =cardio. Run. And I run few weeks and I give up cause too difficult. 

 

Its only when I decided not to do any silly cardio and focus on strength training and muscle building. 

 

I finally managed to lose 10kg after 8 months. And my pyshcique also looks better. Got muscle.. Ofc not muscle fit yet. 

 

Im no trainer of fitness guru but I'm an expert in being overweight and unsuccessful in losing weight... 

 

I tell you what works is consistentcy. 

If you can't keep cardio every week for months... Then no use. 

If you can't gym 3 times per week for years... Then no use... 

 

Choose an activity that you can do.. Stick with it. The stronger you get. The more energy you have. The more you want to be better. 

 

Also diet is important. Nowadays I don't even eat junk food anymore. Yesterday I ate McDonald's prosperity burger and I feel like throwing up. Today got diarrhea cause for the past 8 months I just eat clean. 

[Derren]

10kg in 8 months is no mean feat! Keep it up!

 

Cardio does help you to lose weight, but only insofar as you maintain a caloric deficit. A good, well-planned diet is

by far the most effective way to keep a caloric deficit.  Thus, one should prioritise diet and treat cardio as a useful supplemental.
Cardio is also important for heart health. 

 

Strength training develops your muscles.  An increase in muscle mass will raise your basal metabolism rate i.e. you will use up

more energy even when at rest. When you cut your weight by dieting and cardio, you tend to lose both fat and muscle mass. Strength

training reduces this loss in muscle mass.

 

Also, muscles improve your insulin sensitivity. It also gives you a more aesthetic look, according to  today's tastes.

But it is a slow process and requires more technical knowledge.

 

Both types of exercises are good for fat loss; none are silly. 

 

 

[firefight]

On 12/29/2022 at 6:38 PM, hidingnhiding said:

Hi guys,

 

I havent been exercising consistently for the past few years, now I am not fat but I am super unfit with belly and all so it's been making me damn depressed. Trying to get started in exercising both to look better (not the gym bod kind, but just being overall fit and minimally to have a flat tummy) but currently I suck at about every exercise. For context, 2.4km timing is about 15min and I can barely do beyond 10 pushups at a time.

 

I have considered signing up for a gym membership but a friend told me it might be better to train up my basic fitness first before signing, rather than signing up straightaway and not being able to utilise much of the equipment since I'm so weak and I'll just be wasting my money. 

 

So I need some advice from you guys -

 

1) Should I sign up for gym membership straight or train up first? As I honestly do not have that much cash to spare so I wouldnt want to waste the monthly fees if it might not be worth it.

2) For non-gym training, may I know what possible exercises or workouts I can do to build up my overall fitness? (cutting fat, building some muscle at least, stamina etc.) So far I do train IPPT exercises whenever I am about to take the test but I know all it does is just improve my score, rather than actually improving my fitness. Would HIIT in this case be enough?

 

Thank you guys so much in advance for the advice.

Currently to improve cardio  I'm doing swimming. It is very time efficient if you work or live near a pool. For muscles I am using dumbbells at home for a variety of exercises trying to train whole body.

Eating wise it is easier to change the timing to eat rather than change what you eat. Keep in touch if you wanna join me for swim!

[yoyo74]

If you have a money problem, dont waste it at the gym. You dont need gym to make you more healthy and fit. Concentrate on fixing your diet first as diet affects your body 80%. Eat more fruits and vegetables and it should cover at least half your plate. Stop eating junk food unless you can control only eat one small bite per day. Try to go for a low carb diet. Try not to eat or eat very little those high carb food with almost no nutrition like white rice, all the noodle stuff made from rice or flour, white bread, pasta etc. If want to eat carb eat only those carb with high nutrition like those brown rice, red rice, sweet potato etc. You can also replace those carbs with quinoa or millet if you want.

As for exercise do those without high impact to your joints like very slow jogging or swimming etc. Those exercise that slam hard on your joint you will pay a big price when you grow older.

[deg143]

Try combining cardio with weight training. I think the results are faster. I tried it before and works for me. Going to a gym and having a trainer would be very effective if you are serious and focused on your training. But if tight on a budget, home training is also fine. Can download a training app or watch reliable youtube videos. But most importantly, you have to be determined, stick with a routine and be consistent, otherwise you will lose it’s benefits or see no progress. Watch your diet as well as it is a big factor on losing weight. Exercise is not enough and belly fats is usually the last thing to be reduced after losing other fats from your body. Having said these, I can only speak from my previous experience and from what was advised to me. I was once fit but got distracted and lost some benefits of those training. But I still try to go back in shape from time to time by doing some home exercise and cutting my diet at times especially if I saw someone fit and I really admire their discipline to stay on shape. 

[vincenttan8]

Would like to start going to the gym to gain some muscle mass and get bigger in size. Have never been to a gym. Too much of an introvert and too afraid to go alone not know what to do. Which gym do I choose as a beginner, there's AF nearby which I can go after wee hours where there's lesser people or no one to watch (less awkward), or ActiveSG. How to get started on going to gym and working out / using those machines an equipments? 

[Steve5380]

1 hour ago, vincenttan8 said:

Would like to start going to the gym to gain some muscle mass and get bigger in size. Have never been to a gym. Too much of an introvert and too afraid to go alone not know what to do. Which gym do I choose as a beginner, there's AF nearby which I can go after wee hours where there's lesser people or no one to watch (less awkward), or ActiveSG. How to get started on going to gym and working out / using those machines an equipments? 

 

Introverted and afraid?  We all have been there.    Which gym to choose?  What machines to use?  You don't need to resolve these now.

 

If you decided to work out and gain muscle you can start doing this perfectly from home.  YouTube is full of information about working out at home.  Pushups, squats, lunges, etc. etc.   And EQUALLY IMPORTANT is to learn which foods to eat to help build muscle, information which is also abundant on YouTube.

 

If you start doing the above seriously,  in a couple of months you can progress beyond beginner and have better knowledge when deciding to go to the gym.

[strategicthrust]

On 9/29/2025 at 12:23 AM, vincenttan8 said:

Would like to start going to the gym to gain some muscle mass and get bigger in size. Have never been to a gym. Too much of an introvert and too afraid to go alone not know what to do. Which gym do I choose as a beginner, there's AF nearby which I can go after wee hours where there's lesser people or no one to watch (less awkward), or ActiveSG. How to get started on going to gym and working out / using those machines an equipments? 

 

It can be quite intimidating as a first time gymgoer, esp if you don't know where to start. If you're serious and committed to start your fitness journey (one that will last a lifetime), look for a PT who can teach you the basics first.

 

What muscle groups to target and which exercises are effective. How to do your workout with proper form - doing with poor form is at best useless and at worst puts you at risk of injury.

 

How to eat so that you get the nutrition you need for the growth you wanna see.

 

I think all the above were the most important things i learnt which has kept me progressing bit by bit even until now, years after i started.

 

Youtube videos can be helpful but there are tons of them out there and you may end up with analysis paralysis. Find someone who can actually guide you in person is my advice.