Should Everyone go to the Gym?

There are few things better than a good workout. Not only does it release stress and tension, but it also boosts your mood, increases your energy levels, and strengthens your immune system.

Oftentimes, the key is to go back to the basics. It’s important to work smarter and not just harder. Anything that can help make your life easier will always be worth it in the long run.

It’s a jungle out there and you’re going to have to compete with other people if you want to get what you want. The gym is an example of the type of competitive environment where people are willing to work hard, push themselves, and put in extra effort just to be #1.

With busy schedules and easy access to food and a couch, people in the modern world are finding it more difficult to keep weight off. The solution is to join a gym. A gym will give you a structured workout routine, plus the equipment you need for strength training and cardio.

Everyone wants to look good and stay fit in this fast-paced world, where looks and fitness are mandate to stand today’s demands. Due to this, gyms have gained a lot of popularity. But a lot of people have confusions related to gym such as the best time to go to the gym, what to eat before going to the gym, gym diet, etc, but first and foremost is whether everyone should go to gym or not!

The answer is very simple, it is essential to indulge in physical activities and workout as per individual requirements. But it is not mandatory for everyone to go to a gym to do so, rather there are various criteria to decide the same. 

Who should go to the Gym?

As mentioned above, going to a gym is not a requisite for all but certain people can get benefited from gym, such as

• Individuals preparing for bodybuilding competitions.
• Individuals who have professional goals based on looks and fitness such as models, celebrities, etc.
• Individuals who have such lifestyles that they can spare some time for gym throughout, such as people involved into huge family businesses where everyone has time for themselves, etc.
• Individuals having a lack of motivation to exercise on their own.
• There are different body types as per Ayurveda (Vata, Pitta and Kapha), individuals having “Pitta” type body should go to the gym or swimming etc.

However, there are people who should avoid going to gyms for certain reasons listed below:

• Individuals targeting short term goals in limited intervals. For example, if a person joins a gym to lose weight for some occasion and then later stops doing it, this will lead to a lot of weight gain, even more than before.
• Individuals having busy work schedules seeking weight gain or weight loss, who cannot continue gym for long due to work. It is better to do strength training or cardio (as per requirement) at home itself and take proper diet for such people to achieve their targets.
• Individuals having any metabolic disorders.
• Individuals having “Vata” type body should avoid gym and do more of yoga, pranayama, walking etc. “Kapha” type people can go to the gym if they want or they can simply walk, run, exercise at home, do aerobics, etc.

It is very interesting to know about one’s body type (Study Vata, Pitta and Kapha- Ayurveda) and everyone should at least know a few important points about them. This gives a very clear understanding of why two people or their bodies react differently in the same situations.

After understanding who all should go to the gym, it is important to understand the correct workout pattern.

Gym Workout Chart

It is very essential to remain active and walk as much as you can every day. People who don’t go to the gym can simply jog, run, do skipping in the morning. They can do yoga, aerobics, dance, tae-bo, squats, lunges, weight training etc at home or in open air.

The best part about working out on your own is you never overdo, which is equally bad for the body as not exercising at all. Moreover, you save that money you spend on the gym which you can spend on having a complete diet and good supplements.

Check the range of most suitable “workout supplements” here.

Coming on to the ones going to gym, below is a sample gym workout chart:

Day 1	Push-Ups
	Inclined Dumbbell Press
	Flat Bench Press
	Decline Dumbbell Press
	Pec Fly
	Pull Over

Day 2	Military Press
	Standing Dumbbell Press
	Rear Delt Fly
	Lateral Raise
	Front Raise
	Moderate Intensity and High Load Cardio

Day 3	Triceps
	Pully Push Down
	Skull Crusher
	Close Grip Bench Press
	Kick Back
	Bench Dips

Day 4	Chin Ups
	Lat Pulldown
	Seated Rowing
	One Arm Dumbbell Rowing
	Dumbbell Shrugs
	Cycling

Day 5	Biceps
	Barbell Curl
	Dumbbell Curl
	Preacher Curl
	Hammer Curl
	Wrist Curl

Day 6	Squats
	Leg Press
	Leg Extension
	Glute Kickbacks
	Lying Leg Curl
	Standing Calf
	Treadmill

Day 1 & 5 (Abs Workout)	Cardiovascular Exercises
	Leg Raise
	Cable Hip Abduction
	Alternate Floor Leg Raise
	Floor Crunch

Many of the above-mentioned exercises can be done at home also, with the help of dumbbells, supports, etc.

Best Time to go to the Gym

The best time of the day to exercise is in the “morning”. The metabolism is high and body can burn maximum fat in the morning. Weather too is mostly suitable for exercise in the morning. Because of all these reasons, early morning is the best time to exercise for people who don’t go to the gym.

The best time to go to the gym also is morning or maximum before afternoon. However, a lot of people are unable to make it in the morning. It is advisable to atleast do some exercise (can just walk, jog, do stretching exercises etc) in the morning, and then can go to the gym early evening. Research shows that if you fix a specific timing for gym in the evening every day, your body adjusts to it.

However, exercise or gym is never recommended post-dinner. If you want, you can simply walk for a few minutes after having dinner.

Gym Diet

Again, it is of utmost importance to consume the correct foods before going to the gym as well as throughout the day for gym-goers. It is extremely important to remain hydrated also.

What to eat before Gym?

It is recommended to have some complex carbohydrates along with protein foods around two hours before going to the gym. It provides sustainable energy during exercise, improves workout performance and reduces muscle loss.

You can have:

• 1-2 Bananas along with a Paneer and Hummus Sandwiches, two hours before the gym.
• Apple and Cow’s Milk and Oatmeal Porridge along with half scoop whey protein, two hours before the gym.
• A cup of black coffee with no or very less sweetener just before going to the gym for people aiming at weight loss. It acts as a stimulant and hence increases workout efficiency, body’s metabolism as well as supports fat loss.

Diet for Gym Beginners

Gym beginners need to be more deliberate regarding their diet plan, as their body is under a sudden change. Most of them have issues like body or muscle pain. They might also suffer muscle loss in the beginning due to less awareness. Consider the following:

• Diet for gym beginners cannot be a usual diet which non-gym-goers would follow, owing to hard workout done in gyms.
• For weight loss, diet needs to be adequate in carbohydrates and high in proteins. Whereas for weight gain, increase your carbohydrate and protein intake as the intensity of workout goes up. Fat needs to be taken within permissible limits in both the cases.

Carbohydrate sources: Grains/ Cereals, milk and milk products, fruits and vegetables, sago (zero protein food), pulses, etc.

Protein sources: Eggs, chicken, fish, meat, milk and milk products, soy products, pulses and legumes, nuts and seeds, whey or any other protein powders, etc.

Fat sources: Cheese, Clarified butter (ghee), butter, cream, refined oils, etc. Mostly all foods contain some amount of fat other than these food sources of fats.

Remember almost all foods contain some amount of carbohydrates, protein and fats. Their sources (such as protein sources, etc) just indicates foods with higher amount of that particular nutrient.

If milk is a source of protein, that doesn’t mean that it has zero carbohydrates and zero fat but it signifies a high amount of good quality proteins in it.

Best Protein Supplements for Gym Beginners

It is vital for all gym-goers, especially beginners to have sufficient proteins in the diet to prevent muscle pain and muscle loss. The most suitable post-workout protein is whey protein, as it is fast-acting and helps in immediate recovery and growth of muscles post-workout.

Check the range of most suitable “whey protein supplements” here.

Beginners need to consume whey protein in lower amounts than the intermediates or gym experts.

Secondly adding a casein supplement at night helps in muscle recovery, when the body is at rest and is fasting for many hours. Although, it is not necessary to add casein from the very beginning but it can be added after a month or two of starting the gym.

Check the range of most suitable “Casein protein supplements” here.

Conclusion

Hence, it can be concluded that it is not compulsory for everyone to go to the gym, but it is very essential to exercise regularly. Moreover, it is eminent to fulfil the additional requisites related to gym or exercise i.e. a good diet, exercise and appropriate supplements in order to get the desired results.