Quick start to training
The short answers to the six questions every beginner asks, in one page.
Quick answerTraining5 min read
The complete library
All guides
47 pages, grouped by subject and listed in full. A page that covers a second subject is listed under both. Everything is free to read and nothing needs an account.
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25 pages
Training and programming
Starting the gym for the first time, step by step
Everything you need for your first few gym visits, from what to take to what to actually do once you walk through the door.
GuideTraining8 min read
Feeling less intimidated by the gym
Practical ways through gym self-consciousness, no diagnosis, just tactics.
GuideTraining7 min read
Gym machines worth learning first
The core machines beginners should learn first, with setup steps for each.
GuideTraining8 min read
Free weights or machines: what beginners should know
How dumbbells, barbells and machines compare, and how to mix them.
GuideTraining7 min readAll levels
A short warm-up to do before lifting
A repeatable 6-8 minute warm-up for lifting, including cardio, dynamic movement and your first warm-up sets.
GuideTraining6 min read
How many days a week should you train as a beginner?
The training frequency that builds strength without burning you out.
GuideTraining7 min read
Which workout split should you choose as a beginner?
How full body, upper/lower and push-pull-legs compare for beginners.
GuideTraining8 min readAll levels
What is progressive overload and how do you apply it?
The principle behind every strength and muscle gain you'll make.
GuideTraining7 min readAll levels
How rest days and recovery actually work for beginners
Why rest days, sleep and soreness matter as much as the workout itself.
GuideTraining7 min read
How many sets per muscle per week to build muscle?
What the evidence really says about weekly training volume: more useful work tends to grow more muscle, but the returns get smaller.
GuideTraining8 min read
How long should you rest between sets?
What the evidence really says about rest periods: muscle grows across a broad range, and the timer exists to support the next set.
GuideTraining8 min read
How many reps should you do to build muscle?
Why 8-12 reps is useful but not a magic hypertrophy zone, and how low, moderate and higher reps fit muscle-building training.
GuideTraining8 min read
Should you train to failure to build muscle?
Why muscular failure is not required for growth, why effort still matters and how beginners can train hard without failing every set.
GuideTraining9 min read
RIR and RPE explained: how hard should you train?
How repetitions in reserve and resistance-training RPE describe set effort, how beginners can estimate them and where their limits are.
GuideTraining10 min read
A beginner dumbbell workout plan you can run with one pair of weights
A full-body dumbbell plan for beginners with sets, reps and progression built in.
ProgrammeTraining8 min read
A no-equipment home workout plan for beginners
A full bodyweight routine you can run at home with nothing more than floor space.
ProgrammeTraining7 min read
How to track your progress and measurements properly
What to measure, how often, and how to read the trend rather than day-to-day noise.
GuideTraining7 min read
Push pull legs for beginners
A complete beginner push pull legs routine, plus when a three-day PPL split makes sense and when full-body training is simpler.
GuideTraining8 min readAll levels
How long should a workout be?
What really decides session length, and how to train well in 30 minutes.
Quick answerTraining5 min read
Your first day gym workout, exercise by exercise
Six exercises, the sets and reps, and what to do when you walk in.
GuideTraining7 min read
A diet and exercise plan for your first month
The training week and the eating targets that go with it, in one plan.
ProgrammeTraining8 min read
A beginner gym workout plan that actually fits your week
A complete three-day full-body gym plan with exercises, sets, reps, rest and exactly when to increase the weight.
ProgrammeTraining
Sets, reps and how much weight to actually lift
How many sets and reps to do per exercise, how heavy to lift, and exactly when to add load.
GuideTraining
Your first gym session, step by step
What to take, what to do in the first ten minutes, and how to finish your first session.
GuideTraining
7 pages
Building muscle
How to build muscle: a beginner's guide
The whole muscle-building process in one place: training, effort, progression, food, recovery and how to tell whether it is working.
GuideMuscle9 min read
The best exercises to build muscle as a beginner
The compound and accessory exercises that do most of the work.
GuideMuscle8 min read
How do muscles grow?
How mechanical loading, cellular signalling, protein and recovery combine over time to produce muscle hypertrophy.
GuideMuscle10 min read
How much muscle can you gain in a month?
What large-scale resistance-training research can and cannot tell you about how much muscle you will add in a month.
GuideMuscle9 min read
How long it realistically takes to see muscle gains
What to expect week by week, from strength gains through to visible muscle changes.
GuideMuscle7 min read
How to build muscle when you are naturally skinny
A training and eating approach for naturally slim beginners who struggle to gain muscle.
GuideMuscle8 min read
How to get bigger arms as a beginner
The exercises, weekly sets and realistic timeline for building arm size.
GuideMuscle7 min read
13 pages
Nutrition
A steady, healthy way to gain weight as a beginner
A practical way to gain weight and muscle using a controlled calorie surplus, enough protein and progressive strength training.
GuideNutrition7 min read
Running a calorie surplus that builds muscle, not just weight
How big a surplus should be and how to adjust it as you train.
GuideNutrition7 min readAll levels
How much protein you actually need to build muscle
Find your evidence-based protein range for muscle growth and learn how to spread it across the day.
GuideNutrition6 min read
Nutrient-dense foods that make gaining weight easier
Nutrient-dense foods that add calories without needing bigger meals.
GuideNutrition7 min read
Eating more when your appetite fills up fast
Practical ways to eat more without forcing huge, uncomfortable meals.
GuideNutrition6 min read
A sensible approach to bulking as a beginner
What bulking means, and how to gain muscle without piling on unwanted fat.
GuideNutrition7 min read
Lean bulk or dirty bulk: what is the difference
The difference between a lean bulk and a dirty bulk, and which is the better fit for you.
GuideNutrition7 min readAll levels
Cheap, high-protein foods to help you build muscle
Affordable UK supermarket foods that make hitting your protein target easier.
GuideNutrition6 min read
Creatine for beginners: what it does and how to take it
What creatine monohydrate does, how much to take, and what to expect.
GuideNutrition6 min read
Do you actually need a protein shake as a beginner
Find out whether you actually need protein shakes, when they help and how to reach your protein target without them.
GuideNutrition6 min read
The supplements worth buying, and the ones that are not
The short list of supplements with real evidence, and what to ignore.
GuideNutrition6 min read
What to eat before a workout
What to eat, how long beforehand, and what to do when you train first thing.
GuideNutrition6 min read
A beginner meal plan built on four numbers
Build your meals around the calories and protein you actually need, with a complete example day and simple portion guidance.
ProgrammeNutrition
3 pages
Supplements
Creatine for beginners: what it does and how to take it
What creatine monohydrate does, how much to take, and what to expect.
GuideNutrition6 min read
Do you actually need a protein shake as a beginner
Find out whether you actually need protein shakes, when they help and how to reach your protein target without them.
GuideNutrition6 min read
The supplements worth buying, and the ones that are not
The short list of supplements with real evidence, and what to ignore.
GuideNutrition6 min read
2 pages
Tools and calculators
Protein calculator: your daily target in grams
Calculate your daily protein target for building muscle, plus how much protein to aim for at each meal.
CalculatorTools5 min readAll levels
Bulking calorie calculator
Work out your maintenance calories and how much to eat each day to gain muscle without an excessive surplus.
CalculatorTools6 min readAll levels