Your first day in a room full of barbells is uncomfortable, and pretending otherwise helps nobody. Everyone seems to know what they are doing except you. At Bollodromo we have not forgotten that: this is a specialist strength gym, but most of the people in it started from zero at some point. That is why the joining fee includes an initial assessment and a starter programme, so your first session has a plan instead of you wandering between machines hoping something looks right.
Your first day, step by step
- Initial assessment: where you are starting from and what you are after.
- You get a starter programme: simple, realistic and written down.
- You learn the basic technique of the main movements.
- You start with weights you can handle and add slowly.
What nobody tells you about the first month
You will be sore, and it is normal. You will feel like the weights are trivial, and they should be. You will want to add more than you should, and the people who last are the ones who do not. Two or three sessions a week, done properly, will take you further in a year than five sessions a week for a month and then nothing.
Will I be out of place here?
This is a strength and powerlifting gym, and that puts people off before they have seen it. What it means in practice is that the equipment will not run out of road as you get stronger, and that the people next to you know what they are doing and will tell you if you ask. It does not mean there is an entry standard. Have a look at what the room actually looks like. It says more than any paragraph.
Which plan makes sense at the start?
Starting out, Limited (two sessions a week) is usually the sensible one. It is enough to build a base without putting pressure on yourself, and you can move up to Unlimited once training is a habit rather than a decision. The full prices are published with no small print.