Many people are new to the gym and want to get fit, but don't know where to start.

They are completely clueless about the equipment in the weight room, only able to use the treadmill. They occasionally attend a spinning or aerobics class, and that's it for their workout. People who follow this kind of training schedule usually can't stick to it because after a few sessions they find it boring and lose the motivation to continue.

So what should the correct fitness process be? Today, I'll tell you about the scientific fitness process so you know where to start training.

Start your fitness journey with these 4 steps to achieve the most efficient results and reach 3-year fitness levels in just one year .

Step 1: Warm-up

When you first enter the gym, don't immediately start running or weightlifting. You need to warm up first. This usually involves stretching various joints in your body, such as the arm muscles, inner and outer thigh muscles, calf muscles, and shoulder, back, and abdominal muscles. Warm up for 5-10 minutes to get your joints ready and prepare for exercise.

Step 2: Strength training (mainly dumbbells and barbells for boys, and mainly fixed machines for girls).

If your fitness goal is to build muscle , then strength training is your main focus, and you should primarily use weight machines. Beginner strength training sessions should last 40-60 minutes, choosing 1-2 muscle groups to train each time. For example, train legs on the first day, arms and chest on the second day, and shoulders and back on the third day, cycling through these groups.

Each muscle group should have 4-6 exercises. For example, when training chest, you can include bench press, push-ups, incline flyes, and cable crossovers. For beginners, understanding the proper form and trajectory for each movement is crucial. You can learn from online fitness tutorials and gradually practice. Aim for 10-12 repetitions (RM) for each exercise, 3-4 sets.

If your fitness goal is weight loss , then strength training is an important supplementary program. Each training session should last 30-40 minutes. You can separate your upper and lower muscle groups, training your upper body one day, your lower body the next, and resting on a rest day without strength training. Many people trying to lose weight have only a superficial understanding of strength training, or even nothing at all. I suggest you start with classic compound exercises such as squats, lunges, rows, bench presses, pull-ups, and push-ups. Perform 12-15 repetitions (RM) for each exercise, for 3-4 sets.

Step 3: Aerobic exercise (choose jogging, HIIT, rope skipping, swimming, playing ball, dancing, etc.)

For those looking to build muscle, aerobic exercise time should be reduced to 2-3 times a week, 30 minutes each time, to avoid fat accumulation during muscle building.

For those aiming to lose fat, aerobic exercise should be your primary training component, ideally 4-5 times per week. Initially, you might not be able to perform high-intensity aerobic training, so start with low-intensity activities like brisk walking or jogging, gradually transitioning to higher-intensity exercises such as interval training and HIIT. This can quickly increase your fat-burning heart rate while minimizing muscle loss. For those trying to lose weight, moderate-intensity aerobic exercise is recommended, lasting at least 40 minutes each time. High-intensity aerobic exercise should only last about 20 minutes.

Step 4: Stretching and Relaxation

After aerobic exercise, you shouldn't rest immediately or drink a lot of water. Instead, you should stretch your muscle groups to relax them and prevent muscle stiffness caused by congestion, which can hinder your recovery.

After training, focus on static stretching, such as leg presses, arm stretches, and exercises like child's pose and downward-facing dog to relax.

A few helpful tips:

1. During fitness training, your body will sweat, so you need to replenish water in small sips, rather than not drinking water during training or only drinking water after training.

2. Individuals aiming to build muscle should have a proper snack after training, replenishing with adequate protein and carbohydrates within 30 minutes to promote muscle synthesis.

3. Whether you are trying to build muscle or lose fat, you should avoid training on an empty stomach. Training on an empty stomach can easily cause hypoglycemia, which will affect your performance and reduce the effectiveness of your fitness workout.