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Beginner's guide to the gym
The beginner's guide to the gym: your first week, made simple
Never set foot in a gym, or coming back after years away? This guide walks you through what to bring, your first visit step by step, a simple first-week plan and the unwritten rules, so you walk into Klub 20 in Beaconsfield feeling like you belong.
- Judgment-free
- Free assessment
- Women's-only studio
- Staff on site 24/7
Start here
Your free head start at Klub 20
The hardest part of starting is not knowing what to do. That's why every membership comes with help built in.
What to bring
What to bring to the gym
Pack your bag the night before and your first visit is already half done.
- Clean indoor athletic shoes, closed-toe. They're required at all times.
- Athletic workout clothes. Shirts stay on: going shirtless isn't allowed.
- A water bottle. Refill it anytime at our water bottle fillers.
- A towel. Towel service is included with Super Flex.
- Slippers or sandals for the showers, steam room and sauna.
- Government-issued photo ID if you're coming on a day pass.
- No lock needed. Our lockers are digital and keyless.
- Pack light on toiletries. Body wash, shampoo, soap, mouthwash and hair dryers are provided.
Winter rule: boots off at the door. Take off your winter boots as soon as you come in. Leave them on the racks at the front, or once all the snow, water and dirt is off, lock them in your locker. No water, dirt or slush is allowed in the lockers.
Your first visit
Your first gym visit, step by step
About an hour, start to finish. No guesswork, no pressure.
- Check in at the front deskStaff are on site 24/7. On a day pass, show your photo ID and sign the liability form.
- Change in the locker roomUse any free digital locker: no lock needed. In winter, your boots go on the front racks or, once they're dry and clean, in your locker.
- Warm up on cardio for 5 to 10 minutesPress quick start and go at an easy pace. On a treadmill, make sure the belt is stopped before you step on. The touch screen's Technogym app tracks every session.
- Try 5 or 6 machinesEvery machine has pictures that show the movement and the muscles it works. Go light: 2 sets of 10 to 12 reps.
- Wipe down as you goSpray the paper towel, never the machine, then wipe the surfaces you touched.
- Cool down and stretchUse the stretching area's mats, foam rollers and stretch machines for 5 minutes.
- Finish in the steam room or saunaBring your slippers, then shower and head out feeling great.
Your first week
A simple first-week workout plan for beginners
Train 3 days a week with a rest day in between, for example Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Each workout takes about 45 minutes and works your whole body.
How heavy should you go?
Pick a weight you can lift 12 times with good form while still having 2 or 3 reps left in the tank. If you could do 20, it's too light. If your form breaks before 10, it's too heavy.
Rest between sets
60 to 90 seconds. Sip water, breathe, and set up for the next set.
Week 2 and beyond
When 12 reps feel easy, add a little weight or a third set. Small, steady increases are how you keep getting stronger.
On rest days
Walk, stretch or take a group class like yoga. Moving gently also eases next-day soreness.
Injury or health condition? Check with your doctor before you start, and mention it at your free assessment so your plan fits you.
Gym etiquette
Gym etiquette and house rules
A few simple habits keep the club clean, safe and comfortable for everyone. Here's everything you need to know.
- Clean indoor athletic shoes at all times. Closed-toe, any athletic style.
- Winter boots off at the door. Use the front racks, or lock them in your locker once they're free of snow, water and dirt. Never bring slush into the lockers.
- Athletic clothes, shirts on. Going shirtless isn't allowed.
- Slippers or sandals in the showers, steam room and sauna.
- Wipe down after every machine. Spray the paper towel, never the machine. Towel and spray stations are all around the club.
- Re-rack your weights. Put dumbbells and plates back where they belong, so the next person can find them.
- Photos and videos: yourself only. You're welcome to film your own workout, never other members.
- Ask anything, anytime. Staff are on site 24/7 and happy to help.
Quiet times
The quietest times to go to the gym
Feeling shy about your first few workouts? Go when the club is calmest. Klub 20 is open 24/7, so you can pick your moment.
- Early morningStart your day in a calm club.
- Midday into the afternoonPlenty of room to train at your own pace.
- Late nightOpen 24/7, so the club is yours after dark.
Rather train away from the main floor? The women's-only private studio is open 24/7 too.
Group classes
The best group classes for beginners
With 220+ classes a month, there's a class for whatever you like. Every one is led by a live instructor in the room, and all are included with your membership.
- Pick what you'll enjoy: spinning, yoga, muscle and tone, Zumba and dance all welcome beginners.
- No sign-up needed. Just show up a few minutes early.
- Tell the instructor you're new. They'll give you tips before and during class.
- Feeling uncoordinated? Welcome to the club. Classes follow a similar routine for a few weeks, so you'll master the moves.
- Save bootcamp for a little later. It's a more intermediate starting point, and a great goal once you have a base.
- Want a coach for the whole hour? KFIT and Group PT are small groups of 8 max. Reserve 24 hours ahead, and your first session of each is free.
Gym words explained
Gym terms every beginner should know
Hear a word you don't know? Here's what it means, in plain language.
- Rep
- Short for repetition: one complete movement of an exercise.
- Set
- A group of reps done back to back, like 10 reps of the leg press.
- Working set
- A set done with real effort at your main weight. When a trainer says 3 sets of 8, they mean 3 working sets, not counting warm-ups.
- Warm-up set
- A lighter set before your working sets that prepares your joints and muscles and lets you practise the technique.
- Prep set
- A short set of a few reps when you switch exercises and you're already warm, to get used to the movement and judge your working weight.
- Drop set
- After reaching failure, quickly lower the weight and keep going. Example: 100 lb for 10 reps, then 70 lb until failure.
- Pyramid set
- Raising the weight with each set while lowering the reps. A reverse pyramid does the opposite and is for advanced lifters.
- Superset
- Two exercises done back to back with no rest in between.
- Form (technique)
- Moving your body the right way for an exercise, for the best results and to prevent injury.
- Compound exercise
- A movement that works several joints and muscles at once, like the leg press or a row. An isolation exercise works one joint, like the leg curl.
- Progressive overload
- Doing a little more over time, with more weight, reps or sets, so your body keeps getting stronger.
- RPE
- Rate of perceived exertion: how hard a set feels, from 1 to 10. RPE 8 means you had about 2 reps left in the tank.
- Reps in reserve (RIR)
- How many more reps you could have done before failure.
- LISS
- Low-intensity steady state: easy to moderate cardio held for a long time, like a brisk incline walk.
- HIIT
- High-intensity interval training: short, hard efforts with recovery in between, usually 20 to 40 minutes in total.
- Tabata
- A short, intense HIIT format: 8 rounds of 20 seconds of hard work and 10 seconds of rest. Developed by Izumi Tabata in Tokyo in 1996.
- AMRAP
- As many reps (or rounds) as possible in a set time.
- EMOM
- Every minute on the minute: do a set number of reps at the start of each minute, and rest for what's left of it.
- Concentric
- The lifting part of a rep, when the muscle shortens. Usually the harder part.
- Eccentric
- The lowering part of a rep, when the muscle lengthens. Usually the easier part.
- DOMS
- Delayed onset muscle soreness: stiffness that peaks 24 to 48 hours after a new or harder workout. Gentle movement is the best remedy.
- KGX
- Klub Group Exercise, the name for Klub 20's group classes.
Getting here
A beginner-friendly gym for the whole West Island
Klub 20 is at 50 Boulevard Saint-Charles Unit 4 in Beaconsfield, an easy trip from Pointe-Claire, Kirkland, Baie-D'Urfé, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, Senneville, Dollard-des-Ormeaux, Pierrefonds-Roxboro, L'Île-Bizard and Dorval, and from Vaudreuil-Dorion, Pincourt and L'Île-Perrot along the train line.
- Free large parking lot.
- Two entrances: through Beaconsfield Shopping Centre or our own outside door.
- By train: Beaconsfield station on the Exo Vaudreuil-Hudson line is a 1-minute walk.
- By bus: STM 200, 201, 211, 221 and 411.
- Wheelchair accessible.
Ready for day one?
Every membership starts with a free assessment with a 3D body scan and a free session with a certified personal trainer, so you never have to figure it out alone. Not ready to commit? Try everything for a day.
Questions
Beginner questions
The things most people wonder before their first workout.
Still wondering? Call 514-505-3555What should I bring to the gym for the first time?
Clean indoor athletic shoes (closed-toe), athletic clothes, a water bottle, a towel, and slippers or sandals for the showers, steam room and sauna. Bring a government-issued photo ID if you're on a day pass. You don't need a lock: Klub 20's lockers are digital and keyless, and body wash, shampoo, soap, mouthwash and hair dryers are provided.
What should I wear to the gym?
Athletic workout clothes and closed-toe athletic shoes. Shirts stay on at Klub 20: going shirtless isn't allowed. Bring slippers or sandals for the showers, steam room and sauna.
Do I need indoor shoes at Klub 20?
Yes. Clean indoor athletic shoes are required at all times, especially in winter. Take off your winter boots as soon as you come in, and leave them on the racks at the front or lock them in your locker once all the snow, water and dirt is off. No water, dirt or slush is allowed in the lockers.
What should a beginner do on their first day at the gym?
Check in at the front desk, warm up on cardio for 5 to 10 minutes, then try 5 or 6 machines at a light weight for 2 sets of 10 to 12 reps. Finish with 5 minutes of stretching. At Klub 20, every machine has pictures that show how to use it, and every membership includes a free personal training session to show you the ropes.
How often should a beginner work out?
3 times a week is a great start, with a rest day in between, for example Monday, Wednesday and Friday. About 45 minutes of full-body training each time is plenty. On rest days, walk, stretch or take a gentle group class like yoga.
How much weight should I lift as a beginner?
Pick a weight you can lift 12 times with good form while still having 2 or 3 reps left in the tank. If you could do 20 reps, go heavier. If your form breaks before 10, go lighter. When 12 reps feel easy, add a little weight.
Is it normal to be sore after my first workout?
Yes. It's called DOMS, delayed onset muscle soreness, and it usually peaks 24 to 48 hours after a new or harder workout. Gentle movement, like walking or light cardio, is the best way to ease it. It fades as your body gets used to training.
When is Klub 20 least busy?
The quietest times are usually early in the morning, midday into the afternoon, and late at night. Klub 20 is open 24/7, so you can pick the calmest moment for you.
Is Klub 20 good for beginners?
Yes. Klub 20 is a judgment-free gym. Every membership includes a free assessment with a 3D body scan and a free personal training session, every machine shows how to use it, staff are on site 24/7, and there's a women's-only private studio for anyone who'd rather start away from the main floor.
Can I take photos or videos at the gym?
Yes, of yourself only. You're welcome to film or photograph your own workout, but never other members.
Which group class is best for beginners?
Pick what you'll enjoy: spinning, yoga, muscle and tone, Zumba and dance all welcome beginners. No sign-up is needed, just show up and tell the instructor you're new. Bootcamp is a more intermediate starting point, and a great goal once you have a base.
Is there a women's-only area at Klub 20?
Yes. The women's-only private studio is reached only through the women's locker room and has treadmills, a stair climber, strength machines, a Smith machine, a squat rack, dumbbells, kettlebells, TRX and mats. It's open 24/7.
How do I learn how to use the gym machines?
Every machine at Klub 20 has pictures that show the movement and the muscles it works. Your membership also includes a free session with a certified personal trainer who shows you how to set up and use the machines, and staff on site 24/7 can help anytime.
Is Klub 20 close to Pointe-Claire, Kirkland and the rest of the West Island?
Yes. Klub 20 is in Beaconsfield at 50 Boulevard Saint-Charles, an easy trip from Pointe-Claire, Kirkland, Baie-D'Urfé, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, Dollard-des-Ormeaux, Pierrefonds and Dorval. There's a free large parking lot, Beaconsfield train station on the Exo Vaudreuil-Hudson line is a 1-minute walk, and STM buses 200, 201, 211, 221 and 411 stop nearby.