You need to start somewhere. Everyone is different. Some people want to lose weight, others want to build muscle, and some just want to feel better.
Why a baseline matters
Most people skip this step because they just want to start. Start dieting or bulking and head to the gym. Without a real starting point, you can easily go off track.
A proper baseline tells you where to start and where you're going.
What do you want to achieve?
When starting out, most people ask me about training and lifting. Often: "I want to look like..." or "I want to have massive muscles and a slim waist". They then go away, necking protein shakes and lifting too heavy.
These are the steps to follow:
Step 1: Are we losing weight or gaining weight?
Most people (men!) want big muscles and a lean physique. But more often than not, our starting point is overweight. While new lifters can gain muscle and lose weight at the same time, the two things do not always go hand-in-hand. Starting overweight and going straight into a bulk is only going to make it harder to lose the weight later on.
“Got a bit of podge? Cut first. Pretty skinny/lean? You can bulk.”
Step 2: How much training can you commit to?
Just want to be healthy and strong? One day a week is fine - Better than most. Want to be in great shape, more muscular and lean? Three days will be fine. Want to be in the best shape of your life? Four or five days might be necessary - you'll need to build up to this though!
“One for health, three for fit, five for elite.”
Step 3: What to eat
Calculating your daily calorie needs doesn't have to be complicated. You need to work out your maintenance calories, then reduce a bit for weight loss or increase for weight gain. Don't take either too far. Cut too hard and you'll burn out quickly and lose too much lean muscle. Bulk too much and you'll gain unwanted fat. You can adjust as needed based on your progress.
How to calculate your maintenance calories:
The easiest way to do this is to use an online calculator or AI. For AI, try this prompt:
“Calculate my maintenance calories based on my age, gender, height, weight, and activity level. I am a [gender] who is [age] years old, [height] tall, and weighs [weight]. My activity level is [activity_level].” - Be strict when entering your information, especially your activity level.
What to track
- Body weight: Take multiple measurements across the week and average. Fluctuations are normal.
- Workouts: Keep track of reps, sets, and weight to monitor progress.
- Energy and recovery: Listen to your body; recovery is important for progress.
- Looks: The scale can lie, but how you feel and look in the mirror won't.
“The scale lies, so take averages, check in the mirror and log your workouts.”
Keep it simple
Everyone overcomplicates it. Eat right, train hard, recover well.
Once you know where you stand, the next decision becomes much easier: what programme fits your life, your capacity, and your goals.
