I wasted my first 6 months in the gym because nobody told me these things.

1. You don't need a perfect program. The best workout plan is the one you'll actually do. A bad plan done consistently beats a perfect plan done once. Start with 3 days a week. Push, pull, legs. That's it.

2. Nobody is watching you. I promise. Everyone in the gym is too busy staring at themselves in the mirror to care what weight you're lifting. The guy deadlifting 405 doesn't even know you exist. That's a good thing — use it.

3. Soreness is not a measure of a good workout. Being so sore you can't sit down doesn't mean you trained well. It means you did too much too fast. Start lighter than you think. Progress slowly. Your joints will thank you in 5 years.

If you're a complete beginner and want a community of people figuring this out together — no ego, no gatekeeping — that's exactly what we built The Starting Line for.