If I have learned anything while training people during the last 18 years, it is that everyone, myself included, has to start at the bottom.

It’s coming to peace with the fact that when you go to the gym, it’s usually because you have not been going. You get to a point of looking at yourself in the mirror every morning and saying, “Something needs to change.”

That something usually results in going to a gym. Therefore, you get to be the “new guy or gal,” and that idea and feeling keeps people from going to a gym in the first place.

About four years ago, I got the pleasure of being the “new guy” at Pedro Soriano Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. I remember being welcomed with a smile and a handshake by everyone there. I remember my sensei teasing me for not tying my belt correctly, getting corrected on how to enter the mat, and forgetting my flip-flops.

My fondest memory was getting annihilated by everyone who smiled and shook my hand before my first class.

I was strong, sure, but man, they knew how to use my weight and strength against me. I was playing checkers while they were playing chess.

This went on for a good six months. Then something great happened. There was a new influx of white belts, and I was no longer the “new guy.” I got to see firsthand how I was six months prior to all my training, and I was amazed at how much I had learned. My confidence grew, and I was able to start holding my own.

I think it’s hard for people when they join a gym. Gym culture isn’t always the most welcoming. I reflect back on my start at Soriano BJJ all the time, and I’ve had two great takeaways from it.

First, a smile and a handshake to a new member goes a long way in making someone new feel welcome. The second has been my ability to obtain a white belt mentality in everything I do.

My advice to every person I speak with about exercise is to come at it knowing that you are going to suck for a while. In terms of working out, you don’t have to suck for six months like I did at BJJ. You’d be pleasantly surprised at how amazing you feel after a month of consistent exercise.

The best part is that even after one week at the gym, you’ll know more than the new guy that comes the week after you. Just don’t forget to smile and introduce yourself. spt