The journal

The first month is about learning the movements, not chasing numbers. Aim for three sessions a week built around five lifts: a squat, a hinge, a press, a row and something to carry. Keep the weights light enough that your coach can fix your technique between sets.

You will be sore in week one and fine by week three. That is normal. Sleep, protein and walking on your rest days do more for you than any supplement. If a set looks easy, great: add a little weight next time, but only once the last rep looks as good as the first.

Leave a rep or two in reserve on every set. You will build more strength over twelve weeks of steady training than in two weeks of heroics followed by a sore back and a month off.

Training is the stimulus and recovery is where you get stronger. The boring basics do the heavy lifting: seven to nine hours of sleep, enough food, and some easy movement on your days off.

Heat helps you relax and can make a sore body feel better. Cold plunges reduce soreness in the short term, but doing them straight after a strength session can blunt some muscle growth. If you love the cold, use it on rest days or after conditioning.

If you only have ten minutes, spend them on mobility for your hips and shoulders, then breathe slowly for two minutes before bed. It is cheap, quiet and works better than most gadgets.

Arrive ten minutes early for your first class so your coach can talk you through the plan and any injuries. Set up your space, grab your equipment and have a drink before the warm-up starts.

Scaling is not failing. Every workout has a harder version and an easier one, and your coach will help you pick. The right weight is the one you can move well for the whole class.

Wipe down your gear, rack your weights and say hello to the person next to you. Most of the people at the 6am class were nervous on their first day too.