How to find your way around a weight room as a beginner, according to a personal trainer

• Weight training is a tool to gain strength and muscle, and improve overall health.
• For safety, start with dumbbells and build up gradually, according to a personal trainer.

Lifting weights is a great way to build muscle, improve your health, and boost your confidence. Beginners can start weight training with a few simple tips, according to a personal trainer.

If you've never picked up a dumbbell before, knowing basic gym etiquette and workout strategies will help you confidently get started in the weight room, Cassie Costa, NASM certified personal trainer and C4 Energy brand ambassador, told Insider.

"Choosing the right equipment at the gym can help you build strength and muscle more effectively," she said.

Work up to free weights with resistance bands or machine exercises

If you're completely new to fitness, you don't need to throw yourself under a barbell immediately. Building a foundation of strength with resistance band workouts, machines, or bodyweight can prepare you for success, Costa said.

Gym machines may look intimidating, but they're easy to use with a little guidance, and don't require as much mobility and stability as free weights, helping prevent injuries from dropping weights or using poor form.

Dumbbells may be easier for beginners than barbells or kettlebells

Most gyms will have three basic types of free weights: dumbbells, barbells, and kettlebells.

Newbies should reach for dumbbells first, since they require less technique and come in a wide range of sizes to choose from, Costa said.

Barbells and kettlebells are trickier to use, but offer advantages like being able to add heavier weight and perform more dynamic exercises.

"You can get a great workout with any of these tools. It's all about which works best for you," Costa said. "if you can incorporate all three in your training regimen, it'll make you a very well-rounded athlete."

Choose the right weight

For your first time lifting, aim for a weight you can move with good form for 10 repetitions, according to Costa.

"By the end of the tenth rep, you should find it somewhat challenging to lift but not so challenging that you are struggling to breathe and shaking excessively," she said.

Then, you can follow up with more sets of 10 at that weight, or slightly increase the weight and reduce the reps to eight.

During and after your sets, you should feel the target muscles working and fatigued.

"If you feel yourself going through the motion with no difficulty, you are lifting too light," Costa said.

It's not necessary to max out or lift to failure (until you physically can't complete another rep).

Over time, the workouts should begin to feel easier, and you'll want to gradually increase the weight or reps to continue making progress, a principle known as progressive overload.

Know your gym etiquette

Once you've got weights in hand and are ready to work out, some simple rules will help you have positive interactions with other gym goers and stop you from feeling intimidated.

When waiting to use a piece of equipment, it's okay to ask the person using it when they'll be done or if you can "work in" by taking turns, but never interrupt someone mid-set, according to Costa.

If you're polite, it's also fine, and even encouraged, to ask for help or for a spotter to prevent you from dropping a weight on yourself during a heavy lift, she said.

To protect yourself, other people, and the equipment, avoid dropping or throwing weights. When you're done, always wipe off the equipment and put it back where you found it.