Hello January, old friend. And hello gym, new friend. Because the two go hand-in-hand - January and a new gym membership - don't they?
It's usually following the sad realisation that comes around January 2, that you can't live on a diet of cheese and Quality Street forever, and that your attempt at trying over the 12 days of Christmas has left you a little less than healthy.
So there you are: trainers on, gym bag safely tucked away in your locker, and a feeling like it's the first day of school. Now... where to start?
That decision, to be honest, is up to you. But you might want to take a word of warning from an expert personal trainer about where not to start if you're a gym novice - and that's the weight machines. Yup, step away from the leg-press and its mates.
"If you are new to exercise it's an amazing opportunity to teach your body good habits," celebrity personal trainer Dan Roberts tells Cosmopolitan UK. "So I nearly always avoid machines and focus on the moves/drills/exercises that I know will have most impact."
So what exactly is it about the weight machines that Dan feels can hinder beginners? "Machines are not as effective as free weights as they are too easy and rarely require core strength and extra co-ordination," he explains.
Instead, Dan prefers to get newcomers to the gym started with "the same key movements as advanced athletes, all I do differently is lower the weight.
"All exercise is good exercise. And unless you're lifting too heavy for you, it’s very safe to do anything you want," the trainer notes.
So there you have it; go wild and use the gym as your playground - as long as you don't start by using the weight machines (not that you know how to work the damn things, anyway.)