[Don't be afraid to reach for big goals when you start something new. Sometimes we have a sub-conscious fear of success because success is new territory and an "unknown" - but success is built on facing the unknown - not running from it. It reminds me of a good quote by Sylvester Stallone, paraphrased, "When I get nervous and scared about an idea I have, then I know that it's a good idea and I should follow through on it."]
There’s a concept called the novice-effect that has been made popular by Mark Rippetoe, who is the author of one of the most important weight lifting books ever written called Starting Strength. 
The idea goes like this. Let’s say someone squats for the first time ever at 110 pounds. How much will the person be able to squat the next time? A small percentage of that original squat – or is it likely the second time they will already be able to do 120, 130 or maybe even more?
The Novice Effect Happens Because the Human Being is the Most Adaptable Creature on Earth…
That’s exactly where the novice effect comes into play. While people at an advanced level are dealing with percentages, beginners can make huge gains in the beginning. Why? Because the human being is the most adaptable creature on earth, and when the body is shocked into having to change – then the body can actually change fast.
Just to give an example of how potent the novice effect is. Common understanding is that a person can gain around 10 pounds of muscle a year – but it is not uncommon for a young guy with a good eating and sleeping patterns who has never touched a weight before to gain over 30 pounds of lean muscle in that same amount of time.
What it comes down to – is in the beginning stages of any new program, you have a window of opportunity that you might never get again to make huge gains. This works in muscle building, but it’s the same thing for reaching any kind of fitness or diet program. When you start – you have tremendous potential to reach your goals much faster than can normally be done.
It Can Also Be Applied to Fat Loss
The interesting thing about the novice effect is that not only can it be applied to weight training and exercise – but it can be applied to fat loss for a diet. I’ve spoken before about how if you subtract 500 calories from your maintenance calories, you will lose 1 pound of fat a week. But that’s only true among people who are in good shape or on the last stretch of losing weight.
If someone is incredibly overweight or obese, when they first start a diet – they immediately see huge improvements. It’s not unheard of for someone to lose over 5 pounds a week on a calorie restriction diet for the first month when they’re extremely overweight. This eventually tapers off, but once again, with the novice effect you can get huge improvements in a short amount of time when you first start.
Don’t Hold Yourself Back
Ultimately, the importance of the novice effect is not to hold yourself back based on preconceived notions. When your first working out – if it feels good, don’t be hesitant to add weight that feels comfortable and make big improvements in the first little while. If you’re getting into shape, don’t hold yourself back from reaching a decent level of fitness in a relatively short amount of time, because people are always talking about the “long journey”.
Reach your biggest goals can take time, but if you’re feeling good, don’t be afraid to reach a decent level of success in a short time because you read that it should take longer. It’s just one of those perks of being new at something, and you should take advantage of that window of opportunity!
