I’m 22 years old and have crush on a girl for the first time (only been into guys before, never had a BF and have only hooked up with one guy). I know this girl a little bit from the gym, she’s a trainer there and we have mutual friends (so I know that she’s had a GF before) but I’ve only chatted with her in person and on FB a couple times. She always seems happy to see me, but she’s a sweet, enthusiastic girl, so I have no idea if she’s just being friendly or might be attracted to me too…

…I’m wondering if you think it’s a good idea to become friends with
her first, or just ask her out on a date.  Either way, I want to get to
know her more, but is it a better idea to let her know from the
beginning that i’m interested in dating her, not just being friends?

Hang out with her a couple times, get to know her a little better before coming right out and asking about a date. Flirt and put the vibe out there that you’re interested. When you feel the moment’s right, ask her out, or if it’s going really well, maybe go right for the kiss. Depends on the person, the situation, and what you’re both feeling. You can ask her to hang out without needing to define it as “friends” or “date”. Coffee is subjective! 😉 “wanna grab some coffee?”

Just don’t go too long without letting your interest be known, you don’t want it to end up being this awkward secret that you meant to tell her about, but never got around to and then it’s been so long that it would just be weird to tell her that you’re into her.

Basically, you don’t have to go right for the date, let things happen naturally, but definitely spend some time with her, flirt with her, and let her know what you want before any kind of misunderstanding happens.