Joining the gym! Question??

ERobbins98

So today I went for about a 30 min run with walks in between. Tomorrow I am going to join the gym (YMCA). I want to lose around 40 pounds. I'm gonna run on the treadmill for a little while, eliptical, and other basic things. But I have a question about weights. What should I start with and do , like squats with weights, what kind of lifting, etc,.. Thanks!

Roxiegirl2008

I would suggest meeting with one of the trainers. My gym has people that work with new members to show them how to do the equipment correctly. You can really get hurt if you don't use proper form.

crystalflame

It's very beneficial to learn how to do compound lifts with free weights. You work your stabilizer muscles, and it saves you from doing a million isolation exercises. However, form is super important - bad form can lead to injuries or stalling out. Reading up on weight training and having an orientation session with a trainer is definitely something you should do before you start lifting. Finding a program (Stronglifts, New Rules of Lifting, etc.) will give you structure so you progress in your training.

lngrunert

I'll second meeting with a trainer to go over form and how to use the equipment safely. You can watch YouTube videos, but for myself I wasn't able to attain proper form until I had someone watching me and correcting what I was doing wrong. I could never understand why my I couldn't do squats without barely being able to walk the next day; after a single session with my trainer she corrected my form and now I can do scads of squats without issue.

I know my YMCA gives you a free consultation with a personal trainer when you join, so you might want to check if yours does as well. Good luck and happy lifting!