What should I be doing at the gym?

emar831

I am going to the gym 5 days a week.

My old routine was to walk a mile on the treadmill at about 3.2 with an incline. Then, I go to the weight machines for about 15-30 minutes, then to the recumbent bike for about 15 minutes.

Lately, I have been walking my mile+, then going straight to a stationary bike for 30 minutes, and then finishing up on weight machines for 30 minutes.

I enjoy the variety which I think keeps me going. If I am pressed for time, I will usually only do cardio as I know that probably needs to be my main focus right now. Is this routine okay for me just starting out or would I be better off doing something different?

Background...I need to lose about 100 pounds and am horribly out of shape. I have loose tendons to the point where my hips will actually pop out of socket because the tendons will not hold them in all the time. As such, running can be difficult because I am likely to roll an ankle or pop a hip. I have been told by a doctor in the past that there is nothing I can do for the tendons and my only option is to strengthen the muscles to help hold things in place. As such, I wanted to start off with some weight lifting.

toxikon

Do whatever you enjoy doing and challenges you. There's no issue with doing a mix of cardio and strength, or just doing one or the other. Obviously cardio is more about burning calories and boosting your cardiovascular health. And strength training is more about building muscles, strength and bone density.

Listen to your body and don't hurt yourself!

Also keep in mind that weight loss is mostly done in the kitchen. You can't outrun a bad diet - so make sure your calorie counting is accurate and you will see results.

Luna3386

Sounds good. Push your self. You want to be struggling with the last two reps. If it's easy go up in weight.

Rusty740

Well done first of all. You seem to be doing a good job sticking with it.

If I could add, weight machines are not very efficient at providing the kind of resistance most of us need. They are good for localized improvement for bodybuilders who are focusing on a single area, or for people with injuries who cannot work a particular muscle.

You'd be far better off doing compound barbell exercises like a squat, deadlift, overhead press, bent over row and bench press. These work your whole body in a balanced way. Don't be intimidated by them either, they are tried and true and you don't need to lift heavy. I'd suggested picking up the free app Strong Lifts 5x5 and follow that for several months, and each week, slowly, very slightly increasing the weight you put on the bar. You'll be surprised at the difference this makes in just a few weeks.

emar831

[quote="Also keep in mind that weight loss is mostly done in the kitchen. You can't outrun a bad diet - so make sure your calorie counting is accurate and you will see results.[/quote]

I am weighing my food, eating mostly whole foods, and am seeing amazing results already! I have actually been forcing myself to eat more because I can easily find myself at the end of a day with only about 900-1000 calories and being full. I have started adding more protein to my meals and adding snacks in the morning and afternoon so I am not trying to eat a ton at night just to get to 1100-1300 calories a day. (And yes, I know this is a low amount of calories per day but I have had problems with losing weight since my thyroid was removed five years ago and have a desk job so outside of the gym, I am pretty sedentary. I am meeting with my family doctor once a month and he is supervising my weight loss.)

Rusty740 wrote: »

You'd be far better off doing compound barbell exercises like a squat, deadlift, overhead press, bent over row and bench press. These work your whole body in a balanced way. Don't be intimidated by them either, they are tried and true and you don't need to lift heavy. I'd suggested picking up the free app Strong Lifts 5x5 and follow that for several months, and each week, slowly, very slightly increasing the weight you put on the bar. You'll be surprised at the difference this makes in just a few weeks.

I will definitely look this app up. I have several issues that make me hesitant to use free wights including a bulging disc in my back and the tendon issue I previously mentioned. As I feel a bit stronger, and lose a little more weight, I do plan to try to get into free weights. I have decided to join a new gym with a pool (yay) and I will receive three free sessions with a personal trainer.

Rusty740

Don't worry about free weights being worse than machines. Machines can be bad if not used correctly too and you wouldn't be taxing yourself with heavy weights anyhow.

It's great that you'll get the personal trainer time he/she can tell you exactly what you need to do for you.