I dont know what to do at the gym

laurenebargar

My apartment complex has a (small) gym, and im always the only person in it. They have a stationary bike, stair stepper, some weights, a weight machine, and a treadmill. They also have a pool, but its only open until 6 and I dont get home until after that (im pretty bitter about how early it closes lol)

The gym was free except for a deposit that you get back, so I figured id check it out. Ive gone three times and I always feel like I have no idea what im doing. I pretty much only have used the stationary bike so far, and although im sweaty and feel like I got a good workout, im not sure if its enough? I burn roughly 300 calories in 30 minutes according to my fitbit charge 2.

So advice on what to do at the gym? It feels like I must be doing something wrong.

ShrinkingViolet1982

Each of those things has an amazing purpose. Watch some Youtube videos on how to use each kind and the best way to get your bang for your buck when it comes to calories burned. I'd kill to have that much at my disposal.

Muscle_for_Fitness

All depends, what are you goals?

laurenebargar

Well im still losing weight I still have quite a bit more to go, but Id like to build some muscle along the way and just overall be more fit and eventually when ive lost the weight, be able to tone. Im completely new to everything at the gym, so any advice is appreciated!

Luna3386

My first workout program was body for life. I recommend it.

Also, check out Jamie Easton's live fit trainer. Or Google dumbbell workouts.

TR0berts

What weight machine is it? And when you say, "some weights," what, exactly, are they?

laurenebargar

TR0berts wrote: »

What weight machine is it? And when you say, "some weights," what, exactly, are they?

Sorry, here are pictures, that might help. These are almost exactly what the gym has.

Cherimoose

First decide on the # of days. A good plan that works for many is 3 days of cardio, and 3 days of weights. There's a strength program in my profile, or you can do New Rules of Lifting for Women (book). The Jamie Eason program mentioned above is not good for beginners - it's for experienced bodybuilders.
The cardio can be your choice, but some running is nice to include, for fitness, if that's something you're capable of doing. A good running program is C25K. Whichever cardio you choose, 30 minutes total should be fine. Remember that fat loss comes from a calorie deficit and doesn't require cardio.

DancingMoosie

The weight machine should have pictures on how to use it properly. Follow the instructions and pick a weight that feels difficult but doable for maybe 3 sets of ten. I like to mix up the cardio, doing 5-10 min on each machine so I don't get bored. You can also Google exercise routines.

EliseTK1

I second a lot of what's been said here. I would add that if you're able and have access to a local gym, it would be beneficial to meet with a personal trainer for a few sessions, just long enough to have him/her assess your current fitness level and show you the ropes on how to use the weights and machines. It's so important to practice good form to prevent injury, so if you can't get a personal trainer to show you, utilize those YouTube videos like Butterball recommended. Everyone has to start somewhere. Congrats to you for what you've accomplished and what's yet to come!

jgnatca

When I met my future hubby I followed him around the gym and did what he did. He habitually does twenty minutes cardio to warm up his muscles, a round of stretches, then a round of weight training on the circuit machines. Sometimes he finishes off with another twenty minutes cardio.

So all I'm fuzzy on is the types of weight training you can do with those dumbbells. But I'm sure others can help with that.

edlanglais5

There are plenty of free apps out there that will show you exercises, regimens for different days, as well as good form to follow.