Here's my home gym. Now what?

Leebett

I am completely new to lifting weights, but I think this is the next step in my weight loss journey. I've been working on my diet for the past two months and have added cardio. This set was given to me for free a couple of years ago. It was just put together, a work out in itself, but now I'm not sure where to begin. I am wondering what a good starting workout routine would be. How much? reps? which exercises on which days?

I would really appreciate a walk through of a routine I could use with as much detail as possible. I can look up the how-to's on form, but there is an overwhelming amount of info on what to do I need some simplicity. "Do This Now" I know enough to know that I don't know what questions to ask. My primary goal right now is to burn fat and lose weight. (I have a long way to go.) Thank you for your help. MFP rocks!

singha99

Bodybuilding.com Jamie Eason LIVEFIT or choose a different workout program
JEFIT.com
myhomepersonaltrainer.com

ALL 3 ARE FREE!!!! :-D The bodybuilding.com website tells you what to do and what to eat everyday for the programs. Good luck on your fitness and healthy lifestyle journey

skinnyinnotime

I don't use machines myself so don't have any advice, I lift free weights.

But wanted to say good luck, you seem determined, you WILL succeed!

Leebett

Bodybuilding.com Jamie Eason LIVEFIT or choose a different workout program
JEFIT.com
myhomepersonaltrainer.com

ALL 3 ARE FREE!!!! :-D The bodybuilding.com website tells you what to do and what to eat everyday for the programs. Good luck on your fitness and healthy lifestyle journey

Thank you for those options I will check them out!

AllanMisner

Congratulations! That machine set is better than I find in most hotels these days. Given that you're new, you can probably do with a full body workout two to three times per week. Each of the stations on your machine has more than one purpose. You should be able to do a google on it and see all of the exercises it is capable of. From there, go to youtube and look at several for each, focusing on form.

I would set up a circuit, going from one to the next until you completed each one (not doing the same body part behind the other). The first few times, keep the weight low, use great form (always use great form), and try to go through two rounds of the circuit. Add a third round when you're comfortable. Then start increasing the weight on each exercise. Keep a log so you know what you did last and how it felt.

TechOutside

I agree with amisnercpa, keep the weights low and do high repetitions, and learn your proper form. Learn how your muscles feel in the process and go slow both in the pulling or pushing and when the weights return, go slow, you should never swing or jerk your body to get the weights to move. Once you master your body movements you can speed up the process but keeping the proper form. Please remember to breath during the reps, I see it all the time where people forget to breath while lifting weights.

I do a upper body weights on Monday, (Chest, back, shoulders, biceps, triceps) aerobics on Tuesday, lower body weights on Wednesday (Squats, Lunges, Leg extensions, ham curls, calves and abs) , aerobics on Thursday, Upper body again on Friday, aerobics on Saturday and rest on on Sunday. Start Monday with Legs, aerobics, upper, aerobics, lower, aerobics, rest. repeat....

Good luck and stay focused.

missdibs1

bump.

FYI You will find alot of peeps on here use free weights and not machines. I have both.

I use the machines a few times per week. Two days. HIITS the rest.

Leebett

Congratulations! That machine set is better than I find in most hotels these days. Given that you're new, you can probably do with a full body workout two to three times per week. Each of the stations on your machine has more than one purpose. You should be able to do a google on it and see all of the exercises it is capable of. From there, go to youtube and look at several for each, focusing on form.

I would set up a circuit, going from one to the next until you completed each one (not doing the same body part behind the other). The first few times, keep the weight low, use great form (always use great form), and try to go through two rounds of the circuit. Add a third round when you're comfortable. Then start increasing the weight on each exercise. Keep a log so you know what you did last and how it felt.

Thank you for your advice. I like the idea of a log that includes how it felt. That is a new concept for me. I'm still trying to grasp what a good circuit would look like for me. Today looks like a lot of experimenting.

Leebett

So here's my 1st workout.

3 sets of each

treadmill 5minutes @ 3mph
sit-ups on ball 25reps
bench press 15reps with 1 weight
leg extension 15reps with 2 weights
pull down 15reps with 3 weights
leg press 20reps with 4 weights

How did I do?

Cherimoose

A few tips..

Core exercises (like sit-ups) generally should go toward the end of the workout, because a fresh core is needed to assist with the other exercises.

I don't see a leg press on that machine. I think i see a leg curl (where you lay on your stomach). Anyway, for your legs, try to do mostly free-standing, non-machine exercises, since that trains stability and coordination (essential skills) and also your core (abs & spinal muscles). The 2 basic, beginner leg exercises are the squat and the split squat:

Squat - http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/Quadriceps/DBSquat.html
(check Youtube for "how to squat" to learn the finer points of doing it correctly)

Split squat - http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/Quadriceps/DBSplitSquat.html
(keep your front knee behind your toes, unlike what he's doing ;-)

owieprone

I am completely new to lifting weights, but I think this is the next step in my weight loss journey. I've been working on my diet for the past two months and have added cardio. This set was given to me for free a couple of years ago. It was just put together, a work out in itself, but now I'm not sure where to begin. I am wondering what a good starting workout routine would be. How much? reps? which exercises on which days?

I would really appreciate a walk through of a routine I could use with as much detail as possible. I can look up the how-to's on form, but there is an overwhelming amount of info on what to do I need some simplicity. "Do This Now" I know enough to know that I don't know what questions to ask. My primary goal right now is to burn fat and lose weight. (I have a long way to go.) Thank you for your help. MFP rocks!

ugh hate you !!! i wanna home gym! *cries* sooo jealous


Not too bad at all. up the ante on what you're doing, your weights are fine, just do what you can lift, go lower if its too hard, go higher if its too easy, you should aim to do from 5 to 10 reps with effort (but no pain and with good form, google proper form if you need to). there is no need to push your limits quickly you will progress soon enough. try and change your work out every 2 months or so or your body will get used to what you are doing and will plateau, it doesn't take much to change, just swap an exercise, up the weights as and when you can. YOu can also change what you do over the week, so you don't take up lots of time doing a full body work out, you can focus on arms one day, torso the next and legs the next day. make sure you rest in between tho.

for any exercise you do you should work the opposite muscle, so for example
sit ups and supermans
bicep and tricep
chest, back and traps
leg curl and leg extension
pull down and push up (boxed, on knees or full leg depending on what you can do)

I would also warm up for 10 mins not 5 (unless your time constrained), don't push your warm up, take it easy just walking will warm you up if you make sure you swing your arms and have a good long stride at just faster than normal walking pace.
you could also warm up doing some dynamic stretching (youtube this, there are some good examples on there and you can then choose the ones that you are comfortable with)
and then static stretch after your session, this should be for a good 5 to 10 mins to make sure you stretch everything, youtube again is good for this if you're not sure what to do. You need to stretch arms, torso and legs (most stretches encompass more than one at the same time, but it's worth spotting when stretching). Stretching is one of the things that takes a long time to show progress, don't feel disheartened if your flexibility doesn't seem to be going anywhere, it took me 2 years to kick comfortably at head height when i started karate again, and i still can't touch my toes 4 years on (damn desk job!) i'm not far off tho. Keep at it, you'll get there eventually

I also agree with cherimoose, squats and split lunges are good, hard!, but good.

missdibs1

bump

Huffdogg

I'm going to go ahead and disagree with almost all the advice you've been given so far.

I'm assuming you're trying to lose weight. In order to do that and NOT lose a bunch of muscle, you need to signal your body that you need it all. The best way to do that is to do very difficult weight ranges, what would be considered STRENGTH training. That would be 3-5 sets in the 4-6 rep range.

You're on a machine, so it's not like you're going to drop a bench press barbell on your throat. I get that you're new to this. Research a bit and practice with lighter weight until you are comfortable with the motions, and then rack up the weight and do some real work. Your body will thank you for it.

As to workout composition, you basically have three major muscle "groups" that work in concert to perform the broadest variety of activity. There are presses, pulls, and squats, to oversimplify it. For purposes of your machine, which doesn't appear to have a "leg press" type thing on it, we'll just say "legs" instead of "squats." Ideally, you want to work each of those types of lift in every workout, making sure to hit every actual muscle group 1-2 times a week. A little bit of web searching will show you pretty easily how to arrange that on your machine.