Learning to workout

nuttysam

Hi Everyone. I am just starting out on my weight loss journey (5lb down so far - 90lb to go...). I have started walking and signed up for the gym. I am just wondering, how do you guys learn which workouts to do and when? And how much to do? It all seems a little overwhelming to me at the moment - despite the massive amounts of motivation I have. I just don't know where to start! Any tips for where I can find out what to do in the gym would be fab. Thanks!

StampingJen

Congrats! This would be a good question to pose to a trainer at your gym. Let them know your desires and goals and they could help put together a plan. I know a combo of cardio and weight training is best, but depending on your desired outcome will depend on how you get to that point. Good luck!

lisiloulah

I know when I first joined the gym they offered a free short session with a trainer who set up a routine - he put me on the treadmill and said to find a comfortable pace and then set a target of doing 10 mins at a very slighter faster pace (so I was puching myself a little, but not a lot) and then did the same for the cross trainer and bike - but also adding things like small inclines and a resistance setting for the bike etc

My routine was basically 30 mins of cardio on a mixture of equipment and settings - but as Ive lost weight I've had the confidence to fiddle with these settings myself - a bit more resistance on the bike (I want to cycle to work and it's a hilly route!) and longer on the treadmill and cross trainer etc

Try all of the equipment: you won't find out what you like otherwise, and then aim to spend a little longer or go a little faster each time it starts getting easy. For the weights etc find someone who knows what they're talking about - whether it's paying for a one off sesion with a personal trianer (which is my plan for the winter, I wanted to loose a bit of weight before I started lifting) or finding a friend/video/book with some suggestions.

And remember - you can loose weight walking - so if all you do is spend your time at the gym walking on the treadmill then it's all helping (which is what my sister does when it's raining and she can't walk outdoors!)

alpine1994

Congrats on your 5lb loss! Celebrate every pound.

I definitely understand that all the different workouts out there are overwhelming. I think walking is a fantastic start. It will help strengthen your heart and all of your muscles and joints to prepare you for more strenuous exercises down the road. When I first started a few years ago, I just did what I liked. I've always loved dance so I signed up for an adult ballet class (paying for it up front kept me accountable, but I never wanted to skip it anyway). I also was more into home workouts than the gym so I got a bunch of Jillian Michaels DVDs. They are tough but great! I had to take a LOT of breaks at first but the fact that I didn't need as long of a break each time I did it kept me motivated because I could tell that my fitness was improving.

So in a nutshell, keep up the walking and maybe try to increase your distance and/or incline a little bit each week. You'll be surprised by how fast your fitness improves (if you stick with it!). Look around for things you might be interested in and give it a whirl. Also, like other people said, a trainer will be able to set something up for you too if you're looking for regular gym workouts.