New to the gym

Awineburg

Hi,
I am starting at the Gym TONIGHT! I wanted to know what would be a good exercise machine to start with? I was thinking the elliptical for 30 minutes (if I can last that long), I hear its easy on the joints. I am a BIG girl and need something I can do, I was going to try 30 minutes of something and work my way up to more. Are there any suggestions? :bigsmile:

Awineburg

Also what would be a good snack to have before working out? I'm bringing some dried fruit and nuts, maybe a banana.

Pril2000

The elliptical is great if you're just starting out. The first time I went to the gym and got on that thing, my heart rate was super high. I had to really concentrate on my breathing.... now, I have to work really hard to get my heart rate up.

Good luck and have fun!! Start out slow with one of the preprogrammed routines. The ones at my gym have a "weight loss" program button. It's a 27 minute routine. It works for me.

m00tmike

Elliptical is my favorite. Easy on the joints and it works your arms and legs. I have seen some ellipticals that are seated as well. I would say do the elliptical as long as you can and then switch to stationary bike until you hit your 30min. Good luck with it, whatever you do!

outersoul

I like the eliptical. If I do the treadmill I get shin splints sometimes. I would look into weights too. I think it's an important part of getting fit.

Pril2000

Eating before is good, but I would make sure to eat at least an hour before you work out. Especially if you're new to working out. My trainer recommended veggies, because I would sometimes get queasy if I ate fruit too close to a workout.

erikblock

I think you're on the right track. Elliptical would be a good place to start, and I would definitely eat a banana a half-hour or so before going to the gym. As for time, it might be a good idea to just see what your body tells you at first. Don't worry about a set time for now; just hop on for a few minutes and pat yourself on the back for taking the first step. Your body will tell you when you're able to start ramping up your time, speed, and/or incline. Good luck!

FreyaDH

Hello!
Firstly, have fun at the gym! I would say the elliptical is a good machine to start with because you can go pretty slow and still burn a fair amount of calories, and its easy to change your speed depending on how energetic you're feeling. And dried fruit and nuts are a good idea. I normally eat a banana before i go

Lantern823

im a big girl myself, the way i started out i biked for about a half hour then i went on the tredmil to walk, those things made it easier when i went to the elliptical and stairmaster

NikkiDerrig386

The nuts and banana are good but take out the dried fruit. In fact take out dried fruit from your whole diet. They add a lot of sugar and calories. When you add the nuts you will be shocked to see how much calories nuts are. 1/4 cup could be 200 - 300 calories. So make sure you measure your portions.

Is this your first time to the gym? You tube is your friend!! Some people get discouraged bc they dont know what to do when they get to the gym.

Do you normally work out?

Awineburg

The nuts and banana are good but take out the dried fruit. In fact take out dried fruit from your whole diet. They add a lot of sugar and calories. When you add the nuts you will be shocked to see how much calories nuts are. 1/4 cup could be 200 - 300 calories. So make sure you measure your portions.

Is this your first time to the gym? You tube is your friend!! Some people get discouraged bc they dont know what to do when they get to the gym.

Do you normally work out?

I have been walking a bit, but thats about it. Ive been to other gyms but got discouraged as you said before because I wasnt sure what to do.

dreamc08

I think the elliptical is a good place to start. It is by far my favorite machine! Just start slow and gradually increase your time and resistance. Ask a staff member at your gym to show you around the machines, how to use each one, and what settings would be good (if you don't already know)

I just started back to the gym a couple weeks ago and my trainer has me start on the elliptiical (I increase my time by 1 minute every day I go and I've upped my resistance a couple notches--I'm currently @ 22 minutes and resistance 3) then do 12 minutes on the bike, 9 on the rower, and 8 on the treadmil as a cool down. This rotation is working really well for me!

For snacks, something light before and after maybe a banana or chocolate milk (especially if you're doing strength training)

jennifergartland

Congratulations on joining a gym! The elliptical is a really nice machine to start on; the other option would be to walk (no running yet!) on a treadmill. If you're just starting out and have a lot of weight you want to lose, just make sure you take it slow at first (especially if you weren't at all active before). You could also try one of the bikes, but again make sure to take it easy.

Try to remind yourself that if you get hurt or are super sore from pushing too hard, its going to be even more difficult to go back to the gym next time. I'd rather have my first few workouts be a little easy than push it and end up injured.

I'm just getting back to the gym (started last week) after being away for 3 years, so its been a struggle to remember my limitations. I've started with 25 minutes on the elliptical each visit, and then I slowly build up the time and the difficulty week by week. And this week I'll begin light weights (again, building up each week as my body can handle it). Hopefully that will help you or give you an idea.

Good luck on this adventure! And please keep us posted as you progress!

NikkiDerrig386

Ok I am on it lol I am it

This would be perfect to start off with and then after your done with these workouts. Go on the machine for 15-30 mins or as long as you can. When I first started the elipticle (ms) was hard for me. Sometimes I could only do 10 - 15 mins. Also what I do is I write down what I am going to do before I get to the gym. Even if it is just a piece a paper or start an exercise journal.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=08GvCfKGukY&feature=&p=023993FDA2EC89EA&index=0&playnext=1

NOTE the 4th exercise: DO NOT go all the way down like that. That is not a beginner move and you could really hurt something. Just do regular squats. (while in a squat your lbs should be on the heals and you should be able to wiggle your toes)

NikkiDerrig386

PS muscle burns more fat than cardio. So make sure you are weight training! Use the mirror so your form is good. It prevents injury and soreness.

iplayoutside19

I agree with everyone else. If you're new to the gym, and are new to exercise start with the eliptical, and let yout body tell you when to stop. But 30 minutes is a good target.

Don't let the "gym enviorment" intimidate you either. Go in, get your work done. If you end up socializing make sure it's after you get your work in.

I have a fraternity brother who likes to brag about how he spent 3 hours at the gym, and I like to point out to him that spending 2.5 hours talking to the ladies doesn't exactly burn calories, or put stress on muscles. (it might later, but shouldn't be counted as gym time)

taletreader

New to the gym? That's where I was in October. I'd never ever been in a gym before, and apart from a few isolated sessions for sports I didn't stick with, the last time I participated in organised sport was in secondary school (more than 20 years ago).

In fact, you're ahead of where I was -- you know what an elliptical trainer is and have some idea how it works! I was just bewildered -- the only things I recognized was a treadmill, stationary bike, and free weights.

Some things that I learnt or that were useful:

- I took up the opportunity of paying for a "welcome pack" type of two hours (split up into 2x30 min and 1x 1h) with one of the gym's personal trainers. I was also very very lucky with the trainer I happened to be put into touch with and took another three sessions with him this month. Extremely helpful.
- Cardio-wise, he started me with walking on the treadmill. His first advice was just to walk 2 miles 3-5 times a week. Then he put me on a walking program. After listening to my report of what I could do, he picked the orange program from this site: http://exrx.net/Aerobic/WalkProgram.html . The entire site is good -- especially the bits about weight management I found extremely interesting, and it's backed up with research. I stuck with the program for about 5 weeks (see below).
- I travelled a lot the first 6 weeks, so had to work out in hotel exercise rooms. The treadmills often were taken, so I braved the elliptical trainer. The first time I lasted 10 min on the lowest setting, but I worked up to 30 min quite quickly. So your goal is I think quite excellent!
- Until recently, my gym had machines called Nautilus Treadclimber -- a sort of treadmill with an up-down motion built in, which makes it feel like walking on sand. I loved those, and 20 min was a very nice workout. They broke down a lot, though, and are now gone, but I found that by REALLY upping the incline on the treadmill, I could obtain a similar effect
- The Treadclimbers were replaced by really advanced ellipticals that let you vary stride length. They're even nicer I think than the basic elliptical, and I try for a 20-40 min workout using one of their preset interval programs.
- A little later, my trainer introduced me to intervals on the rowing machine and run-walk intervals on the treadmill (I'd REALLY like to be able to run for longer -- right now I can do up to 3 min most times, and about 5 downhill outside ) . So now I vary my cardio workouts. Be sure though to get an induction on the rowing machine. I found it not easy in the beginning to work with good form, and you see a lot of very odd techniques
- Last BUT NOT LEAST: My trainer also started me on a weight training routine. The first version was really really basic: Only two machines (lateral pull-down and assisted pull-up, one or the other), static lunges with dumbbells, very basic deadlifts with weights, military presses (standing, with dumbbells), bent-over row with a barbell, push-ups on my knees AND on an incline (all I could manage), ab crunches on an exercise ball. Starting with 2 sets of 8, and enough weight that the last repetition of every set is difficult but can just about be completed in good form. Later session added more exercises (step-ups, reverse lunges...). The main thing about weight training is that it prevents or reduces muscle loss -- you want to lose *fat*, right? not lean body mass? Also, it really noticeably improved my strength, makes my arms and breasts look better (they haven't shrunk much), and all that in 2 sessions a week. I've become a fan, but would recommend working with someone who can set you up with the basic good form and help you put together a program.

NikkiDerrig386

So how did day 1 go?

Awineburg

So how did day 1 go?

Um.... Ok! I rode the bike for 20 min, then did the dreadful Elliptical for like 5 minutes ugh the pain! Then I walked for a lillte bit on the treadmill

NikkiDerrig386

Great job. DO NOT GET DISCOURAGED. When I first started working out the elliptical was so hard for me. There are different kinds. The ones that rock are harder. Look for the ones that have inclines on it. Those are easier.

Did you check out that you tube link

Also make sure you have music. It helps concentrate and gets you into the zone.

Ally_Clare

I'll be starting the gym next week so this was useful to me also, cheers