Don't know where to start

GodsPromises

I have just joined a gym. There are staff members there but not trainers. I want to do cardio and basic strength training but I have no idea how to start. I'm not conformable with free weight and would like to start with the weight machines but I am so lost.

I only can work out 3 days a week as I also go to school. I was thinking about cardio for 15 minutes, strength training for 30 minutes and cardio for the last 15 minutes so that I can get it all in at the gym in 3 days.

I really need a routine and then some exercises that I can download to my mp3 player so that when I get to the gym I will remember what to do.

I am a 41 year old female who is clueless. The internet gives so much information that I am completely lost

CarterGrt

If you gym has a circuit this might be a good start. You can get an overall workout and cover all the bases. i would couple this with cardio. My preference is eliptical or Nordic Track, but treadmills and bikes are good too.

My advice would be to start with a schedule that doesn't kill you on the first week, that is fun, and that you can maintain. If you start off too hard, get too sore, you won't enjoy it, and it makes it harder to maintain.

Good Luck!

Carter

GodsPromises

The gym has what is called 30 minutes quick workout which has machines to work all body parts. I that the same as circuit workout?

Thanks for replying

catniss

First of all, take it slowly! Even if there are no trainers, the staff members should be able to show you how to use the machines and if they can't or won't, look for someone on a machine that looks like they know what they're doing and ask them. Most of the time they'll be happy to show you how. Just don't ask someone that is going at a quick pace, they probably won't want to be interrupted. Don't be afraid of the free weights--again, ask the staff or watch for somebody doing the easy things like bicep curls.
3 days a week is fine to get started and with the cardio, don't forget that you can always try to fit in some quick walking whenever you can.

Even if you can't remember the specific exercises, just think: something for your back/ chest/ legs (quads and hamstrings or the front and back of your legs)/ abs/ arms (triceps and biceps again back and front). You'll be able to get everything done in 30 mins.

Another thought, if you have the money, is to hire a trainer for 1 or 2 sessions to meet you at the gym to get you started. They should be able to write down the exercises for you to follow on your own.

I don't know anything about downloading to your mp3--hopefully someone else will chime in with that.

Again, go slowly at first--in the beginning you should leave the gym wanting to do more, not crawling out so that you'll never want to go back. Give yourself time to learn and don't be shy about asking for help--everyone had to learn at some point, right?

Good luck! If you want to friend me, when you have any questions, I might be able to help if nothing else, with encouragement.

GodsPromises

Thank you so very much. I go to the gym with my son but like most 18 years he doesn't have the patience to help me out especially if he sees someone there that he knows.

Tonight, I will do the treadmill and the circuit and look around so that on Monday I will be a little prepared to get really started.

catniss

Got your friend request--we're set up now! Have a good workout! And you know, maybe you can bribe your son to help you out--even if you tell him like "you work with me for 10 minutes by the clock and I'll will give you.....(fill in the blank)" It's cheaper than a trainer and might bring you guys closer. But then again, my son is still only 11 so he doens't mind hanging with his mom...yet!

GodsPromises

It's funny with my son because I am really blessed. He's 18 but we are super close, which is why we joined together. I will talk to him to see if I could maybe pay him by the hour to work with me for a week and see how that goes. Thanks for the suggestion.

Othos

If you start at very low weights and ramp up slowly over time, free weights aren't as scary as they might seem. Once you've been working out for a few weeks, I'd definitely suggest trying them out.

The big advantage of free weights is that they work more muscle groups than the machines through "compound movements". For instance, every time you lift a dumbbell, you're not just working out that big lifting muscle, but also all the little muscles that keep the dumbbell from tipping or rolling or whatever. The same exercise on a machine does all that secondary stuff for you, so you're only really working out one muscle at a time.

If you do decide to try them out, ask the staff at the gym to show you how to use the equipment safely, especially the barbell (the big long one). Most gyms will have a "lifting cage", which is a framework that keeps you from falling over or getting squished. If you use them properly, the free weights can often be even safer than using the machines.

If you're looking for a good starting workout, I can recommend the one I'm using right now: http://newbie-fitness.blogspot.com/2007/01/stripped-5x5.html It's a simplified starting workout, and keeps the number of different exercises as short as possible while still working all parts of the body. Another benefit is that this workout assumes a 3x a week schedule, so it matches your schedule perfectly. I've only been on this routine for a couple weeks, but I already feel like I'm getting a full workout from it.

Good luck, and let us know how it goes at the gym!

GodsPromises

Thank you so much Othos, I will check out that site right now.