Joined the gym

Limeinthecoconut

I joined the gym today and I have my first session with a PT tomorrow. Does anyone have any tips on what I should do/ask to get the most out of the one-on-one time?

Also any tips for a first timer would be good :ohwell: I'm a total noob at the moment...:blushing:

midonhau

Kudos to you for joining the gym....I love the variety of machines they have there. Try to stay committed to going atleast 3-4 times a week and do a mix of cardio machines and strength training. Ask your PT to give you a walk through of different strength training exercises you can do. Enjoy! Strength training helps you build muscles and muscles help you to burn more fat.

Limeinthecoconut

Thanks I do want to get into strength training. Hopefully the PT will be more receptive to the idea, I get the feeling that the woman that showed me around felt like it was the boys club in there. D'oh.

midonhau

I used to think the same thing that strength training was for men. Also, I was afraid of getting too bulky so I stayed away from the bottom floor. However, the gym I attended offered me some strength training sessions and I liked it. Just ensure they show you the correct way to use the machines and you'll be good to go. Don't forget to breathe. For some weird reason I always closed my mouth during exercise and my PT had to constantly remind me to breathe as the body needs the oxygen.

Don't let the boys scare you....they're actually quite helpful. Also, if you use the machine right after someone else, ensure that you change the settings (if necessary) and you choose weights you can manage. Not because they lifted 60 lbs and made it look easy means that u can too lol

cohollywood

When I did a pt session, he gave me a lot of good tips, but he showed me mostly things to do that didn't require machines - just a ball and other things I had at home. All core stuff. It was good, but, I really wish he had focused on the machines more. If I just go to use the ball and dumb bells, I feel like I could do that at home since I have those things. I feel like I'm wasting my money.

So my tip would be, get some idea yourself of what you want out of it, and then tell them that at the beginning! I'm going to go in a few weeks and have them test my body fat. Perhaps that would be an interested to you as well.

myofibril

Read this thread:

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/190953-how-to-select-a-personal-trainer

If you are paying for a service you deserve value for money and for the advice you are given to be fit for purpose.

Sweet13_Princess

First of all, did your gym give you a tutorial on how to use the equipment? If not, have your PT go through the machines with you and show you how each of them work. In between sessions, you'll want to mix things up on your own with strength training and cardio machines and you'll be much more confident if you've had someone show you how to use them first.

Secondly, if your trainer didn't design a workout program for you, ask for one. I don't always keep everything they give me, but most of the time they give fantastic ideas that you can incorporate into your own routine.

Lastly, push yourself with the trainer! They'll check out your form and help you modify your appropriate level of weights, so it's important to work your hardest while you're with him/her.

Finally, if you end up not liking the trainer, give him/her at least three tries. Sometimes it's difficult to feel comfortable working with a trainer at first because it's a new social situation. Give yourself time to adjust. If you still don't like him/her, feel free to switch to someone else. It's not a big deal! Trainers have this happen all of the time.

I don't work with a trainer regularly. Usually everything three months I'll check in with one, do a half hour session to get ideas and advice, then I'll go back to doing my own thing. Don't be afraid to mix it up!

Shannon

Limeinthecoconut

Thanks so mch guys! This has all been really helpful. I've been doing my own thing at the gym the past few days, and am meeting with the trainer on Tuesday. Should be good!