HELP ME :/

heatherlovesmk09

I want to start working out today,when I walk in the gym I have NO idea where to start! any suggestions for my work out? My goal is to loose 130 in less then a year, and I have been inspired by that TV show "I use to be fat" on MTV, but I need some guidance HELP!

ConnieM20

im no expert, but i usually stretch then do a cardio (usually and elliptical) then do weights and if im up to it walk a mile on the treadmill. great job on getting started for your goal!

ImKindOfABigDeal40

Here's my two cents. If I were in your shoes, I would concentrate on cardio and diet. The diet calculators on here are fantastic. Use them religiously. Most treadmills will tell you how many calories you've burned. I try to burn at least 400 a day and then I hit the workout room. All in all, if you stick to this site and work out 4 to 5 times a week, you should start seeing result relatively soon,

mfpgeezy

elliptical is a godsend for cardio and great workouts! good luck on your journey!

Faery7

What kind of things do you like to do? Do you like cardio or do you like weights? Have you tried them before? I don't know where you are as far as being fit goes... cause you can be overweight and still more fit than those little tiny girls out there hehe. For me, I started with the treadmill. I'd walk to warm up and then jog as long as I could, then walk, and repeat. I would log how far I'd go each day in miles, and then try to beat that the next day in the same amount of time.
I'd say don't push yourself too hard becuase you can easily burn yourself out while you're "finding your way" so to speak. I'm now doing the 30 day shred dvd by Jillian Michaels, this is because I don't like weights, and this dvd allows me to get my strength training. You might want to check it out, it's only about $9 at walmart.

Whatever you decide to do, STICK WITH IT! It won't be easy if you aren't used to it, but trust me... that first time you get an exercise high where you feel SO proud of yourself for pushing yourself and accomplishing something will make it all worth it. There's nothing like that feeling for me.

MissNothin

I would say start out with 20/25 minutes of cardio, something like running, cross trainer or bicycle, same at the end In between do something for your legs, a little bit for your arms, stomach, you know everything else

CarolineSuzanneSmith

My advice: start on the treadmill or some other type of cardio machine that is fairly easy to use. Try walking/exercising at a pace that is comfortable, yet a little challenging--something that you feel is getting your heart rate up.

Then, if you want to start weights, watch what some of the other people are doing around the gym on the weight machines, or what they are doing with free weights. I have been known to run and watch people exercise (sounds like I'm a creeper...but I'm not!!)..and watching what other people are doing helps give me inspiration for a new move that I can do.

And, if all else fails, ASK somebody that works at the gym how to use a machine. That's what they are there for! Don't be shy, just get out there and do it....at the end of the day, everybody is in the gym trying to do the same thing: be healthy.

Best of luck to you!! You can do it!

hperowl

Is there anyone that works at the gym you can ask/talk to? I don't use a treadmill so I'm not sure;however, when I walk outside I usually start with some jumping jacks to warm up then set off at a very brisk pace. The path I walk has varying degrees of incline/decline and I usually walk about 3 miles in under an hour. Hope this helps>

chevy88grl

When I started this journey in April 2010, I'd never been to a gym before (well, unless you count that time I walked into Gold's Gym and took one look at all the "hard bodies" and walked back out!). I wasn't sure where to start or what some of the machines did. Looking back, I should have ASKED the staff for help, but I didn't want to seem like I was dumb - so I went straight to the treadmills. I mean.. can't go wrong with that, right?

I did the treadmill for a long time until I was finally comfortable and confident enough to venture to the back where the machines/weights were. Then I just went from machine to machine, read the instructions and did it.

xinahay123

Does your gym offer any classes? These are a great way to get some cardio in and not be bored to tears on the treadmill.

As far as a weight routine, there are some aps for smart phones that will give you suggestions for routines. Or if it is in the budget, you might want to hire a personal trainer for a few sessions, and have her/him help you come up with a routine to do for a while.

Also I subscribe to a few fitness magazines, they always have ideas. Don't be discouraged! You can do this!!

Feel free to friend me if you want!

CherokeeTopaz

You could do a rotation... Walk to get your blood pumping.. stretch.. then do some of the resistance training which burns tons of cals. Then again.... me I just belly dance and use a 5 pound dumbell.. I have like 20 lbs to lose though.. Maybe more I'm gonna go by mirror instead of scale so I don't know exactly how much so I'm setting small goals. I'm at 207.5 and my first goal is to get to 190.

agthorn

I'd suggest making a plan for 2-3 days of cardio and two days of weights. But beyond that, it's really just what you like and what will keep you going back. Some people swear by classes (Zumba, step, etc) but I've got two left feet. Cardio machines are all good (I like the treadmill and the stationary bike) but other people would be bored to tears. My husband loves the elliptical machine. So whatever you find exciting and is within your body's ability (maybe you have bad knees, etc).

As an aside, I wouldn't plan on getting to your goal in "less than a year" - that would require you to sustain a loss of over 2.5 pounds a week every week. You will probably be able to do that in the beginning since you have a lot to lose, but as you get closer to your goal it's going to be near impossible to lose 2.5lbs a week and you're going to end up frustrated and/or disappointed.

tiptoeketo

If I were you I'd hire a personal trainer from the gym. Tell them what it is you want to do, and then they'll familiarize you with the equipment and give you a workout plan. Hopefully they'll be able to lead you down the right path!

jame_104

Here's my two cents. If I were in your shoes, I would concentrate on cardio and diet. The diet calculators on here are fantastic. Use them religiously. Most treadmills will tell you how many calories you've burned. I try to burn at least 400 a day and then I hit the workout room. All in all, if you stick to this site and work out 4 to 5 times a week, you should start seeing result relatively soon,

Completly agree. Started in January just walking on the treadmill at first for half and hour. Once that became almost easy I went to the elipticals,other cardio machines and then running. Don't push yourself too hard at first, you will get sore and quit. Just remember you didn't put the wieght on overnight, it isn't going to come off that way either.

Liquid741

i work out 7days a week now...my day off is a 2 mile run. it took me a long time to get used to doing what i do now...my knees used to kill, and other parts were just ridiculous..

i always run 1.5miles then weight train for about 40min, then i finish with another 1.5 mile run....all in all its about a 90min workout 6days per week with my seventh being just running 2miles..

this works for me, but i know others just go maybe 3 or 4 times per week...i get pumped up and my mood is affected if i dont go.

in my sig on my profile says "Running burns fat like a Hummer burns gas"...i live by it and am enjoying my new body each and every day.

ImKindOfABigDeal40

Completly agree. Started in January just walking on the treadmill at first for half and hour. Once that became almost easy I went to the elipticals,other cardio machines and then running. Don't push yourself too hard at first, you will get sore and quit. Just remember you didn't put the wieght on overnight, it isn't going to come off that way either.
[/quote]

So very true

ImKindOfABigDeal40

Completly agree. Started in January just walking on the treadmill at first for half and hour. Once that became almost easy I went to the elipticals,other cardio machines and then running. Don't push yourself too hard at first, you will get sore and quit. Just remember you didn't put the wieght on overnight, it isn't going to come off that way either.
[/quote]

So very true

Schwiggs

Start small. Some gyms offer a free consultation with a personal trainer. This might be a good idea. I'd encourage you to do resistant training sooner rather than later (my biggest regret), however cardio is the easiest place to start because there's less chance of injury and less complications of knowing correct form.

TubbsMcGee

Start light

When I first started hitting the gym, the exercise bikes were the easiest for me. Work at your own pace and don't push yourself too hard...try to gradually increase your resistance and timing.

If you have any knee or ankle pain, the elliptical machine are great too. Plus you're working at your own pace, as opposed to a treadmill.

The rowing machine will help to work all of your muscles as well, plus it's so easy you don't even realize you're getting a nice burn.

As for strength training, it all depends on what you're comfortable with. Start with lower weights and don't do a crazy set of reps if you're new to the idea.

OH!! And above all else: Make sure you wipe down all of your machines as soon as you're done using them! There are many diseases and illnesses that can be spread with mystery sweat. You don't want that crazy girl hunting you down and demanding you clean up after yourself...

Spongebaberoundpants

Thanks for the input. I too have absolutely no clue where to begin. I've just been doing the treadmill cause 3 min on the elliptical seemed like torture lol

Here's my two cents. If I were in your shoes, I would concentrate on cardio and diet. The diet calculators on here are fantastic. Use them religiously. Most treadmills will tell you how many calories you've burned. I try to burn at least 400 a day and then I hit the workout room. All in all, if you stick to this site and work out 4 to 5 times a week, you should start seeing result relatively soon,

fab50G

Here's my two cents. If I were in your shoes, I would concentrate on cardio and diet. The diet calculators on here are fantastic. Use them religiously. Most treadmills will tell you how many calories you've burned. I try to burn at least 400 a day and then I hit the workout room. All in all, if you stick to this site and work out 4 to 5 times a week, you should start seeing result relatively soon,

With as much as you'd like to lose, cardio and diet are going to be your best bet for a while. The important thing is to "Just Do It".

JasonD334

My best advice would be to pace yourself. You will do more harm then good if you try to jump right into a heavy workout routine, because to this point your body is not accustomed to it. For the first month you need to concentrate on your diet, and be sure you are exercising in some capacity 30mins a day, 3-5 days a week. Allow your body the time it needs to start getting stronger, and use to the physical activity, and then you can ramp it up in the coming months. -- You've got a great goal of 130lbs, and here's a secret, you CAN do it! What you need to remember along your journey is that it took a while to put on the extra 130, so it's going to take a while to remove it. This is the real world (and not the MTV kind), so it's going to take your best effort, and it may not come as fast as we see on TV, but here again YOU CAN DO IT. --- If you only remember one thing from this thread, please remember this. You control the effort, not the results. You need to be proud of your efforts DAILY, and do all you can do to get yourself to a healthier place. I promise you that the results will come, but your success isn't tied to any specific number. It's tied to your efforts, and what you are doing to give yourself the life you deserve.

Good luck, and we can't wait to see your progress along the way!

pristinebutterfly

Your gym should offer a free introductory personal training session. Chat with the person at the front desk to set up an appointment. During the appointment, the trainer should go over the basics with you during your appointment and show you the proper form to use on both the weight and cardio equipment. The trainer should also create a beginner's workout routine for you, but if he doesn't, ask him to. As you workout more, you'll start to learn how to create your own training schedule and even create your own weight lifting routine. If, for some reason, your gym does not offer a free intro training session, you may want to talk to the manager and tell him you're considering "buying" personal training, but want to see if it's the right option before you spend any money. Ask for the training manager...not the sales manager or the general manager. (I have a ton of insider info because I worked in the fitness industry for 10 years when I was younger...:))

Another idea, if your gym refuses to give you a free PT session is to go online and Google beginner's gym workouts. There's a plethora of information on how to use proper form and tons of beginner's workout routines you can print out and use based on your fitness goals.

Hope this helps and good luck!

looneytoni

If its been a while since u've (please forgive my shorthand) last worked out then you should start off slow. You dont want to get all Gung-ho and make urself sore and unable to move for three days. Then ur back to where u started, and if u keep this up u wont make any progress.

Always warm up. When you walk into the gym, start on the treadmill, 10 mins at a normal walking pace. Depending on ur fitness level, either continue with the treadmill (if you havent worked out in a while) but picking up the pace and perhaps the incline, or jump on the elliptical machine (if the treadmill isnt enough of a challenge). The nice thing about the elliptical is that u can set the step height and increase as u become a pro at it.

I would do this for a week, untill ur body became used to it and then start mixing it up with circuit (i'm a bad spell too) training, like maybe every other day, or daily but pick upper or lower body to work on. Always give the muscle group 24-48hrs to rest after working it out. Most gyms arrange their circuit training equipment by upper or lower body objective.

You could always higher a personal trainer for a few weeks to run you thru some routines you could do for a while. Consistancy is the key.

If you've ever tried to dig a hole in the sand near the water line, you know you have to move pretty fast to keep the whole from filling up with water and the sides sliding back in and filling up your hole. And you'd have nothing to show for your efforts.

Working out is very simular. If you dont keep at it, you'll just slide backwards and will have nothing to show for your efforts, so keep with it and it wont be long before u reach ur goal!

scorpiogirl100

Start with the treadmill or eliptical...I like the treadmill myself...thats what helped me..I started slow 20 min now I'm up to 40 minutes of brisk walking...and people may think I am crazy...but I wear a long sleeve hoodie while I'm walking so I'll sweat more...and it's really paying off!!!! then work your way up to strength traing abs..legs..arms...butt etc ...hope this helps...good luck in you journey!!!

tmiqueen

I know that at our local Anytime Fitness, you get a free personal trainer for the first three months. They write up an exercise program for you and help you track your measurements and fitness levels. They show you proper form as well. Then you're on your own after that.

heatherlovesmk09

Thanks everyone, this all is very helpful!

maura5880

I know you say you're motivated by I Used to Be Fat (I am too, awesome show!), however it's similar to Biggest Loser--they work out around the clock & maintain a super strict diet. The show from last night isn't really similar to what people accomplish in real life, that kid did nothing all summer but sweat in the gym w/a trainer constantly by his side. I don't know many people who have the time to spend in the gym, or the money for a trainer to be constantly w/them.

I'd start out slow, walking, jogging...try all the cardio equipment at the gym and see what you prefer. Anything that gets your heart rate up is gonna be good for you Just don't set yourself up for failure by thinking you're gonna do in one summer what a kid on TV did..

ScarletFyre

as a start i'd recommend the eliptical or the arc trainer - i find that you get a great workout and they seem to be (at least for me) easier on the knees etc.

if you plan on doing weights, i'd recommend 5 min cardio to warm up, then your weights then your cardio workout.

msbinyard

They best thing to do is to do what you feel is right for you, but at least get and hour of cardio and strength train 3 times a day. I like to jog myself but doing 20mins on the treadmill, 20 mins on the ellipitcal and 20 on the bike worked out for me in the beginning.