Good gym routine?

escloflowneCHANGED

Hey guys I am starting to do strength training tonight and I wanted to know if anyone had a good routine for the machines at the gym? I plan on going Monday, Wednesday and Friday for strength training and everyday for Cardio. I just need a noob routine that won't kill me. I tend to do as much as possible and to try and beat myself...I am very compettitive!!

I want to start with the machines because I find the free weight section a little intimidating especially alone not knowing what i'm doing! Plus the meat heads lifting 100lb weights next to me and I get a burn from 25 lbs makes me feel bad haha Like I said I am too competitive!

Anybody have a routine they do 3 times a week that would help me start? I searched this site and the internet but most of it is free weights.

PokenStick

You're honeslty not going to find much that relies soley on machine training. I'd recommend doing a program called Starting Strenght and getting over your fear. I started out barely being able to squat with 45lb bar and now I'm up to 200lb squat. I see people at the gym at all levels, and everyone starts at the bottom.


Anyway, you can try menshealth or bodybuilding.com for some machine routines, you won't see a lot of gains in strength doing these...but it's better than nothing.

ninerbuff

Do each machine for each body part 2-3 sets, 8 reps with as much weight as you can handle for those 8.


A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer
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Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

jellyedge

Both of those replies are good answers. Also - ask someone that works at the gym - in most gyms an introduction and evaluation is part of what you are paying for. I've also found that most of the people at the gym are usually positive. They didn't start out benching 300lbs either.

Articeluvsmemphis

lol, aww poor you. luckily as a girl when I travel to the meat head section all I get is a good laugh because most of them pick up more weights just because other guys were checking them out, it's hilarious, but to answer your question I love the weight machines, so here is a little of what I do.

to keep it simple, you can aim for 3sets and 12reps on each set, and 20maybe, but then if you haven't had muscle failure by that point then go to a higher weight.

I tend to do upper/lower together because I am so unfocused.

I do leg curls, leg presses, bicep curls, tricep extensions, back extensions, ab crunches, hip abduction, shoulder presses, that butt press thingy, squats, and that thing you lay your stomach on and curl your legs up, and skull crushers are fun to do with free weights. some of the machines are cables and the others are not (forgot what they are called though)