Gym Help

lunabelle33
lunabelle33 Posts: 33
in Health and Weight Loss
Hey there,
Well, my nan gave me a three month free membership to my local gym, now I went there before about a year and a half ago!! But I was looking for some helpful tips on a routine I should have. Like should I do cardio first, or strength? I am trying to lose weight but I also want to keep everything tight while I am at it!

Tips and pointers would be amazing :)

Replies

  • tricksee
    tricksee Posts: 835 Member
    Do both :-)

    Strength times per week. Cardio 2-3 times per week. Do HIIT, not that LISS rubbish.
  • jasonp_ritzert
    jasonp_ritzert Posts: 357 Member
    Try websites like bodybuilding.com and others to find good routines for all stages of working out. Or, investing some money in some time with a personal trainer may be good to get some hands on time with them. A good combination of lifting and cardio sounds like what you need.
  • Cr01502
    Cr01502 Posts: 3,614 Member
    I am trying to lose weight but I also want to keep everything tight while I am at it!

    Tips and pointers would be amazing :)

    Spandex or a wetsuit while eating at a deficit.
  • lunabelle33
    lunabelle33 Posts: 33
    Thanks everyone :)
  • Caitable
    Caitable Posts: 14
    I always start my strength days with 10 minutes of Cardio to get my heart rate up and then do circuit or set out, training so there aren't breaks between the sets. Also to keep my heart rate up and keep the fat burning going.

    As for routines it depends on how many days you want to spend in the gym. If you want to do strength training just 3 times a week then you are looking for full body routines. If you are like me and LOVE lifting wts then you want to break it down so you can rotate what you do and give muscle groups a break. I do chest/tris one day then back and Biceps the next, then back to chest and triceps etc. I also work out my legs everyday (Your legs generally get the most work during the day so it takes a little extra to get a burn going) One day a week I do a Leg burn out (heavy weights to failure) takes several days to recover fully from this which is why I only do it one day a week. I also do abs 2-3 times a week. If you use free wts rather than machines your core is getting a workout along with the rest of you. I always recommend free wts over machines.

    You can just do a google search for workout routines there are a ton of good free ones out there. Also on Bodybuilding.com you can look through the female transformation sections and see what their routines have been. Just makes sure you pic someone with a similar body composition to you that got the results you are looking for. Don't pay attention to the long lists of supplements they are taking chances are you don't need them. A good multi vitamin and some protein powder are all anyone beginning should worry about. Otherwise you'll just end up wasting a lot of money on stuff you didn't really need.

    Also I agree with the post above me HIIT all the way!
  • BeachIron
    BeachIron Posts: 6,490 Member
    (1) Read The New Rules of Lifting for Women, Strong Lifts, or Wendler's 5/3/1. The first two are better for beginners though my wife started right out with Wendler's and is doing great. Follow one of these programs and lift 3 to 4 days a week.

    (2) Do some cardio 3 to 4 days a week for your heart and overall fitness (it is not necessary to do cardio to lose weight though, so make this decision based on your own goals). High Intensity Interval Training (HITT) is turning out to be incredible, but things like jogging and walking are also very helpful. I jog myself but add in sprints at the end.

    (3) Personally, I would lift first and do cardio second, so that you are fresher when lifting. This is for both safety and lifting performance reasons.

    (4) Take 1 - 2 rest days a week.

    (5) Eat 10% to 20% below your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE).

    (6) Track your exercise, and weigh and measure all of your food.
  • meredith1123
    meredith1123 Posts: 843 Member
    I like doing HIIT. It works for me and burns super amounts of fat. I find even as a long distance runner, the HIIT will do better for my body overall than just running or weight training. often i'll sprint as hard as i can for 15-20 seconds then walk fast for 15-20 seconds and then repeat until i just cant take it anymore! good stuff.
    I prefer to weight train first then cardio. 1. because its safer when lifting or such and 2. the weight training is like a warm up for me before doing cardio. I'm all stretched, muscles are in tact and ready to go.

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