How the *bleep* do y'all do it?!

ashesfromfire
ashesfromfire Posts: 867 Member
edited January 9 in Fitness and Exercise
Alright - most my workouts are done at home, either going running or dvds. I've started going to the gym at my college - with Oregon winters running outside can be downright miserable and dangerous - So I do my cardio there, and I lift free weights (which I always kinda feel like an idiot doing because I'm just copying what I do during my dvds) but I look at all those machines and I know how to use maybe 3 or 4 and the others are a total mystery! I try to watch other people, but for the most part there's minimal traffic through there - so I can't learn by snooping. How do you people know what you're doing at the gym?!

Replies

  • laughinggypsy
    laughinggypsy Posts: 30 Member
    most gyms give you a free orientation session. if not, just get a session with one of their trainers-its worth it!
  • FullOfWin
    FullOfWin Posts: 1,414 Member
    We got educated one way or another. Here is one way http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/848374-large-collection-of-info-for-beginners-2013-edition
  • megalin9
    megalin9 Posts: 771 Member
    google

    bodybuilding.com

    youtube
  • ahviendha
    ahviendha Posts: 1,291 Member
    most machines i've used have directions on them. so if i didn't see someone use it, then i read the directions.
  • kuntry_navy
    kuntry_navy Posts: 677 Member
    practice. or find someone who looks like they know what they're doing and ask advice. wait til they're going for water(and not in the middle of something)
  • sezhep
    sezhep Posts: 57
    Ask a member of staff to show you - it is their job after all. Have you not had to have a gym induction? Otherwise most weights machines have it printed on them somewhere how to use it correctly.

    Good luck!
  • teenio7
    teenio7 Posts: 104 Member
    Bodybuilding.com has excellent how-to videos. I am currently doing the Livefit program. It's free and when they list the exercises they have links to videos showing you how to do them with proper form.
  • Hezzietiger1
    Hezzietiger1 Posts: 1,256 Member
    Hire a trainer for 1or3 Sessions.
  • MightyDomo
    MightyDomo Posts: 1,265 Member
    You can ask any instructor or trainer at a gym, when you started there they probably had someone walk you around and you can ask them to have another go around to explain all the machines and their uses to you.

    Another way is to search the internet, if you don't know the name of the machine that is fine because there are many sites that you can look at the images with names and figure out what it is and some of those sites will have a depiction of what muscles are being used when you are using that very machine.

    When I went to World Health they had these depictions right on the machines themselves so you knew what they were working while you used it. Made choices in what to use much easier that way (wish all machines had these depictions attached)
  • infamousmk
    infamousmk Posts: 6,033 Member
    Consult a psychic.
  • katy_trail
    katy_trail Posts: 1,992 Member
    this is my fav. dvd instructor doing demos of how to do exercises.
    she has great form and very motivating :bigsmile:
    Although, she's not using weight machines, still very useful.
    http://www.youtube.com/user/CatheExerciseLibrary/videos?view=0
  • BusyRaeNOTBusty
    BusyRaeNOTBusty Posts: 7,166 Member
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/560459-stronglifts-5x5-summary
  • Scarlett_Belle
    Scarlett_Belle Posts: 145 Member
    most machines i've used have directions on them. so if i didn't see someone use it, then i read the directions.

    ^ ^ ^ yep and if i do it worng then someone usually jumps in to help me
  • jlapey
    jlapey Posts: 1,850 Member
    The trainer took me around and showed me how. Also each machine has instructions on it.
  • soehlerking
    soehlerking Posts: 589 Member
    haha I was the EXACT same way--I youtubed everything before I did it, even "basics" like bench press and squats, just so I could be certain to do it right. It's much more helpful than the little diagrams on the machines.
  • PaveGurl
    PaveGurl Posts: 244 Member
    If you have a smart phone, you can also get the app called Jefit - their site has pre-made routines that you can download and work through. You can change them up and track your progress too - I never, ever remember what I did last time, so it's crazy helpful for those "time to do flys, but I don't know what weights" conundrums.

    Also, there are so many sites that can walk you through the machines, and as others have noted: ask at your gym. They should be able to help you in some way, or at least direct you to someone.

    Finally - ask other folks working out. Unless they look angry, and never in the middle of a set. Most people really get excited to discuss how and why they're doing what they're doing.
  • ashesfromfire
    ashesfromfire Posts: 867 Member
    See - it's not a "real gym". I mean, yes it is, but it's at my college and they teach fitness classes out of it. They have open hours when no classes are going on where students can come in and use it for free - so there aren't really any trainers around or anyone that is supposed to walk you through the equipment like at a gym where you can have a membership. There's usually is one person at a desk there - typically a another student just to make sure no one kills themselves - I just need to grow big enough lady balls to ask for help.
  • DavPul
    DavPul Posts: 61,406 Member
    pretty much every machine has instructions with helpful pictures. plus if you ask someone in the general area for help I'm 98.3% sure they won't bite you.

    but if you really want to do it right, hire a personal trainer for a few sessions and learn to use the free weights. half the time and double the results of the machines.
  • blues4miles
    blues4miles Posts: 1,481 Member
    Stronglifts, Starting Strength, routines on bodybuilding.com, New Rules of Lifting for Women...

    I'm doing the New Rules. The book provides pretty helpful instructions/directions. But I often youtube the exercises as well so I can watch someone doing it.
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