Help me build muscle!!!

ashliejones13
ashliejones13 Posts: 51
in Health and Weight Loss
So I go to the gym and do cardio for an hour a day. I've lost the 20 pounds I wanted to, but now I'm stuck on gaining some lean muscle. There is about an inch of fat on my lower stomach that won't go away. I would try using the machines at the gym, but I don't want to look like an idio if I'm doing them wrong. I don't have the money to hire a personal trainer at the gym or at home. Are there any ways to build muscle at home? How many reps and sets should I do? Thanks!

Replies

  • chigby77
    chigby77 Posts: 21 Member
    There are tons of strength training exercises you can do at home that will tone your tummy and build overall muscle. Here's one link. http://www.fitsugar.com/Tone-Your-Abs-Without-Crunches-7859508 Yoga will also tone and strengthen your core quickly. This site has strength training videos. http://www.crankyfitness.com/2009/01/strength-training-for-beginners.html

    google strength training exercises and just start doing them... after 1 month of 45 mins every other day, you will see a big difference in the shape of your body. I'm 53 and strength training is reversing the clock on how I look. My upper body is much stronger, my abs and lower back and glutes are stronger.

    A few starter words google:

    Planking
    Burpees
    Lunges
    Dips
    Crunches


    Good luck. The info is all over the net and in many muscle & fitness type magazines.
  • BarackMeLikeAHurricane
    BarackMeLikeAHurricane Posts: 3,400 Member
    No one will judge you if you use the machines incorrectly. They'll either not care and say nothing, or approach you and show you how to use it. You could always watch someone else use a machine first to see how it works. Once you gain a little confidence, make your way over the the weight room and start lifting. Do you have a friend that lifts that you could go to the gym with one day? It would be helpful to have someone you won't be shy around show you how to do everything properly.
  • DancingMoosie
    DancingMoosie Posts: 8,619 Member
    Any of the trainers at the gym should show you how to use the machines properly, without charging you. If you go to the gym regularly anyway, it might be easier to just go ahead and do your weights there as well. Make sure you get in all major muscle groups, upper and lower body.
  • WinnerVictorious
    WinnerVictorious Posts: 4,733 Member
    So I go to the gym and do cardio for an hour a day. I've lost the 20 pounds I wanted to, but now I'm stuck on gaining some lean muscle. There is about an inch of fat on my lower stomach that won't go away. I would try using the machines at the gym, but I don't want to look like an idiot if I'm doing them wrong. I don't have the money to hire a personal trainer at the gym or at home. Are there any ways to build muscle at home? How many reps and sets should I do? Thanks!

    don't worry or feel embarrassed about looking "silly". everybody was new once. everyone else there is much more worried about getting their own workout done than to notice what anybody else is doing. ask people for assistance if you need it. when you come home, google whatever exercises or machines you still have questions about. these days, almost everything you need to know is online, including videos showing proper form for any exercise you want to do.
  • ethanrusell
    ethanrusell Posts: 4
    Muscle definition can be achieved without massive bulking up - lose some body fat (sorry - not trying to make you sound like a porker) and work on individual muscle groups to bring actual definition to them. Good place to start if you don't have weightlifting background is all-over body workout: 2-3 a week, one exercise per body part for 2 sets of 10-15 reps each. Do 2 sets of each exercise before moving on to the next and so on. Also get plenty of protein in you - whey protein powder straight after a workout is a good idea. Go to 'Bodybuilding dot com' - they have all sorts of great workouts specifically for different genders, different goals, different experience levels etc. Good luck!
  • LiftAllThePizzas
    LiftAllThePizzas Posts: 17,857 Member
    Current wisdom seems to be that free weights are better than machines. As I understand it a machine isolates a muscle or smaller numbers of them, balances the weight itself so that you aren't using all those extra muscles (and coordination) to do it, and it can place stress on joints in ways that they never would encounter in any real life situation outside of using that machine. (IOW that they weren't "designed for.")

    Free weights use more of your muscles (and your cerebellum) and build strength that is more useful in real life.

    Look up one or more of the strength training programs/books out there and see if any of them strike your fancy:
    New Rules Of Lifting For Women
    Starting Strength
    Strong Lifts

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