gym routine?

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KChristie976
KChristie976 Posts: 150 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
What is your gym routine? I dont really know what to do there I mainly do an hour on the eliptical. I am never sore when coming home from the gym. Should I be? What do you all do?

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  • jrich1
    jrich1 Posts: 2,408 Member
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    you should definately mix things up, I usually change between treadmill, spin bike, elipical/arc machine and swimming and some weights, I mix it up and do something different when I go
  • brattyworm
    brattyworm Posts: 2,137 Member
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    on the elliptical what i like to do is set it on random hills and then like level 3 or 4 and then not let the speed or pedals/whatever go below a certain thing.. so its okay on the low hills but when you get them higher ones.... ya.. that'll work your butt off. .. ok it does mine
  • tammyhoff2004
    tammyhoff2004 Posts: 89
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    Elliptical training is a good cardio workout and it builds strength and endurance. If you want to add weight training or treadmill training you can. I do Tae Bo in the comfort of my home and have lost 14 inches in 5 weeks and lost 24 lbs. You need to be somewhat sore after the gym. Work yourself hard and change it up a bit. I think you'll like the changes you see! God bless you on your weight loss journey!!
  • goldspaula
    goldspaula Posts: 161
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    Hi jrich1!

    I'm pretty new to the gym but I am blessed with a trainer that comes to our work once a month and gives us a workout plan. I have much more to lose than you do, great job!!! I am doing 15 on the treadmill to warm up, then 5 machines that that work arms, abs, and legs. 12 Reps x 2 sets each machine, then back to the treadmill or bike for another 30 minutes. I've had fantastic success with it so far, but she says you have to mix it up every four weeks using different machines or intensity, and then keep the aerobic part. :flowerforyou: Hope that helps.
  • Suedre
    Suedre Posts: 435 Member
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    Try some of the classes. I like step, body sculpting, Interval training, and anything else that moves. It's hard the first couple of times since it is a sink or swim situation, but after you make it through they start to become fun. They are rarely boring and keeping up with the rest of the class is good motivation and prevents you from dropping out early! :)
  • balfonso
    balfonso Posts: 370 Member
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    I usually do a 5 min warmup on the elliptical, then 3 sets of 10-20 reps of deep lunges, lat pulldown machine, tricep pulldown, bicep curls, own bodyweight calf raises, inclined chest press, leg press, shoulder press, followed by a 8-10min interval jogging/sprinting or if I'm doing a long one, I add the Couch to 5K in the workout. And lastly, I do my Ab/Core exercises - crunches, side twists, vertical crunches, plank and supermans. I like to mix it up so I don't get bored.
  • acstein
    acstein Posts: 55
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    I love strength training personally. There are many different things you could and can adapt for at home or in the "mommy room" at the gym (small area filled with cardio machines. The basics that get all muscles groups are:

    arms, shoulders, back: Bench press, rows, push up, pull up, raises (front and lateral), back extensions and just about any variation in between
    calves, thigh, glut: squats, lunges, deadlifts and any variation in between
    core: plank, side plank, v ups, reverse crunches, double crunch, and any variation in between

    I have started an exercise blog hoping to give people ideas and to get ideas from other people. check it out!!
  • msbanana
    msbanana Posts: 793 Member
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    From an aspiring gym rat a few pieces of advice:
    1. Warm up
    2. Stretch
    3. Lift
    4. Cardio
    5. Core
    6. Stretch AGAIN
    In that order... In order to get the most from your fitness routine you should warm up to get your heart going and your muscles warm. Once warm stretch the muscles you plan on working during your lift. You should alternate upper body and lower body days for maximum effect and recovery (72 hours is actually recommended between working the same muscle groups). Many folks are afraid to lift because they don't want to look like MR or MS Universe.. If you're just looking to tone (not bulk up) chose a weight that you can do 3 sets of 15 with. 13, 14 and 15 of the last set should be particularly difficult. When you find it becomes easy then it's time to move up a couple pounds. Once done with you lift go do your cardio. If you're bored with the elliptcal, hit the tread at a brisk walk and an incline, stairs, bikes swimming or if you're feeling brave do a mini triathalon. (a mile on the tread, 5 on the bike and then a free style swim- it's fun and it breaks it up) Then move on to core (think anything that works your midsection- you should do this EVERY time you're at the gym. Firming the muscles in the midsection give that tight flat tummy we all long for and they are such a major muscle group they help burn calories at rest. Then stretch again. I know that sounds daunting but it really can be done in a about an hour if you're motivated. If you're tight on time get in some cardio and core...

    I know that's a lot of info but I hope it helps- It has me. :)

    :drinker:
  • ShaneT99
    ShaneT99 Posts: 278 Member
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    What is your gym routine? I dont really know what to do there I mainly do an hour on the eliptical. I am never sore when coming home from the gym. Should I be? What do you all do?

    There's a book called "New Rules of Lifting for Women" by Lou Schuler and Alwyn Cosgrove. I highly recomend it to everyone and especially to people who feel like they really don't know what to do when they get to the gym. Not only did I learn a lot from it, but I've seen tremendous results following the workouts in it.

    To answer your specific question, I usually get to the gym and do about a 20 minute warmup run on the treadmill followed by a few minutes of stretching followed by my lifting routine for the day. That's three days a week. The other 3-4 days a week I either walk, run, bike or do some combination of the three.
  • ShaneT99
    ShaneT99 Posts: 278 Member
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    By the way, you shouldn't be sore when you leave the gym but you should be tired. Depending on what you do, you might be sore the next day (or two).
  • mworld
    mworld Posts: 270
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    What is your gym routine? I dont really know what to do there I mainly do an hour on the eliptical. I am never sore when coming home from the gym. Should I be? What do you all do?

    if you ever transition from the cardio routine to something more strength training oriented you will most likely get sore in the beginning and that's normal and will go away after a few weeks.
  • Jamiecfc1
    Jamiecfc1 Posts: 75 Member
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    I try and switch my routine frequently, I don't do treadmill now at all (that's just me though), I do ellip, bike, some weight machine stuff, and quite a few classes i.e Pump, Spin, Aerobics-type, Combat, Circuits and recently quite a lot of swimming, mainly cos I had a hamstring injury and couldn't do a lot of jumping-type exercise. I also play squash, mainly because I find the gym very solitary and I like the competitive element to squash which you don't get in a gym, in fact I would say I don't find my gym that sociable at all!
    For you I would get an instructor to show you how to use everything properly, then pick a mix of what you like and take it from there, increasing the resistance gradually so that you do get sore!
  • KChristie976
    KChristie976 Posts: 150 Member
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    I know I shouldnt be sore when I leave the gym but I mean like the next day or so. I feel like I need to be sore to know my body is getting worked. Im going to try a strength and conditioning class tomorrow at my gym. Maybe that will help me aerobic and give me some muscle work.
  • mtizy
    mtizy Posts: 38
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    I would definitely try some classes, but as you go to the gym more you really shouldn't be sore from a normal workout. Especially if you stretch, there really isn't any reason you should be sore unless you did something really intense. I would recommend kickboxing definitely though, if you have some of those classes. I am hardly ever sore unless I go there.

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