Time&Place Set - weights here I come !!

jobegone
jobegone Posts: 91
in Fitness and Exercise
I did it, I finally did it !! I saw the personal trainer at the gym to get me started on the free weights.
I have been wanting to start lifting (properly !) for a while now and looked into Crossfit because I think it looks awesome, but I have tried emailing and ringing the only Crossfit gym I could find in Liverpool and they have completely ignored all my attempts to contact them-very disappointed.
But I digress.....so I figured I could do free weights, get my squats and clean and presses etc sorted at the gym but then every time I walked near the free weights I chickened out because I wasn't sure of form and what I should be doing.

So today I hung around and waited for the personal trainer and discussed what I wanted to do, achieve etc and booked in a date :) yeh I'm so excited !!! I do LES MILLS Bodypump but my squatting is awful and figured I needed someone to show me technique and a give me a basic starting out plan just to give me confidence to walk into the free weight area and not be terrified.

Any hints, tips, etiquette I need to know or that people find useful or think il find useful feel free to throw down ur opinions :)

Replies

  • Paula038
    Paula038 Posts: 42 Member
    In to see what advice you get. I am in the same boat. Did my first-ever squats on Friday and my first deadlifts today, along with squats and bench presses. Got a huge kick from lifting properly, being a middle-aged woman. Had some great advice from one of the young guys, probably because my pretty daughter was there as well :) Hoping to get a trainer by Friday to check my form.
  • jobegone
    jobegone Posts: 91
    We'll I guess we're not getting any hints or tips!! Never mind !!
    Good on you for getting started :) really looking forward to it. I reckon I need the trainer to show me proper form cuz my left hand side is abit tempermental injury wise so don't want to go in all guns blazing and destroy myself.

    Really need to work on squatting so I'm guessing form will take a while with those before strength is worked on. But I'm looking forward to everything else !!

    Let me know how you get on :)
  • Paula038
    Paula038 Posts: 42 Member
    We may be on the wrong forum. I see there is a group for women who lift (I think it is called Girls who Lift - I just searched the groups for "lift"). Maybe that would be a better place to post.

    I am doing well, thank you! Turns out the young man who helped us on Monday was actually a trainer, who just happened to be doing his own workout while we were there. I saw him again this morning, when he was training someone else, and promptly signed up after my workout. Hope to start our sessions soon. My kettlebell squats have improved greatly - I downloaded Starting Strength on the Kindle app and studied the very detailed description (a bit boring, but really insightful). I will wait with the barbell squats until I have a trainer to spot for me.

    When is your training session? (Just saw you are from Liverpool. I am married to a Liverpudlian, who is very keen to get back home once his contract ends. We spent many happy Christmases at my MIL's house in Liverpool, although I think my husband was happier about the chance to go to a football game than seeing his family :smile: )
  • jobegone
    jobegone Posts: 91
    Training session is tomorrow !! Excited but nervous - scared I'm not going to be able to walk the next day !!
    Squats aren't nice and I hate kettle bells so god knows how it's going to go tomorrow, don't really have a clue what I'll be doing.

    I'm actually Irish btw, been living in Liverpool now for nearly 10years, which is very strange to admit, can't believe it's been that long. It's a nice place though, came over for uni, met a guy, got a job. Couldn't go back home permanently-love my independence too much.

    I was tempted to get the New Rules of Lifting for women that I've seen so many people talking about, might treat myself to it for Christmas. Was chatting to my shift partner in work yesterday and I think if put him in the frame of mind to get a trainer sort him out a weights programme. Was telling him all about dead lifts etc prob didn't sound very feminine but it's fun !! Makes you feel strong.
  • debrag12
    debrag12 Posts: 1,071 Member
    wow you have more courage then me lol I am always chickening out even though the gym I go to doesn't get busy. Did you have an advice session or a personal training session?
  • jobegone
    jobegone Posts: 91
    Not long back in from my first session. Had a personal trainer with me today and he's written me three programmes; one for cardio and two for strength. Went through one today, gonna get him to train me on the second one and then maybe get a few more sessions just so I know my form doesn't slip. He was brilliant, changed around the programme to suit me as we went along. Guided me on my form, encouraged me. Not scary at all. We did clean and presses, dumb bell bench presses, barbell squats, straight leg dead lifts, sumo squats, press ups, calf extensions, aswell as a few more on shoulders but I'm not sure what the proper names are.

    I think I'm gonna hurt tomorrow !!

    Really enjoyed it, do it !!
  • Texasparis
    Texasparis Posts: 14 Member
    Hi! I have been with a personal trainer for a year now with a few breaks here and there. Well done on seeking advice from PT and signing up. It does make a difference having a PT even for a short while as you get to understand technique and form. I confess I don't exercise much when don't have PT session but plan to make more of an effort over next few weeks. I do a mix of cardio and weights and I am also planning on getting my PT to write down weights and exercise to do when I am not having a session with him.

    I am no expert but my only advice it to to a few extra sessions on your own in addition to the trainer or at very lift weights for short bursts every day. My friend has done that and it has made all the difference so I will be following suit!
  • jobegone
    jobegone Posts: 91
    Yeh that's primarily why I wanted to go with a PT, to a) get confidence to walk into the weights section and b) to know what I was doing was correct.
    So I'm going to get another few sessions with him booked in for the strength programmes, don't need him looking at me on my cardio days ! Then I'm gonna leave it for a while cuz it's quite pricey. Then its basically going to be a mix up of my 2 strength programmes, some cardio and some classes (the ones I do now anyway, like body pump, GRIT) just to supplement.

    I'm hoping by paying a PT over the next few weeks it will also curb my usual 'stuffing my face' over Christmas because il be saying what's the point of paying this money to just go eat everything in sight !! Haha, we'll see :)

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