Strength Training....w t f?

Lifting has actually helped me lose weight! Look up some You Tube videos or look up Strong Lifts or New Rules of Lifting for Women to get started. Learn the proper form and then hit the weights .

There are no buff dudes at planet fitness, that gym discriminates against them.

my answer would be to ask someone who works at the gym to give you a walk around of all the machines! once you do it a few times you'll get over the awkwardness!!!

not to take over your post but i have a question too related to this!!

WEIGHTS BEFORE CARDIO OR CARDIO BEFORE WEIGHTS?

Always weights before cardio.

My advice:

Find friendly looking buff dude or lady, ask if they mind showing how the machines work. Most consider it a complement to be asked.


Or if you're too shy order a book like "New Rules of Lifting for Women"


Actually, you should order the book anyway. It sets up programs that you as a beginner wouldn't be able to plan on your own.

Lifting weights while you lose weight will help you retain your muscle so that you arrive at your goal weight with a lower body fat percentage.

Ex: If a person went from 160 lbs to 140 lbs and they had 110 lbs of lean body mass (incl muscle) to start with but they lost 50/50 fat and muscle, they'd arrive at their goal weight at 140 lbs, with 40 lbs of that being fat.

However if the same person lifted weights and managed to keep all of their lean body mass, they'd arrive at their goal weight of 140 lbs with only 30 lbs of fat and so they would look less flabby.

Make sense?

I also recommend Starting Strength, Stronglifts, or New Rules of Lifting. There are instructions with each program for the lifts. I also watched a ton of YouTube form videos. You start with just the empty bar until you get the form down. Then you add weight. If you can afford to hire a trainer for a few sessions to show you the ropes that could be extremely helpful. I didn't do that-- I just took videos of myself lifting and posted them here for form checks.

A lot of women feel self-conscious when they start. I did. But once I actually got started I LOVED lifting and once I saw what it did for my body I loved it even more.

To the cardio or weights first question:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/06/cardio-or-weights-first-exercise-order_n_1739089.html

"Let's start with the muscle-building scenario. "Doing cardio first will induce fatigue that may compromise technique and possibly increase risk of injury," explains Fabio Comana, director of Continuing Education for the National Academy of Sports Medicine. Exhausting oneself with a big run right before weights and resistance training doesn't just up the risk of injury, it also means you'll have less energy to throw into a really good weight training session."

"On the other hand, if you're looking to lose fat, Halevy recommends doing interval cardio training before getting started on weights. As he explains, the cardio will deplete your body's supply of glycogen -- the stored form of glucose in muscle cells and a primary material in our energy storage. Once glycogen is depleted, the body turns to more long-term storage sources, like fat.

"If your goal is strictly a lean body -- not to be strongest, or most powerful, but achieve maximal leanness -- I always recommend implementing high-intensity interval training at the beginning of each workout," says Halevy."

I just sent you a message. Good luck! You WILL do it!

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You just got to take on an "I don't care what anyone thinks" attitude and do it.

This more than anything else....

Like everyone says-- Just ask an employee to show and demonstrate the machines. I don't know about Planet Fitness, but at most places that's their JOB. So make them do their job. Tell them you want to learn a series of 8 or 10 machines that will work all the major muscle groups. (Most places have a "line" of machines for this purpose.) Ask them to show you the right seat settings for you, and to help you pick the right weights. Bring pencil and paper and take notes.

I always do cardio after weights. I've tried the other way, but the cardio always tires me out enough so I'm not very motivated with the weights.

I've done regular gym time for the past 30 (yikes) years and no matter what new things I try, I always go back to the same routine. This routine consists of approx. 10 machines- starting with the leg machines, then the upper body, then abs and lower back. Then 20 to 30 minutes on the bike or treadmill or stair-stepper. I do one set of 8 to 12 reps on each machine. If I can manage more than 12 reps, I increase the weight. I carry a little chart with me to keep track of the weights and reps, so I always know what I did the last time.
This routine has always given me good results and it is simple and short enough that I actually will do it.

If you're just getting started, I think the machines are a good way to go because they are systematic. Most important, just get in there and DO SOMETHING-- whatever works for you. And don't worry about what other people think -- it's not your problem, and anyhow generally they are too focused on their workout to care.

Give this a read...

http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2011/07/21/meet-staci-your-new-powerlifting-super-hero/

before this thread reaches page 3....cardio then weights and some days the opposite, depends on what body parts I'll lift and what type of cardio I'm doing.

Also, you might want to give this a read. http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1169757-i-am-the-woman-in-the-freeweights-section-of-the-gym