Joined a gym today!

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BiboPineNut
BiboPineNut Posts: 19 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
First time in a long time I've been a member of a gym. Did some elliptical, some free weights and a couple weight machines. I'm a noob so any websites or links that could help a gym noob out would be greatly appreciated. Looking forward to tomorrow morning getting back in there.

Replies

  • beemerphile1
    beemerphile1 Posts: 1,710 Member
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    Most gyms have personal trainers that will give you instruction and get you started on the right way to use equipment. If done wrong it may be ineffective or you could even be injured.

    Sometimes one session is free for new members. If not you can usually buy one or two sessions for a reasonable cost.
  • punchgut
    punchgut Posts: 210 Member
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    Most personal trainers are not worth the money and will keep you on the hook in order to extract their pay. 90% of the equipment in the gym is utterly useless. If you want to get fit, you need to get strong. It's that simple. Use the gyms free weights and start a program like Strong Lifts 5X5 or Starting Strength. For a new person, I would recommend Strong Lifts (SL) because you will not really have the strength or the core muscles for cleans. Getting strong will not make you big, and building muscle helps burn fat. Study the videos on the SL site to learn how to do the lifts. Find a lifting coach if needed, but make sure they know what they're doing. Three times a week for 45-60 minutes. Go for two or three runs a week at a 5-6 mile an hour pace. Walk at a good clip the other days, or if you do not want to run go for a good walk all days.

    That's it.
  • Sugarbeat
    Sugarbeat Posts: 824 Member
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    I don't think most of the equipment is useless, I think it depends on your goals and abilities. I have a friend that uses "useless" machines because she has medical issues that don't allow for her to lift heavy. Anyway, OP, what are your goals? Are you looking for a balance of cardio and strength, or do you want to focus on one more than the other?
  • AllanMisner
    AllanMisner Posts: 4,140 Member
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    Congratulations! I’d advise getting a good trainer to get through the noob stage quicker. Enjoy!
  • pasandoval
    pasandoval Posts: 37 Member
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    punchgut wrote: »
    Most personal trainers are not worth the money and will keep you on the hook in order to extract their pay. 90% of the equipment in the gym is utterly useless. If you want to get fit, you need to get strong. It's that simple. Use the gyms free weights and start a program like Strong Lifts 5X5 or Starting Strength. For a new person, I would recommend Strong Lifts (SL) because you will not really have the strength or the core muscles for cleans. Getting strong will not make you big, and building muscle helps burn fat. Study the videos on the SL site to learn how to do the lifts. Find a lifting coach if needed, but make sure they know what they're doing. Three times a week for 45-60 minutes. Go for two or three runs a week at a 5-6 mile an hour pace. Walk at a good clip the other days, or if you do not want to run go for a good walk all days.

    That's it.

    way to start the guy off with some negativity there. geez
  • FitFitzy331
    FitFitzy331 Posts: 308 Member
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    It all depends what your goals are. If you want to do cardio and lift then any of the cardio machines are fine. HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) is highly recommended and easy to do on a bike or elliptical. For beginner lifting having a trainer is a big help but if not there a lot of videos online that can help guide you. Use a lifting program like Strong Lifts 5x5 (don't make one up yourself) and you should be good to go. Good luck and I hope you enjoy your gym!
  • No_Finish_Line
    No_Finish_Line Posts: 3,661 Member
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    punchgut wrote: »
    Most personal trainers are not worth the money and will keep you on the hook in order to extract their pay. 90% of the equipment in the gym is utterly useless. If you want to get fit, you need to get strong. It's that simple. Use the gyms free weights and start a program like Strong Lifts 5X5 or Starting Strength. For a new person, I would recommend Strong Lifts (SL) because you will not really have the strength or the core muscles for cleans. Getting strong will not make you big, and building muscle helps burn fat. Study the videos on the SL site to learn how to do the lifts. Find a lifting coach if needed, but make sure they know what they're doing. Three times a week for 45-60 minutes. Go for two or three runs a week at a 5-6 mile an hour pace. Walk at a good clip the other days, or if you do not want to run go for a good walk all days.

    That's it.

    you can beat the compound lift all day long and be praised on this site, but to say 90% of gym equipment is utterly useless is just plain ignorant.
  • yusaku02
    yusaku02 Posts: 3,472 Member
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    punchgut wrote: »
    Most personal trainers are not worth the money and will keep you on the hook in order to extract their pay.
    If you want to get fit, you need to get strong. It's that simple. Use the gyms free weights and start a program like Strong Lifts 5X5 or Starting Strength. For a new person, I would recommend Strong Lifts (SL) because you will not really have the strength or the core muscles for cleans. Getting strong will not make you big, and building muscle helps burn fat. Study the videos on the SL site to learn how to do the lifts. Find a lifting coach if needed, but make sure they know what they're doing. Three times a week for 45-60 minutes. Go for two or three runs a week at a 5-6 mile an hour pace. Walk at a good clip the other days, or if you do not want to run go for a good walk all days.

    That's it.

    This is actually fantastic advice.
  • BiboPineNut
    BiboPineNut Posts: 19 Member
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    Thanks for all the advice, heading back there now just for some cardio. Gonna study up on lifting routines and start one that looks good for me monday.
  • punchgut
    punchgut Posts: 210 Member
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    BiboPineNut wrote: »
    Thanks for all the advice, heading back there now just for some cardio. Gonna study up on lifting routines and start one that looks good for me monday.

    Great! Start slow, really. Don't worry about not having much weight on the bar in the beginning, it goes up fast. The beginning period is for you to learn technique and for your body to adapt to the new routine. The rest days are important for your body. It is needed for building muscle.

    Also, if you're religious about your 3 days a week, you'll be amazed at the results in just a few weeks. You'll really wonder why you never did it before.

    Best of luck to you!

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