Heavy Lifting for beginners

danielle62384
danielle62384 Posts: 6 Member
edited November 16 in Fitness and Exercise
I want to start a heavy lifting program, and have found many that seem "doable" by research and googling, but the problem is, when I get to the gym, I feel intimated by EVERYTHING. The people, the machines, just everything. I don't know where to start exactly but I KNOW I want to start somewhere!! I go to classes there, I do cardio there, but for some reason, the machines and free weights are just plain scary. Anyone have any advice on how they first started and what you found most helpful?

Replies

  • JohnBarth
    JohnBarth Posts: 672 Member
    Find a plan you like. Find a trainer that will help you perform the lifts properly and just do it! Everyone was a beginner once.
  • deathninja82
    deathninja82 Posts: 108 Member
    I steer clear of the local gym as it's a pretty toxic enviroment, however I'm sure that's due to it being on campus, been to some great gyms in the past.

    A good start is to get a session with a trainer, just to show you the ropes and get you comfortable, getting a gym buddy would be handy too.

    Also don't be afraid of the big guys over in the weights section; from experience most of them are a wealth of knowledge when it comes to lifts, gym etiquette and general advice, and more than happy to talk to newbies.
  • memz1994
    memz1994 Posts: 6 Member
    Im a male so I wouldn't know exactly how you feel. However, I did have a similar situation when I first started the gym which was 4 years ago and I left and gained immense amount of weight which I'm trying to lose now :). When I first went in everyone was lifting heavy, screaming and shouting and I had no muscle so I was a bit shy to go in there. The way I went in there was with one of my personal trainers. He just took me in there and we stepped in like we owned the place and I adapted very easily and I kind of knew what I was doing after that day and also made friends who tried helping me lift more. I think you should speak to a personal trainer in the gym and say to them that you really want to start lifting free weights. Have a session with him/her and let them get you in there and let them control everything including what you need to do etc etc. Once you go in and start doing it and at least look like you know what you are doing then I don't think you be intimidated at all.

    P.S People in there are not as bad as you think!

    Hope this helps.
  • Cardio4Cupcakes
    Cardio4Cupcakes Posts: 289 Member
    I just started going in there, creeped on people to see what they were doing, and then mimicked them. I would watch from the elliptical lol. There's many times I'm the only girl in that section but it's not like all the guys hang out and I'm a loner. Everyone keeps to themselves. I've asked people for help and they were all extremely nice, would show me how to do it, watch me do it, and then correct if needed. We all start out the same way.
  • erikatunneyho
    erikatunneyho Posts: 14 Member
    imuscle app has prevented any I juries I highly recommend it. You click on a muscle it's a 3D body and it suggests exercise with equipment and without then when you click on the exercise it shows you how to do it in 3D & explains it with perfect form. It built my confidence and has kept me injury free ♡
  • galaxyeyed
    galaxyeyed Posts: 98 Member
    I had a plan of what exercises I was going to do with the weights and had practiced them at home before I left for the gym. Then, during my cardio warm up, I rewatched some YouTube videos on form, just to make sure. Then I walked over to the weight area...then passed it, acting like I meant to go somewhere else. Then I decided how absolutely ridiculous I was being and just went!

    Turns out that once you pick up one of those weights, you're suddenly so focused on not dropping it on your face or getting the proper form down or just thinking "so heavy so heavy so heavy" that you forget about everyone else! The advice of "just go over there and do it" really holds in my experience :smile:
  • SonyaCele
    SonyaCele Posts: 2,841 Member
    how heavy do you wanna lift? You have to master the form before you can add real weight. The more you do the lifts, the more automatic it will be so that you can add weight and focus better.
  • danielle62384
    danielle62384 Posts: 6 Member
    Thanks for all the advice!! I may possibly see about getting a trainer at least just to show me what I should be doing so I can venture out on my own!!
    @sonya- I don't want to just throw myself into heavy, I want to figure what to do and how to do it first, then go from there!!
  • giusa
    giusa Posts: 577 Member
    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1308750/so-you-want-to-start-lifting-great/p1
  • miztbaby
    miztbaby Posts: 12 Member
    I work out at the YMCA and there are always lots of men in the weights section - I had my husband show me how to use the correct form and then just put in my earphones and pretended that nobody was watching me. On my first day, one of the guys who was squatting next to me acknowledged my lifting and was really nice about it.

    In the end, I have to remind myself (many times), that I am there for ME to get healthy. I honestly don't even think that the people care that there are girls in the weight area - everyone is there to make themselves better! I think about it from the idea that I could care less who is running, or on the elliptical machine, so why would they care if I was using weights.

    I am using the stronglifts 5x5 program. It is easy to learn by watching the videos and it has a free app for your phone. Good luck!
  • yusaku02
    yusaku02 Posts: 3,472 Member
    Pick a lifting routine and watch videos of all the lifts online before you hit the gym. That way you know exactly what you're going to do and how many times you're going to do it before you ever step foot in the gym.
    Also all those scary people you see lifting weights are really nice and friendly. The biggest dude in the gym gave me some squat advice during my first week.
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