Beginning strength training - do circuit classes count?

MegaMooseEsq
MegaMooseEsq Posts: 3,118 Member
edited November 2024 in Fitness and Exercise
I'm hoping to start easing my way into some strength training soon, but I'm really new to this so could use some guidance. A gym near my house has a circuit training class that I could probably do once a week that they say is "muscle sculpt" (I have no idea what that means) - would this kind of thing be a good start? I've been looking at body-weight exercises but am worried about bad form plus I don't have a great place to work out where I live. Also, and this seems like a silly question but there we go, a bunch of the beginner websites I've found suggest that one should start with 2-3 workouts a week. Is there any reason not to start with just one? Thanks in advance!

Replies

  • SonyaCele
    SonyaCele Posts: 2,841 Member
    yes, circuit training classes can be great. One day is a week is better than no days a week. And if you like it add more days. It all depends on what kinda fitness level you want to achieve. Its a great start in the right direction.
  • MegaMooseEsq
    MegaMooseEsq Posts: 3,118 Member
    SonyaCele wrote: »
    yes, circuit training classes can be great. One day is a week is better than no days a week. And if you like it add more days. It all depends on what kinda fitness level you want to achieve. Its a great start in the right direction.

    Thanks! At this point, I guess I'm mostly hoping to maintain some muscle while losing weight (because apparently that is a thing to be concerned about?), and maybe just become a person who works out on a regular basis because that's what healthy people do. I went to one of these classes a couple of years ago and remember actually kind of having fun, so that seems like a plus.
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member
    Starting with one workout is fine, far better than not starting at all.
    Don't worry about optimal, one is far closer to optimal than zero!

    You also need more recovery time when starting out. But don't overthink it - try it, try everything.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    My trainer and his trainer wife most often have their weight loss clients start with circuit training to 1) introduce them to weights; 2) to maximize energy expenditure to help with losing weight.

    If you're new to fitness, I'd think 1 day per week would be fine and just work up to more. Often times people try to do too much too soon and work beyond their fitness levels and they get hurt or burn out or just hate what they're doing.
  • SonyaCele
    SonyaCele Posts: 2,841 Member
    MegaMooseEsq wrote: »
    SonyaCele wrote: »
    yes, circuit training classes can be great. One day is a week is better than no days a week. And if you like it add more days. It all depends on what kinda fitness level you want to achieve. Its a great start in the right direction.

    Thanks! At this point, I guess I'm mostly hoping to maintain some muscle while losing weight (because apparently that is a thing to be concerned about?), and maybe just become a person who works out on a regular basis because that's what healthy people do. I went to one of these classes a couple of years ago and remember actually kind of having fun, so that seems like a plus.

    circuit classes are a blast!
  • Kintsugi_Haikyo
    Kintsugi_Haikyo Posts: 361 Member
    I think it would be a great idea! I do something similar to that myself.
  • MegaMooseEsq
    MegaMooseEsq Posts: 3,118 Member
    Thanks for the feedback, everyone! I'll try not to overthink things and just jump in (the shallow, once a week for now, end).
  • MegaMooseEsq
    MegaMooseEsq Posts: 3,118 Member
    edited August 2017
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    My trainer and his trainer wife most often have their weight loss clients start with circuit training to 1) introduce them to weights; 2) to maximize energy expenditure to help with losing weight.

    If you're new to fitness, I'd think 1 day per week would be fine and just work up to more. Often times people try to do too much too soon and work beyond their fitness levels and they get hurt or burn out or just hate what they're doing.

    Yeah, the last time I went to the class was when my husband signed us up for a six week, five day a week boot camp a couple of years ago. We did not make it through the program and it was pretty discouraging, especially given the price. I should have pushed back more on that from the get go.
  • canadianlbs
    canadianlbs Posts: 5,199 Member
    a circuit class was actually the first time in my whole life that i'd been in a weight room, and i caught all my fever from there.

    but the fact is, an instructor who's running a fast-paced class with multiple different things going on at the same time doens't really have the bandwidth to monitor everything a brand-new lifter does and make sure that she's doing it right. so based only on my own experience, i would say getting additional help on the side for your form might be good.

    turned out in my case i loathe 'timed' anything and don't get along all that well with group activities either. but if you're comfortable with both kinds of htings, i cant' see why it wouldn't count.
  • Juniper210
    Juniper210 Posts: 77 Member
    I just started a circuit training class a couple weeks ago. I'm doing it twice a week so far. It's been really good and a great intro to the types of exercises I should do. Wanting to improve at the class is helping to push me to work on different skills on my off days from the class.

    I'm sure it's all very dependent on how good the instructor is but I'd highly recommend checking it out. I've even given up a couple days of my beloved Zumba class in order to fit the circuit class in to my schedule.

    Good luck. Hope you enjoy!
  • VeronicaA76
    VeronicaA76 Posts: 1,116 Member
    Are you lifting weights? Machine, body weight, free weights all count. If so, then yes.
  • MegaMooseEsq
    MegaMooseEsq Posts: 3,118 Member
    edited August 2017
    BabyBear76 wrote: »
    Are you lifting weights? Machine, body weight, free weights all count. If so, then yes.

    When I went a few years ago, I vaguely remember a couple of stations with weights, something with tossing ropes around (that was fun), and sprints pushing a thing that I couldn't even get to move so I just did the sprints. Maybe something with one of those weighted balls. Nothing like the barbell kind of thing I traditionally associate with "lifting" though.
  • RavenLibra
    RavenLibra Posts: 1,737 Member
    One class/week is a good start. As long as you are doing other fitness related activities... muscles start to dystrophy after 3 days so you might find yourself sore week after week and wonder why it isn't working... you may also imagine that one class/ week is all you have time for... if that's the case, log your time for a couple of weeks, and any time you have logged in front of the tv should be used in a more constructive way... during the week I get up at 4, walk the dog, off to work at 6:15... home for 5:30... quick snack then off to the gym 3x/week for weights... my lunch hour 2xweek is spent climbing 11 floors x2 for a bit of cardio...fitness takes time... when you realize how big and positive that investment is... you will understand how important it is to schedule that time
  • MegaMooseEsq
    MegaMooseEsq Posts: 3,118 Member
    RavenLibra wrote: »
    One class/week is a good start. As long as you are doing other fitness related activities... muscles start to dystrophy after 3 days so you might find yourself sore week after week and wonder why it isn't working... you may also imagine that one class/ week is all you have time for... if that's the case, log your time for a couple of weeks, and any time you have logged in front of the tv should be used in a more constructive way... during the week I get up at 4, walk the dog, off to work at 6:15... home for 5:30... quick snack then off to the gym 3x/week for weights... my lunch hour 2xweek is spent climbing 11 floors x2 for a bit of cardio...fitness takes time... when you realize how big and positive that investment is... you will understand how important it is to schedule that time

    I'm super impressed by your diligence, but I feel like going back to bed just thinking about that schedule and I can't imagine anything less constructive than climbing floors during my lunch hour - I mean, have you watched TV recently? It's great! But joking aside, can you elaborate on this "muscles start to dystrophy" thing? I don't want to hurt myself, but I'm starting at more-or-less zero right now, I just don't feel ready to commit to a mid-week class right now, and two weekend classes in a row seems like a bad idea.
  • alexshir
    alexshir Posts: 19 Member
    There are many great strength training videos on Youtube. Check out HasFit on the internet and Youtube. They have many beginner weight training workouts. Also, Jessica Smith is a good one to start with along with Pahla Bowers. They have many videos of different varieties of workouts.
  • RavenLibra
    RavenLibra Posts: 1,737 Member
    Muscles dystrophy... say you get a full body workout in during your once/ week class... and do no other purposeful exercise for the rest of the week... by the time the next class rolls around you will be in the same place you were in before you took the class the previous week... no net gain... the stairs I climb up and down 2x have increased my energy levels and mental and emotional acuity... when you work hard physically, the endocrine and exocrine systems begin to work the way they were evolved to do... you get more fresh air to to the brain...

    How many days off do people in physically challenging jobs get? I was one of them when I was younger, I worked 14-16 hours/day... 7 days/ week... for 3-4 months at a time...you are far more capable than you would care to believe... at 52... I lift 3-4 days/ week... do cardio (2-3 hours/ week) take a day off once in a while but never more than 2 in a row...

    In any case... one class/ week is a good start...we all started somewhere... when I first bought a gym membership my attendance was spotty at best... I believed I didn't have time to hit the gym. Until I decided that doing nothing or doing the minimum wasn't going to generate results... so hit the class... and begin building on the habit. Eventually you will find more time
  • MegaMooseEsq
    MegaMooseEsq Posts: 3,118 Member
    RavenLibra wrote: »
    Muscles dystrophy... say you get a full body workout in during your once/ week class... and do no other purposeful exercise for the rest of the week... by the time the next class rolls around you will be in the same place you were in before you took the class the previous week... no net gain... the stairs I climb up and down 2x have increased my energy levels and mental and emotional acuity... when you work hard physically, the endocrine and exocrine systems begin to work the way they were evolved to do... you get more fresh air to to the brain...

    How many days off do people in physically challenging jobs get? I was one of them when I was younger, I worked 14-16 hours/day... 7 days/ week... for 3-4 months at a time...you are far more capable than you would care to believe... at 52... I lift 3-4 days/ week... do cardio (2-3 hours/ week) take a day off once in a while but never more than 2 in a row...

    In any case... one class/ week is a good start...we all started somewhere... when I first bought a gym membership my attendance was spotty at best... I believed I didn't have time to hit the gym. Until I decided that doing nothing or doing the minimum wasn't going to generate results... so hit the class... and begin building on the habit. Eventually you will find more time

    Thanks, that's definitely all worth thinking about.
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