Gym routine (please help)

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Hi,

I'm just hoping to get some tips & maybe a routine on what I should be doing at the gym to help with losing weight.

I go twice a week and would like to stay for an hour.


Replies

  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,811 Member
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    No one knows anything about you - your goals and capabilities for example.
    What other exercise do you get outside the gym?

    As you are supposed to eat back your exercise calorie burns anyway exercise is neutral for weight loss apart from allowing you to eat more for the same overall deficit.
    Even if you don't eat back your exercise calories two hours a week is going to be insignificant for weight loss.

    Exercise is for health, strength, enjoyment (yes really!) and body composition. Regular exercise is also one of the major factors for people who successfully manage to stay at their goal weight long term - that's part of why exercise just for weight loss isn't a great goal.


  • Perfectlyunknown
    Perfectlyunknown Posts: 14 Member
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    Hi,
    Thank you for replying. I'm 20 years old a student and trying the keto diet for weight loss & pcos.
    I'm at 15 stone at the moment and would like to go down to 12.
    One hour working out is something I can do and I will be going to Zumba classes too.

    @sijomial
  • stanmann571
    stanmann571 Posts: 5,728 Member
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    sijomial wrote: »
    No one knows anything about you - your goals and capabilities for example.
    What other exercise do you get outside the gym?

    As you are supposed to eat back your exercise calorie burns anyway exercise is neutral for weight loss apart from allowing you to eat more for the same overall deficit.
    Even if you don't eat back your exercise calories two hours a week is going to be insignificant for weight loss.

    Exercise is for health, strength, enjoyment (yes really!) and body composition. Regular exercise is also one of the major factors for people who successfully manage to stay at their goal weight long term - that's part of why exercise just for weight loss isn't a great goal.


    2 hours a week isn't bad. 2 sessions a week isn't really going to contribute to many goals... it's better than nothing, but it's not going to give as much progress as if that 120 minutes was 3 or 4 sessions.
  • Perfectlyunknown
    Perfectlyunknown Posts: 14 Member
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    Hi, thanks for replying.

    Would it be better to go 3/4 times a week? (For an hour)

    Also at the moment I'm using the treadmill & bike, do you recommend anything else?

    @stanmann571
  • Bry_Fitness70
    Bry_Fitness70 Posts: 2,480 Member
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    I do 3 different strength training sessions per week, a "push" day (generally chest, delts), a "pull" day (generally arms, back) and legs. This arrangement has given me good results. You could probably split some of your leg work between the other two sessions and consolidate that to two days if you really had to.
  • pogiguy05
    pogiguy05 Posts: 1,583 Member
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    I am going to ask the WHY limit yourself to 1 hour? I spend 1 hour doing cardio on some days and when strength training I can do that for another 1 hour. Right now I am going almost everyday and I make it a goal to burn 1000 calories. maybe I am weird but that is just a goal i have set for myself and it is working.

    Imperial people must ask how tall are you? I am 51yo 5'10" and currently 212lbs+- and my goal is 170 to 180lbs.
  • stanmann571
    stanmann571 Posts: 5,728 Member
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    Hi, thanks for replying.

    Would it be better to go 3/4 times a week? (For an hour)

    Also at the moment I'm using the treadmill & bike, do you recommend anything else?

    @stanmann571

    My personal opinion, is that unless the weather is entirely hostile, there' zero reason to rent gym equipment to do something that can be done outside on your own equipment. Meaning I don't treadmill or bike at the gym.

    Quality elliptical trainers are expensive, so If I'm at the gym, I'll use an elliptical. I've got a relatively robust home gym, but it's Kettlebell focused for space, so If I want to do Barbell work, I'll use the gym.

    That's just my opinion though.

    Ultimately, whatever you're doing at the gym should be training and not working out.

    Pick a goal, it can be a race or a competition, or just a personal goal. And build(with the help of competent trainers... who can be found online ) a plan to get there. Or use an off the shelf plan(C25K, SS, SL 5x5, W 5/3/1, Simple and Sinister, RKC, etc) When you reach your goal, set another goal... which can be, maintain your current abilities. And continue training with that goal in mind.

    GPP/Fitness aren't bad goals, but they're ambiguous and nebulous.

    Finishing a 10K in March in under 50 minutes is a concrete goal, and one that can be programmed for and tracked against. It gives purpose to your sessions over and above simple weight loss.
  • thunderztormdk
    thunderztormdk Posts: 51 Member
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    IF you're just doing cardio (treadmill, bike, swimming etc), 2 times a week would be ok, especially if the goal is just weight loss.

    If you want to add in resistance training (weight lifting), you'd want to do at least 3 times a week to see any real progress.

    2 times a week is better than nothing, so don't feel inadequate just because of that.

    It all depends on your goal though - what do you want to achieve, both short-term and long-term?
  • Perfectlyunknown
    Perfectlyunknown Posts: 14 Member
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    An hour is all I can do at the moment.
    & that's great, hope all goes well.

    @pogiguy05
  • Perfectlyunknown
    Perfectlyunknown Posts: 14 Member
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    Hi, thanks for replying.

    I would like to lose around 3 stone and have a healthy lifestyle, those are my main goals at the moment.
  • 93pear93
    93pear93 Posts: 48 Member
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    3 times a week would be better if you can of course.
    Start with Full Body Workout using both weights and machines, if you are about to start the journey at the gym ask personal trainer to show you how to use equipment and how to performance free weights exercises.
    Cardiovascular workouts I would do outdoor on the days off the gym :smile:
  • Perfectlyunknown
    Perfectlyunknown Posts: 14 Member
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    Hi, thank you for replying & thank you so much!
    I'll definitely do that and look more into it.

    @93pear93
  • H_Ock12
    H_Ock12 Posts: 1,152 Member
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    A full body lifting program twice a week would be a better use of gym time (in my opinion). I restarted a couple of years ago on Stronglifts, but on weeks that I could only get in two workouts, I would do all five excercises instead of the program split. About 20-30 minutes starting out and then you have time for cardio afterwards. Personally, I prefer to run outdoors....not sure your area, but if that's an option you can mix it into nongym days.
  • marygraci999
    marygraci999 Posts: 1,917 Member
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    I do full body workout dvds that include weights and stepper. You can get cheap dvds at th thrift store or wally world..