Tips please for where a very unfit person should start in the gym

zfaque
zfaque Posts: 7 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hi,

I’m plucking up the courage to join the gym tomorrow. I’m very overweight and unfit and haven’t excercised in about 20 years. Can anyone please recommend what equipment to start with that I can hopefully build upon? I’ll be very grateful. Many thanks in advance.

Replies

  • concordancia
    concordancia Posts: 5,320 Member
    Does your gym have classes?
  • natarezek
    natarezek Posts: 1 Member
    I agree with walking but you could also try the exercise bike. Also lift some weights to start building muscle! You can use free weights or the machines. With either, make sure you know how to do a movement properly before you do it (don't watch other people in the gym - a lot of them do movements wrong.) I agree that it would be worth it to book at least one session with a trainer to learn proper technique. If this is intimating look up moves online. https://www.active.com/fitness/articles/10-weightlifting-exercises-for-beginners?page=1
    I like:
    Air squats (make sure you keep your chest up and send your hips and butt back)
    Plank hold (from your knees)
    Shoulder presses (start with 5 lb dumbbells and work up)
    You got this!
  • middlehaitch
    middlehaitch Posts: 8,486 Member
    Also endorsing the walking.
    Start small. 10-15 min every other day and build from there.

    Aquafit is a great starting exercise too as the water helps support you while providing resistance. (It’s what I started with)

    A couple of good routines that you can start with at home, or the gym, are Nerdfitness’ beginner bodyweight, and Hasfit weightlifting for beginners.

    As you are an absolute beginner it would be worth getting a checkup from your Dr before starting, just to rule out any problems.

    If you can afford it a PT, or small group class, may be worth your while.

    Cheers, h.
  • Pamela_Sue
    Pamela_Sue Posts: 563 Member
    If your gym has one, I recommend trying out a seated elliptical trainer. Sort of like a bike, but easier on my knees. Easy to sit on, go at your own pace, and optional use of arm poles. Other cardio choices would be a slow pace on the treadmill, a stationary bike, or water aerobics. Please ask for assistance to fully understand any equipment you might use. And I would not start any weight training without the assistance of a class or orientation.
    Good for you for making a move towards health and fitness!
  • apullum
    apullum Posts: 4,838 Member
    It's always worth checking in with your doctor before starting exercise, if you haven't had a checkup lately.

    There's no exercise that's necessarily "best" for a beginner. Exercise is really about what you like and what helps you meet your fitness goals. Others mentioned walking, which is a great place to start. If you aren't able to walk very far yet, try this beginner plan: https://www.heart.org/idc/groups/heart-public/@wcm/@fc/documents/downloadable/ucm_449261.pdf

    Fitness classes might also be a good place to start. If you've already joined a gym, you might have access to some classes as part of your membership fee. Otherwise, check your local department of recreation--they often offer low cost fitness classes.

    Whatever you do, you want to start with low intensity, short sessions, and gradually build up. Don't try to do too much all at once; that's a good way to get injured or burnt out. Make sure you are also taking enough rest days.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    zfaque wrote: »
    Hi,

    I’m plucking up the courage to join the gym tomorrow. I’m very overweight and unfit and haven’t excercised in about 20 years. Can anyone please recommend what equipment to start with that I can hopefully build upon? I’ll be very grateful. Many thanks in advance.

    Every gym I've every joined has given me 1-3 sessions with a personal trainer for free. Many have had small group classes for free or very cheap.

    You can likely figure out the cardio equipment on your own or with minimal help from on-duty staff, or, like others have said, walk. Assuming you get the free sessions, save your time for the strength training equipment. In the unlikely event that you get no free sessions, it is still a great investment to learn proper form, how to use the equipment, design a routine.

    If you don't click with the first trainer you get, don't be afraid to ask for another one.

    ps - my mom started strength training in her late 70's :)
  • zfaque
    zfaque Posts: 7 Member
    Thanks all for your helpful advice :)
  • Jackie9003
    Jackie9003 Posts: 1,116 Member
    I was in your position and I too started with walking to gain some confidence before starting at the gym.
    When I joined I asked one of the trainers to set me up a little programme but I mainly did the treadmill and gave myself a little target i.e how far I could get in x minutes and then tried to beat it a little each week.
  • koalathebear
    koalathebear Posts: 236 Member
    I started at the gym this year - had never really been before. I signed up with a personal trainer and talked through what I wanted to achieve, limitations (asthma, carpal tunnel etc so not able to lift heavy weights) and we started easy for me - some basic treadmill/elliptical with very light weight regimen. Then over time, we progressed to slightly heavier weights with more repetition, HIIT classes and zumba etc. For me, I think I would have been lost trying to do it without some guidance/help so having a PT to help me through it was really useful. I've lost 29kg since early Jan so it's worked for me. Good luck! <3
  • middlehaitch
    middlehaitch Posts: 8,486 Member
    Chieflrg wrote: »
    Resistance training has many benefits and is better to perform than not. Everyone should be doing appropriate resistance training and not putting it off until later.

    I encourage you to seek a experienced trainer that can program a template for you appropriately.

    One thing I want you to keep in mind is that you do not need to feel wrecked afterwards to accumulate the correct dosage of stimulus. Most commercial gym trainers don't adhere to this well established evidence, so if you go that route remember this important info.

    If you cannot have a trainer at this time something like the following could be used.

    Something very simple and appropriate for your current fitness. You only need to do 2 sets of 6 reps this first few sessions. Start with just the empty sled, empty barbell, low weight dumbbell and work the weight to something that is moderately challenging. If a empty sled/barbell is already challenging, that is just fine. You should be able to walk out not feeling exhausted. After 2-3 sessions add one set so you're are completing 3 sets of 5 instead.

    Day 1: Leg press, bench, RDL
    Day 2. Barbell squat, OHP(dumbbell), rack pull

    Nothing more is needed at this point. Do only two sessions the first 1-2 weeks. Any more and you probably won't actually benefit from the added stimulus for your current fitness.

    In a couple weeks feel free to ask me the next step if you decide to utilize my beginner's template and I will forward it to you.

    Just as an FYI, @Chieflrg is a PT and is speaking from his experience training folks from all walks of life.

    If your gym, like mine, only has the Olympic bar and it is too heavy for you to begin with, it was for me, ask them to bring in lighter bars, or use dumbbells to begin with.

    Cheers, h.
  • sugarcakes38
    sugarcakes38 Posts: 80 Member
    I started with walking down my street. Then around a local park. By then I was taking my fitness a little more seriously because I was seeing changes directly related to my exercise, like healthier blood sugar levels. It wasn’t easy, what made it EASIER was keeping in mind that my development was always my choice, I didn’t HAVE to do anything.

    I gradually incorporated small-scale changes to my “little” program like speed and distance, and to my everyday diet- less sugar intake. I have diabetic neuropathy in both legs, so this sort of forced me to stay in “my lane”, fitness level-wise. The small changes to my life added up, and the days kept coming and going. This all led to big changes, and so on.

    My “little” program is now my way of life. I am always learning but I don’t complicate things by trying to figure out how to manipulate my body or trigger unnatural responses like muscle gains on a deficit or diet influxes. To a pro-athlete or a seasoned trainer, i am sure I’m no match for them a fitness competition. I’d be considered “unfit”. But according to me, I’m fitter than I used to be and that’s what I try and aim for.
  • amandarawr06
    amandarawr06 Posts: 251 Member
    Congrats on beginning this journey!! It is a huge step.

    I echo what others have said - walk. It will be a good way to ease into it! Most gyms also usually offer some walk through or a person training session for free. Even if yours doesn't offer this, it might be worth paying for 1 consultation just so they can show you a few things.
  • knightreader
    knightreader Posts: 813 Member
    Treadmill. Maybe bike. I started with wall push ups because I couldn't do real ones. Also, wall sits. started at ten wall push ups and 15 second wall sits. Neither obviously requires a gym, as walking doesn't either, but I was motivated to "go to the gym" to get my stuff done. If the gym is two levels, walk up the stairs, then down. I was lucky enough that gym had mostly cardio stuff up stairs and had two staircases. I would walk up the stairs, then across the cardio deck to the other staircase and walk down. Then walk across lifting area to first set of stairs and repeat. People looked at me like I was crazy going in a circle, but soon after I saw other people doing it. Not a member of that gym anymore and actually miss that exercise. Can also be accomplished on a set of high school football bleachers, altho that made my knees hurt more than the gym stairs for some reason. Good luck! I'm rooting for you!
  • cosmichvoyager
    cosmichvoyager Posts: 237 Member
    edited August 2019
    walking! once you start to feel like it's a bit "easy" then introduce intervals on the treadmill where the pace increases for 1 or 2 minutes out of 10 or increase the incline slightly.
    This article in Self goes over some really basic free weight moves you can do with light weights - even 2 to 5 pound weights is good to start with :)https://www.self.com/story/guide-to-navigating-free-weights-at-the-gym
    I can't do lunges because my knees are sketchy but I like doing hinge, push and pull.
    Self Magazine has a lot of good ideas and if they mention an exercise you're not sure how to do, just search youtube for instruction videos.

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