I have no idea how to workout.

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swimforever
swimforever Posts: 16
in Fitness and Exercise
So all my life I've exercised but it's been in school sports like badminton, cross country, and then swim club. Now that I'm in college I'm not on any teams and I'm so lost for what to do as a fitness routine. I don't know if I should be doing a lot of cardio, or weights (I know how to use free weights and the machines because we used them in practise) but now that I'm not training for a specific sport I'm super lost. All I want to do get my old six-pack back and lean down my legs and hips (which I'm doubting is possible because they've been the same size since 8th grade).
Any tips on what I should include in my workout routine?

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  • trappedinfat
    trappedinfat Posts: 42
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    I like to use a fitness system. For instance right now I am using Turbofire by beachbody. Takes a little over an hour and it has helped me lose 65lbs total. I could only imagine if I had been in some sort of shape to begin with, I'd be ripped. Biggest thing is that you not only do cardio exercises but also do some strength training with it. Many of the workout systems today incorporate both. Greatest of luck to you!
  • Hellbent_Heidi
    Hellbent_Heidi Posts: 3,669 Member
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    Just get in there and figure out what you love. Probably the most ideal thing is to find a balance between some cardio and some strength training. The key is finding something you enjoy that shows results. If you try to do things you hate, you won't stick with it.
  • shmo1969
    shmo1969 Posts: 85 Member
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    Do what ever you enjoy doing! Add a little cardio and strength, what ever makes you happy and keeps youdoing it. Good luck!! :)
  • DixiedoesMFP
    DixiedoesMFP Posts: 935 Member
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    Are you going to the gym or working out at home?
  • withervein
    withervein Posts: 224 Member
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    You could always see if your college has group exercise classes for cheap. Find something fun that you can do with others. I took yoga, which made me feel good, but then i started training with weights to supplement the yoga so I could hold the positions longer.

    Now, I am taking a kickboxing class and working in some extra jogging through the week to increase my lung capacity. I still lift and I've been jumping rope to improve my footwork.

    Find something you love to do, and then do other exercise that supports it. Best way to stay motivated.
  • Tujitsu56
    Tujitsu56 Posts: 392 Member
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    For your goals you should probably do mostly strength training, alot of which you may have learned training for sports in the past. Do squats, lunges, leg extensions, leg curls, etc.... for your legs. Ask around and find out some good ab routines (if you can find it, Ab Ripper X from P90X is awesome, Insane abs is pretty good from Insanity). There are other ab routines out there, so I'd look them up too. I'd end my workout session with some cardio too. You need to create somewhat of a calorie deficit to start loosing fat so that you can see your abs. Just eat right, exercise and you should be fine. Not sure how far you are away from your goals, but if you exercised in the past, it shouldn't be too hard to get back into the swing of things. Good Luck.

    *Edit* Just looked at your profile quickly. Scratch the cardio, haha. Just go with weight training and you may also want to eat a maintainance instead of calorie deficit. Also, increase your protein to about 1g per 1lb of your body weight. This may help put on some muscle. I'd try that then start to increase calories and protein.
  • vick9180
    vick9180 Posts: 144 Member
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    You are training for the ultimate sport, which is life! The thing that matters most is that you just move. As other posters said, find something you love to do. Of the sports you competed in, which one did you love doing the most? Or join a gym and take some Zumba or aerobics classes or something.

    Lots of colleges have intramural sports that you could possibly join...then you'll be training for competition. Or you could sign up for a local road race to keep you motivated to train.

    And while you're finding an activity you love, throw in some weight sessions 2-3 times a week.
  • havingitall
    havingitall Posts: 3,728 Member
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    If you are going to a gym, invest in a trainer for a couple of sessions. That will give you some guidance in what you can do to work out

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