gym advice

[preetone]

right so rather then wait until jan 1st to go back to the gym, thought id start next week as i break up from school and use the two weeks to kick start my new work out.

aint been to the gym since october :cry: can be put down to nothing but lazyness.

I'm counting calories but not loosing much weight, so decided the gym is needed.

i would love it if any one could give some tips about their own training.
i usally do a 15min spead walk on tredmil
10 on X trainer an 10mins on bike

not much i know... any tips?

 

[ChristieK]

Hi preetone; I'm happy to tell you about my workout. I've been fairly steady at my local gym for almost 3 years. I have recently done some real adjustment to my routines. I think how you construct your workouts really depends on your goals. I'm not so much worried about the scales and losing weight, I'm more interested in maintaining and increasing my fitness and muscle mass and dropping my fat percentage a few more points.

I do at least 60 minutes of cardio 5x per week. I've recently started increasing the intensity; for example, instead of strolling along on the treadmill at 3mph, I increase incline to 5 or 6 (out of 15) and increase speed to 4 or 4.3 mph. I am watching my heart rate, trying to keep it above 75% of my max, and I use an exertion scale where if I can talk easily and not sweat, I'm not doing enough!

I also do weight machines 4x per week, about 30 mins each time. I do 3 sets of 10-12 reps for each machine. 2x I do lower body machines, 2x I do upper body machines. I do this right after a cardio session and I don't dawdle so I can keep my heart rate slightly elevated.

I will also go to a couple of classes depending on my mood. I prefer step aerobic classes, but I also like Pilates. I do crunches at home and I also use a Slendertone belt which I think has helped a bit. I feel great, my body shape has really changed and I feel fitter and healthier than I have in a long time.

 

[preetone]

wow thats alot. i mean initially my goal is to loose the tummy. so i guess cardio to loose the fat covering my 6pk first.

there is a legs bums and tums class on a monday, but that has finished til after xmas, so will go back to that as soon as.

just thinking, would it be better to do say
20mins tredmill on day one with set distance on rower
20mins xtrainer day 2 with set distance on rower
20mins bike day 3 with set distance on rower

or do 10 mins of each at every gym session??

 

[Toots]

My personal favourites are Body combat and Body Pump - I hate spinning but do it and feel fab afterwards. Not one for the gym equip tho - I only do classes at the gym

Good luck

xx

 

[DamoLeeds]

I used to run on a treadmill for 30mins a night - I shouldn't of stopped

 

[nexangelus]

It depends on how heavy you are and how fit...10 mins here and there is going to help slightly, but not much...at least half an hour of medium to high intensity cardio a day will shift the weight and tone up...I tend to do and hour of cardio and an hour of weight training a day (Saturday and Sunday off)...but then I am a lot fitter than I was in April when I started...have recently upped cardio to one and a half hours (have to run and row and do circuits to improve my stamina and endurance for my plan to row a marathon - 42 195 m on the indoor rower next year)

I do spin class three times a week (Mon, Weds, Fri) and that is 45 minutes of cardio in one hit...I LOVE spin!

So to start off with, half an hour a day and then build up intensity and time and always change up your routine to keep your body interested and not bored...

 

[ChristieK]

I agree with nexangelus, I think you'd do better to do at least 25-30 mins per day to get any benefit from it. I don't think 10 minutes will give you any benefit, to be realistic. But yes, it does depend on your current weight and fitness.

I don't care for spin class myself, more of a step person, but I know lots of folks really love it so that might be something you could try!

 

[preetone]

maybe i was unclear, i aint going to go to the gym to work out for 10mins, im wondering its its better to break up my half hour of cardio into 3 x 10min of different exercise [straight after eachother] or 1 x 30mins of one cardio exercise?

 

[ChristieK]

I personally think the object is to get your heart rate up to the higher end of your target heart rate zone (this is how you burn fat), and I think it's easier to keep it there doing 30 mins of a single exercise (for instance, 30 mins on treadmill) than 10 mins doing one thing, then heart rate goes down while you're changing to a different machine, then 10 mins, etc. So if it were me, if I had limited time to put in on my cardio, I'd def want to get the most bang for the buck, so to speak, and would do the 30 mins at a single exercise. You can change the type of exercise the next day, so maybe treadmill one day, stepper another, cross-trainer the third day, etc, so you don't get bored.

 

[preetone]

fantastic, just what i wanted. OK so next question.
weights machines...so start off at lowest and then how many reps and sets. i dont even know if im using the right words :S and should you rest between sets? if so , how long?

 

[ChristieK]

I'm not really qualified to advise anyone, preetone, I can only tell you what works for me. I do advise you ask one of the gym staff to help you work up some routines and show you the weight machines, as it's very important to use them correctly so you don't hurt yourself.

I started at different weights depending on the machine, but for most I normally will do 3 sets of 10-12 reps, with little rest in between to keep my heart rate elevated. I've had fitness instructors show me all machines at my gym, as they're slightly different from machines I've used in the past. I also do some dumbbells at home for upper body.

 

[nexangelus]

fantastic, just what i wanted. OK so next question.
weights machines...so start off at lowest and then how many reps and sets. i dont even know if im using the right words :S and should you rest between sets? if so , how long?

Free weights are better than isolation machines to be honest...but as the previous poster said, ask a gym instructor to advise you on each machine, they should write you up a personal programme when you start at the gym if it is any good (they do at mine, but I prefer to use a personal trainer) Three sets of 10-12 reps is the usual thang, one minute or less rest between sets...if I am doing weighted circuits with no rests between I do 15 reps of each weighted exercise alternating between legs and arms...

As for the cardio, you should aim for as long as you can as hard as you can really, without fainting of course...if you want to vary it go for some short bursts of HIIT (high intensity interval training) which consists of up to 30 minutes, if you are that hardy of 'cruising' and 'sprinting' (not only on the treadmill running, this can be done rowing, on the stationary bikes or on the cross trainers too), so for example a 12 minute session of walking one minute then sprinting one minute, walking the next minute then sprinting the next until 12 minutes is up...this is harsh and it really works the body and also improves speed, endurance and stamina if you are preparing for races or even if you just want to improve cardiovascular fitness...runners use fartlek which is the same as HIIT..remember on the cardio machines to increase the resistance levels or the dampers as your fitness increases...

The website I mentioned on another thread is FULL of weight training tips...(bodybuilding.com)

 

[HannahB]

i go to the gym every other day because of my college/work shedule and i do 40mins on the bikes and then about 20mins steady walking on the treadmill with an incline/resistance of 10...i keep my heart rate up and i make sure i sweat...if im not then i know im not working hard enough...iv also started doing 10mins on the rowers or i do a set distance just so its a bit different for me
i also do 30mins of resistance/weight training so that im not just burning fat..i want to not only shape and tone up

oh and i know its not the same but i make sure i do at least 30mins on the WiiFit...its fun and i like doing yoga in the comfort of my own home...one of my rewards for when i hit one of my goals is to start going to a real yoga class

 

[hager77]

honestly...if your trying to lose weight, then it all starts in the kitchen and cardio...you have to mix that in with weight training...but eating is the most important thing =) ...or i should say your eating habits

 

[preetone]

yeah im also on the calorie counting forum here. i use food focus to keep track on my intake and make sure i eat less then i need for the day.
however i am not loosing weight so thought the gym needs to be used.

 

[beefy99]

i think that just staying active in general will help...such as watching wat you eat and going to the gym...but by staying active during the day...moving around, getting things done....helps time go and you don't think about eating

 

[lippy]

speak to the gym instructors, they are there to help and that is what they are paid for...in the past i have found that interval training is the best form of fat or weight loss since it challenges your heart as you are changing the speed or incline after a few minutes rather than doing a program at the same level...the X trainer and treadmill is great for interval training....

 

[munchkin09]

gym cant hurt...lots of cardio and ab work...build up that sweat

 

[gumby]

i agree...the gym instructors are there for a reason....you don't wanna be doing anything to hurt yourself or wasting your time doing the wrong thing!

 

[preetone]

been looking at about.com, there is exercise plans on there have been really good. found it useful, i mean getting on a tred mill with a set speed and time is easy, its knowing how to change it up a bit, varied incline and speed over those 20mins.