Work Out Worries

Okay...so I went to the gym today.  I went on Thursday of last week, but they still weren't open due to the fact that they needed their last fire marshal inspection.  Today, however...they opened finally.  Let me tell you....  the place is great... they have treadmills, elipical things, free weights, machines, a 30 minute cycle program, etc...  Needless to say, I looked incredible..... New workout pants...a great shirt...  The sad part......I was actually one of the thinnest people there.  Okay here is the worst part though....  What the heck am I supposed to do????  I did the treadmill for twenty minutes, did at least sixty crunches...did the 30 minute circuit twice...etc..  BUT I don't know what to really do.  They were pretty busy with memberships...but I need to set up some kind of program....  any suggestions...  Thanks for the input!!!

Most facilities have personal trainers to work with you.  they may charge extra for it, but it is worth it Talk to the people at the facility, if they do not offer it look in the classifieds.  a personal trainer got me on the right path. drjco

Daniel - Ask if they provide an Orientation to the machines and if so how you sign up.  In my experience, lots of times this is a free service but they don't go out of their way to tell people about it.  Whenever I've joined gyms they always had some orientation where someone showed me how to work the machines and set up a beginning workout for me.  Don't be afraid to ask. Steve

Daniel, Probably start with the "Gym Tour" from the folks there. If you feel you need it, get a Personal Trainer for a short-term basis to get you started with a program that is right for you. Great "Gym-Beginner" site, at- http://www.exrx.net/Beginning.html What ever you do, stay with it! Great that you’ve got a "fresh New Gym" at your disposal!! Go Get It!! Best Wishes- Dx

Looks like a really good site for starting out, Dx! Great find...

Dave

Dan, looks like you have a pretty good beginning routine. The combination of cardio (20 min) & circuit training is great. I don't think you need to do the circuit twice. Maybe increase the resistance & do it once. That gives you a 50 min. cardio workout & strength training at the same time. It is very important to stretch & warmup prior to starting (don't forget a cool down phase as well). Make sure to have a lean protein an hour or two prior to starting routine & again post workout. A personal trainer is a great idea to learn proper form. My gym has a PT that charges $99 for 3 sessions. Most important, however, is staying with a program that is good for you. Our resident  pros here in the locker room will also offer great advice too. Keep it up & Good luck.  Jay 

yep, gonna go with everyone else on this. they have people there who'll walk you around the equipment and show you how to use it. a trainer, for a price, will put together a work out. for a beginner, it should include cardio and anerobic work outs. maybe circuits for a few months and then a beginning lifting program. by then, you might find a partner if you go at the same time. also, keep your eyes open and you'll see some of the guys using the equipment and you'll get a feel for them. or go when it's empty and take your time with the place. just don't overdo anything in the beginning. no reason for soreness. also, make a plan of what you want from your workouts. do you want to be lean and strong, muscular and lean, big and lean, just big, do sports, running, biking. you get the picture. all of these disiplines take different types of workouts. for me, i lift for size and cardio. to much to explain in this post and then i do aerobics on my off time to keep the weight down but not too much. so just figure what it is you want to accomplish in the gym. that's step one. let us know how it works out......Carbonblob

I agree with everyone here. For my 2 cents, I'd have to say that a trainer is a great way to go to get started. My surgeon's program included 3 months at an exercise institute in their same building, which was sessions with a personal trainer twice a week. That was a great way to learn how to do the weights.  Also, since I had my surgery with my wife, she's been doing the exercising too and it's great to have a buddy to go with. Now we go to a different gym without a trainer, but it's become enough of a habit that it's easier to do. Also, I'd encourage you to find what you like to do and build your workouts around that. For me, i've never been able to do pull-ups. That's one of my goals is to be able to do pull-ups and regular push-ups. I'm almost there with the push-ups, but the pulls are going to take a while still. Also, I have a very athletic friend who wants to teach me how to rock-climb. I'm really excited about this and so my weight routines are centered on getting strong enough to do it, and i'm targeting those muscles. I also really enjoy biking, and so i'm getting a lot of cardio leg exercising in. If it's not something that you enjoy and you can build goals around, then it probably won't last. You've got to make it fun!