Advice for gym newbie

oide10

I used be very fit and played team sports. A few years slipped by and now I've joined a gym. I'm female, have kept a good figure but need to tone up. I have asked for a physical assessment and programme at the gym but they can't fit me in for a couple of weeks!
The cardio machines i have no problem with, i've used some of the weights but probably incorrectly. What do i do in the interim while i'm waiting for the correct technical advice?
I want to tone up my arms and abs in particular.

Also i'm finding the gym quite intimidating to be honest, some veterans are very nice and have given me the odd tip etc while others sigh,roll their eyes and stand near the machine willing me to finish! I'm sure they are used to newbies that pay membership and never turn up but what happened to good old fashioned manners?

Any suggestions on what i could be doing besides running on the treadmill etc Any advice would be welcome!

Diabhal_Glas

People shouldn't be treating you like that. Nothing worse than arrogance in there. I'm sure there are personal trainers there/ assistants that will give you some advice on where to start.
Or if you are a DIY sort of gal look up a absolute beginners workout, maybe 2 -3 days a week and then youtube the exercises.
Do light weights and dont give a damn what anyone else thinks. Getting the form correct can be the hard part at the start but is what is really important.
Perseverance is the most important thing, and you'll probably come to really enjoy the gym.
Best of luck

EileenG

Girls need to train the same as the guys. If you don't already know how, get a trainer at the gym to show you the proper form on things like squat, bench press, deadlift (these three are essential), stiff leg deadlift, lunge, military press, dips, pull-ups (assisted to start), bentover row, hyper-extension, wood chopper.

Another bit of good news is that these are almost all free weight exercises, so you won't have people rolling their eyes while you use a machine. Ignore them, by the way, you have as much right as anyone to the machine. You will probably find that the guys in the free weights area (often called the pit) are more experienced and more helpful than the ones hogging the shiny machines.

Lift heavy. For some reason, females are often told to lift little light weights for endless reps, but that's a waste of your time and energy. Pick a weight that seems right to you, then go one higher. You should struggle to finish eight reps with good form. When you can do ten, it's time to increase the weights.

You have to lift heavy if you are going to make a difference to your body. I promise, you won't turn into the female version of the Terminator, you don't have the testosterone for it.

oide10

That's great, thanks guys. Annoyed that the instructors at this gym seem lax in giving newbies like myself induction to the equipment. Not sure Eileen i understood half of what you said in your first paragraph but i'll ask an instructor/assistant to point them out to me and show me how to use them correctly!

Youtubing the exercises good idea too diabhal-glas.

EileenG

Squat www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/Quadriceps/BBSquat.html

Deadlift www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/ErectorSpinae/BBDeadlift.html

Bench press www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/PectoralSternal/BBBenchPress.html

You'll find that website is great for showing you how to do all the major exercises.

Wood chopper www.youtube.com/watch?v=1e3iHOAB8PI or www.youtube.com/watch?v=-C-lResAcL4

I think the woodchopper is a great exercise, but for some reason, not many people know about it. Way better than endless sit-ups any day.

oide10

You're a great help, wish you were my personal trainer! How many times should i be hitting the gym a week to see results?

Ciaran500

There will be alot of differing opinions on this but I prefer 3 days a week with a dayoff between each and two rest days at the end. So Monday, Wednesday, Friday and the weekend off is what I do.

Also don't be afraid to ask someone who looks like they know what they're doing, I'd gladly help someone in the gym but I wouldn't approach them and offer unwanted advice. But be weary of what people tell you, the majority of the people in my gym are doing alot of the right exercises with completely the wrong form. These forums are great way of checking up on information.

mrkf1984

EileenG wrote: »

Girls need to train the same as the guys. If you don't already know how, get a trainer at the gym to show you the proper form on things like squat, bench press, deadlift (these three are essential), stiff leg deadlift, lunge, military press, dips, pull-ups (assisted to start), bentover row, hyper-extension, wood chopper.

Another bit of good news is that these are almost all free weight exercises, so you won't have people rolling their eyes while you use a machine. Ignore them, by the way, you have as much right as anyone to the machine. You will probably find that the guys in the free weights area (often called the pit) are more experienced and more helpful than the ones hogging the shiny machines.

Lift heavy. For some reason, females are often told to lift little light weights for endless reps, but that's a waste of your time and energy. Pick a weight that seems right to you, then go one higher. You should struggle to finish eight reps with good form. When you can do ten, it's time to increase the weights.

You have to lift heavy if you are going to make a difference to your body. I promise, you won't turn into the female version of the Terminator, you don't have the testosterone for it.

quality advice.

Shane732

oide10 wrote: »

I used be very fit and played team sports. A few years slipped by and now I've joined a gym. I'm female, have kept a good figure but need to tone up. I have asked for a physical assessment and programme at the gym but they can't fit me in for a couple of weeks!
The cardio machines i have no problem with, i've used some of the weights but probably incorrectly. What do i do in the interim while i'm waiting for the correct technical advice?
I want to tone up my arms and abs in particular.

Also i'm finding the gym quite intimidating to be honest, some veterans are very nice and have given me the odd tip etc while others sigh,roll their eyes and stand near the machine willing me to finish! I'm sure they are used to newbies that pay membership and never turn up but what happened to good old fashioned manners?

Any suggestions on what i could be doing besides running on the treadmill etc Any advice would be welcome!

Do the same to them..... Teach them to go a ***k off with themselves.

People like that actually drive me insane.

corkcomp

you should tell them to go f**k themselves, but without actually saying it ..

you need to rise above worrying about people like that though, dont be put of because of it

oide10

Try to ignore it, could be my own paranoia too as i feel like i stick out like a sore thumb. Tonight wasn't as bad.

How should i be dividing my time between cardio and weights by the way?
Also my assessment had to be put back, so i'm on my own for another week, aimless!

EileenG

Ideally, do cardio and weights on different days. You can do some cardio to warm up, but don't combine full sessions with lifting.

When you are doing cardio, go hard at it. There's a lot of nonsense talked about the fat burning zone, but in real life, hard work will give better results. Expect to pant and sweat and you will get much better results than hours of strolling on the treadmill.

While you are waiting for the assessment, you could do things like press-ups, step-ups (onto a box or solid bench), lunges, dumbbell shoulder press, dumbbell bench press. Don't go super heavy with the weights until you are sure you are doing it right, but a couple of days of exercises like that will get your muscles into the groove.

Oh, the good news about the exercises that I mentioned before (squats, bench, deadlift etc) is that while they are though, you'll find you can do them and be finished relatively quickly. You'll be staggering out, but your whole life won't be spent in the gym.

shootermacg

http://www.muscleandstrength.com/workouts/main.html
lot's of good workouts + correct form videos here. Do one for 2 months then move on.
Having a set plan is great, I see guys running from machine to machine like loons for a few days and I never seen them again.
I'm happy knowing what I'm going to be doing for the day. no messing about, in and out in an hour or hour and a half. I'm currently doing Doug's four day split and although the split isn't perfect it's a killer workout!
It's hard to do everything (full body) in one day because you'll be too burned out to complete it with intensity IMO. I prefer some sort of split to allow good rest for the muscles involved.

oide10

shootermacg wrote: »

Having a set plan is great, I see guys running from machine to machine like loons .

To be honest i think i was doing that, still completely green i guess. Thanks to this thread i'm more focused.

oide10

EileenG wrote: »

Ideally, do cardio and weights on different days, .

Sugar i was doing both, no wonder i was flaked, that and i'm probaby still quite unfit.

You're a mine of info! Cheers

shootermacg

oide10 wrote: »

Sugar i was doing both, no wonder i was flaked, that and i'm probaby still quite unfit.

You're a mine of info! Cheers

If you do one in the morning and the other in the evening, shouldn't be an issue, with one exception, don't ever do intense cardio with a body part you were working out with.
I personally wouldn't jog on a leg/back day, that's my 2 cents.

oide10

shootermacg wrote: »

If you do one in the morning and the other in the evening, shouldn't be an issue, with one exception, don't ever do intense cardio with a body part you were working out with.
I personally wouldn't jog on a leg day, that's my 2 cents.

Thanks for advice. I can only get to the gym in the evening and not every evening at that. So should i alternate, cardio one night, weights the next (with a warm up cardio first)?

EileenG

Yes. Something like weights on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, cardio on Tuesday and Thursday, maybe miles of walking round the shops on Saturday, rest on Sunday.

That's not set in stone, there are lots of other routines that work. Also, cardio doesn't have to be in the gym. No reason why you can't get out the bicycle and do your cardio on that, while doing the shopping.

shootermacg

EileenG wrote: »

Yes. Something like weights on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, cardio on Tuesday and Thursday, maybe miles of walking round the shops on Saturday, rest on Sunday.

That's not set in stone, there are lots of other routines that work. Also, cardio doesn't have to be in the gym. No reason why you can't get out the bicycle and do your cardio on that, while doing the shopping.

I hate gym cardio, it's too hot in there! Get out on the road mate, a bit of cold will help you last longer! I do 5Km in 23 mins on the road but couldn't do 3 on a treadmill.

oide10

In terms of diet, i know i've to cut back on bad carbs, sugar etc but in terms of when i should eat, should i eat after a work out? Should i wait awhile? I know, I'm completely clueless

EileenG

A whey shake after a workout is the best option. Keep it simple, a scoop of whey (ON whey is popular and tastes nice), maybe a spoonful of glucose, some ice water and nothing else. The whey gives the body the protein it needs to repair the micro-damage done to the muscles during the workout, and the glucose causes a small insulin spike which gets it to the muscles faster.