New to Gym, where to start?

I’ve been to the gym once or twice but couldn’t get into it mainly because I wasn’t sure what I was at. It’s something I really want to get into but honestly I’ve no idea where to start!

When new to the gym, do people tend to get a personal trainer to show them the ropes?

Yeah a lot of gyms will have a pt you can have a session with. You could get a basic program from them which will help you get used to the gym. After that you can see what you would prefer to do longer term

jogdish

just to add my own story - perhaps the wrong advice/attitude:


The routine that has worked for me is the following:
Go in, walk/jog for 5min on threadmill
Do at least 5 different core/streching exercises in the open studio area, with swiss ball and matt.
Try to stay in the studio area and do at least three different free weight exercises.



Then 15-20 min on threadmill/cross trainer


Then 5 min rower
Then 5 min walk/jog cool down, ideally some stretches too. Of course you have to be felexible the space or machine you will want is not always free.


Lastly, I personally have never "enjoyed" the gym yes its a space to switch off do you thing, but rarely have I ever said, yay it's gym time. Best I ever felt was, okay in an hour or so I will feel refreshed and sleep better tonight. I mention this since every gym instructor seems to be of the opinion its amazing, and some gym goers too.

Alf Veedersane

jogdish wrote: »

just to add my own story - perhaps the wrong advice/attitude:


The routine that has worked for me is the following:
Go in, walk/jog for 5min on threadmill
Do at least 5 different core/streching exercises in the open studio area, with swiss ball and matt.
Try to stay in the studio area and do at least three different free weight exercises. Personally I find the machine weights hogged by people on phones or self obessesed getting ever bigger muscels.



Then 15-20 min on threadmill/cross trainer


Then 5 min rower
Then 5 min walk/jog cool down, ideally some stretches too. Of course you have to be felexible the space or machine you will want is not always free.


Lastly, I personally have never "enjoyed" the gym yes its a space to switch off do you thing, but rarely have I ever said, yay it's gym time. Best I ever felt was, okay in an hour or so I will feel refreshed and sleep better tonight. I mention this since every gym instructor seems to be of the opinion its amazing, and some gym goers too.

Yeah, not all that helpful. Your own story and prejudices are yours. The OP wants advice on how to get started in the gym

Alf Veedersane

bluewolf wrote: »

Yeah a lot of gyms will have a pt you can have a session with. You could get a basic program from them which will help you get used to the gym. After that you can see what you would prefer to do longer term

Seconded. A decent PT will show you how to use the equipment and a couple of sessions to show you how to do different exercises and give you a basic programme.

el Fenomeno

jogdish wrote: »

Personally I find the machine weights hogged by people ... self obessesed getting ever bigger muscels.

Is this a bad thing? Is wanting bigger muscles a trivial annoyance for other people now?

Big part of the reason I go to the gym is I want bigger muscles. I didn't realise that was frowned upon!

ravima

Staff should show you around; show you how to operate all the equipment and make up a basic plan for you. If after a few weeks/months, you like it, you can then consider the PT.

soiseztomabel

I joined a city centre gym last June and before my first "solo flight" I booked an assessment with a member of staff who showed me different exercises and how to operate specific machines and how to safely use the weights and integrated it into a workout plan.

I assume most gyms do the same, it helped me feel confident enough as a first timer so it's worth a shot

arybvtcw0eolkf

My advice would be to ask a PT to run you through some things and maybe consider joining a class like spinning, circuits etc.

Although you feel awkward as a newbie in a gym no one is there to judge you (unless you come up on someone's radar in the annoying gym behavior thread lol).

Gym's used to be great for their social aspect but that's mostly gone now thanks to headphones, music and smart phones. I sound like an old fart but years ago you either had a discman or listened to the gym music and got chatting to people. Now no one chats.

Classes are good social places and its almost a sure bet you'll quickly get to know and have the crack with the class regulars, this will spill out of the class and many find their gym buddies like this.

On a particular piece of equipment or exercise ~ youtube!.

Enjoy.

ironclaw

Throwing this out there from a personal standpoint, I was always an outdoor runner for years but work had me travelling a lot so I was in and out of hotel gyms. Really didn’t have a breeze what I was at. Last year I just decided to try some classes and it’s pretty much all I do now. I’ve found it keeps my routine in shape, it’s far more social than just pottering around a park for a jog (Note, occasionally still do that as I appreciate it’s not just a social thing) and you have the added benefit of a PT leading the class keeping you in check. It’s also generally included in most gym memberships and if you don’t need 1:1 with a PT, it’s cheaper.

End result is after a few classes, you are equipped to use the gym / free body and have a circuit to follow / modify as you like.

.......

Lexie Obedient Refugee wrote: »

Now no one chats.

Depends on the gym - one I was in for a year there a couple of years ago was very sociable and I ended up in a "gym ladies" group who went out for dinner a couple of times a year etc... It was nice.

How I got my current gym routine was I started off going thinking I didnt need any help and I basically swam or used cardio machines only for about 2 years.

Then I thought it would be good to learn how to use some machines so I googled for a gym machine workout and I came up with a reasonable one and I asked someone who worked in the gym to show me how to use the required machines and they did - and they made adjustments to my internet workout too.

Then after about a year of that I was seeing a physical therapist for a low back problem and she showed me how use free weights and a barbell for some deadlifting. She rejigged my workout to use free weights instead of resistance machines for some things.

Then I began to get interested in functional stuff Id see people doing and learned how to do things like pull ups and dips etc... And that kind of led to being a bit more interested in the core so I started doing more core work - using videos from youtube. More visits to my physical therapist (who is also a personal trainer) had her review my workout about every 6 months with me.

A lot of what I do has come from me wanting to improve certain things or work on certain weaknesses.

So now (about 10 years later) I have a very mixed workout with a bit of weightlifting, a bit of cardio, a bit of functional, a bit of core and stretches etc. This year my fitness goals are to improve my pull up, hit a triple digit deadlift and try to improve my balance.

No doubt by the end of the year I will have moved on from some things and introduced some new ones. If I dont mix it up regularly I get bored with it and find Im just not engaged with what Im doing.

The_Honeybadger

I have found S & C classes great for learning all of the lifts, getting my form right and gaining confidence. It’s more expensive than just joining a regular open gym but worth it IMO, at least until your confidence and strength improves. The social aspect is also a plus.

I would definitely recommend getting some form of coaching whether it be through a class or a personal trainer.

italodisco

How times have changed..... 20 years ago when I first joined a well known bodybuilding gym in Dublin city centre I was shown the ropes by at least 10 of the regular seasoned 'aul lads' (imagine 30 year olds were once aul lads lol).

There was always a great vibe and people willing to guide the less experienced. Nowadays if you speak to someone in a gym they go into flight mode lol.

Op, the most important question is WHAT ARE YOUR GOALS?
-Bodybuilding (size / aesthetics)
-weight loss
-athletics
-a bit of everything
Etc etc

Tell me what you want out of this, I may be able to help