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By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago
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I've never ventured in to a gym in my life before..
I'm slim so it's not of case of wanting to lose weight.. I do want to tone up and build my muscles up..
So any advice is appreciated... i.e What type of fitness programme for a newbie is required? |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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When you join, you should have an induction session, and have your fitness level assessed. Talk to them about what you aim and hope to achieve and they should work up a program to suit you.  |
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Do you really want to go and pay to get a workout????
I suppose if you want power and the look then fair enough, that's the place to go.
Real training for say, iron man or a marathon starts at your door step, it's free and starts with a single step.
Pain, hardship, sweat and tears - feel the burn and love it!!!!!' |
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By *ander_XMan
over a year ago
Greater Manchester |
I first walked into a gym at 31, I was about 9 1/2 stone at the time, I'm about 13 now. If I could go back and start again, the first thing I would do is learn to squat, deadlift and bench press properly.
Provided that you eat enough, as a newby pretty much anything you do will in terms of weights will put muscle on you. But, once the easy newby gains dry up, it's the big three: the squat, deadlift and bench which will do the most for your physique.
My advice would be, download a copy of Mark Rippetoe's book 'Starting Strength' and follow it to the letter.
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it ALL starts here:-
The Body Cannot Go, Where The Mind Has Not Been!
EVERYTHING else is just an outworking of the above.
That is truly meant as encouragement, you will never regret your time spent in the gym!
When you see the changes your confidence (self) level will grow hugely!
Best wishes!
B  |
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By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago
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Thank you gents... I am very serious about this and have been googleing for research, etc.
I have recently started going on 4 mile runs 5 days a week and now feel I'm ready for the next step.. |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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I started the gym about 4yrs ago, I had never walked into one either, didnt know what i was doing or what to eat and was worried i would look a dick.
What Xander said is bang on the mark, the only thing I would add is that you need protein to bulk up. I went for 1.5yrs and i toned a bit, but my body didn't change much. One of the instructor guys asked what i was doing and eating, and he said i was doing too much cardio, not lifting enough and not having enough calories/protein to fuel the muscle growth.
Short reps, high weight is what you need to put on muscle, to make yourself lean and trim, lots of reps with light weight.
So as Zander said, deadlifts, bench etc to put muscle on.
The main advice i would give to a starter though is to either go with somebody who knows what they are doing, and stick with them for a month or 2, let them show you the weekly routines, weights etc work and then you can take it on yourself. If not, pay for a personal trainer, a good one.
They are about £20 an hour or so, 3-4 times a week, for a month, you're looking at 2 or 3 hundred quid. Its not that expensive and once you are confident you can go away and research all the exercises and lifts yourself.
This way they will show you how to do the exercises properly and safely. You need to get the technique right before the doing the weights, as you will be either wasting your time totally, and could even injure yourself.
Never ever feel embarrassed about lifting light weights, you will look far more of a dick trying to lift something heavier than you are able to lift.
I hope that helps. |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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"Provided that you eat enough, as a newby pretty much anything you do will in terms of weights will put muscle on you. But, once the easy newby gains dry up, it's the big three: the squat, deadlift and bench which will do the most for your physique.
"
Just to pitch in, I'd suggest that if you're a newcomer to the gym, you do away with pretty much EVERY other lift apart from the big three, though I'd also suggest including a standing overhead press and rowing movement aswell. Isolation movements like curls and lateral raises can weight until you've developed some real strength in the compounds, in the meantime they'll only rob you of the energy you should be putting into these big lifts - you don't get bigger without getting stronger. |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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I've used the gym since i was 14. I used to play for Watford until i was 18 and still play football at a good level today so being fit is compulsory to me! I go to the gym 2 times a week but also have football training Tuesday and Thursday. |
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"Need some advice I'm starting the gym Monday and wanna lose weight on my tummy, chest and arms what's the best equipment to use?"
Cardio side of things cross trainer and rower both use most of the muscles in the body and it doesn't impact your joints. Weights wise I would keep it light with loads of reps about 15 and about 3-4 sets, I would also say do compound exercises like the ones suggested before. |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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"Need some advice I'm starting the gym Monday and wanna lose weight on my tummy, chest and arms what's the best equipment to use?
Cardio side of things cross trainer and rower both use most of the muscles in the body and it doesn't impact your joints. Weights wise I would keep it light with loads of reps about 15 and about 3-4 sets, I would also say do compound exercises like the ones suggested before."
so like the rower, treadmill, bike? |
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"Need some advice I'm starting the gym Monday and wanna lose weight on my tummy, chest and arms what's the best equipment to use?
Cardio side of things cross trainer and rower both use most of the muscles in the body and it doesn't impact your joints. Weights wise I would keep it light with loads of reps about 15 and about 3-4 sets, I would also say do compound exercises like the ones suggested before.so like the rower, treadmill, bike? "
I'd stay off the treadmill at first but the other two are good and a bit of kit called the cross trainer. |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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"Need some advice I'm starting the gym Monday and wanna lose weight on my tummy, chest and arms what's the best equipment to use?
Cardio side of things cross trainer and rower both use most of the muscles in the body and it doesn't impact your joints. Weights wise I would keep it light with loads of reps about 15 and about 3-4 sets, I would also say do compound exercises like the ones suggested before.so like the rower, treadmill, bike?
I'd stay off the treadmill at first but the other two are good and a bit of kit called the cross trainer."
Cross trainer is great for burning calories and pretty much the safest for avoiding injuries. |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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"Need some advice I'm starting the gym Monday and wanna lose weight on my tummy, chest and arms what's the best equipment to use?
Cardio side of things cross trainer and rower both use most of the muscles in the body and it doesn't impact your joints. Weights wise I would keep it light with loads of reps about 15 and about 3-4 sets, I would also say do compound exercises like the ones suggested before.so like the rower, treadmill, bike?
I'd stay off the treadmill at first but the other two are good and a bit of kit called the cross trainer."
Thankyou |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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"Need some advice I'm starting the gym Monday and wanna lose weight on my tummy, chest and arms what's the best equipment to use?
Cardio side of things cross trainer and rower both use most of the muscles in the body and it doesn't impact your joints. Weights wise I would keep it light with loads of reps about 15 and about 3-4 sets, I would also say do compound exercises like the ones suggested before.so like the rower, treadmill, bike?
I'd stay off the treadmill at first but the other two are good and a bit of kit called the cross trainer.
Cross trainer is great for burning calories and pretty much the safest for avoiding injuries."
thankyou |
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By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago
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Many thanks again everyone.. I do appreciate everyone is different as in what regime suits one does not necessarily mean it will suit another..
I've good idea where to start now.. Looking forward to a few aches and pains a long the way too...  |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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"Can someone explain a set and a rep please. "
A set is a number of reps or repertitions.
a rep is an individual exercise action, such as a squat or bicep curl etc |
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"Need some advice I'm starting the gym Monday and wanna lose weight on my tummy, chest and arms what's the best equipment to use?"
the most important is weight-bearing exercise! Squats are amazing for legs and bum, light weights are really useful for toning arms, exercise ball, bosu (half ball) are great as they use
stablising muscles. It's really important to tone as this will help everything else. Sit ups, leg raises etc help to strengthen your core. Cardio can be effective but you really need to do interval training (go hard for one minute, slower for 45 secs) as endless cardio at the same rate is not teerribly useful...to tone as |
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If you are going to be doing weights get mend health big book of exercises it give you hundreds of different things to do and how to do them correctly also has suggested workouts.
Plus it has pictures so much easier to follow |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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For cardio for fat burning I'd stick with high intensity interval training or tabatas, but for true cardio/pulmonary fitness get a heart rate monitor (£15 upwards) and be prepared for some longer and boring sessions on a bike or rower. Not sexy or exciting, but - unfortunately - there isnt a shortcut for it. Yet.
For general fat burning fitness you could keep your interest by trying crossfit or intense circuit classes or Muay Thai (much more fun I find).
Good luck and when you hit a plateau, just change things around and keep it fresh. Variety is the spice of life in all things  |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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"I used to go to a gym, it was fun but I've always found the best way to tone up and keep toned is lots of sex 
(and it's free and fun)"
Though oft difficult to find on here. |
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"For once, I'm slobbed out on a sofa with beer and cake and feel quite exhausted reading the thread.... 
Is it a good idea to drink milk after a gum session? I'm veggie and trying to tone up. "
Gum?! I meant gym!!! |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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"Muay Thai may be more fun, but it's a killer on the shins!!! "
true but give it 6 months and a nice layer of calcification on them shins and they're bombproof. Ish.  I mean apart from those nice egg-size lumpy things you get when your halfwit pad holder refuses to tuck their elbows in.....  |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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"Can anyone tell me why I have to leave a day between exercise sessions? Why can't I do the same thing two days running?"
You can do the same things every day if you want too, it's just that it's good to give your muscles a little rest |
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Thanks guys. In the 70's I just used to do what I wanted whenever I wanted, sport wise and every day too. Mind you, I was a teenager, thin and super fit.
Now my neck has finally healed I'm all excited to be active again and am looking into a more structured exercise pattern but I think I'll just wing it like I usually do. |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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My advice would be to pay a personal trainer for the first few weeks, that way you wont end up wasting your time doing exerices with bad form and potentially causing yourself injury. |
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