Starting gym again
Discussion
After a long period of doing next to nothing exercise wise, I'll be returning to the gym some time this week. I'll obviously have an induction to help me out with this but was wondering if anyone else has been through the same sort of thing. Gym instructors in my experience don't always seem to know what they're talking about whereas someone who's been through the same situation as me may have some good tips.
I essentially want to get back to a more athletic shape and lose my gut. I'm far from fat but extremely unfit. I've been pretty ill over the last year (you may remember I had cancer, etc) and not even thought about exercising.
At the moment I could probably run for about 30 seconds (literally...) before having a stitch and being out of breath. Last time I tried running, a few weeks back, my calves burned straight away even after walking for about 10mins to warm up. This is most likely due to my muscles not being anywhere near flexible enough to handle hard exercise. I do a light amount of walking at the moment, probably 20-40mins a day at a brisk pace but all on level ground.
I know it's going to be tough but can anyone recommend some good exercises? Should I just start with light cardio or hit the weights straight away?
My diet is also a very important part of becoming healthy and fit again. I'm most likely going to be going at 6.30am, before work. This is going to make it a bit difficult to get a good breakfast down me. I don't want to have too much food in me and not be able to exercise but I also don't want to be hungry and exercising on an empty stomach - not sure I'll be able to manage waking up at 5.30 just to eat some breakfast and allow an hour or so to digest it. Any ideas?
I essentially want to get back to a more athletic shape and lose my gut. I'm far from fat but extremely unfit. I've been pretty ill over the last year (you may remember I had cancer, etc) and not even thought about exercising.
At the moment I could probably run for about 30 seconds (literally...) before having a stitch and being out of breath. Last time I tried running, a few weeks back, my calves burned straight away even after walking for about 10mins to warm up. This is most likely due to my muscles not being anywhere near flexible enough to handle hard exercise. I do a light amount of walking at the moment, probably 20-40mins a day at a brisk pace but all on level ground.
I know it's going to be tough but can anyone recommend some good exercises? Should I just start with light cardio or hit the weights straight away?
My diet is also a very important part of becoming healthy and fit again. I'm most likely going to be going at 6.30am, before work. This is going to make it a bit difficult to get a good breakfast down me. I don't want to have too much food in me and not be able to exercise but I also don't want to be hungry and exercising on an empty stomach - not sure I'll be able to manage waking up at 5.30 just to eat some breakfast and allow an hour or so to digest it. Any ideas?
I've just rejoined the gym after an abscense of 8 years.Hard going for the first few sessions but I'm getting into it again and already I'm moving up the weights and difficulty levels of the cardio machines.I like it when I can easily do what was difficult a few weeks ago and I can already feel my stamina increasing.It's got to be better than watching the usual crap on telly on these dark winter nights!
I was in a similar situation to you around a month ago, quite unfit, could literally run for no longer then a minute etc.
I started on pure cardio (and still am) doing the following routine, note I do no running as I don't enjoy it (this is important with choosing your excercise as if you do not enjoy a certain part of your routine or even all of it you will soon become in a frame of mind where you can't be bothered to go). Try and not see it as a chore, I personally look forward to going every day and feel great afterwards.
My routine is as follows -
10 minutes on rowing machine -
5 minutes at level 5
3 minutes at level 7/8
2 minutes going all out (around 2 minutes per 500 metres is ideal) at level 10
15 minutes on the bike
4 minutes at low level (3/4)
1 minute as fast as you can at as higher level as you can handle (10/12 is ideal)
repeat 3 times
15 half push ups (don't know the proper name!) simply lay on your back and move your head into towards your body like a sit up but no lifting your back off the ground much
15 as above but with your legs in the air and moving your legs in towards your head on each rep
30 (or 15 full) get a weight ball and move it either side of you with your legs raised off the floor tapping the ball on the floor level with your hip each time
repeat above 3 times
then back on the rowing machine to do the same as above
than back on the bike for the same as above
finished!
It may sound like a lot but it will take you 60-75 minutes so a good work out and the weight will fly off. I've lost nearly a stone and 15% body fat in just over a month.
Let me know if you want any further info on the above as I'm not sure I explained it particularly well....
Good luck!
I started on pure cardio (and still am) doing the following routine, note I do no running as I don't enjoy it (this is important with choosing your excercise as if you do not enjoy a certain part of your routine or even all of it you will soon become in a frame of mind where you can't be bothered to go). Try and not see it as a chore, I personally look forward to going every day and feel great afterwards.
My routine is as follows -
10 minutes on rowing machine -
5 minutes at level 5
3 minutes at level 7/8
2 minutes going all out (around 2 minutes per 500 metres is ideal) at level 10
15 minutes on the bike
4 minutes at low level (3/4)
1 minute as fast as you can at as higher level as you can handle (10/12 is ideal)
repeat 3 times
15 half push ups (don't know the proper name!) simply lay on your back and move your head into towards your body like a sit up but no lifting your back off the ground much
15 as above but with your legs in the air and moving your legs in towards your head on each rep
30 (or 15 full) get a weight ball and move it either side of you with your legs raised off the floor tapping the ball on the floor level with your hip each time
repeat above 3 times
then back on the rowing machine to do the same as above
than back on the bike for the same as above
finished!
It may sound like a lot but it will take you 60-75 minutes so a good work out and the weight will fly off. I've lost nearly a stone and 15% body fat in just over a month.
Let me know if you want any further info on the above as I'm not sure I explained it particularly well....
Good luck!
Acehood said:
After a long period of doing next to nothing exercise wise, I'll be returning to the gym some time this week. I'll obviously have an induction to help me out with this but was wondering if anyone else has been through the same sort of thing. Gym instructors in my experience don't always seem to know what they're talking about whereas someone who's been through the same situation as me may have some good tips.
I essentially want to get back to a more athletic shape and lose my gut. I'm far from fat but extremely unfit. I've been pretty ill over the last year (you may remember I had cancer, etc) and not even thought about exercising.
At the moment I could probably run for about 30 seconds (literally...) before having a stitch and being out of breath. Last time I tried running, a few weeks back, my calves burned straight away even after walking for about 10mins to warm up. This is most likely due to my muscles not being anywhere near flexible enough to handle hard exercise. I do a light amount of walking at the moment, probably 20-40mins a day at a brisk pace but all on level ground.
I know it's going to be tough but can anyone recommend some good exercises? Should I just start with light cardio or hit the weights straight away?
My diet is also a very important part of becoming healthy and fit again. I'm most likely going to be going at 6.30am, before work. This is going to make it a bit difficult to get a good breakfast down me. I don't want to have too much food in me and not be able to exercise but I also don't want to be hungry and exercising on an empty stomach - not sure I'll be able to manage waking up at 5.30 just to eat some breakfast and allow an hour or so to digest it. Any ideas?
Sounds like you need to work your way up. A year ago I was in your position (see my thread if you're interested).I essentially want to get back to a more athletic shape and lose my gut. I'm far from fat but extremely unfit. I've been pretty ill over the last year (you may remember I had cancer, etc) and not even thought about exercising.
At the moment I could probably run for about 30 seconds (literally...) before having a stitch and being out of breath. Last time I tried running, a few weeks back, my calves burned straight away even after walking for about 10mins to warm up. This is most likely due to my muscles not being anywhere near flexible enough to handle hard exercise. I do a light amount of walking at the moment, probably 20-40mins a day at a brisk pace but all on level ground.
I know it's going to be tough but can anyone recommend some good exercises? Should I just start with light cardio or hit the weights straight away?
My diet is also a very important part of becoming healthy and fit again. I'm most likely going to be going at 6.30am, before work. This is going to make it a bit difficult to get a good breakfast down me. I don't want to have too much food in me and not be able to exercise but I also don't want to be hungry and exercising on an empty stomach - not sure I'll be able to manage waking up at 5.30 just to eat some breakfast and allow an hour or so to digest it. Any ideas?
Forgive me but are you a guy or a girl?
Also I'm not sure what your aim is here? Fitness/fat loss/building muscle etc?
In terms of early morning training there is a massive benefit for fat loss if you train and eat an hour after morning training. It's usually referred to as 'fasted cardio' if you want to research more.
Been there, done that! I had a year of chemo and a stem cell transplant and it took me an age to get over it. It's now just over 2 years since I finished my treatment. It's taken me about that long to get back to a decent level of fitness.
To start with, it was an absolute nightmare. Naff all lung capacity thanks to the damage the chemo did and muscles that cried enough after 30 seconds.
The simple thing was eating properly and just getting on with it and leaving enough time between sessions to let my body recover. Initially it took ages, but now I go nearly everyday. I still hate it, but I like the effect.
During the summer I ride motocross and play a lot of cricket (yes, you do need to be fit to play it properly!) and this means I can back off the gym work.
In the gym I started off with low impact exercises such as using a cross trainer. Don't forget to stretch both before and after exercise and get a program that is sensible. One trainer I did a program with had no idea about how to help some rehabilitate their fitness after illness, but another did and we put together a program that seems to have worked, though in reality, as long as you are doing something and putting the effort in, then you will get fitter and as long as you don't eat like a pig, then you will lose weight.
To start with, I used the cross trainer and bikes for cardio work, rather than running. One thing I did find though was that I got muscle cramps very easily, so keep hydrated, take salt pills if necessary and one thing that works amazingly to rid yourself of them is tonic water. I was put onto this by my father-in-law (he's a consultant) and it is amazingly effective. I always have a couple of cans in my gym bag. I don't need it much anymore, but I still cramp up more often than I ever did before.
I'm now fitter and stronger than I was before the treatment, so don't worry, it will happen if you put the work in.
To start with, it was an absolute nightmare. Naff all lung capacity thanks to the damage the chemo did and muscles that cried enough after 30 seconds.
The simple thing was eating properly and just getting on with it and leaving enough time between sessions to let my body recover. Initially it took ages, but now I go nearly everyday. I still hate it, but I like the effect.
During the summer I ride motocross and play a lot of cricket (yes, you do need to be fit to play it properly!) and this means I can back off the gym work.
In the gym I started off with low impact exercises such as using a cross trainer. Don't forget to stretch both before and after exercise and get a program that is sensible. One trainer I did a program with had no idea about how to help some rehabilitate their fitness after illness, but another did and we put together a program that seems to have worked, though in reality, as long as you are doing something and putting the effort in, then you will get fitter and as long as you don't eat like a pig, then you will lose weight.
To start with, I used the cross trainer and bikes for cardio work, rather than running. One thing I did find though was that I got muscle cramps very easily, so keep hydrated, take salt pills if necessary and one thing that works amazingly to rid yourself of them is tonic water. I was put onto this by my father-in-law (he's a consultant) and it is amazingly effective. I always have a couple of cans in my gym bag. I don't need it much anymore, but I still cramp up more often than I ever did before.
I'm now fitter and stronger than I was before the treatment, so don't worry, it will happen if you put the work in.
Original Poster said:
I was in a similar situation to you around a month ago, quite unfit, could literally run for no longer then a minute etc.
I started on pure cardio (and still am) doing the following routine, note I do no running as I don't enjoy it (this is important with choosing your excercise as if you do not enjoy a certain part of your routine or even all of it you will soon become in a frame of mind where you can't be bothered to go). Try and not see it as a chore, I personally look forward to going every day and feel great afterwards.
My routine is as follows -
10 minutes on rowing machine -
5 minutes at level 5
3 minutes at level 7/8
2 minutes going all out (around 2 minutes per 500 metres is ideal) at level 10
15 minutes on the bike
4 minutes at low level (3/4)
1 minute as fast as you can at as higher level as you can handle (10/12 is ideal)
repeat 3 times
15 half push ups (don't know the proper name!) simply lay on your back and move your head into towards your body like a sit up but no lifting your back off the ground much
15 as above but with your legs in the air and moving your legs in towards your head on each rep
30 (or 15 full) get a weight ball and move it either side of you with your legs raised off the floor tapping the ball on the floor level with your hip each time
repeat above 3 times
then back on the rowing machine to do the same as above
than back on the bike for the same as above
finished!
It may sound like a lot but it will take you 60-75 minutes so a good work out and the weight will fly off. I've lost nearly a stone and 15% body fat in just over a month.
Let me know if you want any further info on the above as I'm not sure I explained it particularly well....
Good luck!
No offence, but what's the purpose of the ab exercises in your routine?I started on pure cardio (and still am) doing the following routine, note I do no running as I don't enjoy it (this is important with choosing your excercise as if you do not enjoy a certain part of your routine or even all of it you will soon become in a frame of mind where you can't be bothered to go). Try and not see it as a chore, I personally look forward to going every day and feel great afterwards.
My routine is as follows -
10 minutes on rowing machine -
5 minutes at level 5
3 minutes at level 7/8
2 minutes going all out (around 2 minutes per 500 metres is ideal) at level 10
15 minutes on the bike
4 minutes at low level (3/4)
1 minute as fast as you can at as higher level as you can handle (10/12 is ideal)
repeat 3 times
15 half push ups (don't know the proper name!) simply lay on your back and move your head into towards your body like a sit up but no lifting your back off the ground much
15 as above but with your legs in the air and moving your legs in towards your head on each rep
30 (or 15 full) get a weight ball and move it either side of you with your legs raised off the floor tapping the ball on the floor level with your hip each time
repeat above 3 times
then back on the rowing machine to do the same as above
than back on the bike for the same as above
finished!
It may sound like a lot but it will take you 60-75 minutes so a good work out and the weight will fly off. I've lost nearly a stone and 15% body fat in just over a month.
Let me know if you want any further info on the above as I'm not sure I explained it particularly well....
Good luck!
Thanks for all the advice.
I have been really busy with work all week and haven't had the energy to reply to the thread but have took everyone's advice on board.
Had my induction today and I think it went well. Worked up a good sweat and have a moderate cardio plan for a few weeks until I get some level of fitness back. I found it extremely difficult on the treadmill trying to jog - my chest started hurting. Like a stitch but worse. On the bike and cross trainer I was ok though so will concentrate on those more. Hopefully the chest pain will go away once I've been going for a couple of weeks. I might try doing a bit of swimming as it's low impact and good for re-training my muscles. In about a month, providing my fitness increases to a decent level, I'll start doing some weights as well.
I asked the trainer about what I should do for breakfast if going to the gym early in the morning and she recommended just having an apple or other piece of fruit then a proper breakfast afterwards. If it came to it I suppose I could get up a bit earlier and eat more but I struggle to eat breakfast at 7.30am as it is.
Any ideas what I can buy from the local supermarket at lunch, or take with me to work? At the moment I find myself at Subway or Boots most days but it's probably not a good idea to be eating stuff like that every day. There's a sandwich van that comes round in the morning and has salads, I've had them a few times and they're nice but not overly filling. I'd end up buying a salad then eating chocolate or something to fill me up.. probably not a good idea.
By the way, well done IforB. I know how tough chemo is and I'm sure the stem cell treatment didn't do you many favours. I'm struggling to motivate myself but I know my health is suffering so I will just get down the gym, do my workout and go to work. Then it'll almost be like I've not lost any time..
I have been really busy with work all week and haven't had the energy to reply to the thread but have took everyone's advice on board.
Had my induction today and I think it went well. Worked up a good sweat and have a moderate cardio plan for a few weeks until I get some level of fitness back. I found it extremely difficult on the treadmill trying to jog - my chest started hurting. Like a stitch but worse. On the bike and cross trainer I was ok though so will concentrate on those more. Hopefully the chest pain will go away once I've been going for a couple of weeks. I might try doing a bit of swimming as it's low impact and good for re-training my muscles. In about a month, providing my fitness increases to a decent level, I'll start doing some weights as well.
I asked the trainer about what I should do for breakfast if going to the gym early in the morning and she recommended just having an apple or other piece of fruit then a proper breakfast afterwards. If it came to it I suppose I could get up a bit earlier and eat more but I struggle to eat breakfast at 7.30am as it is.
Any ideas what I can buy from the local supermarket at lunch, or take with me to work? At the moment I find myself at Subway or Boots most days but it's probably not a good idea to be eating stuff like that every day. There's a sandwich van that comes round in the morning and has salads, I've had them a few times and they're nice but not overly filling. I'd end up buying a salad then eating chocolate or something to fill me up.. probably not a good idea.
By the way, well done IforB. I know how tough chemo is and I'm sure the stem cell treatment didn't do you many favours. I'm struggling to motivate myself but I know my health is suffering so I will just get down the gym, do my workout and go to work. Then it'll almost be like I've not lost any time..
Agreed. FOrget the treadmill for the moment. Honestly, you just won;t be in any fit state to get anything useful out of it. Concentrate on just getting your body used to moving. Do not expect anything much at all. I expected to just blast into it, but I was being daft. Take your time and don't beat yourself up.
I cannot explain how appalling my fitness was when I first started. I remember doing no more than 30 minutes of not much at all, then coming home and falling asleep for 4 hours. It will take time, much longer than for someone who hasn't had something like chemo.
Just build yourself up and don't lose heart when it seems to be taking an age. You will get fitter and stronger, it just takes a bit of time, but once you've got past a certain point, you'll be stunned by how fast you progress, you've just got to stick at it.
Good luck.
I cannot explain how appalling my fitness was when I first started. I remember doing no more than 30 minutes of not much at all, then coming home and falling asleep for 4 hours. It will take time, much longer than for someone who hasn't had something like chemo.
Just build yourself up and don't lose heart when it seems to be taking an age. You will get fitter and stronger, it just takes a bit of time, but once you've got past a certain point, you'll be stunned by how fast you progress, you've just got to stick at it.
Good luck.
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