Making sense of the gym
Discussion
I've been wanting to post this for a while, but for some reason have held back, anyway...
I'm 33 and apart from an abortive attempt 5 years ago have never been into a gym, let alone worried about getting fit etc.
However, time's ticking along and I don't want to be another heart attack statistic, so I've decided to do something about it.
I'm lucky in that the house my company provides comes complete with a gym containing various pieces of kit, some I recognise and some I don't.
I've read many posts on this thread and other linked sites, and I've been doing the following every other day.
12 reps? leg extensions - according to the manual, the weight value of this is 150% of the actual weight, meaning I'm using 90lbs or 40kg
12 reps horizontal grip chest press (60lbs / 27kg)
12 reps legs as before
12 reps chest as before
15 mins on exercise bike (this is approx 4km, 155 cals, and max heart of 180bpm)
12 reps legs as before
12 reps chest as before
2000m on the rowing machine (this takes me 10m approx)
This routine leaves me pretty much knackered and very sweaty and I can feel that I've been using muscles that I don't normally.
Sadly we don't have a treadmill so it is not possible to do any running.
I also should probably say that the main reason for doing this is to lose the ever increasing belly.
Any thoughts / tips gratefully received as I really do have no clue what I'm doing!
I'm 33 and apart from an abortive attempt 5 years ago have never been into a gym, let alone worried about getting fit etc.
However, time's ticking along and I don't want to be another heart attack statistic, so I've decided to do something about it.
I'm lucky in that the house my company provides comes complete with a gym containing various pieces of kit, some I recognise and some I don't.
I've read many posts on this thread and other linked sites, and I've been doing the following every other day.
12 reps? leg extensions - according to the manual, the weight value of this is 150% of the actual weight, meaning I'm using 90lbs or 40kg
12 reps horizontal grip chest press (60lbs / 27kg)
12 reps legs as before
12 reps chest as before
15 mins on exercise bike (this is approx 4km, 155 cals, and max heart of 180bpm)
12 reps legs as before
12 reps chest as before
2000m on the rowing machine (this takes me 10m approx)
This routine leaves me pretty much knackered and very sweaty and I can feel that I've been using muscles that I don't normally.
Sadly we don't have a treadmill so it is not possible to do any running.
I also should probably say that the main reason for doing this is to lose the ever increasing belly.
Any thoughts / tips gratefully received as I really do have no clue what I'm doing!
I'd look at your diet first - keep a food diary for a week or two and see how many calories you are taking in versus those you are expending. Post back with the sordid details (say you were nomming 20000 calories a week) and objectives e.g. want to lose 2 stone, from that point it will be easier to make a plan up suited to your needs. If you don't feel like doing it online your gym should be able to do exactly the same thing with the information.
And ignore any calorie values the gym machines tell you, they are wildly inaccurate
so long as you are pushing yourself thats whats important.
And ignore any calorie values the gym machines tell you, they are wildly inaccurate
so long as you are pushing yourself thats whats important.ewenm said:
LordGrover said:
K50 DEL said:
Sadly we don't have a treadmill so it is not possible to do any running.
If you have roads or fields near you they may be used in a similar way. 
Gym based exercise is the only option sadly, for the same reason I have no ability to swim or ride a real bike!
GMJ said:
It would really help if you could list the equipment you have access to.
OK, my home gym has the following in it.A BodySolid G9S multi-gym - this appears to do everything except make the tea.
http://tinyurl.com/bodysolid
A concept 2 rowing machine
An exercise bike with digital programs and readouts etc
A stepper machine
Sadly there are no salsa classes etc in Luanda!
Edited by K50 DEL on Tuesday 3rd August 13:27
K50 DEL said:
OK, my home gym has the following in it.
A BodySolid G9S multi-gym - this appears to do everything except make the tea.
http://tinyurl.com/bodysolid
Yep, lifting that badboy over your head a few times a week will get you ripped in no time!! A BodySolid G9S multi-gym - this appears to do everything except make the tea.
http://tinyurl.com/bodysolid
What? Oh...
K50 DEL also said:
This routine leaves me pretty much knackered and very sweaty and I can feel that I've been using muscles that I don't normally.
Isn't it a great feeling? The 'burn'!!Good luck OP!
Edited by UncleRic on Tuesday 3rd August 15:41
I worked in a gym as a student and got sent on a few training courses, so here are a couple of tips that should assist you:
Don't worry too much about calculations regarding weight, you will soon work out what is best for you.
Recent research shows that lifting weights and using weights machines is highly beneficial to weight loss as well as cardio exercise, so despite there being no running machine, a combination of weights and rowing will do just fine for you. Plus, it takes many more calories to feed muscle than it does to feed your fat, so by building up a bit of muscle, you will be naturally burning more calories day and night, even when you are not in the gym.
With regards to weight, you should aim to do about 3 sets on each exercise, and by the time you get to 8-10 repetitions in your set, you should be physically unable to do any more.
A really good way to make sure you are getting the most out of your weights is to do a 'drop set', which is to do a couple of sets increasing the weight up until you can lift/pull/press no more, then lower the weight by a few Kg then do another set, then lower the weight again and do another set. Keep doing this 4/5 times until you are trying your absolute hardest to move the weight despite it being only a couple of Kg or something! You look ridiculous in the gym if someone walks past and you are straining loudly trying to lift 4kg or something, but you won't have this embarrassment at home!
I guarantee that doing drop sets for each of your weights exercises will really do the business for you!
PM me if you need to chat about this info or need any advice on diet etc.
Good luck and happy lifting! You will love it soon!
PS: Don't forget that muscle is a lot heavier than fat, so don't be worried if after training for a few weeks, you are the same weight or actually heavier. You are most probably losing fat and gaining heavier muscle. Weight is not a good indicator of body fat levels.
If you really want to know if your bodyfat percentage is going up or down, invest in one of these very handy little things:
http://www.lloydspharmacy.com/webapp/wcs/stores/se...
It will give you a readout of your % fat so you cab see if your training is having the right effect. Shop around and you can find them for about £30.
I will stress though, that they are not the most accurate way of measuring fat. However, if you measure yourself at the same time each week and under the sane circumstances then they do give a picture of if your fat is going up or down, or at least that's what I found.
Don't worry too much about calculations regarding weight, you will soon work out what is best for you.
Recent research shows that lifting weights and using weights machines is highly beneficial to weight loss as well as cardio exercise, so despite there being no running machine, a combination of weights and rowing will do just fine for you. Plus, it takes many more calories to feed muscle than it does to feed your fat, so by building up a bit of muscle, you will be naturally burning more calories day and night, even when you are not in the gym.
With regards to weight, you should aim to do about 3 sets on each exercise, and by the time you get to 8-10 repetitions in your set, you should be physically unable to do any more.
A really good way to make sure you are getting the most out of your weights is to do a 'drop set', which is to do a couple of sets increasing the weight up until you can lift/pull/press no more, then lower the weight by a few Kg then do another set, then lower the weight again and do another set. Keep doing this 4/5 times until you are trying your absolute hardest to move the weight despite it being only a couple of Kg or something! You look ridiculous in the gym if someone walks past and you are straining loudly trying to lift 4kg or something, but you won't have this embarrassment at home!
I guarantee that doing drop sets for each of your weights exercises will really do the business for you!
PM me if you need to chat about this info or need any advice on diet etc.
Good luck and happy lifting! You will love it soon!
PS: Don't forget that muscle is a lot heavier than fat, so don't be worried if after training for a few weeks, you are the same weight or actually heavier. You are most probably losing fat and gaining heavier muscle. Weight is not a good indicator of body fat levels.
If you really want to know if your bodyfat percentage is going up or down, invest in one of these very handy little things:
http://www.lloydspharmacy.com/webapp/wcs/stores/se...
It will give you a readout of your % fat so you cab see if your training is having the right effect. Shop around and you can find them for about £30.
I will stress though, that they are not the most accurate way of measuring fat. However, if you measure yourself at the same time each week and under the sane circumstances then they do give a picture of if your fat is going up or down, or at least that's what I found.
Edited by NinjaPower on Wednesday 4th August 12:31
Thought I'd post a quick update to this, am still in Luanda and still beating myself up 5 times a week.
Routine is now
25 Vertical knee raise
15 leg extensions
15 horizontal chest press
15 leg
15 chest
20 mins on bike (roughly 5km)
25 vertical knee raise
10 sit ups (increasing this daily, but have only just added them)
pyramid method of legs and chest as per the advice post above
2km row
It would be wrong to say it's making a huge difference, but it's definately making a difference!
Routine is now
25 Vertical knee raise
15 leg extensions
15 horizontal chest press
15 leg
15 chest
20 mins on bike (roughly 5km)
25 vertical knee raise
10 sit ups (increasing this daily, but have only just added them)
pyramid method of legs and chest as per the advice post above
2km row
It would be wrong to say it's making a huge difference, but it's definately making a difference!
Edited by K50 DEL on Wednesday 25th August 16:14
musclecarmad said:
If a certain body part is still sore then don't train it.
it is your DIET more than anything that will get rid of your belly - anyone can get big arms and shoulders etc by lifting heavy and eating a lot but to be in shape and have a flat stomach - now there are only a few people that can do that! DIET is key.
The reason I'm not really into exercise bikes and treadmills is that you have to do 30 minutes before you are tired etc, what i'd suggest is getting a punch bag and gloves and doing one minute rounds and then having a one minute rest. If you are a beginner then after, hmm, oh, about 2 rounds you will be on the floor sweating like a pig.
and will have done very little cardio.it is your DIET more than anything that will get rid of your belly - anyone can get big arms and shoulders etc by lifting heavy and eating a lot but to be in shape and have a flat stomach - now there are only a few people that can do that! DIET is key.
The reason I'm not really into exercise bikes and treadmills is that you have to do 30 minutes before you are tired etc, what i'd suggest is getting a punch bag and gloves and doing one minute rounds and then having a one minute rest. If you are a beginner then after, hmm, oh, about 2 rounds you will be on the floor sweating like a pig.
better to do a slow jog for 30 mins + as you'll burn more fat this way.
im not saying that intervals aren't a good idea, but working at this intensity isnt the best way of burning fat. as a guide (if you have cardio machines with a HR monitor) you'd want to be at around 110-130bpm
if time is of the essence then intervals on the rower or bike would be good for around 20 mins.
have you thought about breaking your cardio & weights into separate days..? if you overload your sessions you may get burnout/bored before too long.
also try to leave at least a day but usually 2 between weights sessions (on the same muscle group) to allow for recovery. a common routine is: day 1 upper body, day 2 cardio, day 3 lower body, day 4 cardio, day 5 upper body, day 6 cardio, day 7 REST
also try to leave at least a day but usually 2 between weights sessions (on the same muscle group) to allow for recovery. a common routine is: day 1 upper body, day 2 cardio, day 3 lower body, day 4 cardio, day 5 upper body, day 6 cardio, day 7 REST
2seas said:
have you thought about breaking your cardio & weights into separate days..? if you overload your sessions you may get burnout/bored before too long.
also try to leave at least a day but usually 2 between weights sessions (on the same muscle group) to allow for recovery. a common routine is: day 1 upper body, day 2 cardio, day 3 lower body, day 4 cardio, day 5 upper body, day 6 cardio, day 7 REST
Yep... thought about it, but haven't done it yet. It's next on the list.also try to leave at least a day but usually 2 between weights sessions (on the same muscle group) to allow for recovery. a common routine is: day 1 upper body, day 2 cardio, day 3 lower body, day 4 cardio, day 5 upper body, day 6 cardio, day 7 REST
Given the equipment I have available to me, what would you recommend as a sensible workout for each of the days you've listed?
K50 DEL said:
2seas said:
have you thought about breaking your cardio & weights into separate days..? if you overload your sessions you may get burnout/bored before too long.
also try to leave at least a day but usually 2 between weights sessions (on the same muscle group) to allow for recovery. a common routine is: day 1 upper body, day 2 cardio, day 3 lower body, day 4 cardio, day 5 upper body, day 6 cardio, day 7 REST
Yep... thought about it, but haven't done it yet. It's next on the list.also try to leave at least a day but usually 2 between weights sessions (on the same muscle group) to allow for recovery. a common routine is: day 1 upper body, day 2 cardio, day 3 lower body, day 4 cardio, day 5 upper body, day 6 cardio, day 7 REST
Given the equipment I have available to me, what would you recommend as a sensible workout for each of the days you've listed?
- bench press
- curls
- rows
- tri's
- shoulder press
for lower body:
- sit ups (i know this is technically upper body)
- quads
- hamstrings
- calf
- lunges
- squats
Cardio:
- keep it to 20-30 mins and do high intensity interval training
Obviously the above is just my guide and there are myriad routines out there. I don't actually place much emphasis on lower body myself - i usually do cardio instead like running or cycling which works the lower body muscles but wont 'bulk them up'.
As had previously been said diet is very important and without eating healthy you'll make things a lot harder for yourself..
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