Rejoined gym, give me some tips.

Frugal_Financial_Freedom

Some good points here, especially around sticking to a routine. I was told once by a trainer that every programme you do should be stuck to for at least 6 months - no chopping and changing.

This has always worked well for me, though admittedly I focus more on the strength side than the cardio.

And this leads to another important point - exercise works when you keep at it . It's not about going once a week and doing a marathon three hour session. It's about going 4-5 or even 6 times a week and doing an hour of work, without fail, for months. Do this and you will without a doubt get results. :T

One thing I did want to add is that although you haven't mentioned it, a few of my buddies are obese and get so embarrassed going to the gym that they end up not going after a few sessions. This cycle then continues and they join and rejoin the gym over and over. I truly hope you don't feel this way because no one should feel embarrassed about trying to make themselves look and feel better. On the very very few times I've seen anyone mocking someone who is clearly overweight at the gym, they have been super quickly shut down by just about everyone within earshot! Everyone is there to get fitter and there is sadly no exercise horrible bullies can do to become nicer people!

Re the sweat - I used to be borderline obese and am for the last year or so have been a few weeks out from dialing in my diet and getting a full ix pack, so I have been at most weights and BMIs.

I have sweat like a bas*ard at every weight :rotfl: it's just one of those things you get used to happening and learn to ignore. The way I see it now, the more sweat the better!
Just make sure you are drinking plenty of water to make up for it. Like loads of water and you'll be fine.

Good luck with it!

Freakzone

Don't drop

Pollycat

Freakzone wrote: »

Don't drop

I'm confused.
Don't drop what?

Wurst

Lots of good advice in this thread. My 2p worth from personal experience of rejoining the gym last year and losing a fair bit of weight:


1. Consistency is the most important single factor. Just showing up day after day and doing the work to burn more calories than you eat.


2. You can't outrun a bad diet. OP might consider joining myfitnesspal.com which is free and enables you to log and track your meals and workouts and monitor calories etc. It is also a good source for education about good nutrition and exercise and has a supportive community in the forums.


Good luck, OP. If you keep going and keep learning, progress will come.

RyanEzio

I go to the gym 4-5 times a week, here is my take:


1. No one is bothered what you do at the GYM, most keep themselves to themselves.

2. Track all your exercises on an App, it helps getting stronger, although I didn't do this until a few months after I joined.

3. Lift heavy & often. Try to incorporate squats & bench press, if you can.

4. Food intake. No one is expecting you to eat kale and sweet potatoes all the time. But try and start off preparing meals a couple of days a week, then slowly move on from there. Don't jump straight into all the supplements. I use protein shake after my workouts, but again, I did this months after I joined.

5. Finally, stay consistent. Even if you don't feel like it, as soon as you step inside the gym, try to spend at least 1 hour in there, you will feel much better for it after!

When you join and stay consistent, you will speak to people there who can give you tips. Lifting weights and gym work, in general, is a long-term goal, don't expect to get muscular arms in a few weeks. To add muscle takes months, most the time years! Enjoy the journey.

Pollycat

RyanEzio wrote: »

3. Lift heavy & often. Try to incorporate squats & bench press, if you can.

When you join and stay consistent, you will speak to people there who can give you tips. Lifting weights and gym work, in general, is a long-term goal, don't expect to get muscular arms in a few weeks. To add muscle takes months, most the time years! Enjoy the journey.

Ryan, why do you suggest 'lift heavy and often'?

It sounds like the OP doesn't want to 'muscle up', just get fitter and trim down:

dekaspace wrote: »

I used to go the gym for 2-3 hours daily when I was 20 (into my mid 30s now) and my preferences haven't changed just my fitness, still want to use bike, treadmill, rowing machine, step machine and some cardio its just even when I first started back then it wasn't this hard!

Dekaspace - how are you getting on at the gym?

andygb

First of all, it sounds as though the OP has got into a cycle of going to the gym - good!
However, the current diet is pretty bad, so eating a meal (not too large) in the morning has to be a must. Fruit, nuts and cereals, wholemeal toast, poached eggs etc.
As the OP has told us that they are obese, then running wouldn't be my advised option for cardio, it would be long (5 miles or more) brisk walks, or cross trainer/bike/rower in the gym.
I wouldn't suggest any type of HIIT at this stage because we don't know the OP's state of health.
I would also suggest staying away from heavy weights, and suggest that the OP trains for endurance by doing 3 sets of 15 to 20 repetitions of lighter weights. If the OP does this, then try to alternate muscle groups over the course of a week, and always exercise the big muscle groups (Lats, Pecs, Quads) first in the session after warming up, then the smaller groups (Biceps, Triceps, Calves etc).
Always do a dynamic warmup prior to the exercise session - abdominal rotations, lunges, star jumps, squates etc, then always do static stretches at the end to offset DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness) where lactic acid can cause muscle soreness for up to three days.
Finally, get someone at the gym to give you a proper induction, where they will take you over all the equipment, show you how to use it correctly and safely, take personal details including those about any possible health issues.
They should also ask you what you hope to achieve, how much weight you want to lose, how many times a week you want to attend the gym.
They should also be able to create a program for you based on what they have seen you do during the induction.
Good luck!




PS - I am a qualified fitness instructor.:)

Gloomendoom

Pollycat wrote: »

Ryan, why do you suggest 'lift heavy and often'?

It sounds like the OP doesn't want to 'muscle up', just get fitter and trim down:

I suppose it depends what you mean by often.

Mrs G goes to the gym every day and prefers to lift as heavy as she can. There is no way that you would call her 'muscled up'. Heavy means fewer reps to get the same results and less time working out.

Pollycat

Gloomendoom wrote: »

I suppose it depends what you mean by often.

Or more accurately, I guess it depends what Ryan means by 'often'.

andygb

Gloomendoom wrote: »

I suppose it depends what you mean by often.

Mrs G goes to the gym every day and prefers to lift as heavy as she can. There is no way that you would call her 'muscled up'. Heavy means fewer reps to get the same results and less time working out.

I am afraid that this is a totally different weight training system, which refers to training for strength, instead of for endurance or hypotrophy.
You certainly do not get the same results as training for endurance, because with strength training the aerobic system is hardly being exercised at all.