Going to the gym...? O_O! HOW?!

So, me and some of my girlfriends are wanting to go to the gym and start working out. The problem is is that none of us have ever been to a gym before. All the working out we've ever done has been at home.
We all basically want the same thing: Lose the jiggle!
We just kinda want to get more toned. My personal weight loss goal is to lose about 20 or 30 lbs (being at about 160 right now).
We're just sort of at a loss as to how to "get started" at the gym.
It's an alien world for us!

(Or is like a playground where you walk in and go to the swing set first then the slides a few times and then the see saw and then back to the swings where the push another kid off, cuz the swings were always yours, weather you're on them or not?)

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5 replies since 11th May 2012 • Last reply 11th May 2012

Reply #1:

Well, you want to find a good, local, friendly gym... one that caters to both genders instead of having a male bias.
Start out slow on whatever equipment you use. On weight machines, start with 20 pounds or so of resistance and go up if it ever feels too easy. The most important part of weight training is reps, not how much you can lift or pull. If you find a certain machine that you're really comfortable using, use it a lot. Some people think working out is all about doing a million different things, but really, if you enjoy what you're doing, you'll feel less stressed and lose more weight.
Bring a big bottle of water with you. You need to stay hydrated so you won't get fatigued.
Oh, and eat a protein-packed meal with a bit of salt so your muscles and electrolytes are ready to go. And don't forget to stretch before working out!

If you feel like working out takes too much energy out of you, bodybuilding.com has a lot of energy supplements as well as weight loss supplements. I've ordered from them before and they ship really quickly. I even got a $25 book for free with my order (but I haven't read it yet).

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Reply #2:

First of all, I'm not sure we're your based but California Family Fitness is a great gym. When I go I spend a few min stretching, then I move on to cardio.

You can find an elliptical machine, a bike, stair climber, or treadmill... find what works best for you just know some machines are more effective then others so the amount of time you spend on them will differ. If your goal is to lose weight then spend at least 30 min on cardio but if you just want to start toning muscles do a warm up of 10 min.

Next I do weights. Its important to start with cardio and then go on to weights to keep your heart rate up and make your workout burn more effective. Figure out which areas you want to focus on and find machines that work with corresponding areas. If you're not sure which ones to use you can ask a worker but most have pictures of what they do and how to use them.

The number of reps and amount of weight you use depends on what you want. If you want to be cut then do fewer reps at a higher weight, if you want to tone do more reps at a lower weight just be sure to pace yourself and rest between reps. You don't need to spend a lot of time on each machine, I do a few sets of reps at each machine and jump to the next so I'll use about 10 different machines total.

If you feel satisfied then call your work out done and finish with more stretches, if you have a little extra energy jump back to cardio for another 10 min just to round off your workout and keep the burn going.

Hope that helps! GL with your goals Happy

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Reply #3:

I was the same way whenever I first started to go to the gym! I had to ask people to help me figure out how to use some of the weight machines because I was that clueless. But whenever you start to get the feel for everything and start to get in the routine, you start to feel really, really good. I started off hating it, but ended up loving to go so much that I just felt gross when I skipped out.

It's awesome also that you have people to go with, encouraging each other to go will really benefit you.

As for where to start, I would definitely focus on cardio. Anything that will get you to sweat and your heart pumping. Be careful if you're planning on doing weights; most gyms offer a guide to show you around and explain how the machines work and how to properly lift on them!

Currently, I am trying out this work out program called "INSANITY" that has been really awesome so far. Its crazy intense, but the best thing about it is that the trainer in the video tells you exactly what to do, when to rest, when to stretch... all that good stuff. Just another option. ^_^

And don't forget to eat healthy and drink lots of water!

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Reply #4:

Thanks y'all!

Me and a couple of my girlfriends went and signed up for a gym about a week ago and I've found that I really have fun there. I really like the one I'm going to.

We all have re-evaluated our goals and my long term goal is to lose 10 inches. I'm an emotional spender and when I worked out in the past, I'd go shopping (which I couldn't afford). I decided that if I can lose the weight and keep it off, my reward to myself would be a tattoo.

I've mainly been doing cardio (the elliptical kicks my butt!) but hopefully will start working with weights soon and I've been trying to eat 3 meals a day (as opposed to 1)and I've quit drinking soda (hardest thing ever haha my headaches have been so intense!)

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Reply #5:

That all sounds wonderful Happy Gl with quitting soda Tongue I had it easy cause I've always preferred the taste of diet coke to any other soda but my BF had the same problem but you save soooo many calories that way!

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