NVR Questions for gym goer:
For past 6 months I have lost 20 to 30 lbs. I decided to exercise to my daily life by join World Gym. Monday is the my first day and I met a trainer. She basically show ed me around and taught me how to use weight machines and cardio machine. Also taught me use weight machine do 3 sets (12, 10, 8) starts. If I come to the gym 3 times a week, I will do (upper body , cardiod ) ( cardiod,) (lower body, cardiod) each week. Monday I only did upper body and 5 minuets cardiod on a machine. Total 35 minutes. By Monday night I was so sore I can't sleep whole night. Even today I am still very sore. I am only a beginner, and I can't afford a trainer. There are a lots of other classes like Pilate, yoga, and dance, spinning (cycling). But I think in my stage, I can't catch up with anyone. Anybody have idea that how should I start a routines without kill myself first? The way the trainer taught me I don't think I can keep up. There must be a way for the beginner. Now I think exercise is go intimidated.
A little soreness is good, but if it's too bad just use lighter weights, or only 1-2 sets. work up to the 3 sets at heavier weights.
I go in spurts with gyming...like every other month I'll just really want to go to the gym, stay there for hours, and push myself to the absolute limit - it's insane. The first day of weird workout habits are always like that, I get tired really quick, I can't run as much as I had before and not nearly as fast. Then like two or three days into it, your body gets used to it and you'll find that you can do cardio for a longer amount of time without getting tired and are able to lift the same amount of weight without your muscles burning.
So on the first day I start working out again, I'll just lift the minimum amount of weight with the minimum amount of reps for myself. And I just do that for about 20 minutes. And with cardio I just do like 30 minutes on the ellipitical or the treadmill with the setting that lets me set my own pace. I just stick to the times to make sure I keep something stable (so you won't go too light on yourself)
I love that sore achy feeling.. how I miss it... in my mind its' the sign of a good workout... I haven't been able to push myself at the gym since the twinkies were born. I'd be in big trouble if my arms were too sore to pick up the kids afterwards ;D
I'd suggest doing more reps of lighter weights until you get the hang of it.
K^2
Drink more water, it will help the soreness.
Lift lighter weights and work your way up. The soreness WILL go away after a while. ;)
Also, if you want to take a class, go for it! Tell the teacher that you're new and he/she will help you. Especially with something like pilates, it's not too hard to get the hang of it. Good luck!
I agree with closeyoureyestosee...
It might be nice to break up your weight lifting with a class.
Pilates is awesome--it works so many different muscles!
I am a huge fan of spinning. It's very simple--just pedaling and turning a dial up or down based on the instructor's cues.
And since everyone is doing the same motion, you can't tell a beginner from a pro ;)
You also control the resistance, so you can work as hard as you like, and it's relatively easy on your joints.
Don't let the soreness intimidate you! Like everyone says, the beginning is always the worst. Give it time.
I'm always very sore if I haven't worked out in a long time. It takes a long time for it to go away, but it gradually gets better each time you work out. You probably won't be able to bear going to the gym every day or every other day at first, but it gets better.
You can reduce the soreness in your muscles by drinking more water before and after your work out and by breathing more deeply. Some people forget to breath! It's important to get O2 in order to prevent the formation of lactic acid in your muscles (=soreness). I've heard that doing some cardio before weightlifting helps with soreness, since your circulation (heart rate) goes up, transfers O2 more readily, blah blah blah. But I don't know if this is true.
Thanks everyone. My problem is while I was at the gym on Monday already lifted the lightest weight and at that time I don't think it is difficult but by the night, I can't move my arms and legs. Thanks everyone's tip. I will drink more water before I start exercise. Also do cardio first before weight. Start with the lightest and only do one set. Between them I will try the Pilate class. Now I know sore is good. I just need to control them not letting the soreness to disrupt my daily life. Thanks
These are all great suggestions! My advice is to do more cardio before lifting, to build some stamina. Then use free weights (barbie-bells are pink 1 pound hand weights!) and do simple motions. Also if you find you are really sore, do just one part of your body. So Monday you do 15-30 minutes on a treadmill, elliptical or bike before stepping over to do upper body bench press and lat pulls. Tuesday you do the same cardio but do legs. Wednesday you do cardio and abs / tush. Thursday you start over with upper body and Friday finishes legs. You can mix it up but try not to repeat the same body part two days in a row.
Good luck and congrats on your progress!
Thanks! I still need to lose another 20 to 30 lbs. Now I don't feel so bloated and my knee do not hurt when I walk. This is why I think I better start to workout! Cali, thank you for your suggestions. It is what I am looking for --- a routine I can follow as a beginner!
You are very welcome doughbunny! I am just sharing what my husband tells me to do and how I have adapted his advice for myself. hehe I dont always follow it as I have only lost 15lbs and am trying to get up near your already lost total. If you have the time, do 45 min of Cardio on a Recumbent Bike. They are the best for ouchy knees! (Well mine, as an elliptical makes my toes go numb and thats just annoying!)
Congrats! My hubby and I started at a gym this year and it sure feels good... but it's easy to overdo. We got tuned up for a March of Dimes walk that was unfortunately really poorly measured...
Our coordinator told us 10k. No problem.
Then she told us 5 miles. Ack, but no problem.
Then 5k. Hey, piece of cake!
Then... no, really, 5 miles. Okay...
After the Deathmarch of Dimes pretty much crippled the lot of us who went, we measured the course.
Over 9 miles! Ugh!
So we petered out about the gym til we had nursed our injuries, then we were very slow to get back into the groove. Finally we are starting again and are so tender and sore! Light weights, or bands, and a mix of activities are really helping draw us back in.
My brother has been on a heavy (and I mean VERY HEAVY) regime of weight loss/weightlifting/cardio for about 5 years. He hits a plateau every now and then where he cannot budge his weight, or worse yet, it creeps up as he puts on even more heavy muscle. It's hard not to be frustrated. Suffice it to say that you should not overdo it. There IS such a thing as a diet too low in calories (you will stop losing weight as your body goes into survival mode) and there IS such a thing as too much exercise... if you are suffering, negotiate a small reprieve with your trainer. You're an individual and you can individually tailor your program.
I was bitterly sore the first time, and the first time after a long break. Even the second and third. By the fourth or fifth workout, I felt great. Here's your guideline: if it's pain in the joint or severe pain, stop. You DON'T want to injure yourself! If it hurts just a little as muscle burn, that is probably okay. If you hurt, work out again (gently, lightly) and the pain will go away within a few sessions. You might hurt for a week or so, but your energy level will go up and it will stop hurting soon unless you are overdoing it.
Congrats, congrats, congrats!
You probably overdid it a bit. But basically, it's DOMS - Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness. It's normal and to be expected when you start a new kind of exercise. Google "DOMS" and you'll find lots of information. I'd worry if I worked out and didn't get DOMS! That's when you need to change up your routine and either do different exercises or add weight. It means that you did good and your muscles are building up! I worked out to a new video workout Wednesday that concentrated on the upper body, mostly arms and abs and I was a little sore Thursday but I really feel it in my triceps today. But heed Duckalucky's advice: if the pain's in a joint and not the muscle or it's really severe, stop. If you're working out and you feel something tear, stop immediately. But if your muscles don't get a little sore then you're wasting your time if your goal is to build muscle. Muscle is what you need to maintain a good metabolism to burn off fat. As we get older if we don't work at building muscle, the normal way our bodies react is to lose muscle. I think I read that starting at about age 30 we lose about 1% of our muscle a year if measures aren't taken to counteract that. Therefore, if you don't do muscle building exercises consistently, by the time you're 50 (like me) you could have 20% less muscle than you did at 30. I found that after a few years of being slothful that I not nearly as strong as I was at 40 and it's been really, really hard to lose the rest of the weight that I need to drop.