Looking to join a gym!

[Voiceontapex]

I'm looking into joining a gym (theres a golds gym near me), I have never been to a gym before, hell the only time i really ever worked out was when I was in highschool like 6 years ago

I have no idea how to use any of the machines and feel intimidated by joining a gym for this simple reason and I have no idea what kind of workout routine i should do

how much do you guys pay for gym memberships and have any of you felt intimidated like this? any info is appreciated thanks

[NorCalGolfer]

www.bodybuilding.com

That site changed my life. And don't worry about going to a gym. I used to think people would look at me funny cuz I was skinny and what not, but really..no one cares. Everyone was my size at one point. They weren't born with 20" arms and 5% bodyfat. lol. But I will say...Golds Gym DID intimidate me. Those f**kers are enormous. haha.

I pay $25 for an all gym membership (24hr fitness). So I can go where ever in the country that has a 24 and workout.

[Voiceontapex]

yea im not looking to get enormous or anything but i have a fairly large frame and dont think i would look good "skinny" lol so im just lookin to turn the chub into muscle and get rid of these "moobs" hahaha but like I said i just have no clue where to start to achieve the goal i want

[andy]

What you want to do, especially in your first month is to not dwell so much on getting the perfect work-out routine but to establish a consistent work-out schedule.

If you haven't been to the gym, then you will be very sore on your first two weeks anyways. I would focus on building up your heart via cardio jogs/workouts and watch how others use the equipment. I don't know about your gym but we can ask a personal trainer on site for free on how to use a certain type of equipment.

[mtsalmela80]

Plantet fitness, $20 a month. If you are just an "average Joe" its a great deal, however if you are working out to get huge, better off at Golds (~$52 a month)

Both chains are all over the country

[sp33d]

I work out alot (well havent recently, kid, golf, etc)

I go to 24 hour fitness, used to go to a "big" gym but it got to be a pain in the ass when you have people trying to work out with you all the time. My work out partner, my cousin is pretty fricking big. So people always wanted to work out with us. Im not big by any means. We went to a smaller gym to get away from that and its been so much better.

BB.com is a great resource, depending on what your goals are. working out is much like golf 90% diet, 10% working out. I could never eat enought to get huge gains, but I am strong which is all I ever cared about.

Get a partner, get a plan/schedule and stick to it. the partner is to have an obligation you have to show up, plus they help with spotting and motivation.

What I suggest, is start with basics and get a solid foundation. Before you start dong isolation stuff, or you can look like 90% of the idots with big arms and little tiny legs...
Squats, Dead-Lifts/strait leg dead lifts, Flat Bench, Pull-up, bent over rows, Arms and Calves. You will be sore as hell, but stick with it, eat alot when you start out that will help with the soreness.

Adventually you will want to start taking suppliments, I have tried them all, and what i havent my cousin has. Protien and Vitamins are honestly all you need. all that NO-Xplode and crap are just that crap. Good diet is the key. Flax-seed and stuff like that is good too.

[ItsAllRelative]

Lot of good info posted here already. I'll keep it short then...

Bodybuilding.com has great info/resources.
Don't be intimidated at the gym, EVERYBODY started worse off than they are now.
Focus on good form or you WILL injure yourself, eventually. My rotator cuffs hate me nowadays because i learned to bench press with poor form. It hasn't affected my swing yet, and I am grateful for that.

Have fun, eat right, and put in hard work in the gym. You'll see results in time.

[mkrolewski]

There are trainers (at a fair expense) that can take you through a workout. I believe they have a series of 6,12, or 18 sessions, one hour each for about $50 ? per session. I found that you can state what you want eg just cardio, the Arnold look, flexibility, etc and they can in a few weeks get you a complete workout. They write it all down on a chart which is yours. If you do not like the trainer, try another one. They are generally hunger for clients.

I believe you can get a basic 30 minute run through of the machines for free. As at the desk.

I found the machines were relatively straight forward. They tend to be designed to isolate a particular muscle group, so you are only working that group and you really cannot do the exercise wrong. The muscle groups on typically drawn/displayed on the machine. The only serious issue is the weight sizes. Many of the machines in my gym appear to be off. But in general 10 is less than 20 and so on. So take the actual mass you are lifting with a grain of salt.

Free weights are more challenging and harder to develop good form.

The cabled machines eg you are pulling a cord rather than pushing a lever are in the middle.

You need to decide or decide with the trainer on how often and what muscle groups you want to work. I think the other references are for specific work outs. I generally do 3 sets of 15 lifts per machine. I do 10 or so machines -- upper and lower body once a week. My recommendation is enough weight that you are tired when doing the last 3 or 5 lifts. For me, that is 50-120 lbs, except for leg lifts were I can do 200+. I prefer light and quick -- 30-60 seconds of lifting, 30 second recover. Then 1-2 minutes between machines. About a hour total. This routine is sufficient to tone your muscles and even add muscle mass.

Do not be afraid to set the bar low. I cannot do churls; I think I started under 30 for a two handed machine. No one really cares. And it is really hard to impress anyone. I am most impressed with the people who are in there a lot, no matter their physical condition.

Personally, I prefer cardio workouts -- most Golds have a cardio theater and players on the bikes, ellipicals, etc. 30 minutes and you are out of there. I would run but age and mass prevent it right now.

Big issue is getting in often and regularly. I think 3 times a week is a minimum. And keep it up.

Good luck.

[Voiceontapex]

yea ive started eating alot better so far lost about 11 lbs with really no real exercise just the 100lb boxes i lift at work and rushing around with it, and comin home and playing drums, which the way i play should be a work out in its self lol

3 years ago i lost 85 lbs =[ =[ =[ got a new gf that always liked to go out to eat, shoulda refused but i gave in to her lol, and over the time i never really noticed till it was too late and gained it all back but ive learned my lesson for sure with that lol

I talked to my brother and he said he would join a gym and go with me would goin mon wed fri consistently be too little to go? or should i think about adding more days to it?

[sp33d]

3 days a week is great, if you can get solid work outs every day you go in. I usually jog on my days off just like a mile or so.

Heres what my week looks like usually.
Monday- Flat Bench, Inclines press, decline press, dumb bell flys, dips, and some tricep stuff.

Wensday - Pull ups, dead lifts, bent over rows, reverse flys, rows, biceps.

Friday- Squats, Lunges, Strait leg dead lifts, leg machines/calves.

Sat/Sunday- Standing shoulder presses, side and front raises, millitary presses, abs and a little cardio.

Thats my normall routine, theres a lot of variations that go with it, but that is my core excersises.