weights

[Nuzzolese]

I've only been a member of my gym for a couple of months. Usually when I go there I stick to the elliptical machine and the stationary bike. The weight machines look frightening in their complexity, and the crowd of hulking men intimidate me.

But I decided to face my fears, a little, and try some of them - the weight machines, that is, not the hulking men. har har...ahem. Weights are good for you, so I hear. I get bored with cardio, and I enjoy counting in my head so I think I'd like doing some weights.

I think I'll add on one new machine at a time. I started by asking the employee on duty to show me the machine I looked up online, and how to use and adjust it. The next time I went, I asked to see a different machine. I've tried three things now, always asking the employee first. I'm not about to just wander around looking lost.

It wasn't so bad. It turns out the crowd of weight-lifters wasn't so large and threatening afterall. The only people who spoke to me were really nice and helpful. I had wanted to try the machines that had pictures of people stuck onto them, with their back muscles highlighted in red indicating that the machine in question will work those muscles until, I presume, they feel as burning red as the illustration.

One guy pointed out that I was doing something wrong and he was really nice and polite about it - not condescending or leering or anything. I was surprised that I didn't feel embarrassed about being corrected. He told me that I was going to hurt my back doing what I was doing. So I followed his advice but when I was finished, only my arms seemed to have gotten much out of it.


Do any of you ladies use weight machines at the gym?

[hpdrifter]

Weight machines are good. Free weights are a little better but if you're inexperienced probably start on the machines. The key to the machines is isolation, if it was only working your arms, it was probably supposed to.

I would definitely try to get the gym staff to take you on a tour of the weight machines and set up a routine with reps/sets on different machines working different parts of your body on different days to help you achieve your goals. They'll probably try to sell you personal training sessions but you can ususally wriggle out of that.

There's kind of a lot to it and it really depends on what you want to get out of it.

[Nuzzolese]

Originally Posted by hpdrifter

The key to the machines is isolation, if it was only working your arms, it was probably supposed to.

That's what was so frustrating, the picture on the machine suggested that it was for backs. My only sore parts were the place where my arm closes in half - you know that part, the opposite side of the elbow?

[HEIRESS]

Always start with the lowest weight possible. Even if that means you have to pull the pin out of the weight stack, nothing to be ashamed of here (atleast you showed up right?)

Weight machines are good but I would steal a glance into a few magazines (Self or Women's health) and pick up a few free weight moves and core exercises to do as well. These exercises work out more muscles at once because you are having to stabilize your whole body at the same time.

If you next want to amp it up, start doing free weight exericises for your arms while standing on a bosu ball.

Also you could probably find an instructional video online for how to use almost any machine at the gym. Sometimes the other "helpful" patrons don't know what the fuck they are doing either so don't always trust them.

[Echewta]

Make sure to be on your cell phone when you workout.

[hpdrifter]

God that is so sexy.

[Nuzzolese]

I'm afraid to start a whole body routine. It sounds like, I don't know, a big venture for a beginner. I have looked up routines online, I dunno.

My gym is really cheap and bare bones, they don't have personal training sessions or anything, unfortunately.

I do have 10 lb dumbells at home that used to belong to my brother. They're almost too heavy for me to do much with them. I can't do the fly-up things with them, or the tricep thingies. Maybe I should get smaller ones. I'm not sure if I ever want to be able to do everything with 10 lbs.

Thanks for the advice!
I'm doing this in secret, kind of. I don't want anyone to know I'm trying to do this until I feel confident about it.

[jabumbo]

i am turned on by the thought of talking on the phone with nuzzo while she works her biceps and triceps

[Nuzzolese]

Originally Posted by jabumbo

i am turned on by the thought of talking on the phone with nuzzo while she works her biceps and triceps

I would use the earpiece to unnerve and annoy people in my proximity who will think I'm talking to them. I don't use weights for my 'ceps. I just do girly pushups.

[checkyourprez]

Originally Posted by Echewta

Make sure to be on your cell phone when you workout.

thats the ultimate tool action.

i hate that shit.

your at the gym to get swollen bro, not talk on the cellular.

[nodanaonlyzuul]

free weights mostly, but I do machines too. I LOVE weights. Before I was derailed by injuries and sickness recently, I was getting fantastic results using weights... I was slender but toned and NOT at all bulky. I planned not to go over a certain weight amount once I reached a goal, and just increased reps for tone. I didn't even do cardio all that much either but was still slim. I would hop on a bike maybe twice a week and I do walk more than drive places, or at least try to.

So basically, weights =

[mikizee]

I really like my gym but several times a week when I'm on a bike there this big group of really fat chicks turn up, they all get on the bikes around me, and gossip and yell and laugh and be really loud and blah blah blah blah all while pedalling on their bikes at less than 1mph.

HEY LADIES YOU COULDA DONE NEXT TO NOTHING WHILE YELLING AT HOME THANKYOU

But its also funny when you see ladies get on the bikes where you sit down and have the pedals in front of you, and proceed to pedal very very slowly while reading a womens magazine. They do that for 20 mins then drive home. THEY ARE WASTING THEIR OWN TIME