New to forum and just started out at the gym :)

kissy

kissy

0
Hi everyone!

I am Catherine. I am 27. Basically am signed up to get advice on the best way forward and to make sure that I am not wasting my time at the gym by doing the wrong exercises for what I'm looking to do.

I have joined a gym about 4 weeks and have been gradually working towards getting a fitter and have about 4-5 stone to loose. I want to loose weight and tone everything up without making muscles looking too big. I have a big chest which I am looking to really work on so everything doesn't go all droopy. I find my lower back gets very sore with a bad twang when doing very little exercise. I have been working on these two areas most.


I got to the gym approx 3-5 nights per week. My routine is :-
20 mins on treadmill at speed 3.3 - 0 incline
20 mins on bike at 4 rating approx 5.2 miles
Deadlifts set 15-12-10 10kgs
Bent row set 15-12-10 10kgs
Chest fly machine set 15-12-10 weight 3
Chest press set 15-12-10 18kgs
Lat pull set 15-12-10 18kgs[/RIGHT]
 
Hi,
Just some quick advice. You should do your cardio exercises AFTER your weights, this is a common mistake which many people make.
Also, try and work on your biggest muscle groups first and work down to your small muscle groups e.g. back, quads, chest, shoulders and so on.
Also add some more exercises, for your shoulders, arms and core body...
 
kissy said:
Can I ask what difference doing cardo after than before?
Click to expand...

Mainly just the fact that you're wasting energy doing cardio that could be put to much better use in weight training. Believe it or not, if you were forced to pick one, weight/resistance training beats cardio every time.

Cardio afterwards can also be beneficial in the sense that you are glycogen depleted, so you will be more likely to burn calories from fat.
 
I have tried doing my cardio after doing weights, and I really do find a massive difference. I find I can push the weights an extra few reps on each machine but still have lots of energy to do my 40mins of cardio which I honeslty didn't think I would.
Are there any other exercises I can do to help my lower back get stronger so that it doesn't hurt as much?
 
krissy,

Rack pulls are a great posterior chain exercise (glutes, hip flexors, lower back). Its basically the last 1/3 of a regular deadlift, and is a good way to build up strength and ligaments,tendons along the whole muscle chain.
 
Break your resistance workout into its core movement elements and include exercises for each movement:
1. quad dominant - squat, lunge
2 rear chain dominant - deadlift, hyperextension, stiff legged deadlift, romanian deadlift, clean
3. horizontal pull - row
4. vertical pull - pullup
5. horizontal push - bench press
6. vertical push - military press

Don't be afraid to use heavy weights, especially on squats and deadlifts. 10kg is not nearly enough! You will not get big muscles! In fact most women actually loose inches as they increase muscle mass while reducing body fat, since muscle is more dense than fat!
 
what are your goals? if you are training to do something, and not just look a certain way, many of the answers above may not be the best.... example: if you are trying to increase V02 to run faster, or chase kids better.

you said 'so I am not wasting my time at the gym" - what are you trying to accomplish?

you back pain could be stretching. Do you have very tight hamstrings?

LOL!

no you have been bombarded!

Welcome to the forum

FF
 
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Maybe this is too simplistic, but...have you checked with the gym to see if your membership comes with a free training session or even 10 minutes orientation time with one of their trainers? My gym offers that. Just a thought, especially since your questions are specific - one of them might be happy to give you some tips for free while you're there.
 
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