Fitness for dummies?

brewer12345 · 03-12-2008, 12:09 PM

I joined a gym at the start of the yer and am now going 5 days a week (although getting up 4:45 AM to do so is less than wonderful). Realized today that I really don't know much about this, especially what I should/shouls not be doing as I try to get in better shape. Anyone have a good resource for this sort of thing? I am looking for basic, medically-approved info rather than someone's program or patented system/idea (not the fitness equipment of "buckets").

**Want2retire** · 03-12-2008, 01:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by brewer12345

I joined a gym at the start of the yer and am now going 5 days a week (although getting up 4:45 AM to do so is less than wonderful). Realized today that I really don't know much about this, especially what I should/shouls not be doing as I try to get in better shape. Anyone have a good resource for this sort of thing? I am looking for basic, medically-approved info rather than someone's program or patented system/idea (not the fitness equipment of "buckets").

I don't have a link/resource for you. Be sure to include some research on doing a warm-up beforehand, and cool-down afterwards, and including plenty of stretching after each (your gym probably has stretching stations). I think these are medically approved and stretching is said to help greatly in preventing injuries.

Edited to add: Oh wait, I DO have a resource, though I have never read it:
Amazon.com: Fitness For Dummies: Suzanne Schlosberg,Liz Neporent: Books

donheff · 03-12-2008, 01:57 PM

I read Younger Next Year based on recommendations here and it convinced me to add structured aerobics to my routine. Get it out of the library. The short version is aerobics (bike, eliptical trainer, etc) 40 min * 4 days a week + weights at least 2 x week. Your gym can give you a standard weight routine. Diet is important but pales in comparison to the benefits of exercise.

RunningBum · 03-12-2008, 02:14 PM

Having you considered hiring a personal trainer for an hour or two to map out a plan for you, and to show you how to do all of the exercises and use the machines correctly?

brewer12345 · 03-12-2008, 02:18 PM

Trainer isn't a bad idea, but I don't have the time and I already know how to use the machines.

Have to do some reading...

bbbamI · 03-12-2008, 02:57 PM

It's simple really. Do the same amount of reps for each part of your body until it hurts...just a little. Then pick up the pace slowly and add a little more to your weights.

resource....bbbamI

frank2009 · 03-12-2008, 04:30 PM

I've been doing a half hour workout on mon and thurs. a half run on tues and fr.

Master Trainer: Bodybuilding, Weightlifting and Lifetime Fitness

Don't know if this is what you're interested in. After reading the articles, if you like it, I'd say the 6 issues/yr are worth it.

TromboneAl · 03-12-2008, 05:03 PM

Good book for the strength training part:

Amazon.com: Strength Training Past 50: Wayne L. Westcott,Thomas R. Baechle: Books

twaddle · 03-12-2008, 06:21 PM

Forget the books. Forget the gym. Just drop and give me 50!

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/11/he...on/11well.html

Niko · 03-12-2008, 07:09 PM

It depends so much on which activities you prefer to do.

If you like to run, I can recommend The Lory of Running by Tim Noakes. It is not "for dummies" (ie - short) but it is authoritative and comprehensive.

lazygood4nothinbum · 03-12-2008, 07:18 PM

early on i would work out on machines next to people using trainers and gleaned advice from them. don't know if they work so early though.

you might find some pretty good info here: Muscle Building Forum

Midpack · 03-12-2008, 08:34 PM

Depends in part on what you're trying to accomplish, weight loss, muscle mass, general fitness, etc. I'd recommend Body for Life by Bill Phillips, you should be able to find it at your library. It covers exercise and nutrition, but you don't have to adhere to both. The older you are, the more important warmup and cooldown are. Whatever your fitness level, you have to work up to the next level gradually and continue step by step.

Nords · 03-12-2008, 08:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by brewer12345

Trainer isn't a bad idea, but I don't have the time and I already know how to use the machines.

Raddr can recommend a number of sources and he really enjoys talking about it...
Raddr's Early Retirement and Financial Strategy Board :: View Forum - Health and Fitness

bright eyed · 03-12-2008, 09:48 PM

Many gyms will give you at least one free session with a trainer - so you might as well use it if they offer it.

Other than that i only have what my fitness obsessed sister/trainer says. Do a cardio warm up - like 5-10 minutes easy on a bike/tread/elliptic of your choice - don't push it, just get warm. Stretch a little and do your weights. You can do "pushing" exercises one day, next day do "pulling" so you get both parts of your muscle worked out. Save 20+ minutes of harder cardio to the end when you can burn the remaining fuel. stretch, mop yourself off and go home!

good luck and good for you!

DangerMouse · 03-12-2008, 11:56 PM

I think it would probably be worth your while getting a trainer to set up a program for you. They can tell you what machines, weights, reps etc. you need to do on specific machines to reach your goals. I started at the YMCA in Dec and had a program done and I have made great strides. I am getting the program revised this week to update it. Best success I have ever had.

newguy88 · 03-13-2008, 08:09 AM

Seriously, get out and build up to jogging/running 6 days a week anywhere from 30min to over 1 hour. Then do sets of push ups and sit ups, 10 to 20 at a clip rest and continue until you cannot do anymore. Sometimes its 300 sit ups and 100 push ups. sometimes more or less. But If IF you can keep at it and motivated you do not have to spend one second in a health club.

Ronstar · 03-13-2008, 10:48 AM

[quote=bright eyed;628094] You can do "pushing" exercises one day, next day do "pulling" so you get both parts of your muscle worked out./QUOTE]

I do the "push" and "pull" exercises on alternating days also. With 45 minutes of daily cardio. Got the push-pull advice from a die-hard fitness nut about 20 years ago, and it seems to work.

Notmuchlonger · 03-13-2008, 11:20 AM

Push up and sit ups do work. Ever see those guys in prison how they work out in those cells.

amy5708 · 03-13-2008, 01:45 PM

I wrote a book, available for download, that is a bit on the introductory side of fitness and nutrition.

Never Diet Again: How to Lose Weight, Increase Your Metabolism, and Feel Great in 90 Days eBook

I also am adding nutrition and fitness tips to my blog on a regular basis

Bay Body Works Blog BayBodyWorks

I am working on getting my personal training cert, and while I feel like I know a lot about it, I am constantly learning.

The most important thing is to never sacrifice form when exercising; one injury can set you back years.

Amy

Alan · 03-13-2008, 09:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by amy5708

The most important thing is to never sacrifice form when exercising; one injury can set you back years.

Amy

Over doing things is a very common mistake for people first starting on a training program. (been there, done that

)

As the authors of Younger Next Year say - the target is "younger next year", not "younger tomorrow"

03-12-2008, 12:09 PM	#1
brewer12345 Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ... Join Date: Mar 2003 Posts: 9,226	Fitness for dummies? I joined a gym at the start of the yer and am now going 5 days a week (although getting up 4:45 AM to do so is less than wonderful). Realized today that I really don't know much about this, especially what I should/shouls not be doing as I try to get in better shape. Anyone have a good resource for this sort of thing? I am looking for basic, medically-approved info rather than someone's program or patented system/idea (not the fitness equipment of "buckets"). __________________ “When you realize that you are one of the rare few who observe moral principles in their relationships with others, there is a temptation to sink into amorality, not out of conviction or pleasure but simply to avoid further pain, because there is no greater suffering than being an angel in hell, whereas a devil feels at home wherever he goes.” – Martin Page, How I Became Stupid

03-12-2008, 01:57 PM	#3
donheff Thinks s/he gets paid by the post Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 2,688	I read Younger Next Year based on recommendations here and it convinced me to add structured aerobics to my routine. Get it out of the library. The short version is aerobics (bike, eliptical trainer, etc) 40 min * 4 days a week + weights at least 2 x week. Your gym can give you a standard weight routine. Diet is important but pales in comparison to the benefits of exercise. __________________ Every man is, or hopes to be, an Idler. -- Samuel Johnson

03-12-2008, 02:18 PM	#5
brewer12345 Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ... Join Date: Mar 2003 Posts: 9,226	Trainer isn't a bad idea, but I don't have the time and I already know how to use the machines. Have to do some reading... __________________ “When you realize that you are one of the rare few who observe moral principles in their relationships with others, there is a temptation to sink into amorality, not out of conviction or pleasure but simply to avoid further pain, because there is no greater suffering than being an angel in hell, whereas a devil feels at home wherever he goes.” – Martin Page, How I Became Stupid

03-12-2008, 02:57 PM	#6
bbbamI Thinks s/he gets paid by the post Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Dallas Vicinity Posts: 1,751	It's simple really. Do the same amount of reps for each part of your body until it hurts...just a little. Then pick up the pace slowly and add a little more to your weights. resource....bbbamI __________________ Sometimes my feelings are so hot that I have to take the pen and put them out on paper to keep them from setting me afire inside; then all that ink and labor are wasted because I can't print the results....Mark Twain

03-12-2008, 05:03 PM	#8
TromboneAl Thinks s/he gets paid by the post Join Date: Jun 2006 Posts: 4,116	Good book for the strength training part: Amazon.com: Strength Training Past 50: Wayne L. Westcott,Thomas R. Baechle: Books __________________ - Al -- Always serious, never joking. No, wait. Never serious... Always... I forget.

03-12-2008, 02:14 PM	#4
RunningBum Full time employment: Posting here. Join Date: Jun 2007 Posts: 757	Having you considered hiring a personal trainer for an hour or two to map out a plan for you, and to show you how to do all of the exercises and use the machines correctly?

03-12-2008, 04:30 PM	#7
frank2009 Dryer sheet wannabe Join Date: Mar 2008 Posts: 12	I've been doing a half hour workout on mon and thurs. a half run on tues and fr. Master Trainer: Bodybuilding, Weightlifting and Lifetime Fitness Don't know if this is what you're interested in. After reading the articles, if you like it, I'd say the 6 issues/yr are worth it.

03-12-2008, 06:21 PM	#9
twaddle Thinks s/he gets paid by the post Join Date: Jun 2006 Posts: 1,377	Forget the books. Forget the gym. Just drop and give me 50! http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/11/he...on/11well.html __________________ Favorite ERF quote: "I'm not going to waste my time on someone who's more interested in being stubborn or obtuse or intolerant." -- Nords Favorite ERF error message: "Sorry Nords is a moderator/admin and you are not allowed to ignore him or her."

03-12-2008, 07:09 PM	#10
Niko Recycles dryer sheets Join Date: May 2005 Posts: 163	It depends so much on which activities you prefer to do. If you like to run, I can recommend The Lory of Running by Tim Noakes. It is not "for dummies" (ie - short) but it is authoritative and comprehensive. __________________

03-12-2008, 07:18 PM	#11
lazygood4nothinbum Thinks s/he gets paid by the post Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 3,762	early on i would work out on machines next to people using trainers and gleaned advice from them. don't know if they work so early though. you might find some pretty good info here: Muscle Building Forum __________________ "off with their heads"~~dr. joseph-ignace guillotin "life should begin with age and its privileges and accumulations, and end with youth and its capacity to splendidly enjoy such advantages."~~mark twain - letter to edward kimmitt 1901

03-12-2008, 08:34 PM	#12
Midpack Full time employment: Posting here. Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 878	Depends in part on what you're trying to accomplish, weight loss, muscle mass, general fitness, etc. I'd recommend Body for Life by Bill Phillips, you should be able to find it at your library. It covers exercise and nutrition, but you don't have to adhere to both. The older you are, the more important warmup and cooldown are. Whatever your fitness level, you have to work up to the next level gradually and continue step by step. __________________ You only live once...

03-12-2008, 09:48 PM	#14
bright eyed Thinks s/he gets paid by the post Join Date: Jan 2007 Posts: 1,577	Many gyms will give you at least one free session with a trainer - so you might as well use it if they offer it. Other than that i only have what my fitness obsessed sister/trainer says. Do a cardio warm up - like 5-10 minutes easy on a bike/tread/elliptic of your choice - don't push it, just get warm. Stretch a little and do your weights. You can do "pushing" exercises one day, next day do "pulling" so you get both parts of your muscle worked out. Save 20+ minutes of harder cardio to the end when you can burn the remaining fuel. stretch, mop yourself off and go home! good luck and good for you! __________________ If i think of something clever to say, i'll put it here...

03-12-2008, 11:56 PM	#15
DangerMouse Full time employment: Posting here. Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: So. Cal. Posts: 626	I think it would probably be worth your while getting a trainer to set up a program for you. They can tell you what machines, weights, reps etc. you need to do on specific machines to reach your goals. I started at the YMCA in Dec and had a program done and I have made great strides. I am getting the program revised this week to update it. Best success I have ever had. __________________ I be a girl, he's a boy. Semi-FIRED July 08. Mid 40s, no kidlets.

03-13-2008, 08:09 AM	#16
newguy88 Thinks s/he gets paid by the post Join Date: Nov 2005 Posts: 2,119	Seriously, get out and build up to jogging/running 6 days a week anywhere from 30min to over 1 hour. Then do sets of push ups and sit ups, 10 to 20 at a clip rest and continue until you cannot do anymore. Sometimes its 300 sit ups and 100 push ups. sometimes more or less. But If IF you can keep at it and motivated you do not have to spend one second in a health club.

03-13-2008, 10:48 AM	#17
Ronstar Full time employment: Posting here. Join Date: Aug 2007 Posts: 509	[quote=bright eyed;628094] You can do "pushing" exercises one day, next day do "pulling" so you get both parts of your muscle worked out./QUOTE] I do the "push" and "pull" exercises on alternating days also. With 45 minutes of daily cardio. Got the push-pull advice from a die-hard fitness nut about 20 years ago, and it seems to work.

03-13-2008, 11:20 AM	#18
Notmuchlonger Thinks s/he gets paid by the post Join Date: Dec 2007 Posts: 2,902	Push up and sit ups do work. Ever see those guys in prison how they work out in those cells. __________________ He who will not economize will have to agonize

03-13-2008, 01:45 PM	#19
amy5708 Recycles dryer sheets Join Date: Feb 2008 Posts: 50	I wrote a book, available for download, that is a bit on the introductory side of fitness and nutrition. Never Diet Again: How to Lose Weight, Increase Your Metabolism, and Feel Great in 90 Days eBook I also am adding nutrition and fitness tips to my blog on a regular basis Bay Body Works Blog BayBodyWorks I am working on getting my personal training cert, and while I feel like I know a lot about it, I am constantly learning. The most important thing is to never sacrifice form when exercising; one injury can set you back years. Amy __________________ www.werv4fun.com Sold the house, Downsizing, and plan to RV fulltime with the kids. Countdown to June, 2009

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