Okay, confession: before today, I had never used a gym. I had visited a gym once, MAYBE twice, but not to use their equipment. But yesterday, I got a membership to Fitness 19, and today, I had a trainer show me the basics.
He was very nice, so I gotta give kudos to their customer service here. I explained to him early on that I was brand new to gyms and proper exercise in general, and that I had little idea how to use some of the machines. He was awesome enough to walk me through many of the weight and cardio machines, explaining proper form and how many reps of what exercise I ought to do each time.
At some point, though, I think I will need to hire a trainer for a few sessions. It's ridiculously easy for me to slack off on exercise, and while having a gym buddy would be an alternative solution, I would feel more self-conscious about having a friend judging me than, say, a paid expert. Weird? Maybe. But it's the difference between solicited and unsolicited advice, I suppose. And because I'm just learning, I don't want to test the patience of my friends. Better to test the patience of an expert I just paid to show me the ropes.
My goal, in case you're curious, is primarily to tone my body. I'm not unhappy with my weight or my measurements (except maybe my hips), but I would like to fit into my clothes better and to also not have certain parts of my body jiggle while I walk or move. Also, it'd be great to not struggle so much on jogging/running for a mile. Trainer guy says that based on my measurements and goals, I'm looking to convert about 5 lbs. of fat into muscle. I'm not concerned about calorie counting or burning, but I think I will try to change some eating habits and spread my meals out more while integrating more fruits and veggies.
Here's to a successful road towards good health!
P.S. If you're wondering what the impetus is for finally signing up for the gym, it was MF. He's been doing better on his exercise regimen, so that kind of inspired me to try, too.
- Gym time
-
![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif)
ilubmoney- October 1st, 2008
(Leave a comment)
(Leave a comment)
Hope you like your gym, trainer, and the workouts. I got a personal trainer several months ago. He works with me once a week for 1 hour. Just before I go, I shave my legs. ydna gives me a hard time that I shave for my trainer, but not for him. ;P Hey, ydna and I've been married for 12 years, so it's fine that he sees my hairy legs and stubble. The trainer though, I am embarrassed to have him see and touch my hairy legs (sometimes he has to touch them to place my legs properly, one time he stretched my ankles).
May good health be yours!
ydna gives me a hard time that I shave for my trainer, but not for him. ;P Hey, ydna and I've been married for 12 years, so it's fine that he sees my hairy legs and stubble. The trainer though, I am embarrassed to have him see and touch my hairy legs (sometimes he has to touch them to place my legs properly, one time he stretched my ankles).May good health be yours!
I'd start getting self-conscious if my trainer had to touch my legs! But I guess that first time was okay when he had to measure me a bit for the evaluation.
Hairiness = intimacy. xD
Also, I went to the gym again yesterday. I was kind of afraid to use the leg curls machine and the leg abduction machine in front of so many people (I don't want my butt so high up in the air like that, nor my legs open like that), so I ended up doing more work on my arms. (Fortunately, I found a seated leg curls machine later.)
Edited at 2008-10-04 06:17 pm (UTC)
Hairiness = intimacy. xD
Also, I went to the gym again yesterday. I was kind of afraid to use the leg curls machine and the leg abduction machine in front of so many people (I don't want my butt so high up in the air like that, nor my legs open like that), so I ended up doing more work on my arms. (Fortunately, I found a seated leg curls machine later.)
Edited at 2008-10-04 06:17 pm (UTC)
Hmmm, I think it's more like
hairiness in the right places for the right gender = intimacy
Yay for going back to the gym!
From what I remember of photos of you, you don't have a big butt. So for the leg curls machine, don't worry about it. If it IS sticking up too high, that probably means your pelvis is no longer on the bench, which is not good leg curl form.
The leg abduction machine is a different story though. If you really want to do leg abduction, you can do the standing ones, can also add a stretch band.
hairiness in the right places for the right gender = intimacy
Yay for going back to the gym!
From what I remember of photos of you, you don't have a big butt. So for the leg curls machine, don't worry about it. If it IS sticking up too high, that probably means your pelvis is no longer on the bench, which is not good leg curl form.
The leg abduction machine is a different story though. If you really want to do leg abduction, you can do the standing ones, can also add a stretch band.
Good luck! I've only been to the gym maybe two times total. I've never gotten a consistent workout routine going. I hope I can in the future for my health and because I am so out of shape. I have trouble running a mile too.
I hope I can get a routine going, too. Since I'm paying for membership and am covered for at least a month at this point, I'm going to make the best of it as possible and try to build up the habit of going while I make it my money's worth. I've always had a hard time with keeping to a workout regimen when it was "free" (eg. jogging in the park, playing tennis, etc.).
woo hoo! congrats....it's a lot of fun...you'll see. take your own towel and water though....also, wear sandals in the showers.....you dont want fungus.....
I have to admit, after my first day in the gym without the trainer (yesterday), it did feel pretty satisfying to go through various machines and exercises in the hour I was there. My arms are really sore today! :)
2008-10-02 06:35 am (UTC)