Stevo985 Posted January 12, 2015 VT Supporter Share Posted January 12, 2015 I can't really go to the gym any other time than right after work. Which sucks as it's obviously the most busy! I'm moving gyms this week (hopefully) which should allow me to go a bit later if I need to. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ismail-villa Posted January 12, 2015 Share Posted January 12, 2015 The only thing that's put me off going to the gym is that I don't really feel comfortable when there's loads of people around as I sometimes feel that people will be watching. Guess it's just anxiety but it's definitely been putting me off even though I know it won't be like that Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meath_Villan Posted January 12, 2015 Share Posted January 12, 2015 The only thing that's put me off going to the gym is that I don't really feel comfortable when there's loads of people around as I sometimes feel that people will be watching. Guess it's just anxiety but it's definitely been putting me off even though I know it won't be like that I used to be like that and kinda still am thats why headphones go on hood up and just do what you went to do ....any major bad form is probably the only time anyone will bother you or to ask how many set you have left on the bench or machine Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevo985 Posted January 12, 2015 VT Supporter Share Posted January 12, 2015 Yep, like I said, you're much more likely to get people helping you in the gym than taking the piss or anything. 99% of the time people won't take any notice of what you're doing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
villaglint Posted January 13, 2015 Share Posted January 13, 2015 I think when you do anything for the first time you are always going to feel a bit self conscious. If you play football for the first time in ten years or take up golf. I have recently started indoor climbing and I am very aware of how crap I am compared to everyone else. Point is though that everyone has to start at the bottom and as you get more experienced all those feelings go away. Not that they matter a jot in the first place. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PieFacE Posted January 20, 2015 VT Supporter Share Posted January 20, 2015 (edited) Well I had my gym induction, looks pretty straight forward. Start off on 5 basic weight machines (chest press, leg press etc) for 8 weeks. Every week will involve more weight and more "sets". I have the strength of a 12 year old girl so hoping after 8 weeks I should feel a lot better. I'm quite fortunate as my gym is about a 5 minute drive from work. So I can go before work (I like to go swimming before work), and use the gym on my lunch break as it should be quite quiet. My induction last night was at 7pm and there were too many people there, made me feel a bit uncomfortable, specially as I was struggling doing really light weights (in their eyes) Either way, got a good plan to follow. Result EDIT: Also - I've been having a fruit bowl with yoghurt & nuts every morning from the gym, with an Innocent Veg Pot for lunch. Does anyone know if this is a relatively good diet for exercising? Comes to about 700 calories combined which is decent, just unsure if fruit is good for the morning? Edited January 20, 2015 by PieFacE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevo985 Posted January 20, 2015 VT Supporter Share Posted January 20, 2015 Have they started you off on weights machines? it's a good start, but if you can make the jump to free weights I'd fully advise it. They're a lot more beneficial. But by all means use the machines to get your bearing and see where you are strength wise. Are you doing the same five machines each session? Again, go for it to start with to get your bearings but you'll probably want to move to a more rounded routine after a while. I could write pages on nutrition here, but it's best to keep it simple when you're starting or I'll bore you into giving up before you've even started Basically it depends on your goals. IIRC you were looking to "tone up", i.e. lose fat right? So what you need to do is eat less calories than you burn, but that will vary massively depending on your height and weight. A good place to start is a TDEE calculator like this one That will work out your Total Daily Energy Expenditure. In laymans terms, how many calories you burn in a day. Take that number, subtract 500, and aim for that many calories per day. Use that as your starting point. If you're not losing flab then subtract a bit more. Make sure you monitor it regularly (weekly is fine) The timing of when you eat and, to a large extent, what you eat is negligible. If you want to eat fruit in the morning then go for it. At this stage don't overthink it. Hit your calorie goal and leave it at that. You do want to be high in protein though. Your nuts and veg will be a good start, but you do want to stick a couple of protein shakes in there. To build muscle the general rule of thumb is to try and eat around 1g of protein per pound of bodyweight per day. You may struggle being a veggie but again, at this point don't overthink it, just try and get your protein intake up. So go for a shake after your workout and maybe one later in the day as well. Like I said before, you're in a good position being a newbie. You should be able to shed a bit of flab and "tone up" whilst adding a bit of muscle at the same time and not worrying too much about macros or meal timings. Once you've been doing it for a few months those newbie gains will stop and you'll have to decide whether you want to carry on building muscle or losing fat and adjust your diet accordingly. But don't worry about that yet. If you fancy some reading, there's a good article on nutrition here It's detailed though. Don't let it scare you off, keep it simple for now Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PieFacE Posted January 20, 2015 VT Supporter Share Posted January 20, 2015 Sweet mate! Thanks for all your help with everything! You know your stuff!!! Yeah straight onto weight machines. To be honest i'm quite happy just doing that for 8 weeks and then moving onto other stuff. I've never done weights before so have no idea on technique etc. So using the machines will be a good starting point I think. Yeah my goals were to tone up, lose weight whilst gaining muscle along the way! Using the TDEE as a guide I burn about 2953 calories a day. Generally (5 days a week) I only eat about 1300-1600. So weight should be flying off me really!! Maybe I need to cut out the curry/pizza on the weekend haha. I'll have a read of the nutrition article later once I've finished work Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevo985 Posted January 20, 2015 VT Supporter Share Posted January 20, 2015 Yep machines are ok to start you off, but I would be pushing you to move to free weights once you're comfortable. 2953 is a lot! But I do tend to find those things overestimate a little. But don't be afraid to push your calories up a little as 1600 is pretty low. Add a bit more protein in on top of whatever you're currently eating and it should be a good start. The thing to remember is everybody is different. If 1600 works for you and you're meeting your goals then go for it. But if you start stalling don't be afraid to change it up. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
omariqy Posted January 20, 2015 Share Posted January 20, 2015 Drink lots of water also. Protein wise for a veggie - try shakes, nuts, beans, feta cheese, quorn substitutes 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PieFacE Posted January 20, 2015 VT Supporter Share Posted January 20, 2015 Cheers chaps. I'll report back in 8 weeks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nicho Posted January 20, 2015 Share Posted January 20, 2015 Been hitting the gym hard the past few weeks. Now I'm used to some shakes and aching but really struggling after workouts and the day after. Getting some numbness, nausea, feeling feint. Thinking this is due to low blood sugar because of a better diet and my body having to digest my fat that is full of toxins. Not normally a hypochondriac but with a history of heart trouble in my family it's got me a bit worried. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meath_Villan Posted January 20, 2015 Share Posted January 20, 2015 Been hitting the gym hard the past few weeks. Now I'm used to some shakes and aching but really struggling after workouts and the day after. Getting some numbness, nausea, feeling feint. Thinking this is due to low blood sugar because of a better diet and my body having to digest my fat that is full of toxins. Not normally a hypochondriac but with a history of heart trouble in my family it's got me a bit worried. Take a break (few days off) let the body catch up.......If your feeling feint during your workout everytime visit a doctor and get checked out Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevo985 Posted January 21, 2015 VT Supporter Share Posted January 21, 2015 Been hitting the gym hard the past few weeks. Now I'm used to some shakes and aching but really struggling after workouts and the day after. Getting some numbness, nausea, feeling feint. Thinking this is due to low blood sugar because of a better diet and my body having to digest my fat that is full of toxins. Not normally a hypochondriac but with a history of heart trouble in my family it's got me a bit worried. I'm happy to give gym advice to people on VillaTalk. But proper medical advice isn't something that should be obtained from a forum. Go to the doctor's. Pain after a workout, even days after, is normal. Numbness, nausea and faintness absolutely is not. Even if it's nothing, go to the doc's and get him to confirm. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PieFacE Posted January 21, 2015 VT Supporter Share Posted January 21, 2015 Right Mr.Stevo985 (Is Steve your real name? For some reason I think it's not, must have read it somewhere?) Anyway..... Got a question for you. As I said previously, I have the strength of a 12 year old girl. So I did my first work out session today and came across a bit of a problem. Well, two problems actually. Problem 1 is that I really struggled to do the weights they have set me (which are probably really low but i'm a pussy), simple solution, go 5-10k lower and work my way up from there. Which is fine. Problem 2. My right arm is stronger than my left. Like, on the chest press for example, my right arm was coping but my left was not. Guessing this is down to masturbation and tennis (hopefully more tennis). So what is the best thing for me to do in this scenario? Lower the weights just on the left side and keep the same on the right? Or, lower the weights on the left side and right side and wait for my left arm to be as strong as the right? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevo985 Posted January 21, 2015 VT Supporter Share Posted January 21, 2015 My name isn't Steve, but VT calls me it anyway, so feel free Problem 1 - yes you're right. Lower the weight to something you're comfortable with. Every set should be difficult. So if you're going for 10 reps, then the 10th one should be tough. Aim for the last rep of the set to be the last one you can push out. If the last rep is easy, you need to raise the weight. If you can't rwch the last rep then you need to go lower. Form is much more important than weight. You'll get better results from lifting a lighter weight with good form than you will lifting something that's too heavy and using shit form to get it up. Problem 2 - No, don't unbalance your weight. Keep it the same and your weaker arm will catch up. Same if you're doing isolation exercises like dumbell curls. Keep both arms the same, use the weaker arm as your limit (i.e. if you can only do 10 reps on 10kg with your weak arm, only do that amount with your strong arm). It'll catch up. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PieFacE Posted January 21, 2015 VT Supporter Share Posted January 21, 2015 Ace!!! Thanks dude! I had a feeling that would be the case. Nice one! Even though the gym was empty I couldn't help but feel like a complete clearing in the woods in there doing what i'm doing. Can't help but feel people are judging me for being so lame even though they're probably not. Really need to get over this stupid fear I have of gyms!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
omariqy Posted January 21, 2015 Share Posted January 21, 2015 People will judge you if you have bad form rather then how much you lift. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevo985 Posted January 21, 2015 VT Supporter Share Posted January 21, 2015 People won't judge you. Although they might think "That guy would be better off moving to free weights" 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
omariqy Posted January 21, 2015 Share Posted January 21, 2015 Lets be honest there are a few idiots who do judge. They tend to be the ones who scream when they lift. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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