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.

[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 (https://www.backtobasicscentre.com/shop/images/BOSU.jpg) 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]

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?

[Nuzzolese]

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.

[jabumbo]

PM me your phone number and the time of your next gym visit and lets make this happen


oh, and you are clearly doing something wrong if your sore spots are at a joint....i'd suggest trying some machines that have fewer moving parts. maybe trying something that will simply tone up the arms or legs before you start trying to strengthen your back or shoulders?

[hpdrifter]

Hmmm, well that probably means you weren't using it right. No machine should make that part of your arm sore.

It's hard to say without being able to show you in person, when using machines positioning your body is so important. Your posture, range of motion, rep tempo, weight, configuration of the machine, everything goes in to hitting the right spot and getting the result you want. Too bad there isn't anyone there who you can be sure knows what they're doing to show you.

I guess looking online would be a good start. Maybe the brand of machines your gym has has a website where you can watch video of someone using the machines.

I have found that some of the big bulky guys at the gym use the machines completely wrong, they huff and puff and flail and put their whole body into stuff that should really be smooth. I don't know as I'd use them as an example.

Sorry I can't offer much help. I've been using those things for so long I don't even think about it anymore.

[Nuzzolese]

Well that man wasn't so helpful afterall, then! What a jerk! I was right to fear that crowd!

hpdrifter, being the experienced weightswoman that you are, have you ever had someone come up to you at the gym and tell you you were doing something wrong?

[jabumbo]

::ahem::


my pm box is still empty

[hpdrifter]

Well it's possible he could have been right, it's just most of the ones I've seen throw the weight around to show off and it doesn't look to me like they're isolating the muscle enough to get as much of a workout as they think they're getting. Sort of like those girls who crank the stairmaster waaaaay up and then lean on their arms and put most of their weight on the handle bars while they're "working out".

I have had people help me adjust my technique to get better but I usually just go on how I feel. You know right away when you're doing it right because you'll feel everything in the right places and nothing in the wrong ones. I always use the mirrors too. That and I like to pretend that I am training to be a ninja assassin or in the FBI or the military, see running thread.

[Nuzzolese]

::ahem::


my pm box is still empty

I'm sorry, I only date bodybuilders. They're the only type who understand me.

[jabumbo]

who says i wanted to date you? the idea of it just sounds repulsive.


i just wanted to give you advice so you could tone those weak flabby arms of yours....

[Bob]

make sure you warm up and stretch first - you probably already knew that i dunno but that could explain why your joints are hurting perhaps

[Nuzzolese]

who says i wanted to date you? the idea of it just sounds repulsive.


i just wanted to give you advice so you could tone those weak flabby arms of yours....


I'd pick up my cell phone but my arms are still too sore. Not really, whatever, creek-shitter! Reject me, will you? When I get pumped I'm coming looking for you.

[Nuzzolese]

My joints don't hurt. How did this rumor get started? Now it's all over town. The inside of my arm hurted at one time, now it's fine. Point is, my back felt nothing. You know how your arms feel when you have to carry something heavy for a long walk? It was like that. Joints! Pfft.

[Bob]

My joints don't hurt. How did this rumor get started? Now it's all over town. The inside of my arm hurted at one time, now it's fine. Point is, my back felt nothing. You know how your arms feel when you have to carry something heavy for a long walk? It was like that. Joints! Pfft.

maybe your arms are super girly but your back is big and burly

[Echewta]

Sometimes, other muscles that help you do a certain exercise may not be strong enough and need to be built up as well. Perhaps this is the case.

Such as if you were doing bicept curls for the first time and you had a weak grip. Your forearms may hurt for a few weeks while they build up too. Or turn red like the chart.

[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 = (y)

[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

[b i o n i c]

You know how your arms feel when you have to carry something heavy for a long walk? It was like that.

what echewta said, about the supporting muscles - i know that feeling.. thats what it is

[checkyourprez]

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.