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1456938 tn?1314573436

Need guidance, never seriously exercised before

Hello everyone, let me give you a bit of a look into me.

I am a 23 year old male who weighs approx 125 Kilos (275 Pounds), I have no health issues, no pain issues or any food alergys (However I will not touch Mushrooms or Olives) or anything wrong with me at all aside from the weight.

I just recently moved to Sweden and I now have an in house Gym with the following equipment.

Tunturi T80 Treadmill (http://www.fitness-equipment-clearance.co.uk/treadmill_t80_10.html)
Vision Fitness R1500 Bike (http://home.visionfitness.com/fitness-bikes/r1500/simple/)
Vision Fitness X6200 elliptical Machine (http://home.visionfitness.com/elliptical-trainers/x6200/simple/)
A range of Dumbells and mats for floor exercises.

What I am wondering is that I am a complete and utter newbie in the exercise game, I play a LOT of the dance machine (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZdP0DHSKqT0) so my fitness is decent enough so I am not too bad with speed and whatnot.

I am looking for someone who has some experiance with what I should be doing, some of the stuff I am able to Do, what stuff I should aim for (time wise, speeds etc)

Any other tips for me aswell would be wonderful as I am not up to date on exercise at all :)
13 Responses
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1456938 tn?1314573436
Hmm, I shall take that into consideration.

I set myself those times as a starter, I can go longer if needs be as the "Gym" is always empty so getting a double time slot isn't an issue.

I need to look into and actually get the motivation to do stuff like push ups, sit ups, squats etc, as I said before I am just not comfortable doing them as of yet in a sense of I feel lazy about even doing them when they are so easy to do (for e.g I could just stand up, walk behind the sofa where there is tons of room to do it) but I don't.

If you want to make some adjustments for timing of the exercises and whatnot I would be very happy to hear them.
Helpful - 0
657315 tn?1319491387
That sounds like a plan...you understand "mixing it up" I see.  

The one "tweak" I would make would be to use the free weights longer than 5 minutes if you can find more time for them.  Since you are using them on consecutive days, don't work the same muscle group two days in a row.  More simply put, say on Monday you work biceps and triceps (it is good to work oposing muscle groups and these are THAT, opposite sides of the arm) and maybe throw in shoulders, then Tuesday do squats and lunges (no weights are absolutely necessary for those, but it wouldn't hurt to hold them as you do these).

There is one exceptional muscle group that can be worked EVERY day and that is the abdominals.  As many days as there are in the MONTH, there that many different ways to work your abs!  Plus, don't forget that plank I told you about.  I'm telling you, the core is SO important to strengthen to prevent falls and knee injuries (and don't forget hamstrings!).

I will add one more thing about your plan.  Try it for a few to several weeks.  If you aren't getting YOUR desired results (fitness level/weight loss), ask yourself if you need to do MORE.  It could be that maybe you need to do ONE of those things per DAY and ramp up the intensity.  Alternate days on the machines and not alternate each machine every day.  

First, though, try the plan you have in place.  I like it and it will prevent boredom if you tend to get bored.  THREE HOURS ON THE DANCE MACHINE, PLATNEX?  Go for it, lol.
Helpful - 0
1456938 tn?1314573436
Hey again.

I have decided on a Workout plan, can you please tell me what you think of it (This will start from next week as this week I am really busy so will just be fitting in workouts when I can, next week I can set the time aside in advance for it.)

Monday: 45 minute Gym session (20 minutes on Thread, 10 minutes on bike, 10 minutes on Epliptic, 5 mins weights)

Tuesday: 45 Minutes Gym session (10 minutes thread at jogging speed, 30 mins bike, 5 minutes weights)

Wednesday: Rest day on the gym, 2 hours walking.

Thursday: 3 hours dance machine.

Friday: 45 minutes Gym session (30 minutes thread, 10 minutes eplileptic, 5 mins Weights)

Saturday: 45 minutes Gym session (10 mins Bike, 30 mins epliptic, 5 mins weights)

Sunday: 3 hours dance machine.


Hope everything is going well for you.
Helpful - 0
657315 tn?1319491387
I am impressed !  I also want to do that sometime, it looks like a FUN way to get in shape and not be a couch potato.  

I will try to get more specific in answering your questions about fitness tomorrow too, but I have a bad headache.  I will be busy this coming week but will do my best to get you on the right path.  

The only one last thing I have time to add is that you mentioned interval training.  I believe that is what you were referring to when you said bursts.  If you have the stamina to do 10-14 "bursts" with warm up and cool downs, intervals can be a great way to both fitness and weightloss.

I better quit typing now before I risk this not making sense.  If it didn't, I will try to explain when I feel better.  I will try to get back to you as I can this week.  Keep up the good work.

Helpful - 0
1456938 tn?1314573436
I should add, that video was 4 years ago, I would LOVE to get back down to that weights (that was about 100 kilos)
Helpful - 0
1456938 tn?1314573436
Just a quick message before I got to bed, I will reply in more dept in about 12 hours once I manage to head to the library to check this (Internet at home is really shoody at the moment)

This is a picture of what the bike looks like (http://www.fitnesssource.ca/catalog/products/zm/29682-1042-zm.jpg) as you can see from the picture it is quite a strange shape, normally before I was used to just the same structure as an ordinary push bike, I find with this the way it is I find it really awkward to use because I am not used to stretching my legs out that far in a bike sense.


As for the eliptical, I just find that even at the hardest settling this isn't feeling like a workout, I feel like I am just going way too fast and I will injure myself due to losing balance or something, I am not sure what it is about it but I just do not feel like I am working out with it.

The mat exercises are a tough one, I am finding myself really gunning to do exercises on the machines but I still have not done a single mat exercise since I started, I am not sure why as I know they work (I lost a stone before when I got into a habit of push ups, sit ups and squats 3 times a day, I have no idea why I stoped)

Last but not least before I got to bed, the exercise level I want to get to is really not about fitness, it is more weight and stamina, I weighed myself yesterday and I clocked in at 127 kilos (279 pounds) with a bmi of 37.75, I would be VERY happy to get under 100 kilos as a start.

One other thing I need to mention, since starting exercising I have started getting back into the dance machine game in a big way (This is me on it with an easy song, the tempo on what I do now is much higher) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_ghP971Y-0

Helpful - 0
657315 tn?1319491387
YAY, I am impressed.  You are doing well and I am happy to see that you are a self-starter and didn't wait around.

About the bike, I never saw one that couldn't have the seat and/or handle bars adjusted. If you find that you CAN adjust the seat height, here is ideally where it should be: place your heels on the pedals and as you pedal backwards, your knees should be fully extended when you are in the down position.  If the seat is too high, your hips will rock from side to side.  Of course, it sounds like the seat is too low in your case.  I wouldn't like riding with the seat either too high OR too low.

If you cannot adjust the handle bar, I wouldn't be very surprised.  A general rule of thumb is that the handlebar should obscure the front wheel axle, but that rule is not set in stone.  Lots of times, one can make due with the handle bar height much better than one can with improper seat height.  HOWEVER, if the handle bar is off too much because you are very tall or very short, it will bother your neck and/or back.

The tread mill........you are an old pro at that already.......I wll get to that in more detail later.

You didn't mention the eliptical.  Any particular reason?  Have you tried it?  

OH !  I forgot this, too.  You mentioned that there was a mat or mats.  Push ups, sit ups and many variations of "plank" are WONDERFUL core exercises.  I would use up SO much space explaining plank, that it would be better if you looked it up by googling it.  I am not unwilling to explain it, but by researching it, you would get pictures and maybe even videos.  Plank is both a yoga and a pilates move but you don't have to ONLY do plank.  (Essentially, in plank, you put your hands directly under your shoulders and form a straight line [a plank] with your body - keep your rear end down! - and support the rest of your weight on your toes.

At the gym where I work out, we roll over smoothly (remember, this is to build core muscles) and stack our legs and feet and put one arm up in the air.  Each and every pose is held around 10 seconds and each one done 3 or 4 times.  They are harder than they may sound.

The one above is alternated so that both sides are done 3-4 times.  I love core exercises like plank.  I am not much for push-ups....I do "girl ones," lol.

I am wondering what fitness level you are aiming for....?  I am still working on the machines and thinking about it.  I must go for my 3rd walk for the day, though, before I get too tired.  Keep up the good work !
Helpful - 0
1456938 tn?1314573436
I am indeed still around twehner5 :) I just check here once a day to see if there is any new replies.

I have done 3 sessions so far in the gym.

First day I done 6 mins mid paced walk on the the threadmill (speed 5.0, incline 2.0) followed by 5 minutes on the bike (which I really do not like the bike as it is one that I have to stretch my legs out to use as the pedels are about at a 45 degree angle) and a small bit of free weights but nothing major.

Second day I done Some faster speeds to test the thread and my abilitys, I found that 7.0 was my jogging speed (at 1 incline) however I could only last 2 minutes which got me thinking I should perhaps think about burst training, I also found my max speed was 8.8 before I felt uncomfortable,

Day three I done a 10 minute mid pace walk on the thread followed by a 2 min fast jog and then a 5 minute lv 6 "Mountain" cycle (where the resistance goes up like a mountain then down half way through.)


Overall I have tried everything, there is also a skipping rope but the roof is too low, 2 dumbells with a set of 1, 2.5, 5 and 10Kg weights too add to it.

overall I am just hoping to get some ideas on what I should be aiming for time wise, etc.

Thank you so so much :)
Helpful - 0
657315 tn?1319491387
Hi.  How is it going?  I just saw your post and I am wondering if you took a "stab" at any of that equipment yet?

If I know you are still here........I will take the time to see where you are with things.  I'd love to hear you tried some of the equipment and got a feel for "hmmmm, that eliptical sure is a tough work-out on level 12.  I think 10 minutes for the first day is GREAT.  This afternoon, I'll research on the internet some free-weight exercises for shoulders and arms.  If I print out this research and take it to the in-house gym, I can do THOSE exercises tomorrow PLUS do squats and lunges for 10 minutes TOMORROW.  That can be my strength training day." (Before this light workout, warm up by walking slowly at first and then increasing your speed for 5-10 minutes....NEVER stretch before a workout...ONLY ONLY ONLY stretch AFTER a workout ! ! ! !  Cold muscles get injured when they are stretched.  Warm muscles are happy when they are stretched and it is a nice thing to do for your body.)

That might be what I'd say.....if I knew you were still around.... ;)
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
sounds like u get more than enough exercise so why the question? is it because u want to loose weight because exercise has little to do with it once u get a minimum
. . the problem today is people have distorted images; I will give u an example;
go back 90 years and Johnie Weissmuller was the greatest athlete in the world and u saw no muscles YET today muscle men abound and if u hired one to move furniture next to a plain looking poor Mexican with no visible muscles, GUESS what; the muscleman will wimp out in 1/10th the time= SO MUCH FOR EXERCISE
IMAGINE if u had a 100 less pounds or 45 less kilos
good luck
Helpful - 0
1456938 tn?1314573436
Is anyone else able to give some more guidance on stuff like speeds I should walk/jog/run, exercises to do, warm ups etc?
Helpful - 0
1456938 tn?1314573436
The gym is just that, 5 bits of decent equipment in a specified well vented room so there is no trainer or anything like it.

I am not sure what the difference with everything is regarding cardio, strength training etc etc.

My diet is decent enough, it's been through a big change at the moment so it is a work in progress, quit the smoking, choclate and crispes are out out my diet, just slowly weening off the coca cola, aside from that my diet is good as my partner is a very good chef, not much processed stuff, lots of ground veg, not much carbs and very little carbs.

thanks for the heads up to take it slowish at the start, I done an hour session earlier today and was planing one more tomorrow along with one more on Sunday.
Helpful - 0
649848 tn?1534633700
COMMUNITY LEADER
Does your in-house gym have a trainer that could help you out and you could get "one on one" advice?  

If not, you should try to get a good balance of cardio and strength training, but don't do both every day; in fact, you should start slowly, like maybe 2 days/week to start, then after a couple weeks move up to 3 days/week for a couple weeks, then up to 4 days and so on, but do make sure you give yourself some days off, because your muscles must have a chance to rest and recuperate.

What about diet?  You need to incorporate a healthy diet, along with your exercise, or you will be beating against a brick wall.
Helpful - 0
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