Having a gym membership will give you a lot of different options, depending on what your fitness goals are. Most gyms have treadmills, stair-climbing machines, stationary bikes, free-weights, weight machines and group exercise classes.
If you are a beginner, sign up for an introductory training session with a personal trainer to help you design an exercise regimen. Ideally, you will have a workout routine that includes cardio, strength training and ab work.
Step 1
Start with a brief cardio warm-up of at least 10 minutes to help get your heart rate up. The American College of Sports Medicine recommends that healthy adults get at least 20 minutes of vigorous cardio three times a week as part of a regular exercise regimen.
You could walk or jog on a treadmill or ride a stationary bike. Doing this will warm up all the large muscles in your body and prepare you for any kind of exercise you do next.
Step 2
Lift weights twice a week, and include 8 to 12 different exercises. Beginners can lift weights for the upper body on one day and focus on the lower body during the second weekly workout. Doing that means you will not overtrain and are less likely to burn out or get injured. In any case, rest all muscles that you work for at least one day between workouts.
Step 3
Use free-weights such as dumbbells and also train on weight machines. You can build muscular strength using both types of resistance training. For example, doing dumbbell lunges on some days and a standing leg press on others will both exercise the quadriceps of the thighs and gluteus maximus of the hips. By using both free-weights and weight machines, you can help prevent boredom and challenge your strength.
Step 4
Take a yoga or Pilates class at least once a week to strengthen important abdominal muscles. Many types of yoga are taught, but most will incorporate ab and posture work that will help you correct poor posture habits that can result in neck or lower back pain when working out with weights.
Pilates classes emphasize abs so that no matter what you do, you will have a strong core to protect your lower back.
For example, both yoga and Pilates classes can help strengthen and tone all three ab muscle groups: rectus abdominis of the upper abs, transversus abdominis of the lower abs and side obliques.
By incorporating cardio three times a week, weightlifting twice weekly and a yoga or Pilates class once a week, you will have a well-rounded exercise regimen.
Things You'll Need
- Treadmill
- Stationary bike
- Free-weights
- Weight machines
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