Sunday, November 20, 2011

Getting the Most out of Your First Work Out

   by Healthx111in Health / Weight Loss    (submitted 2011-11-16)

Even with the guidance of a trainer, your first session may be a little awkward. One friend of ours says she just had to swallow her pride while trying out the weight machines for the first time. Here was this cute, young trainer helping me climb onto the hamstring machine, she remembers. I felt like a 40-year- old woman trying to get on a horse for the first time. I'm lying on the bench with my butt in the air, and the trainer's saying, Keep your butt down. And I'm saying, That's as far down as it goes.

Having a good sense of humor can get you through a first workout session without any ego damage. So what if you sit backward on the shoulder machine? So what if you sink to the floor when you hop onto the stairclimber? Your trainer may as well earn his money showing you the right way to use the equipment.

Here are some tips to help ease your anxiety and make your first session a productive one:

Schedule the session at a time when the gym isn't busy (any time other than weekday mornings or evenings). This way, you won't have 12 other members clamoring to use the armcurl machine while the trainer teaches you to adjust the seat.

Take notes and draw pictures. During the session, your trainer should fill out a card listing each exercise in your program, how much weight to lift, and how many sets and reps to do. But if you supplement this information with your own notes, you may find it easier to remember what
to do when you work out alone. For example, if your trainer writes lat pulldown, you can add, pull bar down to chest; strengthens back muscles; adjust seat to second notch. You may even want to sketch some of the machines so that when you work out by yourself, you won't spend ten minutes searching for the right contraption. Some facilities number the machines to make them easier to remember and identify, too. Your trainer simply notes the machine number and the seat height.

Ask lots of questions. Don't be too intimidated to ask the trainer why he picked a particular chest exercise or for a reminder of where your delts are. No question is too stupid (unless you're asking what time the 3 p.m. boxing class starts).

Don't expect to absorb everything your trainer tells you on the first day. Every time you work out, you'll pick up more information, such as how to adjust each machine and how to stretch each muscle group. You can make things easier on yourself by scheduling a second training appointment to reinforce what you learned on the first go-around. Some gyms charge for a second appointment; some don't. If you bring up the issue when you join the gym, some clubs may throw in a few extra training sessions.

Don't try to impress the trainer by lifting too much. The trainer doesn't expect you to be Arnold Schwarzenegger. One friend of ours lost any such illusions during his first session with a trainer. I sat down on this machine and pulled the handles back, and the trainer said, Do you feel that? I said, Yeah, it's really pulling on my muscles.' Then the trainer said, Oops, I forgot to put the weight on. When stuff like that happens, just laugh and realize that it doesn't take much time to get stronger. About the Author

I known the importance of a healthy body. For meal plans that will help you lose excess pounds, see: 24/7 Fat Loss. Another good weight loss program to try is: 5 Tips To Lose Stomach Fat.

Healthx111



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