so I joined the gym...

Depends on the body you want to have, make sure you don't train the same muscles every day give them a 1 day break. Like 1 day you train butt/legs and some cardio and the next you go for upper body/arms. If you work out 3 times a week and it's a real work out then you'll definitely see changes.

 

3 days a week is a great schedule when you are getting started. As you feel more comfortable with your workouts you can add days.

 

3-4 days is perfect, more is not better.. it's better to let the body rest at least one day or more, so i'd go every other day. ie going monday, wedensday and friday.

 

Worth having a one-off session with a trainer there who can discuss the best routines and how to mix them around to get the results you want.

Then you're OFF

 

Yeah 3-4 days a week is enough if you are being regular and doing the right exercise with right set of weight or intensity under appropriate guidance/instructions. Make sure you dont repeat the exercise on consecutive days.

 

sometimes it's good to glance at other people (generally guys ) who look like they've been going to the gym for a while to get an idea of things to do and generally seeing their form so you get an idea of how to do it correctly. youtube helps some to get a better undertanding of certain exercises you're looking for to target specific areas, as well as understanding how to do them correctly (which is extremely important so you don't hurt yourself).

depending on your weight, for most, an hour is overkill on cardio. typically 30 minutes is more than enough (unless you're walking on a treadmill which an hour will be fine). also, depending on your goal (if you're more into getting fit than losing weight) would be to do your lifting before cardio. after cardio you'll likely be burnt out to get a real good workout. i typically lift for 45 to 60 minutes then i do cardio for around 20 minutes. so i'm at the gym typically around an hour and a half each time i go.

it's generally better to stay consistent and stick with a few exercises per muscle group and become familiar with them for a period of time (around 4-8 weeks) before you change up your routine, that way your body doesn't get used to doing the same thing and you can gauge what exercises your body best responds to by sticking to a few specific exercise for enough time to see results/improvements. if you jump around a lot it will be hard to tell what exercises work better for you.

also, it's very easy to over train, so keep track of how many sets and reps of each exercise you do,. more is not better. typically, 2-3 sets of 8-12 reps per exercise is sufficient before jumping on to something else.. so 2-3 sets for a total of around 3 different exercise is more than enough for a muscle group.

if you aren't sure about something you can always ask someone at the gym. a lot of people are willing to help spot you or give you tips if you're willing to ask.

 

I prefer at least four days a week.

But I would emphasize, in order to stay consistent with exercise, don't make each session too vigorous. If you try too hard and injure yourself, or you feel exhausted after every single time, it's not going to be very fun, and you won't stick to your plan.

My approach as a runner starting out was "if I'm running embarrassingly slowly, I'm doing it right." And that humble approach has gotten me to look a little sexier, and I can now run half-marathons.

You'll always find words of encouragement here.

 

First and foremost. Always, and I mean always. Rack your weights, and put them back in the right spot.

If you can afford it I would suggest a trainer. You can find independent trainers, since your gym does not have them.

If your gym has classes that is good also.

Please for the love of god, don't just copy what other people do. I see so much bad form at the gym it is not funny. If you are interested in weight training, then I would suggest heading over to your library, and looking at some books on weight training. I have a really good one published by the NSCA .

Strength Training: NSCA -National Strength & Conditioning Association, Lee Brown: 9780736060592: Amazon.com: Books

The book shows you have to do the exercises, and explains what they do. Then you can head over to YouTube to find video also.

Another thing I would suggest is to find a workout buddy. Ask around your friends, so maybe your gym has a bulletin board you could place a want ad on.

What is your goal? To lose weight, or to get bigger?

Now either way The key is to remember to push yourself, but not give everything you have every time. That is not sustainable. When it comes to progress, it does not matter how many sets, or how many reps, or how long your workout it. Individual workouts don't matter, what matters is what you do long term.


The important thing is to make sure you are enjoying what you are going. Don't worry about looking like a fool. Everyone starts somewhere.

 

3 times a week is great for a beginner! Remember to start slowly. Good luck

 

Start with 3x a week imo it's easier to get into.

When my brother got back from Iraq, he moved in and we started going to the gym. 3x a week 1 hour a day. After we got into a routine, we were going about 4-5 times a week, 1 hour. Then moved up to 6 days a week. After some minor injuries, we cut back a bit to 4 times. Keep in mind, my brother has been lifting since 15. He is now 28 and he was also Army Infantry so he is a monster at fitness. So I had my own personal trainer because I would just do what he did. I went from chest pressing 40lb dumbbells to doing 90lb dumbbells in roughly 8 months.

Within 6 months, I went from 145 of stomach and skinny arms, to 155 of defined muscle and a lesser stomach (it still exists!!!!) Lol. Now when I go, it's primarily 3x a week at BEST Lol. He moved out and I have a puppy so it gets tough during the week.

When you are first starting make sure you give yourself rest days. M/W/F or T/Th/S. Eventually if you want to go more you can do M/T/Th/Fr maybe. As long as you have at least two rest days somewhere there.

Realistically, it won't matter as long as you are hitting different muscle groups on each of the days. If do leg workouts or start lifting any weights... On a more advanced note:

We would usually add a day to target specific muscle groups like say, only legs and all the muscles within the legs. So if we had Chest/Triceps, Shoulder/back, Legs/arms, we would instead do Chest/Triceps, Shoulder/biceps, Leg day, back day.

You'll see the best results as long as you are not overlapping muscle groups and utilizing proper muscle confusion. (If lifting). However, that didn't stop him from demanding we do squats 3x a week... Talk about pain.

If you want to help boost muscle repair, you can look for a non-creatine based post workout drink (not a meal replacement shake). Or something with lots of amino acids.

I know you had a specific question, but I just dumped what I learned. Partly because when I started working out, I just wanted to be strong. Now I have entirely different goals after doing it for a year+.