Looking for Gym Advice

[The Waistcoat]

I recommend you always remember that consistency is what really matters.
If you can work out at least 3 times a week, that's better than doing absolutely nothing.
Also, unless you're trying to compete, it's ok if you fall off the consistency. Just remember to get back in it.

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Absolutely this. Consistency is king (or queen) and over doing it and then quiting is a big newbie mistake. The other point is if you want to lose weight then it's calories in calories out, you must make sure you're burning more than you're eating (just don't starve yourself). Eat a healthy "diet" you can stick to that you like as your resolve WILL falter and fail and if your food isn't one of the struggles then you're more likely to keep on it.

 

[Lockheartilly9799]

I've been going to the gym regularly for a good portion of my life and I'm usually gassed around an hour. If I miss a few weeks to a month here or there, I'm usually gassed in like 30-45 min when I get back to it. I feel like it's best to get in, go hard and go home. Don't set a time for how long you need to be there. Just push yourself and your body will tell you when its time to call it quits.

If you want to bulk, don't forget to get proper rest time. Your muscles grow when you're resting, not when you're working them out.

I'm personally liking the push-pull-legs split for lifting heavy with some more cardio intensive and lighter lifting days in between.

So I'll go heavy Mon-wed-fri and do more cardio and calisthenics on Tuesday and Thursday and take weekends off.

Gota hit those fast and slow twitch muscle fibers.

In your plan above you're missing your back. I would suggest doing a push pull legs split.

On push day you do your chest, shoulders and triceps. On pull day you do your back and biceps. On legs you do legs and on the in between days you can target your core

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This is kind of a 'bro' split. I'm not sure why you have hips and stomach (do you mean core?) as their own days, and five consecutive days of up to an hour will get you to over-training city pretty fast, especially as a beginner. I would condense it down to 3 full body days MWF, with cardio (always) after the weights if you want/need it. There are a lot of reasons to do cardio regardless but if your primary goal is to add weight and strength, it should be a secondary concern.

- You should focus mainly on the holy trinity (squats, bench press, deadlifts) with exercises thrown in on machines or with equipment that you enjoy that are available in your gym
- Hit the same muscle at least twice a week, but allow for enough rest between training sessions.
- You should shoot for 40 seconds of tension minimum per set with at least 90 seconds of rest between sets, if not more. Usually this works out to around 8 reps if you are doing 2 up, 2 down.
- Find a circuit that works for you that comes in under an hour with 3 working sets per exercise, ideally. Something that you enjoy doing.
- Try to do your heaviest, most uncomfortable lifts early in the workout.
- When in doubt, drop the weight and increase the reps to compensate if you aren't feeling it or aren't comfortable. Form matters way more than raw numbers.

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I like these ideas a lot. Can you two help me break it down further? I'm looking to re-plan based on what you two have said but I still plan on working out Mon-Fri. Cardio is important to me because in pro wrestling, I need enough stamina to last from 10 minutes to sometimes 30 minutes or longer running around in a ring.

 

[Jean-Luc Ponty]

Planet Fitness Black Membership? I got you.

Each Planet Fitness location has a similar layout:
Stretch and Core area
Treadmills/Stair Master/Bike/Arc Trainer area
Isolation machine area
Smith Machine area
Cables area
30 minutes circuit area

My routine is to start in the stretch area. Familiarize yourself with what PF offers and if you're not sure how to use a machine, ask one of the staff members for help. Personally, I use a stopwatch in my phone to make sure I spend the same amount of time stretching each muscle group.

Planet Fitness' marketing point is the 30 minute circuit training area. You alternate between cardio and strength training, each lasting one minute, with a 30(?) Second rest in between.

For the cardio machines, I go for the arc trainer as it puts no pressure on the knees. If the arc trainers are occupied, I go for the stair master. Always inspect the machines before you start using them to make sure they work properly

The isolation machines either have a short description or images that explains how they are used. Always be sure to adjust the seats and inspect the machine prior to starting the sets. I set the weights to 5lb and do 1-3 reps to make sure it's functioning as it should.

After your workout, enjoy the hydro massage bed.

When I started working out, I didn't really keep track of my workouts. I downloaded a fitness app to help keep track of what I workout. I use the bodybuilding app, though I'm sure the fitness community can provide other substitutions.

Before the lockdowns, my session at the gym was the following:

7-8 minutes stretching
20-22 minutes cardio on arc trainer
12-15 minutes strength training the muscle group of the day
7-8 minutes stretching
10 minutes hydro massage

 

[Avitus]

I like these ideas a lot. Can you two help me break it down further? I'm looking to re-plan based on what you two have said but I still plan on working out Mon-Fri. Cardio is important to me because in pro wrestling, I need enough stamina to last from 10 minutes to sometimes 30 minutes or longer running around in a ring.

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Just do dedicated cardio Tuesday and Thursday if you feel it's necessary. Consistently doing an hour long weight circuit 3x a week will help you build strength and stamina as well, so those aren't lost days.

Once you have a command of lifting and your routine, you can start to work in performance specific cardio like HIIT. Building up bulk and strength takes time, so don't be in a rush to do everything at once. This is a journey that will go on for years and you will always be learning new things. Right now you should really focus on the fundamentals aka do full body 3x a week, learn your lifts, figure out your routine, and figure out a diet that will work for you.

 

[The Fabled Englishman]

I like these ideas a lot. Can you two help me break it down further? I'm looking to re-plan based on what you two have said but I still plan on working out Mon-Fri. Cardio is important to me because in pro wrestling, I need enough stamina to last from 10 minutes to sometimes 30 minutes or longer running around in a ring.

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Don't try to reinvent the wheel. You're evidently trying to do several things simultaneously - i.e. lose weight, gain muscle mass and gain cardio fitness, and attempting to come up with some sort of Frankenstein routine to accomplish these goals.

Weight loss is accomplished in the kitchen. Seriously. You cannot make a meaningful dent in your daily calorie consumption with exercise. Strength training for an hour burns the rough equivalent of a couple of muesli bars.

If you wish to gain muscle mass, the best approach is a beginner linear progression program. Common recommendations include Stronglifts, Starting Strength and GZCLP. Don't screw around with machines or "bro splits". Learn the main barbell compound lifts (squat, bench, deadlift), preferably from someone who knows what they're doing, increase the weight every session by small amounts and enjoy your strength gains. These programs are 3-4 days a week, but can be modified to be 5 or 6. Alternatively, you can lift 3 days a week and dedicate the in-between days to cardio, which is probably what I'd do in your position.

As noted, cardio isn't that complicated. Either include it for 10-20 minutes at the beginning of your lifting sessions or do cardio on your rest days.

 

[peaches]

Hey OP, maybe I can give some advice. I'm a female professional wrestler.

Honestly a lot of your cardio defiantly comes from in ring training. There is no great substitute for working inside of the ring and getting in ring cardio. But if you are in the stage of training to prepare for wrestling some good cardio to work on is HIIT Cardio (High Intensity Interval Training). Because you want to replicate the start and stop motion of wrestling cardio. Quick then slow.

I would defiantly recommend weight training. It can be daunting to start but will help tremendously not just with your look but also in the ring. Make sure to focus extra on your back and neck. Two areas highly impacted in wrestling.

Stretching is also key, and take advantage of the hydrobed they got at PFit. If you got any other specific questions feel free to ask. I saw pro wrestling and had to respond because I had a bit of insight. Good luck!

 

[Lockheartilly9799]

Hey OP, maybe I can give some advice. I'm a female professional wrestler.

Honestly a lot of your cardio defiantly comes from in ring training. There is no great substitute for working inside of the ring and getting in ring cardio. But if you are in the stage of training to prepare for wrestling some good cardio to work on is HIIT Cardio (High Intensity Interval Training). Because you want to replicate the start and stop motion of wrestling cardio. Quick then slow.

I would defiantly recommend weight training. It can be daunting to start but will help tremendously not just with your look but also in the ring. Make sure to focus extra on your back and neck. Two areas highly impacted in wrestling.

Stretching is also key, and take advantage of the hydrobed they got at PFit. If you got any other specific questions feel free to ask. I saw pro wrestling and had to respond because I had a bit of insight. Good luck!

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OMGosh that's so cool that you're a wrestler. Thanks so much for offering your advice. I haven't tried out yet for the training academy but the trainer worked me out for a bit and asked that I try to get in shape more but told me that I was closing to passing. He just says that I just need to get more in shape so I can last longer so I'm just really motivated knowing that even with my shape, any improvement can go a long way.

What kind of stretching techniques should I use? If I were to work out Mondays through Fridays, what should I concentrate on each day?

 

[GenTask]

I'm not an expert by any stretch, so take this post with a grain of salt.

I hate running personally and I'm a skinny dude, so I generally avoid it. But I guess you'll have to figure out what you like doing on a weekly basis.

My personal favorite routine is:

2x a week-> Bench Press, Squats, Pullups, Hamstring, Overhead Press, Face Pulls
1x a week-> DumbBell Straight Leg Deadlifts, Incline Dumbbell Bench Press, Bulgarian Split Squats, Pullups (OR a combination of different dumbbell exercise and ab workout)
Yoga on the other 2 days

For eating, try cutting out something you really, really like at first and know you probably shouldn't being eating a ton of. Like I use to eat a shit ton of peanut butter, but I cut it down to weekends. Or try planning your meals to be as basic as possible.

Breakfast - Yogurt Bowl w/ Plain Greek Yogurt (least amount of sugar per cup) (Add cinnamon, and added fruit like bluberries or whatever for taste and nutrients) or 2 Boiled Eggs
Lunch - Extremely basic Chicken Salad, with Spinach, and other Veg (or a Chickpea Salad or something like that)
Dinner - Meat Portion, Veg Side, Starch/orCarb (ex: chicken breast, broccoli, baked sweet potato)

 

[peaches]

OMGosh that's so cool that you're a wrestler. Thanks so much for offering your advice. I haven't tried out yet for the training academy but the trainer worked me out for a bit and asked that I try to get in shape more but told me that I was closing to passing. He just says that I just need to get more in shape so I can last longer so I'm just really motivated knowing that even with my shape, any improvement can go a long way.

What kind of stretching techniques should I use? If I were to work out Mondays through Fridays, what should I concentrate on each day?

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That's awesome! Motivation is key. It really depends on the training academy your at and how they do things but I would find out specifically what areas they are looking for you to improve it and start there (Can vary what they want you to do, alot of places are willing to work with different starting levels of fitness they want you to just not give up) . Sounds like cardio, and at least for me the stairclimber has always been one of my favorites but honestly try a few different cardio machines and see what you like. I would just recommend that same interval training of going hard for a few minutes, few minutes slow it down and repeat.

For stretching your gonna want to focus on whatever body part you are working that day. I usually warm up for about 10 minutes of Light cardio to get the blood going, stretch for about 10 minutes (YouTube has quick and easy stretches for each body part or total body ones), and then start my workout. Honestly everyone in here has some great advice. You don't wanna go from zero to 100. You wanna ease into working out. I would start by doing the 30 minute total body area at PFit and then once you feel comfortable with that you can break each area into its own day. I currently train 4 days a week in wrestling and go to the gym everyday that isn't a show day. But it's very taxing on the body and you want to build up to that level and it takes time.

 

[Zojirushi]

Lots of good tips already in here so I'll just add some basic stuff:

For beginners I think consistency matters more than intensity. Don't set yourself up with some crazy workout plan you're gonna lose interest in in a couple of weeks. Don't become one of those get a membership never to be seen again people.

If your focus is weight loss adjust your diet, it really matters. But again don't beat yourself up too hard in the beginning and stick to basics: healthy ingredients, reduce carbs a bit, as little sugar as possible, no snacking.

Once you get used to things a bit, maybe do a little research regarding excercises and stuff. In my experience gym staff tends to focus on machine excercises for beginners, so make sure to add some free weights and compound exercises into the mix later on.

 

[SABO.]

Howdy folks, I've looked into all the advice and decided to listen to most of it! Thank you for your help. I start tomorrow. The reason why I want to get in shape and also bulk up is because I want to be a pro wrestler. Anywho, this is my plan for the week:

1. Monday = Arms + Cardio (total no more than an hour)
2. Tuesday = Chest + Cardio (total no more than an hour)
3. Wednesday = Legs + Cardio (total no more than an hour)
4. Thursday = Hips + Cardio (total no more than an hour)
5. Friday = Stomach (total no more than an hour)

I'm willing to be flexible on this for sure. Does anybody have any specific weight-based exercises I should be doing on each day and what alterations should I make?

I'm starting a meal plan that I'll stick to during these 5 days so I can have a cheat meal on Saturday and/or Sunday. Let me know what you think. It's already been prepped:

Removed the table because the formatting was all jacked up. Let me know if anyone wants a pic.

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If you do an arms work out on monday, your triceps will be gassed out and you won't be able to pull of the push movements as well and so hindering your chest work out.

I don't get this hips and stomach work out either?

I go with:

Monday - Chest/Tris
Tuesday - Back/Bis
Wednesday - Legs
Thursday - Shoulders

If you work out hard enough, you shouldn't need cardio

 

[Baccus]

Take a creatine supplement dialy and watch your gains multiply.

 

[I Don't Like]

nutrition/diet is like 75% of the entire effort and I assume you likely know where you need to improve on that, so start with that. It's hard and you'll have ups and downs but just focus on improving consistency of good eating day to day.

 

[Lockheartilly9799]

That's awesome! Motivation is key. It really depends on the training academy your at and how they do things but I would find out specifically what areas they are looking for you to improve it and start there (Can vary what they want you to do, alot of places are willing to work with different starting levels of fitness they want you to just not give up) . Sounds like cardio, and at least for me the stairclimber has always been one of my favorites but honestly try a few different cardio machines and see what you like. I would just recommend that same interval training of going hard for a few minutes, few minutes slow it down and repeat.

For stretching your gonna want to focus on whatever body part you are working that day. I usually warm up for about 10 minutes of Light cardio to get the blood going, stretch for about 10 minutes (YouTube has quick and easy stretches for each body part or total body ones), and then start my workout. Honestly everyone in here has some great advice. You don't wanna go from zero to 100. You wanna ease into working out. I would start by doing the 30 minute total body area at PFit and then once you feel comfortable with that you can break each area into its own day. I currently train 4 days a week in wrestling and go to the gym everyday that isn't a show day. But it's very taxing on the body and you want to build up to that level and it takes time.

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I think I may use that total body workout area at Planet Fitness and see how that goes like you said. If I were to break down muscles into days, for wrestling, what would you suggest?

 

[Superpupperbabysassy]

I've been working out for a while now. Whenever I have an long gap between workouts, I normally try to ease my way back up. Kinda like the leveling up thread has mentioned. For instance, when starting an cardio workout, my first week will consist of 15 minutes. I'll then work on my calisthenics for around another 15. As each week progresses, I'll push myself to add another five minutes. Right now I'm doing four workouts a week averaging one hour.

 

[peaches]

I think I may use that total body workout area at Planet Fitness and see how that goes like you said. If I were to break down muscles into days, for wrestling, what would you suggest?

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I think SABO above had a good breakdown for the 4 days. If you want to break the muscles out I would follow that.

In terms of working core I would just pick an ab exercise to do everyday. You work your core alot with the different muscles also but its good to work it separately also for wrestling because you have to use your core alot on certain movement (ex. Taking a Powerbomb)With your hips like you said you would probably want to more so stretch them and keep them limber, because any bad bump on the hips happens sometimes and this can help with any tightness you might have there.