Local leisure centre, huge place, gym, loads of classes I don’t understand.

I usually just use the pool, 30 lengths 3 times a week but it’s cheaper for me to sign up for a £30 a month membership which gives me unlimited access.

Not been to the gym in 30 years, I’m 53, overweight with knackered hips, knees and lungs like twice used teabags.

Where do I start? I’d like to improve my core strength and mitigate the effects of 30 years as a smoker.

Booked in for a gym induction next week, but all tips and piss taking more than welcome.

Free Weights and build up gradually. Get an induction from an expert who’ll divise a program for you.

Wear a vest. Sit on weights machines. Admire yourself in the mirrors. When someone asks if you’re done with that machine, tell them that you are mid-way through a set. Sit and admire a bit longer. Move on to the next machine. Repeat.
(Well, that’s what the gym used to be like 30 years ago when I last went to one.)

Sign up for Matt Mooney / MTB Fitness’ 12-week programme.
He’s a great guy and a it’s a brilliant programme :

https://mtb.fitness/

Afew sessions with a personal trainer to get you started?

Wear a vest. Sit on weights machines. Admire yourself in the mirrors. When someone asks if you’re done with that machine, tell them that you are mid-way through a set. Sit and admire a bit longer. Move on to the next machine. Repeat.
(Well, that’s what the gym used to be like 30 years ago when I last went to one.)

Mustnt forget about a million selfies for the socials… #gains

Sign up for Matt Mooney / MTB Fitness’ 12-week programme.

He’s a great guy and a it’s a brilliant programme

Seconded, I’m 58, I’ve done it twice, though not for a while.  I’m currently on crutches and the weight is creeping up again, but as soon as I can I’ll do it again. Despite it being aimed at mountain bikers, it’s just a brilliant all round strength and conditioning program. I found knee and back pain niggles disappeared when I did it because my core strength proved massively and everything just felt more stable.  He assumes no prior knowledge and it’s easy to follow. He also does a separate guide for over 50s, endorsed by Steve Peat which is good.

Also 53, signed up last month at local leisure centre after 20 years away from the gym – aware I need to look at more weight bearing exercise, rebuild core, work around injuries, get some flexibility etc. (£28 a month gives me access to gyms across 5 sites, two pools and a zillion weird sounding classes )

Did the induction so I understood the machines, and for this first month just been looking at a simple 40 minute all over machine weight workout, (plus warm up snd cool down stretches). Light weights snd good technique.

Next month I’m going to see what they can do for a tailored programme, especially around core work, start to maybe look at more free weight work. I’ll also see if there’s an idiots yoga class I can get to as well – wfh may help there. May also play with the Wattbikes if weather is foul

January will be hell with the Resolution crowd. If I’m not feeling the programme is working for me I may pay a PT a friend uses to work with me for a couple of sessions.

By next spring I’m hoping to try circuit classes to work on more functional endurance.

Fwiw, 3-4 weeks in I feel a bit stronger for longer on the bike, especially climbing out the saddle. Glad I finally got off my arse and did it.

Keep up your swimming if I was you but supplement it with some weights and some low impact cardio like an elliptical machine.

For general weights, I’d get a personal trainer for a few weeks who can work with you. This way they will be able to assess your fitness, strengths and limitations. You should also get a plan for you to follow.

You should be good to by yourself after that with maybe an assessment from the personal trainer every 12 weeks or so. Where they can reassess you and adjust your plan accordingly.

Personal trainers are great if you get a good one but IME there are a lot of bad ones! Don’t hesitate to switch if you feel like the PT is not doing a good job for you.

<span class=”bbp-author-name”>TheWrongTrousers and blokeuptheroad</span>

did you do the gym or home workouts?

im interested in it but really cynical about paying for some downloads which are probably on the internet anyhow!

did you honestly find it easy to stick to and it worked?

@rockbus I did the gym work outs, but either would work.  Although it is a pdf download you are paying for it’s a very slick, well written one with good quality video links for all the exercises. Loads of useful stuff on motivation and goal setting and the ‘why’ as well as the ‘how’ of some of the exercides. It’s properly structured to correct the muscular imbalances a lot of mtbers have. It also works on balance and ‘proprioception’ rather than just strength and endurance. He’s a real down to earth bloke too and very approachable. He will respond via email or the Facebook support group to any questions you might have.  He runs a real bricks and mortar personal training business in the Northwest too so his reputation is important to him, he’s not some random bloke working out of his bedroom half way round the world you could never contact if needed.

did you honestly find it easy to stick to and it worked?

Easy? No. It was hard work, but then that’s going to be true for any worthwhile gym program. But, the fact I was following a structured program with an end date made it easier to stick to than if I just went to the gym and aimlessly did my own thing. I saw real changes after 3 or 4 weeks which spurred me on. It absolutely, 100% works, bit only if you stick to it.

Mustnt forget about a million selfies for the socials… #gains

Didn’t exist 30 years ago!!!! 🤔😂

Fancy trying some of the classes? Yoga or pilates (if you can get into them) can be a great work out and ease you in gently.

My issue with gym programs is that they can often be one size fits all. If it were me, I’d be looking for someone who could analyse and correct imbalances before designing you a building program. That may be a personal trainer or a physio. Maybe you’ll get lucky and one of the staff really knows their onions.

However, my advice may be complete crap as I never stick to gyms for very long. I find it repetitive and boring.

Pilates class

Explain at the induction what you want to achieve and they should set a programme that is suitable. I have no idea what the kit is like but I wouldn’t recommend free weights straight away – use resistance machines. The gym I attend has a great bit of kit called eGym – smart kit with an app. so I can see my progress and I don’t have to faff with setting the equipment to my height and weight requirement – it does the whole lot for you.

For core fitness – again ask your instructor to give you some simple floor exercises.

I would say just go and try different things out for the first few weeks/months. Gyms can be strange and intimidating places when you first start out, but once you’ve got things sussed then you can get some great results and you may find that lifting becomes a real passion. If I was you then I would start by going 20 mins cardio for a warm up (I like to row, as I think it’s a good counterbalance to cycling, but there are multiple options) and then just work your way around the machines. Aim for 3 or 4 sets of 8-12 reps.

Machines generally are pretty easy to use so they’re a good place to start. The important thing is to develop good technique before increasing the weight. Always prioritise good form over everything else – that means every rep should be the same, every one should have a full range of movement (stretch the muscles), and you should have full control over the concentric and the eccentric. Use the lightest weight you need to in order to maintain perfect form for the whole workout. You will see a lot of people with crap form lifting too much weight – don’t be like them, it achieves nothing.

Once you are comfortable on the machines then I would move onto the free weights quite quickly as these will ultimatley provide a much better stimulus for overall health, flexibility, strengh and resilience. The only downside with free weights is that it takes quite a bit time to learn (and imprint) the correct form for each movement when you start out. That’s why I would begin on the machines and then you can transition to free weights by learning one or two new exercises per fortnight (or whatever).

I wouldn’t bother with a program tbh, I think you will just end up biting off more than you can chew and making it a chore. Plus your aim should be to learn technique first, not to complete x number of sets/reps. Use the instructors (or the other gym goers) to help you learn to use the equipment and then just familiarise yourself with it all. Have a look on youtube for technique videos, my favourite channel is called ‘Renaissance Periodization’ – they have a video for everything + great humour.

This channel is all the gym guidance you need.
https://youtube.com/@BroScienceLife

Wear a vest. Sit on weights machines. Admire yourself in the mirrors

Also this.

Seriously, free weights and core as above.

Nope – free weights aren’t a good idea for a beginner – why do people keep saying this shit?

Nope – free weights aren’t a good idea for a beginner – why do people keep saying this shit?

Any reason why? (genuinely interested in the reason), I get there is a potential for injury on poor form but most gym make you do an induction.

Ryan Humiston on Youtube. his pre covid content was gold, short and straight to the point. Since then he’s run low on ideas and it’s become more comedy until very recently when he invested 14K in muscle excitation sensors and has been showing what excersize works best for each muscle group.

Get a gym buddy to keep you motivated, join classes and keep swimming. Loads of new joiners do much too quickly and drop out through boredom.

Improve your diet, log your progress, weigh yourself…you ‘ll get where you want to be maybe just not as quickly as you wanted.

Nope – free weights aren’t a good idea for a beginner – why do people keep saying this shit?

Want to expand on that?
When I first took up rugby we were straight on the free weights, unlike me a lot of the younger group had no previous experience of them, but used light weights to ensure good form.
I’ve also done a personal training course and heard nothing negative about using free weights, especially over machines and own body weight.

Cheers you lot!

Lots to go at there, many thanks.

Lots to go at there

You mean you haven’t bought a vest yet then? 😱

I’ll borrow an Under Armour vest and a pair of Nike Air from one of the lads in work. 🙂

Last time I went to the gym was for rehab after breaking my collar bone. It eased me back into the bike (Although I wasn’t really prepared for my first away weekend ride). I knocked it on the head during COVID.
My issue about using a gym, the times when I went seemed like the whole of the town was in at the same time and getting a whole set in meant waiting around for the right bit of kit. It was empty Saturday/Sunday mornings, but I want to be out on my bike during those times.

Free Weights and build up gradually. Get an induction from an expert who’ll devise a program for you.

OP got the correct response in the first response /thread.

Nope – free weights aren’t a good idea for a beginner – why do people keep saying this shit?

I’d disagree, but with the caveat of getting a few 121 PT sessions first, starting (very) light and putting the focus on form and technique.

Well that’s the point – free weights are fine if you know what you are doing and have been *properly* taught by an expert however it is very easy to injure yourself with bad form. Why risk yourself as (as the OP is) very inexperienced – just stick to resistance machines, take it easy and go onto free weights when you’ve got a bit of experience and you feel more confident.

I really do not understand why anyone would recommend free weights to someone (as the OP is) a complete beginner.

Lifting free weights is not a dark art, it is actually rather simple and certainly isn’t anywhere near as difficult or dangerous as you are trying to make out. Machines are supplemental exercises to a decent gym routine, advising someone to just start on machines is like advising someone to start mountain biking by buying a spin bike.

 just stick to resistance machines, take it easy and go onto free weights when you’ve got a bit of experience and you feel more confident.

I’m not sure ‘experience’ and ‘confidence’ on machines makes you any more ready for free weights? Surely being shown how to use free weights properly by a personal trainer or experienced mate is a far better option as you acknowledge:

 if you know what you are doing and have been *properly* taught by an expert

But that can happen on day one in the gym, not after some arbitrary apprenticeship on totally different kit which wont actually teach you correct form when you do move to free weights.

I’d sample every class and then keep doing the one(s) you enjoy along side swimming. Also note that some classes may have different instructors who will be diff to each other, a bad instructor can ruin a class and your motivation! I’ve actually walked out of classes when the advertised instructor has been swapped with one I’m not a fan of.

Free weights have some of the best compound moves vs machines which tend to most be isolating one particular muscle group.

That said, it’s useful to have a few pt sessions to look at what you want to achieve and show you how to do exercises properly. The trend on a lot of gyms at the moment seems to be throwing round bars with bumper plates on them and sometimes not with great form. What’s said above is true – you start trying to do too much with free weights and bad form you’ll likely injure yourself.

For me the best value exercises are below for some all round strength gain:

Deadlifts – very important you use proper form. Don’t arch your back and keep the bar close to your shins on the way up and down. Start light and see how it feels.

Clean and Press with a barbell

Squats – I’d start with a single kettlebell on this – called goblet squats

Then there are loads of other exercises you can supplements these with – the main thing is keeping some kind of balance between all muscle areas. Some people train all cheat and arms and end up a bit hunched – for every chest exercise you want to be balancing it with a back session for example.

Free weights have some of the best compound moves vs machines which tend to most be isolating one particular muscle group.

That said, it’s useful to have a few pt sessions to look at what you want to achieve and show you how to do exercises properly.

Both these points +1. A little bit of coaching goes a long way.

I would add that having a better target than ” I’d like to improve my core strength and mitigate the effects of 30 years as a smoker.”. In some ways Stronglifts works well as it’s inherently it’s setting its own targets. But it completely lacks periodization or accessory work so will eventually end in injury or a plateau. Have an idea whether you want to do power, strong, olympic lifting or bodybuilding type workouts, or whether it’s just crosstraining to better survive long bike rides or uplift days.

This is slightly a do as I say not as I do point, as I don’t set great targets and my coaching friend is trying to get me to sign upto a strongman competition in the new year to get some focus. Otherwise I just end up doing squat variations for 12 weeks while my overhead never improves then get bored.

But coaching to some degree is important, either find a PT who has experience with what you want to achieve, or make friends at the gym. The latter works well as if they’re lifting similar weights to you you’ve only got half the loading to do, and if you’re in a powerlifting block you don’t end up incurring @fazzini ‘s ire for taking 5 minutes between sets.

I’m not sure ‘experience’ and ‘confidence’ on machines makes you any more ready for free weights? Surely being shown how to use free weights properly by a personal trainer or experienced mate is a far better option as you acknowledge:

I suspect people are already entrenched in their positions here, but anyway… I was recommended by the head PT at my old local gym to start on the machines in order to build a bit of strength to protect against potential injury when trying free weights at a later date.

Not that I feel qualified to tell OP what to do, he should get personalised advice from the PT at his induction.

I was recommended by the head PT at my old local gym to start on the machines in order to build a bit of strength to protect against potential injury when trying free weights at a later date.

The big issue with machines is they’re isolating. You could spend months leg pressing 2x your bodyweight, then be unable to squat with a barbell with good form because whilst you now have Chris Hoys legs, you still have Chris Froome’s core. Doing leg presses and situps, supermans, nordic extensions, and isometrics, and whatever else to try and work every muscle that a squat does before you do a squat is going take forever, be really dull (both because you’re having to spend hours in the gym to get through such a plan, and because there’s no progress), and probably put you off the gym for life.

The important bit to get right is the technique, and even then the cues are different for different people, that’s one of the reasons to get it right with low/no weight first, learn what the right technique feels like without the weight and the rest is easy. You can’t skip that with machines.

Y’all are really overcomplicating things. A 53 who is ‘overweight with knackered hips, knees and lungs’ is not going to be diving in at the deep end doing clean and press and periodized powerlifting workouts. He just needs to go the the gym and make a start – using the machines is great way to do that because they are easy to use and safe. If he enjoys it then he can start adding in free weight lifts.

Ultimately the way you improve your technique is self analysis and practice. You don’t learn a deadlift or a squat after one session with a PT or an instructor. You work on it over time, there’s nothing to be gained by rushing in and trying to do eveything at once. Make a start with machines and body weight exercises – get used to the movements, improve your balance and coordination, let your neural pathways adapt, develop good cadance and control… and then start encorporating barbells and complex compound movements like deadlifts. I have seen more PTs with poor technique than good, so I think you’re better off learning things for yourself in due course.

Might as well learning squats and deadlifts from day one, broomstick will be heavy enough in the beginning.

Might as well learning squats and deadlifts from day one, broomstick will be heavy enough in the beginning.

True, but you can do that in the comfort of your own home, no point doing it at a gym. Having no clothes on does help with seeing your form. 😅 Once you’ve mastered the broom handle then you move onto the barbell at the gym.

Just got back from my first go.

Enjoyed it!

Used the rower to warm up and down, tried the weight machines as well.

Set the weights very low so I could manage about 20 reps (look at me, down with the lingo!🙂) and then worked my way round five or six times.

Managed not to trip over my leg warmers and my Jane Fonda lycra onsie attracted some admiring glances.

Proper induction booked for Friday.