Alternatively, if you feel like you can easily do 15 or 20 reps per set, increase the weight a bit. A good strength training session should take around 30-60 minutes. Aim to do 2-3 sessions per week, allowing 48 hours of rest between sessions.
Don’t shrug your shoulders or crane your neck backward while pulling the bar downward. Keep your upper body still and upright.
Remember to keep your back straight! Don’t lurch backward, arch your back, crane your neck, or hunch your shoulders.
Don’t roll your shoulders forward or lean forward. Keep your back straight and use your arm and chest muscles. Imagine you’re pressing the seat backward instead of pushing the hand grips forward!
When you’re done with your set, slowly step back off of the foot bar, one foot at a time, onto the top step. Keep ahold of the handles above you until you’re back on the top step, then carefully climb back down to the floor.
Don’t extend your legs fully and lock your knees—you may cause knee pain or injury. Use the hand grips at your sides to maintain your body position. Keep your butt, back, neck, and head planted firmly against the seat.
Don’t thrust your hips forward or press down on the grab bars to lift the weight. Focus on using only your quadriceps muscles. Reduce the weight if necessary.
Whether you’re doing only free weights, only weight machines, or both, a typical strength training session should run around 30-60 minutes. Plan to do 2-3 sessions per week, with at least 48 hours of rest between sessions.
Don’t arch your back—keep it flat on the bench. Move slowly and deliberately so you keep your arms (and the bar) even and balanced. Your spotter should be ready to help you as needed! As you get more comfortable with the bench press, you can try widening and narrowing your grip to target specific muscle groups.
When you’re ready to add weight, start by holding a pair of dumbbells in front of your shoulders. Hold them steady throughout the process. Wait until you’re fully confident in your technique before advancing to barbell squats (with the bar behind your head). Grasp the bar with both hands and keep it in contact with the back of your shoulders throughout the process. Use a spotter!
Or, raise 1 dumbbell at a time, alternating arms with each rep throughout your set. Go slowly and pause at the top and bottom of the maneuver so you don’t use the momentum of your swinging arms. Keep your elbows tucked against (or in close proximity to) your sides.
When you’re ready, attach a weight plate securely to a properly-fitted weight belt—get help from a staff member if you’re new to using them. Start with a very light weight, such as 5–10 lb (2. 3–4. 5 kg). Use the same technique as with a body-weight dip. If your gym doesn’t have parallel bars, there are triceps dip variations that require nothing more than a bench. The parallel bars dip, however, especially with a reasonable weight added, provides the most complete workout.
Use slow, steady motions. Don’t jerk the bar upward or arch your back. If you feel any back pain, stop, take a break, and try using less weight during your next workout session.
Do not flap your arms wildly or thrust your shoulders back. Maintain a steady, controlled motion throughout and keep your legs, core, and head still. Don’t start out by using heavy dumbbells! Use lighter weights so you can maintain your form and perfect your technique, then slowly increase the weight.
Exercise is considered moderate intensity if you’re breathing hard enough that you can’t sing a song, but you can still carry on a conversation. Each minute of high-intensity exercise (when you’re breathing so hard you can talk but not carry on a conversation) counts as 2 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise. Consult your doctor before starting a cardio regimen if you have existing health conditions or live a sedentary lifestyle.
With a preset program, you’ll start slow as a warmup, get moving a bit (or a lot) faster during the main part of the workout, then slow down again to finish up. You can manually increase or decrease the treadmill’s speed as desired, but try to follow the preset as-is if you’re new to using a treadmill. Most treadmills let you manually or mechanically increase or decrease the incline of the walking surface; increasing it ups the intensity while decreasing it reduces the intensity. A light- to moderate-intensity treadmill workout should last around 20-30 minutes. If you’re doing a high-intensity running workout, it may last only 5-10 minutes.
Like with the treadmill, aim for 20-30 minutes of low- to moderate-intensity training.
Once you get comfortable with the forward motion, try going in reverse. You’ll rotate your legs as if you’re walking or running backward! A low- to moderate-intensity workout should last around 20-30 minutes, while a high-intensity elliptical session may only last 5-10 minutes.
Start out by going to the gym 2-3 times per week, for maybe 30 minutes at a time. Listen to your body for cues—such as moderate or severe soreness—that you’re overdoing it. In some cases, your doctor may recommend that you work with a physical therapist before starting a solo exercise program. Or, you might decide to work with a trainer, at least to start out. No matter your health situation, there is an exercise program that’s right for you!
If you’re working out alone, discretely watch people who clearly know what they’re doing as they use various pieces of equipment—for example, while you’re drinking some water or stretching out. Ideally, observe people who have a similar body type to yours.
As with unsanitary conditions, you’re better off finding a new gym if the equipment, in general, appears excessively worn or damaged.
Cleaning gym equipment thoroughly is a matter of both common courtesy and public health.
If you’re not sure, for example, how to adjust a leg press machine or treadmill, ask a staff member. Don’t just make your best guess!
Generally speaking, you should be able to do 10 repetitions (reps) without your technique breaking down any. If you can easily do more than this, increase the weight a little. If your form starts to break down before 10 reps, cut back on the weight so you can focus on technique.
For instance, you should be doing biceps curls with a smooth, even motion, not a jerking, stop-and-go motion. Relax, focus on your technique, and reduce the weight if necessary. Being under control doesn’t necessarily mean going slow. There’s nothing wrong with getting your legs pumping on an exercise bike, for example. That said, don’t go so fast that your movements can’t remain fluid and under control.
If a mirror isn’t available and you’re working out with another person, have them observe your technique and give advice as needed.
If your body is still sore from your last workout, give it more time to recover before working out again. Generally speaking, you should allow for at least 48 hours of rest before exercising a particular muscle group again. A good fitness routine might include lifting free weights 2-3 times per week, doing cardio 2-3 times per week, and doing flexibility or range-of-motion activities 1-2 times per week, all the while making sure to give your body ample recovery time. If you feel faint or unexpectedly short of breath, stop what you’re doing, sit down, and try to relax. If you develop chest pains or other signs of a potential heart attack, get medical help right away.
