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Anonymous
Hey /fit/,
I've been trying to target some of the body fat that I've been carrying recently, so I've been thinking about joining a gym for some weight training. However, I have no clue where to even start when it comes to weight training. I was wondering if a personal trainer was worth getting (they're really expensive at the gym I plan to join), and if not, what machines should I use?
>> Anonymous
personal trainers aren't worth it, imo. don't use machines either, use freeweights. look up exercises or wait for someone to post a routine here.
>> Hammerknife !7ITukp3Pj2
So you want to work out.

There are three very basic components: Exercise, Diet, and Rest. Regardless of gender, weight, height, whatever, you're going to want to do all 3 of these properly if you want to lose weight, bulk up muscle, tone, anything.

Exercise burns calories and builds muscle. You obviously burn more calories if activity is more strenuous, but keep in mind that if you're just starting out sprinting for a minute burns less calories than keeping up a jog over a half hour. Exercise builds muscle by making miniature tears into your muscles (this causes soreness), which are mended and rebuilt after exercise, during rest.

Two main types of exercise: Cardio, and lifting. Cardio is designed to burn calories, while lifting generally builds muscle. Any cardio works - as long as your heart rate's up and you go as long as you can, you're building up stamina. These exercises are roughly equivalent:

60min Recumbent Bike
60min Jogging, flat surface
60min Weighted Powerwalking, inclines
30min Jogging, inclines
30min Normal biking
30min Aerobics
20min Jump Rope
20min Running, flat surface
15min Running, inclines
15min Jumping Jacks

Keep in mind you can easily mix and combine these workouts for an overall better burn based on your own shape.
>> Hammerknife !7ITukp3Pj2
Now that your heart rate is up, you can go into lifting. Look up an anatomy or a basic fitness book to get an idea of how your muscles work. Muscles are only 'exercised' by contracting, which is why all muscles are paired. When lifting, you have to work out both muscles in a pair and keep it balanced, or else you can have one of those fuckups where you're hunched over because your trapezius isn't strong enough to lift your bulked up pecs.

Before lifting, do some quick stretching. Stretching will reduce soreness and reduces the chance of a full muscle tear, especially if you don't know what you're doing.

Find a bunch of combination exercises (http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/exercises.htm) with free weights, and combine those into a workout with isolation exercises based on what muscle group you want to focus on. Push-ups and pull-ups are the standard for full-body exercise. Squats, full situps or crunches work as well. Lifts are divided into sets of 'repetitions', where you can do (for example) three 'sets' of 15 'reps' of a bicep lift. Generally you want to gradually increase your total amount of reps as you get stronger. If you're looking to bulk up, increase the amount of reps in a set while either decreasing the number of total sets you do or using heavier free weights. To tone and lose weight, increase sets and decrease reps/use lighter free weights.

Now after you've worked out, you need to rest. Your muscles will be sore, sore muscles do not build if you keep working them out. Muscles need time, protein, and carbs to mend all those small tears I mentioned earlier, so lifting again within the next 12 hours is a waste of time.
>> Hammerknife !7ITukp3Pj2
The ideal workout schedule for most people is a daily cardio exercise to get your heart rate up and burn calories, followed by stretching. After stretching, do weight lifting every *other* day to tone muscles or bulk up. If you're not sore and tired, you can at least do some cardio that day. STICK TO YOUR SCHEDULE. Missing a day leads to missing the next day leads to slippery slope leads to weighing 400 pounds and benching 90. You can NEVER AFFORD TO MISS A WORKOUT.

Finally, diet. There is quite frankly no need to fuck around with hippie food or any of the 'low fat' 'low carb' garbage you see. Cut out all junk food and fast food, cook things yourself or at relatively healthy restaurants, and most importantly WORK OFF ALL YOU EAT. You can chow down on steaks every day as long as you do enough exercise to work it off, i.e. don't overeat. Stay away from fried stuff, fast-food, HFCS (sodas in particular). Chow on steaks, healthy burgers, fruits, vegetables, rice, mashed potatoes, whatever.

Happy working out, and remember ultimately it's willpower that loses weight, this is just a guide to using it. Ideally, you'll have a friend or significant other giving you some motiviation, either by insulting your fat ass or giving you treats.

And remember, this is a general guide. It worked for me, and I used to fit the profile of most anons. It may not work for you, the best workout would be something tailormade by a personal trainer.
>> Anonymous
>>35073
wouldn't you be better off doing a little warm up (5 minutes of running or on the bike) then lifting, and doing cardio after that so you'll burn more calories having used up more of your readily available energy lifting weights?