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Anonymous
I went to the gym for the first time in my life yesterday. I asked the trainer guy if I had to do any stretching/warmup exercises before/after using the machines. He said "hurr, 10 minutes of rowing ergometer at the start and the end will do as the warmup/cooloff".

Today all my muscles are sour. Is this OK when I haven't exercised in 3 years or is my trainer an idiot?
>> Anonymous
no, you're the idiot
>> Anonymous
if they are sore, then it means you're muscles are getting bigger and more efficient.

Pain is your friend when it comes to working out.
>> Anonymous
If you're new to weight training and it feels like you can't walk normally thanks to the sourness of your muscles the next morning, it means you're doing it right. Wait another day, then come back.
>> Anonymous
You're a fucking idiot.
>> Anonymous
AWESOME! Thanks guys.

By the way, I was recommended 40 minutes of cardio, 4 times a week yet the trainer guy said "don't worry about that, the 10 minutes of rowing at the start/end will be pretty much the same thing".

It couldn't hurt me though, right? If I did 40 minutes of cardio at the end of my workout routine and then do the cooloff?
>> Anonymous
>>413044
If you're doing the cardio, why bother doing a cool off?
>> Anonymous
>>413044
just shut the fuck up and follow the professional you dumb shit.
>> Anonymous
>>413051
suck your father's cock and die, faggot

so is it OK to do cardio after muscle training or what?
>> Anonymous
>>413056

what>>413051said, asshead
>> Anonymous
>>413056

doesn't matter at all
>> Anonymous
doing a bit of cardio before and after weights is a good idea. it will warm up the muscles and get blood and oxygen flowing to the muscles. doing it after will also get blood and oxygen to flow to the muscles but the bigger bonus will be a stretching of your muscles while still warm. Also it is a good idea to do a stretch routine of some sort right after while your body is still warm.

no need to do a warm up if you are just doing cardio. start a bit slower and work up.

hope that helps, but honestly you should listen to the trainer.... that is part of what you are paying for at a gym. better get info from him than 4chan. his advice has to be better than these;
>413030
>413039
srsly/
>> Anonymous
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>using the machines

Stop right there.

MACHINES:
- Prevent the body from performing movements naturally. The human body did not evolve to interact with machines: the musculature of the body is designed to accomodate a range of motions that it can perform on its own. Depending on which machine you are using as a substitute, you may be working with a gimped range of motion, lifting at an incorrect angle, isolating one muscle group while ignoring another.
- Do not activate stabilizing muscle groups. In order to develop whole-body strength, you need to have strong stabilizers. Continue using only machines, and abandon any hopes of ever seeing true strength.
- Are easy. Strength isn't gained through dicking around and being a little bitch. Somewhere down the line, you have to make it hurt, you have to embarass yourself, you have to disappoint yourself. If you desire to move ahead, you will be leaving your weakness behind you in time, but first comes hard work.

FREE WEIGHTS:
- Demand full participation of major muscle groups and stabilizing muscles
- Offer any number of COMPOUND MOVEMENTS which, as stated in this FAQ, are the foundation of a strength training program.
- They're not easy. Working with free weights in a no-bullshit, tiring, difficult program will harden your body and mind to the stresses of training. As you continue to train you'll start to feel "good" during your workout. Later on you'll feel like a million bucks. Soon after that you'll probably feel like shit because you didn't work out, so the next day you'll go out and get your iron fix and feel like a beast, on top of the damn world.

Hey, there are worse things to be addicted to.

I am not saying you should NEVER use machines. shit, I use the cable row and lateral pulldown, and I even do tricep and bicep isolation on cables sometimes too. But the main portion of your diet, the biggest thing on your plate, is a barbell and plates. Don't try and get around it.