Getting In Shape

[leekohler]

Mostly because I am out of shape and embarassed. I'm a very self-conscious person and I don't really enjoy enjoy working out in front of people. I know that it sounds somewhat stupid, but I have pretty severe social anxiety and would prefer to workout in my apartment.

Let me tell you something: every person in a gym started out where you are right now- self-concious and lacking confidence. No one is there to judge you. I used to be a twig at 143# when I was much younger. I was athletic in high school and lost all I had gained while in college. It was extremely embarrassing for me to go back to the gym. I looked sick. But it's something I had to do. You get over that anxiety fairly quickly.

 

[dmr727]

Mostly because I am out of shape and embarassed. I'm a very self-concious person and I don't really enjoy enjoy working out in front of people. I know that it sounds somewhat stupid, but I have pretty severe social anxiety and would prefer to workout in my apartment.

Like Lee said, I think once you get out there and do it, you'll realize that people around you aren't going to care, and the anxiety will fade. Everyone's at the gym for the same purpose - the realization of their own goals.

 

[Abstract]

Mostly because I am out of shape and embarassed. I'm a very self-concious person and I don't really enjoy enjoy working out in front of people. I know that it sounds somewhat stupid, but I have pretty severe social anxiety and would prefer to workout in my apartment.

Fair enough. Run indoors.

However, if you were concerned about making noise before using weights, it'll be an even bigger issue now that you're running.

 

[Andrew K.]

Mostly because I am out of shape and embarassed. I'm a very self-concious person and I don't really enjoy enjoy working out in front of people. I know that it sounds somewhat stupid, but I have pretty severe social anxiety and would prefer to workout in my apartment.

that's why P90X is great no audience and no monthly fee

 

[wvuwhat]

Why did you decide to spend $1200 on exercise equipment instead of joining a gym for $30-40/month that has a better variety of equipment? Just curious.

Good luck with your return to health.....



All good advice (yours and Iscariot's advice you quoted and added to).

I'd say that the finishing touches to this advice would be to make sure you switch up your routine every 3-4 weeks. Don't do the same thing over and over and over every week. It's important to shake things up - change the order of the routine, add exercises, subtract exercises, do things differently, switch the days you do things on, etc.

Don't let your routine become routine.

I'm a night owl. All of the gyms around here that are 24/7 are a lot more expensive. I'm also the type of person that prefers to be by myself when I work out. I don't want to deal with having to wait for machines and I don't think that I would muster up the energy to get ready and head 20 minutes to the gym.

 

[mouchoir]

11 exercises

1st set- 14 reps on my lowest weight
2nd set- 14 reps with 10 pounds added
3rd set- 8 reps of the absolute most I can lift 8 times
4th set- repeat set 1

I change up whether I do them in succession or all at once. It depends on the day and how I feel, but I ALWAYS do them all. Trust me- this will kick your a**.



Thanks- Iscariot and I went indoor rock climbing when I visited him in Toronto. I had never gone before, but loved it. He said, "I can't believe you're 42!" I think I impressed him.

Thanks leekohler – I'd imagine this would kick my a**!

You've inspired me to up my game. I've been stuck on the same 10 exercises using free weights (but only dumb bells) forever and I only do two sets... and I don't think it's a balanced enough routine.

 

[Eanair]

When I graduated college, I put on a fair amount of weight too.

It's what happens when you can get all the pizza you want at absurd hours in the morning for relatively cheap.

I didn't want to join a gym (too expensive) but in my 3rd floor apartment I couldn't really do heavy exercising due to the neighbors, so I joined a high school gym. Some high schools have community memberships if you live in that town/city, and for amazingly cheap prices, you can use their facilities.

Cost me $50.00 per year with use of the weight room and pool 7 days a week after 7 PM (allowed me to go home from work, change, grab an energy snack). It's not a super snazzy gym, but if you can get it for what I paid, not bad at all. A pool's a pool.

 

[Iscariot]

Agreed. Although I would say up your sets to 4 after 2 months.

Eh, professional guidelines tend to stick to 1-3 sets until at least 3 but often 6 months of training have been completed.

I'm 21 and I weight just under 135 pounds. Pathetic, I know. I really need to start working out. But starting to work out seems to be as difficult as it is to quit heroin.

There's nothing wrong with a weight of 135 pounds. This guy weighed only 132 pounds, and was the world's top Olympian until Michael Phelps surpassed his medal count:

did some situps, pushups, and curls. Not really all that much.

Some? How many reps, how many sets, how much weight. Recording this information is incredibly important when you're starting out with a fitness regime, because it will help you track progress and correct for plateaus or failures.

 

[ErikCLDR]

Swim!

Get someone to teach you proper technique and just start doing laps. Probably one of the best workouts you can get plus it exerts minimal strain on your body joints and back. It's fun, relaxing, and gets me into very good shape.

 

[Eanair]

Swim!

Get someone to teach you proper technique and just start doing laps. Probably one of the best workouts you can get plus it exerts minimal strain on your body joints and back.

+ 100!!

It's a full body workout, has hardly any impact on joints from running, and if you're asthmatic (like me), the horizontal body position even helps breathing while exercising. Plus, I found that once in the pool, it didn't seem like anyone was staring and I didn't feel all that self conscious. It's rather hard to stare at others while swimming. It's refreshing - ahhh! I love swimming.

 

[Abstract]

The guy doesn't even like running outdoors with clothes. People may not stare at him when he's in the pool, but you could say the same thing about runners. I may notice them, but I never really look very hard.*




Go ahead. I deserve it.

 

[shivermetimbers]

I lost 37 pounds last summer. High protein intake, low carbs, smaller meals more often through the day. I ran like there is no tomorrow.

I started off on the elipticle working my way up to and hour straight. Then slowly started replacing the elipticle with running till I was running 5 miles 6 days a week at around 43 minutes. My metabolism was screaming high with that much cardio. I did a light workout today, 40 minutes on the elipticle and ran for 20 minutes on the treadmill...no break between the two.

I am still losing a little weight here and there. BIG Belgian Ales (Duvel) are my vice...which are loaded with calories.

Animal pack is a AWESOME multivitamin for training. Its loaded with everything you need. If you take anything, take your vitamins.

I would also take Iso-Pure low carb protein powder. It had 50g of protein a pop, no sugar, fat, BS....good stuff.

CLA will help kill all ab fat when coupled with a proper diet and workout. Fish oil will help also. Google these to see the benefits. The worked great for me. Stay away from fat burners = bad for you, hard on the liver.

 

[bearbear]

Burn more calories than you take in. Track what you eat with fitday.com. Boom, your losing weight. It's that easy.

Also, go to a proper health and fitness forum and read, read, read. There's a lot of not so good advice in this thread, just a heads up.

 

[leekohler]

Eh, professional guidelines tend to stick to 1-3 sets until at least 3 but often 6 months of training have been completed.

True babe. But you know it's different for everyone. I started doing four sets after a month.

 

[Iscariot]

True babe. But you know it's different for everyone. I started doing four sets after a month.

Yeah, but to be fair I think you and I probably fall a little bit outside of the typical!

 

[bearbear]

11 exercises

1st set- 14 reps on my lowest weight
2nd set- 14 reps with 10 pounds added
3rd set- 8 reps of the absolute most I can lift 8 times
4th set- repeat set 1

This is an example of a poor lifting routine. You essentially have a warmup and then 1 working set (your 3rd set), which is not very effective by any means. 2-3 (3 is most common) working sets is standard as far as the basic routine goes.


And you don't wait 6 months to work up to 3 sets. You can work in that range right off the bat. That is NOT a professional guideline and whoever said this does not know what they are talking about.

 

[Iscariot]

And you don't wait 6 months to work up to 3 sets. You can work in that range right off the bat. That is NOT a professional guideline and whoever said this does not know what they are talking about.

Interesting. You tell somebody they "don't know what they're talking about", but your lack of reading comprehension and eagerness to impress has placed you in the exact same position; nobody said 3 sets is outside of professional guidelines. I, on the other hand, did say [paraphrased] that 1-3 sets for beginners represents the professional guidelines, and that 4 sets for beginners is not typically recommended.

 

[Abstract]

Yeah, but to be fair I think you and I probably fall a little bit outside of the typical!

What, no Top Gun-style high-fives, chest bumps, or slaps on the ass after that comment?

 

[Iscariot]

What, no Top Gun-style high-fives, chest bumps, or slaps on the ass after that comment?

Don't ever change.

 

[Reaver]

+ 100!!

It's a full body workout, has hardly any impact on joints from running, and if you're asthmatic (like me), the horizontal body position even helps breathing while exercising. Plus, I found that once in the pool, it didn't seem like anyone was staring and I didn't feel all that self conscious. It's rather hard to stare at others while swimming. It's refreshing - ahhh! I love swimming.

I would rather swim 100 miles than run 10 miles to be honest. I actually find swimming laps mentally relaxing and easier to focus.

I use to play sports in High school and after High School I went to college and put on the pounds and after that I got a job where it required me to set around and work at a desk. one of the best jobs I ever had was working for a golf course on the greens crew, I would get up at 4am get ready eat a good breakfast ever day and be on the course working mowing and walking and lifting and sweating my ARSE OFF!!! everyday. I would say I would walk between 25 to 30 miles a week while mowing greens plus all the manual lifting and other work during the day. when I started I was 5,10 270 when i started and when I left the golf course and started my current job I was around 220 with muscle showing and felt great.

 

[suburbia]

Geezwillickers-- some of you guys are big! But on a positive note, losing weight is much easier for men than it is for women (unless you're morbidly obese).

For those of you who'd rather not join a gym and before you invest in home equipment that may end up not being used, I would highly recommend just starting simple: The classics like push-ups, pull-ups and crunches, along with running are extremely effective workouts (you'd only need to invest in push-up and pull-up bars). Do them correctly-- which means slowly, so you feel it. The sets you do would depend on your fitness level and current physical condition.

If you don't like running outside, invest in a treadmill.

Then after a few months, along with a proper diet, you will see results. Perhaps then you'll feel like (and have the confidence to) joining a gym!

 

[Matharry]

Hi,

You must eat more vegetables and fruits. Don’t eat foods that contain too much fat, especially sweets and junk food. If you don’t like to exercise, try going for a walk about an hour after eating a meal. Make it a habit to do an activity each day that requires extreme energy input.

 

[InvalidUserID]

Jog.

Lose a couple extra pounds and tightens up.

 

[it5five]

I've been athletic for the majority of my life. It's a healthy addiction.

I haven't been very athletic up to this point in my life, but I can see how it will easily become an addiction for me. I signed up for a fitness class this semester (we just have to go to the campus gym 30 times for 45 minutes each time), and after I got over my anxiety, I loved it. I can't wait to go back on Friday. I wish I'd done this earlier, since as a student I have free access to the gym, but I'm still going to take advantage of it while I can.

Like Lee said, I think once you get out there and do it, you'll realize that people around you aren't going to care, and the anxiety will fade. Everyone's at the gym for the same purpose - the realization of their own goals.

Agreed. I had never been to a gym before, so I was incredibly nervous before I went for the first time. I'm a really small guy, so I thought I would look absolutely ridiculous and out of place. But when I got there, I realized what dmr said: most of the other people there probably felt the same too. Sure, there were a few people that looked like they were regular weight-lifters, but most of the people there just wanted to get in shape.