Hello Friends.
I have access to a gym including treadmills, a track, elliptical, weights, etc. My fitness goals are to strengthen my arms, abs, and legs while maintaining my current weight or reducing it very slightly. Does anyone have a schedule of what I should do each day and which exercise I should do for this? Give me schedule of this.
Thanks in advance.
I never went to a gym/had a gym membership but I have all the equipment at a residential home so bear with me. and I am not a trained physical trainer..fyi...ok..moving on
So from your description...looks like you want to gain muscle but not necessarily lose weight. You can go two routes here....
1) gain muscle (probably the route you are looking to do)
or
2) all-around cardio and muscle. (to bring down overall body fat % while staying muscular)
Obviously number 1 is going to be easier to do. Just hit the gym 3-4 times a week , each time working out a different muscle group. Also change up the routine every 2 weeks and change up the order of the routine, meaning changing the exercise order. If you are just starting out...you just want to hit up some of the basic routines...bench press...curls...overhead lift...skull crushers...flys..etc..
I would suggest googling workout routines which would include pictures showing you how to do each exercise. Also, in a non-stalkerish type of way..just watch others at the gym (those who know what they are doing).
Diet wise...eat alot of protein, but in general you wouldnt cut down on calories too much...you are simply increasing your muscle mass and at the same time reducing some fat although it wont be as noticeable as much if you did cardio. This whole routine would make getting abs a little difficult though since you really need cardio to remove the fat that lie in front of your ab muscles and not just weights. Overall, at 3-4 times a week with a relatively healthy diet, you should notice a difference within 8 weeks or so.
2) This is the routine I do. Cardio is a big, almost equal, part to the workout. I am more about endurance events then weights. With this routine, Diet is HUGE. I would say my diet is the biggest thing and most important thing i do. I don't eat cheese, artificial sugar, processed foods, junk food, etc..fried foods. I only drink water, orange juice and milk along with the occasional protein shake. I am use to it and actually love it, but I must say it is more mental than anything else. I rarely drink alcohol and I tend to be a pain to go out for food etc since I cant eat a lot of stuff. For cardio, I bike around 25 miles/week and run 10 miles/week. I then do gym 2-3 times a week using the same process as routine 1 that I outlined above. If you do this routine, I think a simple goal would be just run a few times a week. If you have never run before your goal should be .4-.5 of a mile run without stopping...then walk a little bit and do another .4 -.5 mile. If you cant do that do quarter of a mile run then walk a little bit and repeat. You can do this on a treadmill, but i never have used one before. Eventually you will be able to push yourself and reach a mile, 2, 3 etc. The key is you really need to feel some pain. It took me 3 years to go from being able to do .5 mile to half a marathon. (it takes others less time btw). Sooner or later, you will get bored of running and you can add bike to the mix. That is key...just keep spicing it up since boredom usually leads to quitting. I know it doesnt sound pleasant, but that is the only way you can really get up there in distances. Also, if you really watch your diet, you will find cardio is SOOO much easier its not even funny.
I know this is alot..so if you want more details on a particular plan ask away. Again i dont do routine 1, so I wouldn't be the best person to ask about specific weight workouts, but i think i am more knowledgeable on the mental side to it, diets, cardio, and overall healthy habits.
