Gym tips?

[sipsqueak]

Today, in a moment of exuberance, I signed up for a membership at my local gym! 😨

I really want to get fitter so this is a good thing I think. However, I'm already worried that when the initial excitement fades, or when life gets busy, or when the winter hits and it's raining every day, that I will give up and stop going. This has happened to me in the past.

So, for those of you who are good at maintaining a gym routine, do you have any tips? Is there a particular approach (or mindset) that keeps you going? Do you ever use a PT?

And how often do you go? My schedule is flexible enough that I could probably go every day if I wanted to, but I know that's not realistic or sustainable. What's the norm?

I have a PT. I go minimally 4 times a week. And I treat it like a job. It’s not optional I have to go so then when motivation inevitably wanes. Not going is not an option. My week has scheduled times for the gym and that is when I go no excuses. It works well for me and has for many years

@Gymmum82 that sounds like a good strategy. Treat it like a job

I've been 3 times a week since June! I have a PT who I saw weekly, now fortnightly. I track my progress and have a structured program in blocks (first was 12 weeks long).

Haha mindset....when I first lifted with my PT I did a lot more than I thought I could. I sometimes set up the lift in a certain way, run through it in my head, positive self talk. Have a gym play list, the same one I put on in the car and listen to at the gym. I have a gym bag prep list so I don't have to think. Schedule the time. Always stick to the days. I go Sunday PM (at a push I can move it to Monday), Wednesday afternoon (never move this one), and Fri afternoon (may go Fri morning instead). After about 3 months you get addicted to the dopamine 🤣. Always have 2 back to back recovery days. 3 or 4 times a week is ideal. Also you need to decide a split - do you want to do 3 full body days, or upper/lower/push/pull over 4 days. Full Body is good for beginners as you can get maximum gains and if you miss one the cycle is not out of sync.

Eat at maintenance calories to fuel your workouts, or surplus in the beginning to build muscle. If you do gain a little weight ignore it - it is normal, as muscle holds more water. Get enough sleep. Get steps in.

Don't rely on motivation, just go even if you don't feel like it (often my best workouts!).

Lift heavy. I never kept up with going to the gym as I find the cardio stuff tedious. Now I've found lifting I go 4 times a week without fail and am excited for every session. I now have a coach but I didn't when I started out but if you can afford one it's a great option, if you get a good one. Some are shit.

I go to gym classes
You see the same peoples and if it is anything like my gym we have all become really good friends so that definitely helps the motivation
I am the fittest I have ever been by going gym classes for years

Try the classes. I always lack motivation in the gym. I go regularly and it’s the same people so nice to see people socially as well. The classes I do are only 45 minutes but you work hard. As pp I have my set days I go and stick to them.

Try classes, invest in a PT for accountability and advice. Have a structured plan for 2-3 workouts and track progress, do those programs for 8-12 weeks before changing. Try not to plan loads of exercises into one routine even though it’s tempting, but try and hit every muscle group between your workouts. Lifting heavy weights is addictive!

As PP said, stick to a routine and don't let yourself make excuses not to go. Even on days you feel awful GO TO THE GYM even if it means telling yourself you'll just walk lightly on the treadmill for ten minutes and then come home. 9 times out of 10 you'll get there and feel better and do your workout.

And I know you haven't asked for advice on what to actually do, so I hope this isn't intrusive of me to say - but please consider making lifting your focus.

Some people see a weight training programme as a massive commitment, but it's not. Just lift weight, almost as heavy as you can manage, for about 30 - 40 minutes, 3 or 4 times a week, preferably full body exercises like squats - and you'll feel fantastic very quickly. Obv get a PT to start you off if unfamiliar.

It's much better than cardio for pretty much everything, including weight loss.

Thank you all so much for these words of wisdom and inspiration!

Find the exercise you like. Weights, poledancing - whatever you would actually enjoy. And then just treat it as non-negotiable, like brushing your teeth.

I go 6 times a week, I do a class on one of those days. I go before work as I find I'm more motivated to go then rather than after work (and I don't finish at a set time), I literally roll out of bed, brush my teeth, put my gym kit on and go. My rest day is the day I'm in the office. Weekends I do a massive session on both days as I go later in the day.

I hate cardio and can't think of anything worse than running on a treadmill so I use the treadmill or cross trainer to warm up/cool down. I do a circuits class once a week to get my heart pumping and the sweat on. I also cycle as much as I can so I actually do cardio outside of the gym.

Yep, it's got to be non-negotiable. I lay my gym kit out the night before and that's it, I'm going. The only exception would be if I wake up feeling genuinely ill - not just tired, or demotivated, but properly ill.

Getting into that routine is TOUGH in the beginning but you just have to power through. If you feel like quitting, then know that is entirely normal, there is nothing wrong with you. Just keep at it. An exercise habit makes everything in life better, so it's totally worth it

Another fan of classes here.
I like the fact that everyone can see each other so it motivates me to work hard.
If I miss a week people notice so I feel like I've let the side down

Classes.

I find also i go more if i engineer situations that kinda force me to go. Like offer to do a split shift at work so I can go in between shifts or tell myself ill go after /before i go to XYZ . Leave stuff to do that involves having to go to town. That way I'm.already out of the house up and dressed and motivated to do something.

If I stay at home no way am I shifting my fat arse 😳

I agree about scheduling it as a meeting/appointment. It’s non negotiable.
3 set days a week I get up at 5, put on my kit, brush teeth and go. An hours weights and then shower before going to work. I do one upper body, lower, upper. I’m considering changing to four days and doing two upper and two lower.

Buy nice gym clothes! It will give you confidence and if you look the part, you’ll soon feel the part!

I had a PT at the beginning but now see him once every 8 weeks to check in and discuss new routines.

I used to love the classes while getting my confidence up but weights are addictive so I’ve dropped the classes.

I have a PT. It's not cheap but she keeps me accountable. And in 4 weeks, I've managed to hit PBs on almost every exercise every week - It's only small gains but it shows I'm getting stronger. I can start to feel the difference in my fitness too.

I do 1 cardio session and 2 weight sessions a week, 1 of the weights with the PT. And last week I did a class too which was more fun than I'd expected! I wouldn't have known where to begin with the weights without a PT and I certainly wouldn't be dead-lifting on my own.

Go regularly as others have said and before long you'll get the 'guilt' when you miss a day.

Can't really go wrong with 3 sets of 8 with a minute break between each set. If you can do 3 x 8, do it again on successive visits another two times and then increase the weight. If you can't do it, e.g. 8 8 2, drop the weight by half on that final set and do until failure.

Protein is your friend. Websites say 2 g for every kg you weigh, but research shows about 1.5 is more than enough... e.g. if you way 60 kg, eat 90 g protein per day. I personally like the 30 g protein shakes in Lidl, £1.

I'd buy cod liver oil capsules and take about two a day, creatine if you're going for strength, and maybe a caffeine pill or black coffee half an hour before workout.

I work out twice a week with a PT. I sacrifice having a cleaner & loads of new shoes for this, because it's worth it.

Around that, I try to go to a couple of group classes each week.

I also follow a programme of weight lifting so my gym week looks like:
I'm lifting 3- 4 days a week for about 30-40 minutes each time
a big cardio day 1 day a week (usually a bootcamp class - so much fun)
yoga or ballet once or twice a week (I am rubbish at yoga, very good at ballet, go figure)

Clearly, I need someone else to tell me what to do! But that's motivating because I make bookings & appointments wit others, so I need to keep my commitments.

The main tip: put it in your diary and just GO. Doesn't matter if you don't feel like it, just go. YOu can do a slower workout, or whatever. But you'll never regret going to the gym over not going.

And on days you really, really don't want to go, tell yourself that you will give in 10 minutes. If you still don't feel like it, you are allowed to quit and go back home.

I'm super impressed by the great routines and commitment I'm hearing about on here.

Follow up question: What's the best way to start getting into weights as a total novice? Do I need a PT to show me how to use the equipment properly and create a routine for me? Or is there something sensible on YouTube that would help me get started maybe? I just want to make sure I start on the right foot and don't end up injuring myself or being ineffective.

'Do I need a PT to show me how to use the equipment properly and create a routine for me?'

It's probably the best, quickest and safest option for learning good form, good breathing technique and how to avoid injury

Agree with the others re classes - find something you enjoy. I go 4-5 times a week (4 times minimum), a mixture of spin classes and swimming. It's built into my routine so much that it's second nature now and I miss it if I don't go. I also remind myself how much my membership costs (DL, so a lot!) and that I need to get value from it.

PT's can be great if you have a good one. Good ones can be hard to find.

Weights is my thing. I like to keep it simple.

Each session is a "full body" workout that is 5-6 exercises and is very simple based around variations of basic movements.

bench press (horizontal push away from body)
row (horizontal pull towards body)
shoulder press (vertical push away from body)
pull up/down (vertical pull towards body)
some kind of squat or split squat
some kind of deadlift

Start light, use a PT to correct your form for a few sessions then increase weight as you get stronger and more confident.

All important for motivation - TRACK YOU PROGRESS!

Keep a workout log. For example:

bench press 3x10 with 30kg barbell
seated cable row with 25kg on a machine etc

Take some honest photos of yourself in from on a mirror. Take thigh, waist, hip, arm measurements. As you see change over time, you want to do even more which certainly keeps me motivated.

I didn't start with a PT, I got this book recommended here www.amazon.co.uk/New-Rules-Lifting-Women-Goddess/dp/1583333398?nodl=1&dplnkId=472a025b-29b1-4a9d-9d97-a4bd16d1e7a1
I got strong and had lots of fun.

But I made stacks more progress when I did get a PT. But I also hear stories of not great PTs where you'd be better of with a book and YouTube.

A good PT is totally worth it. Apart from teaching you safe technique etc they should do you a programme to follow - which makes the gym trips a bit more non-negotiable. Homework needs to be done!

I would say that even if you have non-negotiable gym time there will be days when you just don't feel like it, even if you love the gym generally (as I do). On those days, unless I am actually ill I go to the gym. But - I tell myself that if after 20 minutes or so I am still feeling tired/rubbish and have not started to enjoy the session then I will cut it short and leave. 90% of the time I have started to enjoy it and do the session. Quite often if I leave it turns out I am coming down with a lurgy so it was just as well not to push it.