I’ve Never been to the Gym Before!

You can find them in any gym, wandering through the machines and weight racks like they're searching for lost treasure, or like they're simply lost. My heart always goes out to them, because they've made an effort to come to the gym, to go against the grain in our hormone laden, fatty food, sedentary society to change things, but don't know what to do. Some of them will get a trainer. Seven times out of ten, the trainer will give them a workout and show them a little, but most won't ask proper questions about injury or design workouts specific to what they need. I know, because I've been a trainer for some time, and most of us are not worth the cost. Here in Canada, you're looking at 60$-80$ an hour. Expensive even when we're not in a recession. So what to do then? Unfortunately, if something isn't done, people eventually just stop coming. The gym is like a strange new world, and it is intimidating, especially when you see the big guys grunting and throwing their weights around and pulling up their shorts like they're in a gangster movie. So what to do? Here are a few tips that hopefully will keep you coming to the gym, and help you get more comfortable there.

1. Check out some workout books from the library:

I know this sounds obvious, and I know that the amount of literature in the multi-billion dollar fitness industry is intimidating. I recommend anything by Jillian Michaels, the trainer from The Biggest Loser. Books on basic exercise are fairly similar, and most of them are good enough to give you a few exercises to start.

2. Warm up first:

When you get to the gym, do at least five minutes of cardio to get your heart going before you work any of your big muscle groups. If you're not sure how to use the machines like the treadmill, just ask. This is where you have to be willing to ask someone at the gym to help you. Any trainer will be happy to help, because the machines are easy to explain. (Remember, if you have knee issues, don't use the treadmill. Use the bike or the elliptical.) For more information about the machines, you can look here. Once you get comfortable on the cardio machines, the rest will come easier.

3. Big muscles next:

When you're working out, you always want to go from big to small. So work your legs first, then chest and back, before doing your arms and shoulders. If you're doing core work (abs, lower back), I'd recommend you do it at the end, but it can be done anywhere after the warm up. Multi-joint exercises, like squats and lunges, should always go first.

4. Use body weight before using machines/weights:

One of the reasons I'm always slow to recommend trainers is that I watch them put people on machines, and they never learn how their body works and miss out on what they should be learning. Machines aren't horrible, they have their uses, especially for the elderly and those who are rehabbing, but I wouldn't recommend starting there. Learn how to do a proper squat, without weights, by moving your hips back and keeping your knees from passing in front of your toes and your chest up. Learn a proper lunge. Look up diagrams and practice on your own. Pushups, from your knees if you're a beginner, along with crunches and the Plank, are all great beginner exercises. Lat pull downs are the one machine you'll want to consider. Keep your shoulders down and pull the bar down in front of your chest. Pull from between your shoulder blades.

Lat pull down: Notice in this picture how her shoulders are down, and the bar is just above her chest.

5. Have fun!

The most neglected part of most training workouts. If it isn't fun, you won't get any consistency with your workouts. Incorporate dance or whatever you need to make it fun. The first thing you must conquer, after you start feeling less intimidated, is your schedule. It has to become part of your life, and that won't happen if you're only going because you feel guilty. Change will happen, but learn to enjoy how it feels!

6. Stretching:

Never stretch cold!! You'll tear something that way. Make sure that you're warm and that you have a good sweat. There are a number of good books on stretching. Avoid the hurdle stretch (One leg pinned under you) because it will tear your knee. Breathe deep, and enjoy it.

If you're new to the gym, or have been thinking about it, let me encourage you to go through with it. I've seen the changes in my clients who have radically changed their lives! More energy, more control, and more confidence. It can be done! Don't let others dictate what you want to look and feel like, do it yourself. And if you need some encouragement or have any questions, don't be afraid to write!

-Steve

NOTE: I found this site, with video illustrations for beginners. I don't love the order of their exercises, but the rest of it is pretty good. It is a 'feminine fit' workout, but for you guys who are beginners, don't be turned off. I do all those exercies, and I bench press 300lbs!!

Hunching - Change Your Posture; Change Your Life

"Okay, walk for me."

I watched my client walk a few strides and stopped her.

"Good. But this time, let's get your back straight, take a deep breath, and relax. Now walk."

One of the common things I see in my new clients, and one of the first things I look at, is posture. It is remarkable to me how many of us walk hunched over. There are a number of reasons for this, some of which are easy to understand. In Canada, we generally experience long, cold winters, and the natural walk is somewhat scrunched over. It is hard to walk with a free and loose stride when your teeth are chattering and your skin feels like its being razored by an arctic wind. Most of the posture issues I deal with, however, have more to do with psychology and sexuality than weather.

As a rule, women hunch over so as not to push out their chests. Women with naturally curvaceous forms tend to protract their scapula so as to make their chest less prominent. The problem with this is that it puts a great deal of pressure on the lower back. When we do resistance work for our back, retracting the scapula and keeping the shoulders externally rotated is a must to protect against injury. When we walk with a hunch, we are in effect doing the exact opposite, and all the pressure goes directly to our lower back.

Women are not the only ones who hunch. Very tall (over 6'5) men have a tendency to do it, along with people who do not feel good about themselves. When we hunch, we are communicating something beyond hiding our form. It is often an attempt to hide ourselves. It's what writers would call a 'tell.'

Notice the people around you; the ones who stride upright with no hunch. Now some of them may be full of crap, like a peacock who doesn't know their feathers are actually ugly, but they are clearly not interested in hiding. Now take a look at the people around you who do 'hunch'. What is their personality like? Do they lack self-confidence?

The great thing about the mind and body, and the way they are connected, is that the mind need not always act first to help us change the way we think.

Studies have shown that we can change our feelings by changing our physiology. In other words, you don't need to wait for more confidence to better your posture, bettering your posture will give you more confidence.

Our bodies are great indicators of who we are and what we feel. This is why fitness is important. And when we don't feel good about things in our life or who we are, our bodies reflect that. If we can change our bodies, including our posture, we can help change the way we feel. Remember, better fitness is about a better life, and most of the time it isn't about our environment so much as it is about our response. Difficulties in life are inevitable, but sometimes the answer lies in something as simple as the way we walk.

"Back straight. Breathe deep. And relax."

-Steve

Exercise Tip: Try this to help your posture. Stand with your back against a flat wall. Make sure your head, shoulder blades and butt are all touching the wall. Position your feet a few inches from the wall, so your back is flat. Breathe deep and hold that position for twenty seconds. Repeat three times. Do this about once a day, and watch your posture improve.