So I am going to join a gym...

Black Diamond
Black Diamond Posts: 25,109
edited November 2008 in All Encompassing Trip
OK, so I have not been to a gym in 17 years :eek:

I have been a hard core smoker and could never breathe easily and am completely out of shape (in fact I think you can say I am shapeless).

Well I am off the smokes for almost two months and want to get myself looking and feeling better.

Talking to some friends I understand there are now a lot of classes, personal trainers, etc.

The questions are what do you look for in a gym. What kind of workout program should I set for myself between cardio and weights to start and how often should I go.

Thanks in advance..
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Comments

  • Rygar
    Rygar Posts: 8,712
    Round is a shape.
  • Wobbie
    Wobbie Posts: 31,803
    IMHO.... start off by walking....jogging....running. Your lungs need to heal and you will be sweating 17 years of toxins from your, soon to be fit, body. Good luck, dude. :p
    If I had known then what I know now...

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  • lalalalaaaaaaaa
    lalalalaaaaaaaa Posts: 2,445
    Black Diamond wrote:
    The questions are what do you look for in a gym. What kind of workout program should I set for myself between cardio and weights to start and how often should I go.
    It all depends on what your goals are. Many people will disagree with this, but the gym only plays a small role in weight loss and feeling healthier. I wouldn't put too much thought into the gym.

    Your success is almost totally dependent on your diet...the amount and quality of foods you eat is really the thing to focus on. Your exercise routine should be built around maintaining muscle mass (assuming you're going to be cutting calories a bit to lose some body fat), and avoiding injury. The diet is what really does most of the work though. If you're eating less calories than you're burning each day, you'll lose weight...period. If you don't starve yourself and lift weights a couple times/week, then most (if not all) of that weight loss will be fat (not muscle).

    IMO, if you just want to feel better and look better (but not like sub 10% body fat), your money would be better spent on a few dumbells and some flowers for yer wife/gf so you can get more cardio via sex :p
  • PJPixie
    PJPixie Posts: 3,026
    Rygar wrote:
    Round is a shape.


    lol........I'm in shape :) Round is a shape!!!
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  • PJGARDEN
    PJGARDEN Posts: 1,484
    Congrats on getting off the smokes! Good luck with getting in to shape. You will feel so much better once you start working out. The difference is incredible.
    As for the gym. Find one that is convenient for you and some place you feel comfortable. You don't want to have easy excuses not to go. You may want to consider a personal trainer to get you started. At least to get you set up on a program that you can follow and get the results you're looking for. A lot of gyms will give you 5 or 10 free sessions when you sign up so take advantage. I have mixed feelings about the classes but that's just b/c I never really liked working out in the class setting. I know a ton of people that love them.
  • facepollution
    facepollution Posts: 6,834
    I think Saturnal pretty much hit the nail on the head there, people really underestimate the effect diet has. I know so many people who have joined the gym, worked their arses off for a month or so and wondered why they weren't losing weight, or if they did lose weight, why they are still flabby. If you want to lose body fat you absolutely must get the diet right or it aint gonna happen.
  • Black Diamond
    Black Diamond Posts: 25,109
    facepollution wrote:
    I think Saturnal pretty much hit the nail on the head there, people really underestimate the effect diet has. I know so many people who have joined the gym, worked their arses off for a month or so and wondered why they weren't losing weight, or if they did lose weight, why they are still flabby. If you want to lose body fat you absolutely must get the diet right or it aint gonna happen.

    Should I mention that I am also on Weight Watchers :D
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  • lalalalaaaaaaaa
    lalalalaaaaaaaa Posts: 2,445
    Black Diamond wrote:
    Should I mention that I am also on Weight Watchers :D
    That's cool, just don't set conflicting goals by saying "ok I wanna lose xx lbs so I can feel better and look better". Weight is just a number. It has little to do with feeling better, looking better, or being healthier.

    You're better off setting a goal for waist size or body fat % rather than weight imo.
  • Black Diamond
    Black Diamond Posts: 25,109
    Saturnal wrote:
    That's cool, just don't set conflicting goals by saying "ok I wanna lose xx lbs so I can feel better and look better". Weight is just a number. It has little to do with feeling better, looking better, or being healthier.

    You're better off setting a goal for waist size or body fat % rather than weight imo.

    First, thank you everyone for the great responses.

    I totally agree with you. This is more about health and feeling good than weight. In the 7 weeks since I quit smoking I have put on a significant amount of weight and am uncomfortable. The exercise is something I want to do for my own realization of health and feeling better.

    Having smoked for so long I know my lung capacity is down but I just want to feel healthier.
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  • lalalalaaaaaaaa
    lalalalaaaaaaaa Posts: 2,445
    Black Diamond wrote:
    First, thank you everyone for the great responses.

    I totally agree with you. This is more about health and feeling good than weight. In the 7 weeks since I quit smoking I have put on a significant amount of weight and am uncomfortable. The exercise is something I want to do for my own realization of health and feeling better.

    Having smoked for so long I know my lung capacity is down but I just want to feel healthier.
    mhmm, quitting smoking definitely makes a huge difference. I did that in '06 when I first started experimenting with the whole 'getting healthy' game. Cleaning up the diet has been the biggest factor in feeling better for me though...the other stuff doesn't even come close. Exercise will make you feel better for sure, but there's definitely a placebo effect goin' on there. I've gone a couple weeks without doing any real exercise and still felt great because my diet was clean. I just felt lazy :p
  • intodeep
    intodeep Posts: 7,249
    the most important thing is to find a gym either close to where you live or where you work that is open the times you think you will work out.

    When you are starting out any excuse to not work out that day is just too easy. If it is far away ...... too many times you are gonna say ahh screw it i'll go tomorrow.

    Keep that in mind when picking your gym.
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  • Black Diamond
    Black Diamond Posts: 25,109
    intodeep wrote:
    the most important thing is to find a gym either close to where you live or where you work that is open the times you think you will work out.

    When you are starting out any excuse to not work out that day is just too easy. If it is far away ...... too many times you are gonna say ahh screw it i'll go tomorrow.

    Keep that in mind when picking your gym.

    That is exactly the dilemma I am having. There is a great gym 4 blocks away and there is a decent gym right in the basement of my office. I am leaning towards the one farther away but am afraid of exactly what you are saying. The winter cold may keep me away.
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  • Spunkie
    Spunkie i come from downtown. Posts: 7,095
    Go regularily. And don't quit. Be strong in body and mind. Action precedes motivation.

    And, as one b-rated movie star I met recently said: "If I'm not sitting on the coach eating potato chips, it doesn't matter what kind of a work-out I do. It counts."
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  • pearljamjen
    pearljamjen Posts: 13,578
    Black Diamond wrote:
    That is exactly the dilemma I am having. There is a great gym 4 blocks away and there is a decent gym right in the basement of my office. I am leaning towards the one farther away but am afraid of exactly what you are saying. The winter cold may keep me away.

    4 blocks is not far ya lazy bum. ;)

    No I understand. I have to pass my gym in order to get to the freeway to go home. So if I don't go, I feel guilty.

    I'm trying to get back into shape too. You know how I love my classes. Especially when there is eye candy. ;) The website you showed me looks pretty cool! We can work together on cardio.

    DonJon can help you with weight/strength training tips (I'm sure he'll love that I'm volunteering but he is the MAN when it comes to that).

    Maybe you can hire my brother to be your kick-boxing instructor. That will get you going! :eek:
  • Black Diamond
    Black Diamond Posts: 25,109
    pearljamjen wrote:
    4 blocks is not far ya lazy bum. ;)

    No I understand. I have to pass my gym in order to get to the freeway to go home. So if I don't go, I feel guilty.

    I'm trying to get back into shape too. You know how I love my classes. Especially when there is eye candy. ;) The website you showed me looks pretty cool! We can work together on cardio.

    DonJon can help you with weight/strength training tips (I'm sure he'll love that I'm volunteering but he is the MAN when it comes to that).

    Maybe you can hire my brother to be your kick-boxing instructor. That will get you going! :eek:

    :eek: Hong Kong Phooey Mondays, yikes!

    Yeah I need to find my own TNI :D

    OK, so what is a good workout shoe.
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  • pearljamjen
    pearljamjen Posts: 13,578
    Black Diamond wrote:
    :eek: Hong Kong Phooey Mondays, yikes!

    Yeah I need to find my own TNI :D

    OK, so what is a good workout shoe.

    I go to this store called "Fleet Feet." I think it is locally owned. But they ask what activities you will be doing, they measure your foot (even if you think you know your size), and in my case she watched me run a few times. They will bring out different shoes to meet your needs, and then with me she watched me run each time to see if I had enough support. Workout shoes are NOT something you should skimp on. You need to take care of your feet! Find some place that will really take their time with you to find the best shoe for your foot.
  • pearljamjen
    pearljamjen Posts: 13,578
    Black Diamond wrote:
    :eek: Hong Kong Phooey Mondays, yikes!

    Yeah I need to find my own TNI :D

    OK, so what is a good workout shoe.

    I'll tell him to go easy on you at first ;)

    I'm sure you'll find some hot instructors who are also very motivating. You'll have your own TNI before you know it! ;)
  • Ms. Haiku
    Ms. Haiku Washington DC Posts: 7,389
    When I need inspiration I watch this video and think, "That could be me!"

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JyvrdEKLEw0
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  • Left Porch
    Left Porch Posts: 846
    I would say join the gym right below your office to avoid any procrastinating. What I've been doing since I started to quit smoking is getting on the treadmill and running a minimum of 20 minutes everyday. After that push-ups, sit-ups some free weights. Most gym memberships come with a free personal training session so if you're gym offers that take advantage of it and maybe set up a few more just to get adjusted to all the different machines and set-up a workout plan. Good luck bro, without the smokes and with exercise you will feel great.
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  • Nothingman54
    Nothingman54 Posts: 2,251
    Black Diamond wrote:
    OK, so I have not been to a gym in 17 years :eek:

    I have been a hard core smoker and could never breathe easily and am completely out of shape (in fact I think you can say I am shapeless).

    Well I am off the smokes for almost two months and want to get myself looking and feeling better.

    Talking to some friends I understand there are now a lot of classes, personal trainers, etc.

    The questions are what do you look for in a gym. What kind of workout program should I set for myself between cardio and weights to start and how often should I go.

    Thanks in advance..


    Im in the same boat. Just started going to a gym a couple months ago. I can run almost 2 miles without stopping and thats a big deal for me. I do around 2 miles on the treadmill everytime. Then on 1 day I will work out my arms, chest, and stomach. The next day legs. I do about 15-20 reps. And I just keep going until I cant do it anymore. What I look for in a gym is good equiptment. Also I dont like working out in front of alot of people so I go when its dead.
    I'll be back

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