How do I maximize the benefit I get from my time spent at the gym?
July 24, 2012 4:01 PM Subscribe
How do I maximize the benefit I get from my time spent at the gym?
I've been going to the gym around 3 times a week since last fall and I'm definitely noticing some progress. However, I still consider my workouts to be a random string of sets based on whatever machines are available when I stumble upon them. I really do not have a formal "workout plan" and I really can't say I know very much about working out. How do I create a plan or schedule so I maximize my time spent at the gym?
I really need to determine the following:
1. How much do I rest between sets?
2. How much should I be lifting in a set? And how many repetitions? Should I be going for higher reps? Should I be going for more sets?
3. Should I ever do the same machine 2 days in a row?
I'm still a workout n00b even a few months in.
I've been going to the gym around 3 times a week since last fall and I'm definitely noticing some progress. However, I still consider my workouts to be a random string of sets based on whatever machines are available when I stumble upon them. I really do not have a formal "workout plan" and I really can't say I know very much about working out. How do I create a plan or schedule so I maximize my time spent at the gym?
I really need to determine the following:
1. How much do I rest between sets?
2. How much should I be lifting in a set? And how many repetitions? Should I be going for higher reps? Should I be going for more sets?
3. Should I ever do the same machine 2 days in a row?
I'm still a workout n00b even a few months in.
1. It depends.
2. It depends.
3. Probably not.
Does your gym offer a personal trainer? You might find that spending a little now to do a session with them and talk about your needs can help you in the long term.
posted by beaucoupkevin at 4:06 PM on July 24, 2012
2. It depends.
3. Probably not.
Does your gym offer a personal trainer? You might find that spending a little now to do a session with them and talk about your needs can help you in the long term.
posted by beaucoupkevin at 4:06 PM on July 24, 2012
I think all this depends on your immediate goal.
Do you want to lose weight, be fit, or be muscular.
But i could be mistaken
posted by couchdive at 4:07 PM on July 24, 2012
Do you want to lose weight, be fit, or be muscular.
But i could be mistaken
posted by couchdive at 4:07 PM on July 24, 2012
Response by poster: I'm 6'3" 185 lbs so I"m trying to bulk up with muscle. Trying to add mass, definitely not lose weight.
Sorry for not specifying.
posted by decrescendo at 4:09 PM on July 24, 2012
Sorry for not specifying.
posted by decrescendo at 4:09 PM on July 24, 2012
In that case you want low reps/high weight. You want to be hurting after 5-8 reps, and do something like 3-5 sets.
Don't do the same exercise two days in a row. Your muscles need time to recover.
You definitely need a plan. Make a spreadsheet and keep track of how much weight you're doing on each exercise, and make sure you're gradually but consistently adding weight.
Watch the people using free weights and try to pick up some of the simpler movements so you can move away from depending on machines -- start with dumbbells. If you can, hire a trainer for an hour or two to show you proper form for squats and deadlifts.
posted by no regrets, coyote at 4:20 PM on July 24, 2012 [1 favorite]
Don't do the same exercise two days in a row. Your muscles need time to recover.
You definitely need a plan. Make a spreadsheet and keep track of how much weight you're doing on each exercise, and make sure you're gradually but consistently adding weight.
Watch the people using free weights and try to pick up some of the simpler movements so you can move away from depending on machines -- start with dumbbells. If you can, hire a trainer for an hour or two to show you proper form for squats and deadlifts.
posted by no regrets, coyote at 4:20 PM on July 24, 2012 [1 favorite]
The general advice is to get on a program that uses big compound lifts to increase your general strength. Common programs that are good fits for most include the Practical Programming Novice Program, Stronglifts 5x5 (be sure to include the chins and pullups), and Greyskull LP. Which program you choose is up to you - they are all effective, so pick the one that sounds best to you and stick with it for at least six months before altering it or switching programs.
This holds true for people who are training for looks, strength, or athleticism, because strength is useful for all of these and you will gain a good amount of muscle as well.
Once you are in the neighborhood of being able to squat 1.5-2x your bodyweight and bench a bit over your bodyweight, you should transition to a bodybuilding routine to really pack on muscle (which you can now do more effectively because you are stronger).
posted by Earl the Polliwog at 4:23 PM on July 24, 2012
This holds true for people who are training for looks, strength, or athleticism, because strength is useful for all of these and you will gain a good amount of muscle as well.
Once you are in the neighborhood of being able to squat 1.5-2x your bodyweight and bench a bit over your bodyweight, you should transition to a bodybuilding routine to really pack on muscle (which you can now do more effectively because you are stronger).
posted by Earl the Polliwog at 4:23 PM on July 24, 2012
As far as rest between sets, rest as long as you need to to feel ready for the next one. 3-4 minutes is a good general amount. At first you will probably not need more than a minute or so if you are starting light (which is a good idea), but once you are moving heavy weights you will need that much downtime.
Later on when you are more advanced and doing a bodybuilding routine, you may have a program that specifies a shorter rest period.
posted by Earl the Polliwog at 4:27 PM on July 24, 2012
Later on when you are more advanced and doing a bodybuilding routine, you may have a program that specifies a shorter rest period.
posted by Earl the Polliwog at 4:27 PM on July 24, 2012
Seconding getting a personal trainer for a few sessions (maybe once a week for a couple of weeks). You can tell them what your goals are and they can then teach you a routine that will fit your goals. Once you get into the habit of having a proper routine and form you can then drop the trainer and just do a check-in with them every month or so.
posted by littlesq at 4:29 PM on July 24, 2012
posted by littlesq at 4:29 PM on July 24, 2012
You'll get answers for everything you mentioned. It's all straight-up beginner stuff that you could find a million conflicting answers for, and will.
So here are some different things to think about to maximize your time at the gym:
1. Get in there with your workout in mind, crush it, get on your way home while chugging your recovery drink. The gym isn't time for social hour. I accomplish a lot more in 35minutes than the people that are there for 2 hours "working out".
2. Eat. If you want to put on mass it has to come from somewhere. When I was aiming for 200 starting from 158lbs @ 6ft I had no idea how much food it would take. I'd stuff myself while drinking a gallon to half a gallon of milk a day on top of that and still had minimal fat gain.
3. Whatever program you end up ensure there is some balance. Study anatomy. Look at how different muscles and ligaments connect/interact.
4. Don't think of it as a race. It's a slow process. Set a monthly goal right now and every month. Then something you want to have done in 3 months, 6 months, a year. Re-evaluate at that year.
5. Signup over here
Have fun!
posted by zephyr_words at 5:01 PM on July 24, 2012
So here are some different things to think about to maximize your time at the gym:
1. Get in there with your workout in mind, crush it, get on your way home while chugging your recovery drink. The gym isn't time for social hour. I accomplish a lot more in 35minutes than the people that are there for 2 hours "working out".
2. Eat. If you want to put on mass it has to come from somewhere. When I was aiming for 200 starting from 158lbs @ 6ft I had no idea how much food it would take. I'd stuff myself while drinking a gallon to half a gallon of milk a day on top of that and still had minimal fat gain.
3. Whatever program you end up ensure there is some balance. Study anatomy. Look at how different muscles and ligaments connect/interact.
4. Don't think of it as a race. It's a slow process. Set a monthly goal right now and every month. Then something you want to have done in 3 months, 6 months, a year. Re-evaluate at that year.
5. Signup over here
Have fun!
posted by zephyr_words at 5:01 PM on July 24, 2012
3. Should I ever do the same machine 2 days in a row?
Nope. In fact, you shouldn't do the same machine once in a row. Free weights are where it's at. Make sure you have good form, and you'll do much better with free weights than with any machine.
posted by xingcat at 5:05 PM on July 24, 2012 [2 favorites]
Nope. In fact, you shouldn't do the same machine once in a row. Free weights are where it's at. Make sure you have good form, and you'll do much better with free weights than with any machine.
posted by xingcat at 5:05 PM on July 24, 2012 [2 favorites]
I lifted for years thinking I needed to get in there as much as possible, and did the whole back-bis, chest-tris thing, but almost always made sure to bench and do some curls. The "beach" routine. I did this for years. I am by no means a big guy, but I got fairly strong. However, I only realized years later how much I messed up the flexibility in my neck, shoulders and back. And how I was never going beyond the numbers I had been consistently putting up.
Switching to crossfit years ago really showed me how much I was doing wrong (I couldn't do a single overhead squat correctly). I did that for a while, in the very early days of Crossfit. However, I never paid for an official crossfit gym, and sort of become disillusioned with their politics and HQ.
Around that time, I moved on to a "Starting Strength" routine, based on the book by Mark Rippetoe. This was eye-opening. As long as you have access to free weights and a squat rack, you can get your work outs done quickly, and you will make consistent linear progress. It will be incredibly difficult to resist doing all the things you think you should be doing (machines, curls, abs, etc). However, you will work your entire body with the main lifts you are doing in the program: squats, deadlifts, overhead press, bench, cleans. If you have stuff left in the tank, give it time, it moves up quickly. You are always adding a little teeny, amount of weight each time. And it adds up quickly. Almost everyone starts with too much weight and has to reset. TheStarting Strength Wiki is a good overview, but definitely buy the book.
You will learn a lot, and it wil entirely change the way you approach the gym, and how efficiently you work out. It is liberating...you walk in, do a bit of light warm up, then lift hard, and get out. There is almost no lingering around waiting for machines. No standing there thinking of what you need to do. You work out three days a week, and it is clear and simple what you need to do. And you will get strong fairly quickly.
Do that for as long as you can, and then you can reassess or find other programs, but that is a great way to start. It is a good base program for building strength for whatever direction you may want to go in later.
posted by This_Will_Be_Good at 5:32 PM on July 24, 2012 [4 favorites]
Switching to crossfit years ago really showed me how much I was doing wrong (I couldn't do a single overhead squat correctly). I did that for a while, in the very early days of Crossfit. However, I never paid for an official crossfit gym, and sort of become disillusioned with their politics and HQ.
Around that time, I moved on to a "Starting Strength" routine, based on the book by Mark Rippetoe. This was eye-opening. As long as you have access to free weights and a squat rack, you can get your work outs done quickly, and you will make consistent linear progress. It will be incredibly difficult to resist doing all the things you think you should be doing (machines, curls, abs, etc). However, you will work your entire body with the main lifts you are doing in the program: squats, deadlifts, overhead press, bench, cleans. If you have stuff left in the tank, give it time, it moves up quickly. You are always adding a little teeny, amount of weight each time. And it adds up quickly. Almost everyone starts with too much weight and has to reset. TheStarting Strength Wiki is a good overview, but definitely buy the book.
You will learn a lot, and it wil entirely change the way you approach the gym, and how efficiently you work out. It is liberating...you walk in, do a bit of light warm up, then lift hard, and get out. There is almost no lingering around waiting for machines. No standing there thinking of what you need to do. You work out three days a week, and it is clear and simple what you need to do. And you will get strong fairly quickly.
Do that for as long as you can, and then you can reassess or find other programs, but that is a great way to start. It is a good base program for building strength for whatever direction you may want to go in later.
posted by This_Will_Be_Good at 5:32 PM on July 24, 2012 [4 favorites]
If you're feeling lost and looking for some clear direction and a highly detailed program layout then the Adonis Index program might be your thing (I have no affiliation).
Essentially a program that is designed to achieve a certain 'look', it gives you detail on what exercises to do, in which order, on which days, at which weight and how much time you should wait between sets. They have competitions every couple of months (they are very open about the whole program being a vanity exercise as opposed to anything else) and if you browse through the winners photos you can get an idea of what you can achieve.
posted by HopStopDon'tShop at 6:59 PM on July 24, 2012
Essentially a program that is designed to achieve a certain 'look', it gives you detail on what exercises to do, in which order, on which days, at which weight and how much time you should wait between sets. They have competitions every couple of months (they are very open about the whole program being a vanity exercise as opposed to anything else) and if you browse through the winners photos you can get an idea of what you can achieve.
posted by HopStopDon'tShop at 6:59 PM on July 24, 2012
I agree with This_Will_Be_Good. I put on more muscle following Rippetoe's program for six months than I did weight lifting for four years.
I don't think a personal trainer is necessarily a good idea. I have seen a minority show their clients how to do real, effective lifts like the squat. And of them a slim minority show them how to properly do a squat. The most effective, most basic lift there is. So, it really depends on your gym and their staff but of the dozens of trainers I have seen with clients over the years they don't seem worth it.
posted by munchingzombie at 7:58 PM on July 24, 2012
I don't think a personal trainer is necessarily a good idea. I have seen a minority show their clients how to do real, effective lifts like the squat. And of them a slim minority show them how to properly do a squat. The most effective, most basic lift there is. So, it really depends on your gym and their staff but of the dozens of trainers I have seen with clients over the years they don't seem worth it.
posted by munchingzombie at 7:58 PM on July 24, 2012
For the best return-on-investment for time spent in the gym and especially in light of your stated goals, do the Starting Strength program. If you look back through previous strength training AskMeFi questions, plenty of other folks recommend it too.
You've already been working out for a while and you no doubt have strength, but when you embark upon Starting Strength, START LOW. Resist the temptation to pile on extra plates because of embarrassment or whatever. Starting very light will give you time to perfect your form and it will develop all those stabilizer muscles that are not currently getting any work because you're using machines. Steadily add small increments of additional weight. It won't take too long before you plateau.
Squats. Deadlifts. Bench/Overhead press. Chinups/Pullups. Later, Power Clean. You will get a full body workout and be in and out of the gym in 45 minutes.
posted by chicxulub at 6:36 AM on July 25, 2012
You've already been working out for a while and you no doubt have strength, but when you embark upon Starting Strength, START LOW. Resist the temptation to pile on extra plates because of embarrassment or whatever. Starting very light will give you time to perfect your form and it will develop all those stabilizer muscles that are not currently getting any work because you're using machines. Steadily add small increments of additional weight. It won't take too long before you plateau.
Squats. Deadlifts. Bench/Overhead press. Chinups/Pullups. Later, Power Clean. You will get a full body workout and be in and out of the gym in 45 minutes.
posted by chicxulub at 6:36 AM on July 25, 2012
It's already been said, but the best thing I've done to get the most out of my time at the gym has been to get a professional trainer for a few months.
posted by jander03 at 8:03 AM on July 25, 2012
posted by jander03 at 8:03 AM on July 25, 2012
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by no regrets, coyote at 4:06 PM on July 24, 2012 [1 favorite]