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So, the gym, finally going to use it

HSSS

HSSS

Expert
ive had a leisure centre membership for 6 months. I’ve regularly used Pilates with an excellent instructor. Occasionally used the pool. Rarely the gym. I’ve decided it’s because I have no idea what I’m doing or how to achieve anything meaningful. So I’ve booked a personal trainer there for just a few sessions. I want you guys to hold me accountable and keep me motivated. Putting it down in writing publically will help

My goals.
I’m sick of being weak. I want more muscle for strength, metabolic rate and glucose uptake.
I want to be able to do a real press up. Just one will do for now. I’ve never done one.
I have three teenage sons. They have a pull up bar in a doorway. I want to be able to hang from it for a minute, not fall off in a couple of seconds
I want to be able to squat in a seated position against a wall for a minute

Once i can do these things I’ll set new goals. I want to get to these in one month. Having lost 30lbs in the last few months i think these are more achievable than ever as I have less to lift/hold.

Any suggestions from anyone that knows what they are doing on small but progressive goals very very welcome please. I need the satisfaction of achievement for motivation.
 
Hi @HSSS, Well done. And we need weekly progress reports and no fibbing!!! And no exaggeration of the looks of your personal trainer allowed !!! But you can wax lyrical about how you feel (aches or not), how your diet is going in relation to this and those pesky things called BSLS (and called many other things, most unprintable).
Week at a time, leaves the weak behind. Best Wishes !!!
 
HSSS said:
ive had a leisure centre membership for 6 months. I’ve regularly used Pilates with an excellent instructor. Occasionally used the pool. Rarely the gym. I’ve decided it’s because I have no idea what I’m doing or how to achieve anything meaningful. So I’ve booked a personal trainer there for just a few sessions. I want you guys to hold me accountable and keep me motivated. Putting it down in writing publically will help

My goals.
I’m sick of being weak. I want more muscle for strength, metabolic rate and glucose uptake.
I want to be able to do a real press up. Just one will do for now. I’ve never done one.
I have three teenage sons. They have a pull up bar in a doorway. I want to be able to hang from it for a minute, not fall off in a couple of seconds
I want to be able to squat in a seated position against a wall for a minute

Once i can do these things I’ll set new goals. I want to get to these in one month. Having lost 30lbs in the last few months i think these are more achievable than ever as I have less to lift/hold.

Any suggestions from anyone that knows what they are doing on small but progressive goals very very welcome please. I need the satisfaction of achievement for motivation.
Click to expand...

How's it going so far? :)

As for small goals I have no idea. But perhaps time how long you can hang from the bar or squat in a seated position now, then for every second you can do it for longer would be great progress. When I first started swimming I couldn't hoist myself up by my arms on the pool ledge. Now I can, and hold myself up for a few seconds.
 
First session with trainer tomorrow. Quite excited for it.

I’m having to rethink the squat goal though as my knees really really can’t take it! Can’t wait to get back in the pool but I have a really awful full body rash at the moment (non contagious but I wouldn’t want to be in the same pool as someone looking like me so I’m extremely self conscious right now). I was doing quite well with aqua circuits and lengths at the start of the summer.
 
HSSS said:
ive had a leisure centre membership for 6 months. I’ve regularly used Pilates with an excellent instructor. Occasionally used the pool. Rarely the gym. I’ve decided it’s because I have no idea what I’m doing or how to achieve anything meaningful. So I’ve booked a personal trainer there for just a few sessions. I want you guys to hold me accountable and keep me motivated. Putting it down in writing publically will help

My goals.
I’m sick of being weak. I want more muscle for strength, metabolic rate and glucose uptake.
I want to be able to do a real press up. Just one will do for now. I’ve never done one.
I have three teenage sons. They have a pull up bar in a doorway. I want to be able to hang from it for a minute, not fall off in a couple of seconds
I want to be able to squat in a seated position against a wall for a minute

Once i can do these things I’ll set new goals. I want to get to these in one month. Having lost 30lbs in the last few months i think these are more achievable than ever as I have less to lift/hold.

Any suggestions from anyone that knows what they are doing on small but progressive goals very very welcome please. I need the satisfaction of achievement for motivation.
Click to expand...
Hi and have you had your fist session yet? I hope your trainer listened to your goals and has included work towards them in your sessions.
If you can keep consistent with a couple of sessions a week, I think you will make great progress!
The gym may have an assisted pull up machine but hanging tough on your son's pull up bar is a great idea..
As for wall squats and knees, you need to get weight into heels so that you are not coming forward over the knees and aqueeze your bum a lot (clenching a £2 coin is a good way to activiate those muscles).
Finally I'd measure progress with a tape measure and/or photos as well as performance. The scales may not budge so don't be disheartened and keep strong with your dietary changes.
 
NicoleC1971 said:
Hi and have you had your fist session yet? I hope your trainer listened to your goals and has included work towards them in your sessions.
If you can keep consistent with a couple of sessions a week, I think you will make great progress!
The gym may have an assisted pull up machine but hanging tough on your son's pull up bar is a great idea..
As for wall squats and knees, you need to get weight into heels so that you are not coming forward over the knees and aqueeze your bum a lot (clenching a £2 coin is a good way to activiate those muscles).
Finally I'd measure progress with a tape measure and/or photos as well as performance. The scales may not budge so don't be disheartened and keep strong with your dietary changes.
Click to expand...
First session today. Focussed mainly on shoulders and back and a bit of arms. I had shoulder surgery last year and I’m still very uneven in strength following that. Felt that i worked hard but that I’ll be ok ish tomorrow . If so I’ll be back there Wednesday. Friday will be legs and bum. I have a dodgy hip (suspected labrum tear and probably why my knee is shot) so will be working around that. In between tues and Thursday already is Pilates.
I’m not worried about the scales or even measurements as far as this is concerned. Photos might be good as it’s strength and tone I’m aiming for.
 
HSSS said:
First session with trainer tomorrow. Quite excited for it.

I’m having to rethink the squat goal though as my knees really really can’t take it! Can’t wait to get back in the pool but I have a really awful full body rash at the moment (non contagious but I wouldn’t want to be in the same pool as someone looking like me so I’m extremely self conscious right now). I was doing quite well with aqua circuits and lengths at the start of the summer.
Click to expand...
My left knee used to pop out when cycling. I've used the abducted and aductur (I think that's what it's called) at the gym for a long while and it's strengthened my upper leg muscles hugely. My knee no longer pops out and I struggle with lunges but can now squat. I'm a 50kg 1.5 metre female. I don't lift heavy weights but do 9.25 kg at each end of my barbell when swatting. It also helps to stabilise me. Just a thought try strengthening the leg muscles and then progress to squats. Slow and gentle
 
I now have programs that take into account my weak spots. The current aim is strengthening these and balancing me out as best I can then work to increase the load/intensity building overall strength.

As a weak total beginner that thrives on success rather than challenge how often should I be doing these programs (i have an upper body and lower body plan, each took an hour to demonstrate and work through) to achieve noticeable , to me, results within a month? I was a little sore but still moving ok once up after each one.
 
As recovery time is at least 2 or 3 days, you should not do resistance training on each part of the body more then 2 times a week.
 
Slow. I was sick and it was half term!! I’m all organised to be back tomorrow though. I hope I get reinspired. The programs don’t excite or interest me much. I’ll try and slog it out and hopefully get more into it. I need to be considering other options I think though. I’ll try swimming too once I have got rid of my rather unattractive new issue of guttea psoriasis!
 
If you don't enjoy it then you may be better off investing the money in another activity you do like - outdoor classes, boitcamps, aerobics, dance, spin ...
 
Yeah probably but dance is the only thing I actually enjoy and my knees and hip aren’t cooperating currently. I’ll give it a few weeks and see how I go. I do Pilates once or twice a week. But that’s not really enough. I feel guilty about letting myself down so will put my big girl pants on and get on with it.

The reluctance and lack of achievement is what I meant by negative.
 
ringi said:
What about synchronized swimming?
Click to expand...
Never heard of that anywhere near me. Can’t swim right now due to new onset guttae psoriasis and looking awful and feeling far too self conscious as a result. Hoping it’ll clear in next few weeks
 
HSSS said:
Yeah probably but dance is the only thing I actually enjoy and my knees and hip aren’t cooperating currently. I’ll give it a few weeks and see how I go. I do Pilates once or twice a week. But that’s not really enough. I feel guilty about letting myself down so will put my big girl pants on and get on with it.

The reluctance and lack of achievement is what I meant by negative.
Click to expand...
Here's one thing to consider. You have three teenagers. I have no kids. You probably get more exercise via "informal" workouts (running around, shopping, laundry) than I do in my "formal" workouts (swimming)!

I swim but I understand being self-conscious. I'm menopausal, and with that's come a return of puberty issues, including shoulder acne. :bag:

If you like to dance have you ever put ear buds in your phone, turned on upbeat music, and be-bopped around the house?

Keep truckin'!
 
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