Despite my stylish gym outfit and big muscles, going to the gym scares me. Photo illustration -- Ashley May
I’ve been following a new workout plan, compliments of my boyfriend who is a Second Lieutenant in the Army, that requires me to lift more weights and use a variety of machines at the gym. I’m excited to have a plan, but rely a lot on my boyfriend to show me what to do.
When I’m stuck going to the gym by myself, I usually cling to a treadmill or elliptical. I don’t like venturing over to new machines because I usually end up doing something wrong.
Sure, I look at the instructional diagrams, but even those can be vague. Plus, how do I know how many reps to do or how much weight to start out with? And, what if I want to do something with dumbbells or barbells? Honestly, I feel pretty silly trying to lift 30 pounds of weight next to someone who is surpassing 200 pounds. I know I clearly need some direction. So, thanks to YouTube, I found more detailed directions on how to complete some of the exercises in my workout plan.
Flat bench press:
Straight leg dead lifts:
Seated calf raises:
Bicep curls:
Preacher curls:
Tricep kick-backs:
If you are looking to put together a day-by-day workout plan that incorporates these exercises and others, check out these workout tips from Gold’s Gym.
I actually started lifting, too, about four weeks ago. I did my first ever bench press and deadlift. It is amazing how much your muscles hate you for it, but how much stronger you get from these types of workouts.
Also, I have those same gold dumbbells, that I borrowed from my mother. lol.
I think that women often forget to lift weights or don’t work as many upper body muscle groups as they could. I agree with you that it can definitely be an adjustment, and will make your muscles really sore when you start incorporating weights into your workout. But, it’s definitely worth it — even if you are just trying to get tone, not big!
P.S. I’m all about the gold dumbbells.
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