Okay, I just started at the gym this month. Are you supposed to give up the machine between EVERY set? Can I do 15 presses, sit for 2 minutes, and do 15 more?
Generally I just get up and move to another machine. I figure if I’m working out, it doesn’t really matter what I’m working on. I’ll do abs, then move to the press machine, then move to the butt machine, then back to the abs. But I’m only doing that because I’m afraid to sit still for fear the experienced gym rats will kick my ass.
Who said they did?
I think if you’re sitting there, staring off into space, catching your breath, it’s obvious you’re in the “zone” and are psyching yourself up for the next set. I do think two minutes between sets might be a bit long, but YMMV.
See post #12.
I’ve gotta say, I’ve been given some extremely helpful pointers on form from people who’ve spotted me over the years.
And the buckeyes never bother me either.
It depends. How full is the gym? Are there people waiting on other equipment? Are you on the only lat pulldown/seated row station? If it’s the only one, what are other people in the gym working?
I stopped doing chest on Mondays, because it’s the first day after the weekend and everybody wants to do chest, so those machines are full. If I do back on Monday instead, I can sit on one of the back machines for an hour if I wanted because nobody else is going to be using them.
You should find a plan and stick to it. While working out haphazardly is better than doing nothing at all, a structured plan is better than working out haphazardly.
It depends on what your fitness goals are. When I’m working heavy, my muscles are still jello after two minutes.
This is when we go. There’s only a half dozen people there, and by the time we leave, there might be 15 or so. Perfect way to start my day.
Well, there are lots of open machines when I’m there because I’m there the minute they open. My plan is structured, in that I do “set 1”, “set 1”, “set 1” and “set 2”, “set 2”, “set 2” rather than “set 1, set 2” “set 1, set 2”…
but that’s only because I’m afraid people will get pissed off if I rest for 2 minutes between sets. I can see that some people think it’s too long, so I guess I’m doing it right.
I disagree here. The person said they were a January person, which I take to mean they are just starting at the gym, and hence just starting weight training. They do not need to be doing a bodybuilder type work out. 5x5’s with 3 minute breaks is a serious work out. This person needs to move into weight training. Doing a light circuit for a month seems like a great way to slowly get into it, and someone with no weight training experience will see some results from that type of workout in the beginning. Let them gain some muscle before they move into harder, more complicated maneuvers.
Santo Rugger has mostly answered this question, but I’ll add in. Not only do I have a routine planned, but I work in certain way. On any given day I do core body parts first, i.e., chest, back, thighs. Then, move “out” from there – arms, shoulders, calves, etc. There are other types of workouts of course but with this approach you are able to work each part maximally because you haven’t tired yourself out on the extremities. If you’re doing what you’re doing on the machine and I can’t switch over to a machine that fits my program (and I would), yes, I will ask you if I can work in. Based on the resting time you’ve mentioned that actually is about right for someone else to share with you; by the time I’m finished my set you go, and round and round.
No, I meant when I’m doing either dumbbell or bent bar curls. Sometimes that mirror is the only one available and inside the leg press machine is out of the lane of foot traffic.
While I was trying to be considerate, I never thought about that. I haven’t ever noticed warm water from the cooler but will try to be cognizant if it happens and adjust accordingly.
Don’t worry about what people think, if you’re holding them up and they’ve spoken up. If they’re glaring at you or don’t want to work in and walk away because they’re “you-phobic,”* ignore 'em. Like I said, your rests appear to be just about perfect for a work-in.
“Sir, we’ve had some complaints about you trying to socialize with some of our female customers. Please don’t bother the ladies while they’re working out.” “Sir, we’ve spoken to you before about bothering the ladies. Please respect their wishes to be left alone.” “Sir, you are costing us our female customers. Frankly, we’d rather have not have to ask you again to leave our other customers alone. They are not here to socialize.” Seriously, ANY business is entitled to ask a customer to refrain from bothering other customers, and to kick out the problem customer if he persists in harassing others, either patrons or staff. I dunno if Snuffy has always been like this, or if he has early dementia which is impacting his social skills, or what, but I can tell you that women are not necessarily flattered by some guy trying to chat them up when they are trying to get something else done. Especially if it’s an older guy who is acting like a lech/perv/proverbial Dirty Old Man.
Going to the front desk is a good first step. The staff member at the front desk is quite likely to be low on the food chain, though, and really unable to do anything about it. Just work your way up to her supervisor and then the manager on duty. If that doesn’t work, then ask to see the manager/owner. Explain that you will be cancelling NOW if you are not assured that your eardrums will not be assaulted. Since this is a chain, follow up with a letter to the HQ, mentioning that while it’s great that the dance class has a new place, the kids should be supervised, and not allowed to make the whole building vibrate with their noise.
And speak to the owner/manager of your current gym, asking about whether they have any pans to fix the cardio machines, and whether they can put some sort of noise guidelines into effect.
That’s “unless you’re holding them up and they’ve spoken up.”
I read an article that says you should actually be drinking your workout water at room temperature. Your body can’t absorb it cold, and the time it takes to warm it takes away from your hydration.
I haven’t gotten the stink eye because the gym is pretty wide-open when I’m there. But based on comments in this thread, it sounds like maybe they’re hatin’ on me from afar.
We don’t have any heavy lifters during our “crack o’ dark” workout. Just a handful of geezers like ourselves, a couple of half-hearted fakers and The Girls With Butts To Die For (who I hate). I’d say 12-15 tops when we leave.
Hell, at least they gave out sheets with rules on them. I’ve joined three gyms in this area over the years, and not one of them gave out rule sheets, or even hint sheets. As for patrolling the area, HA! I’d like to know just what my dues were supposed to be paying for. I, for one, don’t appreciate it when people wear street clothes into the pool or whirlpool. Nobody seems to shower before going into the pool, either. Wearing makeup into the pool is gross, and so is soaking your hair in cheap conditioner (it’s a beauty tip to keep one’s hair from drying out, but I prefer to have my pool water relatively pure, thank you), and one should not wear street shoes into the pool, either. That’s what flipflops and aquasocks are for.
I would really, really like to join a gym and be able to do additional exercises. But I am so disgusted at the local gyms that I just stay home and work out on my own machine. I’ve lost quite a bit of weight, but I know that I need different exercises. I’m NOT gonna go work out in a pool where there are a gazillion dead crickets, though. Ugh.
Cool. I have little to no experience with that level of experience and fitness goals. I should have been more clear that of the workout plans that I’ve personally researched, none have specified less than sixty seconds rest, and I wouldn’t be able to go after sixty seconds, anyway.
One of our rugby buddies just started lifting with us. He had absolutely no experience in the gym, and started out benching an Olympic bar with quarters. We pushed him into the plan we’ve been doing, and while not quite caught up with us, he’s moving up fast. Granted, he was athletic before hand and had that athleticism to build on, even though he had relatively little muscle mass. Yet another reason why I have no idea what I’m talking about when developing a program for somebody who’s an absolute beginner.
I hadn’t been to the gym since I was an undergrad when I started lifting again in September. But I hopped right into 3x8s or 4x8s, but I used light enough weight for the first three weeks that I could have done 12 weeks. I still needed at least a minute rest, but that could have been because I was out of shape. Dipping my feet in really helped, though, compared to the last time I cannon balled and was so sore I literally couldn’t bend my arms.
It’s not that big of a deal; if I’m getting 8oz to mix with my protein after my workout, a bit warmer is better, because it’ll mix all the way. 
For the women that feel intimidated going to the gym/weight room - I used to feel like that. I ended up taking a weight training class at the local city college. It helped. It was about 50-50 absolute first-timers and youngish boys who wanted to impress each other with how much they could bench.
The teacher grouped us according to our experience levels, so I ended up working out w/ 3 other ladies in their 30s & 40’s who had never lifted before. It was great! I never felt stupid or out of place. I did, however, have to make a real effort to get the teacher to specifically teach me how to use free weights rather than the machines. It took a couple of explanations for him to understand that I wasn’t sure I could afford a gym membership after class ended, but I’d probably be able to pick up a used weight bench and some dumbbells.
The teacher also told the women that they should use lower weights/higher reps unless they wanted to get bigger - so apparently even if you teach phys ed, you can still be misinformed about fitness. I started reading up on lifting and just went ahead with heavier weights/ lower reps.
Still, it was a great experience and made me realize that I belonged in the weight room of a gym as much as anyone else. We also picked up the etiquette stuff about working other people in, wiping off machines, etc. Well, we older students did. I noticed the meathead guys never put their free weights away or acted like they were even aware if they were intruding on your personal space while you were lifting.
So that might be an option, is what I’m saying.
Kalhoun - do whatever you feel comfortable with. But I’m pretty sure most of these folks who are talking about strictly structured routines requiring lengthy recovery between sets have somewhat different fitness goals than the likes of you and I. I think the main goal for folks of a certain age and lifestyle, the most important thing is to get that carcass moving with some regularity, and doing at least some variety of activities.
But with respect to reps and using equipment that is of limited availability, IMO if your “recovery” is going to last longer than it will take me to change the weight, do my set, and re-rack - then get you ass off the machine and recover elsewhere. IMO it should be the responsibility of the person using the equipment to see if someone else wants it while they are between sets. Also IMO folks who consider themselves incapable of letting someone else work in are inconsiderate prima donnas. Of course, common sense would have the 95# weakling ask to work in with someone other than a 300# power lifter…
Like they say, some of the things least commonly found are sense and courtesy…
You’re right, Dins…I do have a completely different goal than some of the posters here. As I said, the place isn’t crawling with people at 5am, and no one has ever “hovered”…is that the signal? Are you supposed to “hover” if you want the equipment?
Well, anyway, to avoid confrontation, I do crunch, press, butt, crunch, press, butt. It’s just less stressful. It’s bad enough they don’t have ashtrays on the fuckin’ treadmill!!
Well, crud. You just reminded me that the goofy aquacise class starts up next week, so we’ll be back to having a gaggle of women who won’t get their hair wet – and so, won’t shower (as required by the health codes, as posted at the pool), and thus all their perfumes and whatever leaches out into one giant oilslick surrounding them.
Even worse, they complain if the guards remind them to shower (as posted in another, different giant sign on the pooldeck that they have to walk by each class), AND complain if there is any amount of splashing that might get their hair wet. This, in a class next to the fast lane for lap swimmers (incl. butterflyers), and otherwise surrounded by little kids taking swim lessons.
At least I know their class will dwindle down to ~4 women in only a week; but the first week with ~20 of 'em is going to be annoying as Hell.
Eh. After years of competitive swimming, where the swim team is the first in the pool after it’s opened each year, I’ve hoovered up more dead bugs than somebody’s pet iguana. They’re a little ticklish going down – the legs are kind of “furry” – but just think of it as extra protein. 
then I dont think much of the gym you were in. I have been member of a couple of different gyms, and used the base gyms at a couple of military ones, and every single one I was told to clean the machines up after I used them, and also that if it was going to be more than a minute or so between reps that it was polite to let someone else use the machine while I was resting. I was also taught how to use the various machines [and the guy in the gym at the amphib base was the cutest marine I have ever seen … ]
And I am not the most athletically inclined person, nor do I consider myself into gym culture. If it wasnt for my rehab coach pushing me, Id probably still be in a wheelchair=)