Gym advice and exercise routine?

[Magatame]

So I have been working out for about a month now, I either go to the gym and work my way around all the machines (usually takes about an hour) or if I'm at home I do the same weight exercises and go on an exercising bike for half an hour..

I'm trying to lose weight and build some muscle in the process and it seems from what I have read I have been doing it wrong.. Apparently I'm supposed to work out certain parts of my body each day to allow my muscles to rest.

Is my workout bad? Do I need to change it? If so how could I go about doing that? At the moment I spent about an hour using ALL the machines if I limit myself to certain machines I'll be in and out in no time, can someone recommend a workout for me?

Thanks

EDIT:

So I have been thinking, when I'm at the gym all the machines are for cardio so it doesn't really matter how much I do them. So if I was to go to the gym everyday and do the same routine then do weight lifting only 2 days a week spaced out to give my muscles time to rest that would be fine right? Although wouldn't things like the seated lat pull down and rowing machine stop my muscles from recovering?

[handcycle2005]

Muscles need 48 hours to recover-abs/core can be done every day, lower back twice a week.

Alternate days with the weights upper body one day, legs the next. On upper body day, do a leg based cardio and vice versa.

Or weights four days and cardio the other three.

Can you post what you're currently doing? It will be easier to make recommendations.

[big_ness]

Hi Magatame,

I found that for me personally high intensity interval training (HIIT) worked like a gem. You don't need to spend alot of time working out and can lose quite some fat in a fairly short amount of time besides boosting your endurance without having to spend tons of time doing cardio on the treadmill (the machine I hate the most ). I usually do burpees, jumping jacks, high knees, frog leap to pushup, stuff like that.. A friend of mine who did weights said she lifted really heavy for only few reps 2-3 times a week and did HIIT on the non-lifting days to build muscle.. I have never used weights myself but could significantly increase my strength and endurance with HIIT. Maybe give it a shot and see if you like it

[Actively_Funny]

Hi Magatame,

I will have to agree with big_ness in regards to high intensity workouts reaching greater results. It is not about how much time you spend at the gym but the intensity you bring to your workouts. Sometimes my workouts last no more than 7 minutes but those 7 minutes are filled with a lot of intensity. I have seen incredible results from myself as well as the members at my gym.

I will give you an example about my personal experience with intensity:

Unlike most people, I love the treadmill and love running long distances. It is a good way to keep me lean and stress free but it wasn't helping me with my speed, strength, agility, etc. I was able to complete a marathon but in the end of the day I was weak. My muscles were not balanced and I got injured a lot.

I eventually learned about intensity with interval training. Instead of just running for an hour, two or three straight I incorporated sprints. As an example: I sprinted for 1 minute, I jogged 3. That significantly reduced my workout to 20mins and my legs got stronger, I got faster, I got way leaner, my muscles were balanced.

That was just an example of what intensity can do for you: decreases workout time, increases results. I won't lie, running 3 hours straight is easier than a 7minute intense workout. But the results are worth it all.

I am not informed of your fitness "level" but, speaking for myself, I keep 3 things in mind when it comes to my fitness and health:

1. Nutrition
2. Work
3. Rest

Feed your body what it needs in order to give you the energy you require to finish the work. Workout and make sure you are serious about it. Lifting something easy is just a waste of your time, push yourself (but be safe - know your limit). Rest - give yourself plenty of sleep, take some days off.

I should also mention the fourth thing I consider: TIME.

Be patient about it, your results will come as long as you don't waste time and do the work with no excuses. There is no better time than the present.

Don't be afraid to explore your gym. The gym should be seen as a friendly friend not an enemy. SO have fun with it!!!

I am a huge advocate about free weights vs machines. That will help you much better in the long run.

Fact: muscle burns fat.

Use your body weight. After all you do carry yourself everywhere you go. Do pushups, burpees, air squats, run, jump rope, do jumping jacks, jump boxes (or plates if a box is too high), etc.

Don't be afraid to modify your workout. If you cant to regular pushups then do pushups with your knees on the floor. If that is challenging then do pushups off the wall. We all start out somewhere, don't be ashamed of that.

Lastly, I ranted long enough, I suggest doing more multi-joint workouts or as I like to call it "functional movements" instead of isolated workouts. Bicep curl is an isolated workout, pullups are multi-jointed.

Good luck!

[rpmcduff]

I also like HIIT for cadio work. But to address you the OP question on routines I am posting a link to a Bodybuilding.com Forum post. This gives several options for split workout routines. Routines and Advice *updated* - Bodybuilding.com Forums

If you need to know what a paticular exercise is there is information on the same site that gives visual (some are video) and text descriptions.