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[charlesr]

Primarily your legs and back, but squattin is the single best exercise you can do imho. Build up to some good weights, use free weights (don't use a smith machine) and you'll get good results.

Gotta be careful with squats: Ensure your knees don't start floating forward as you squat down - they should remain as close to being above your heels as possible and certainly no further forward than your toes. This saves your knees from certain death and has the bonus of toning your bum properly (for that Jean Claude look), although if you have bad flexibility (i.e. touching your toes is a problem )and lack of strength in the back, this can be hard work. I see so many people doing this wrong at the gym it's scary. A smithson can help you feel the right motion, but won't help as quickly as free weights which need more stabilisation from other muscles (including core).

[spagmasterswift]

Made it to the gym after work and they're done it up a bit. Took it very very easy (get a bit technical here):

15 minutes on the bike going up various sized hills.
1 x 12 and 1 x 6 on the weight machine that you push your arms out forward.
2 x 12 on the weight machine that you pull the bar down in front of you.

And that was it And I was a sweaty beast after just that

Can feel it in my shoulders and back and my posture has already improved Plus I had a spring in my step going up the stairs this morning!

Will go again on Wednesday and throw in some running and maybe on Friday to actually put some weight on the machines. I know a lot of people say those things are rubbish and I should be doing free weights but I really wouldn't know where to start with those and would probably drop them on my head >_<

[SharkAttack]

Is it just me or are the usual january troopers missing this year? I'm talking about the massive group of people that turn up in January every year - Get in everyon'e way in the changing room and on the machine for a month, and then go back to rotting in their offices whilst their gym membership rots away!

This year it just seems to be the usual gym regulars. If anything - Less people than normal. And I go to a fat Holmes Place in london.

[oblivion_6]

I was noticing last nite that the place wasnt overly busy, my gym introduces all sort of new classes in january to try and entice new comers but there wasnt anyone there

Maybe people are still recovering from new year/xmas and wont show up till later in the month

I dont miss em the pools nice and empty just now

[marcus]

Had a good workout at lunchtime, my fitness levels are returning to me. I typically do a run of 15mins at 12.5kmph on 1% gradient, 70 or so sit-ups, some general weights, then 10 mins on the machine that I dunno what its called (kinda like Step, but circular foot motions) on a reasonable difficulty. Works out to around 45 mins, Id say I burn off about 500 calories during that time, its good as its a work gym so I dont have to pay.

[charlesr]

Made it to the gym after work

I know a lot of people say those things are rubbish and I should be doing free weights but I really wouldn't know where to start with those and would probably drop them on my head >_<

Well done man.

As for the free weights, they are really only for people that know what they are doing. On a machine you are much more likely to keep the correct body position and work the muscles intended and not injure yourself. Free weights are better for you but have a lot of potential for going wrong, e.g. arching your back too much during bench presses. Stick with the machines until you feel you have built enough basic strenght to control the extra degrees of possible movement available with freeweights.

While you are at the gym watch all the muppets doing bicep curls with huge weight but throwing them up using their moving body weight to help out, rather than keeping their core locked solid and elbow locked in position, and then feel superior that at least you are doing it correctly on a machine.

[oblivion_6]

While you are at the gym watch all the muppets doing bicep curls with huge weight but throwing them up using their moving body weight to help out, rather than keeping their core locked solid and elbow locked in position, and then feel superior that at least you are doing it correctly on a machine.

Last year in the gym a boy was doing this while gazing at himself in the mirror (Patrick bateman wannabe?) and all of a sudden he dropped the weights and himself to the floor and started screaming in agony!

Apparently he had stretched his spine or something like that and the ambulance had to come get him, funny enuff i aint seen him at the gym no more lol

Hate those beefcake ponces

[babs]

I tried 30 lengths of the pool last night, to see if i could loosen up some muscles. Since Friday and Sunday's TSD lessons I have ached like I wouldn't have believed, especially my deltoids and latissimus. The swim (or time, I can't decide which) loosened up my arms and sides, but I'll be damned if my legs aren't killing now after 7 weeks out of the pool. Still, it's got to be doing me some good (or so I keep telling myself). The real test will be Friday's lesson and whether or not I survive the warm-up.

[Briareos]

The Oasis is a good one,at the end of High Holborn.

Corner of the road that cuts up to Shelton Street.

Ta!

Does it get rammed in the evenings? I can't really get out a lunch from work, so evenings are my best bet...

[Kieran76]

I've managed the gym twice this week, given myself a reasonably hard workout. It's always get easier after the first two weeks.

[charlesr]

I'm off snowboarding for a week. NO SLACKING WHILE I'M AWAY OR I'LL BAN THE LOT OF YA ETC!!!

Oh and people set yourself goals and post them here. Goals must be measurable, achievable and stretching.

e.g. "I don't do any exercise, so I will do 20 mins jog 3 times a week for 4 weeks, building to 4 times a week after that"
or
"I go to the gym and will increase my bodyweight by 3 pounds over the next 6 weeks and reduce my body fat by 1%"
or
"I will reduce my weight by 1 pound every week" (this is a safe rate - means it doesnt come back on again quickly and ensures a lifestyle change rather than a fad diet).
or
"I will run a mile in less than 7 minutes by March"

Enter a charity run in a few months time and get people to sponsor you now so that you have no choice!

[spagmasterswift]

Oh and people set yourself goals and post them here. Goals must be measurable, achievable and stretching.

OK

I will go back to the gym again this year!

Actually I'm off down there after work (got last nights pizza to shift).

[112]

i missed last nights scheduled sesh in the gime, im nursing a sore throat which makes it hard to swallow, an breathing requires more effort than normal so i didnt want to do somat to make it worse. Im hoping to go for a weights sesh on saturday or another Boxercise. But the boxercise really kills me. I dunno, im jus gettin lazy these days cos i jus wanna play games and sleep all the time! meh...........

My short term goal for this year is to do more classes to add variety to my routine and to get more out of my gym sesh by concentrating on what im doing rather than going through the otions. This is actually quite a hard task to do but i must persevere.

112

[charlesr]

Spag, not exactly "stretching" is it?!

112: How will you measure "more classes" and your concentration level? Goals have to have a measure so you know when you've achieved them and can set the next goal.

[112]

my measurement will be when i feel like ive level up'ed to set out another goal! lol

seriously though i dunno, maybe if i see myself being able to keep up in the class better and not feel sick would definatley be indication! Time will tell! What goals have you got then Charlie bear?! Seeing as you are officially our coach on here. Coach Charlie Bear (CCB)!

112