My First Day at the Gym....AGAIN!

Today was my second day at the gym... but, it was my first day on this routine. Something I didn't have time to explain yesterday is that my exercise routine changes every other day. Monday, Wednesday, and Friday I will be using the stair stepping machine (with my friend, as long as she sticks to the plan with me), while Tuesday and Thursday are weight lifting days. The reason that I am doing this is to work out different areas of my body (weight lifting is actually a total body workout!) and to get the lean muscle mass in my body to be burning calories rather than just sitting dormant while the bottom half of my body does most of the work.

I'M SO SORE!!!!

I tried a bunch of different types of machines on the lowest weight setting for today (which is about 20 pounds). On each machine I did 3 reps of 20, giving a minute or so in between reps. I tried machines that worked the calves, inner and outer thighs, (virtually) all of the arm, shoulders, lower back, and chest muscles. Some machines are harder than others... like for example, I found that lifting only 20 pounds with my legs was very easy. Some of the machines which required you to lift with your arms straight up and down were very difficult for me. Others that required to lift with your arms in other forms (pulling, side to front, front to side, or where you only move the part of your arm attached to your hand) weren't so difficult, but still gave a workout.

There are still a few machines that I didn't try either because they were unavailable, I didn't know how to use them properly, or I know that at this point I do not have the strength to use them. there were probably 12-15 different types of machines, and I used 8-9. There's always room for improvement, and I know I'll be sticking to the lightest weight for a while until I am not quite this sore when I finish. Even though I'm sore all over, it feels really good to know that I'm improving myself and working parts of my body which I don't use regularly, which could be (more like "are" rather than "could be") storing fat.

One thing I noticed is that I was the only female using the weight lifting machines. There were men of all ages and sizes using them, but I was the only girl..... oh well :)

I'm getting more used to the idea of going to the gym. It feels like a lot of work at times, but it's completely worth it. It feels good to know that I'm starting a routine that I can stick to which isn't too intensive. As I become more familiar with the machines and my capabilities, I'm planning on doing more research on a weight lifting program that works best for me.

...did I mention that I'm sore?! :P

Wish me luck tomorrow! Back to the stair steppers!

Tip: A common misconception about weight lifting is that you'll start to gain lots of muscles no matter what. This really only happens when you're lifting so much weight that you're pushing yourself to your limit, gradually increasing the weight you're lifting as your muscles become more capable. Although I'll be gradually increasing, it will not get to the point that I'm all muscle, because I'm lifting a low amount of weight a high number of times. In doing so, I'm working my muscles only to burn calories.