Started the gym... a bit 'scared'?

buckeejit

buckeejit

buckeejit

Soldato
Joined
14 Aug 2004
Posts
2,992
So, I went to the gym tonight and this was my first time in five months. The longest I've went is about 5 days and that's it. I know I need to lose weight and get fit etc. because I'm sick of my brother calling me names etc. and not being able to wear certain clothes etc. I'm 17stone 3lbs, 23yo, 6ft tall and I got a shock tonight when on the treadmill, my heart rate was 198 (BPM I presume). My question is, if I go to the gym say 4 or 5 times a week and start eating healthy, how long do you reckon it'll be before I notice a difference in my heart rate (not being as high).

Cheers for any advice. I know my diet is absolutely shocking atm so I need to start eating healthily.
 
Last edited:
Yup congrats mate. The first step is always the worst and you've made it to the gym. Now just keep it up.

As stated focus on your nutriton, cardio, and incorporate resistance work and you will see a vast improvement - and fairly quickly too I would hazard a guess.

Go for it!
 
buckeejit said:
I'm not a very stronge person and would prefer the do the weight machines until I build my strength up which I hope would be fine.
Click to expand...

If you're starting from doing nothing then almost anything you do will have to be positive for you unless you do too much too soon. A steady, sensible weightloss is much more likely for you to be able to maintain and remember it's an overall lifestyle change so that you're eating a bit more healthily/going to the gym which will allow you to keep the weight off.

I wouldn't put too much stock in what the heart rate monitors on machines tell you though - I've had varying results from no heart rate detected to 200+ bpm, neither of which is likely to be correct. Good luck with your efforts.
 
semi-pro waster said:
If you're starting from doing nothing then almost anything you do will have to be positive for you unless you do too much too soon. A steady, sensible weightloss is much more likely for you to be able to maintain and remember it's an overall lifestyle change so that you're eating a bit more healthily/going to the gym which will allow you to keep the weight off.

I wouldn't put too much stock in what the heart rate monitors on machines tell you though - I've had varying results from no heart rate detected to 200+ bpm, neither of which is likely to be correct. Good luck with your efforts.
Click to expand...

Thanks mate. Just noticed that I spelt strong wrong lol. Yeah, when I joined the gym a few months back and went, I spent about 3 hours there doing a few things and I couldn't walk properly for 3 weeks after and I couldn't bend my arms... I looked like a weirdo lol.
 
buckeejit said:
Thanks mate. Just noticed that I spelt strong wrong lol. Yeah, when I joined the gym a few months back and went, I spent about 3 hours there doing a few things and I couldn't walk properly for 3 weeks after and I couldn't bend my arms... I looked like a weirdo lol.
Click to expand...

3 hours is too long for a session mate. concentrate on doing your resistance routine, with correct form, in an hour or so.
 
I see bigger folk in the gym working hard and think 'good for you' :)

Your fitness should improve in just a few weeks, 3 maximum, then it'll just build from there.
 
I started back doing Cardio on the cross trainer about a month ago now (hadnt really bothered for most of the summer, just the odd blast to warm up). Could only manage 20 minutes before i was knackered, from the 2-3 minute mark i was around the 158/160 mark for heart rate, i've been doing it for the month usually 3-4 times a week (on top of weights) and i can now quite easily do an hour and heart rate is around 135-140 unless i really push it and get it up to 160 (going like a maniac). The main change i have found though is the change from active to resting heart rate is a lot quicker so at cool down it drops quite quickly from 140 to 100 in the space of a few minutes.

Also cut out booze during the week and through a combination of both have lost 12lbs.
 
Jonny69 said:
I see bigger folk in the gym working hard and think 'good for you' :)

Your fitness should improve in just a few weeks, 3 maximum, then it'll just build from there.
Click to expand...

Thats a good point. You get the few idiots who will give dodgy looks (like anytime in life) but most people are impressed to see bigger people actually trying to do something about it.
 
I would have thought your heart rate will drop sooner rather than later.

Personally I find the heart rate monitors on gym machines bloody useless, they shoot all over the place, so I don't tend to take much notice.
 
Morba said:
Thats a good point. You get the few idiots who will give dodgy looks (like anytime in life) but most people are impressed to see bigger people actually trying to do something about it.
Click to expand...

To be fair, I don't pay "bigger people" anymore attention than would anyones else, well ok, I might pay the smoking hot girls a little more attention, but that's a given. :P
 
Morba said:
Thats a good point. You get the few idiots who will give dodgy looks (like anytime in life) but most people are impressed to see bigger people actually trying to do something about it.
Click to expand...

Yup, I know I usually think 'good on them'.

'Fitness' is how quickly your heart will return to it's regular BPM after exercise. Your efficiency will be its BPM during exercise and your endurance is obviously how long you can perform CV exercise for.

Fitness should improve very dramatically. For example I hadn't done any HIIT rowing since March. Started again 3/4 weeks ago and was still gassing by the time I walked home (just around the courner) and after a 10 minute HIIT row with a 2/3 minute sit on the rower. My asthma also kicked off to.o

Now after 20 minutes I'm good to walk home almost immediatley and have my breath back by the time I'm out the door at the gym.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom