How to exercise correctly in the gym on your own

According to statistics, about half of gym visitors prefer to exercise without a trainer. But the abundance of incomprehensible metal structures can confuse a beginner. In fact, everything is not as scary as it might seem. If you have any questions, you can always contact your gym instructor. However, he is not obliged to monitor your training and, moreover, create a program. Therefore, let's look at the main aspects of proper independent training in the gym.

• Exercises in the gym without a trainer: recommendations for beginners
• Training regimen: what days to go, how many times a week, the difference between women's and men's training
• General principles of weight loss for women in the gym
• General principles of gaining mass and volume for women in the gym
• General principles of weight loss in the gym for men
• General principles of weight gain for men in the gym
• General principles of training to improve strength and endurance in men and women
• Basic types of exercises on simulators and technique of execution, how to train correctly
• Cardio equipment
• Rows on block machines
• Vertical pull-down to the chest
• Horizontal row in a block machine
• Leg exercises
• Leg press
• Lunges in Smith
• Squats at Smith
• Exercises for the abs
• Roman chair sit-ups
• Roman chair crunches
• Leg raises on parallel bars
• Exercises for the pectoral muscles
• Butterfly
• Hammer press
• Hummer press, video
• Exercises for the shoulder girdle and arms
• Scott Bench Curl
• Curling arms on a biceps machine
• Exercises with apparatus
• Barbell Bench Press
• Deadlift
• Deadlift technique, video
• Is it possible to continue working out in the gym if you have over-exercised and your muscles hurt after training?

Exercises in the gym without a trainer: recommendations for beginners

First of all, you must follow the following rules for training in the gym:

• Always start your workout with a warm-up. This will allow you to tone your muscles, warm them up and prepare them for the work ahead. Warm-up is performing simple cardio exercises. This could be running on a treadmill, jumping rope, lunges without weights, jumping, or riding an exercise bike. After warming up, muscles are more pliable and less susceptible to injury.
• Before the main workout, it is recommended to properly stretch your joints using leisurely rotational movements. Start with the neck, then move to the shoulders, elbows, hands, then knead the torso and spine by bending in different directions. And lastly, work the joints of the legs and lower back.
• You should exercise directly on the simulators with caution. You shouldn't start with heavy weights if you're a beginner. During the introductory training session, set the minimum weight values, and only then, when you have confidently mastered the technique, can you gradually increase the load.
• After completing the main workout, you need to return to the cardio equipment and also do some stretching exercises. This will significantly reduce or completely eliminate muscle pain the day after your workout.

By following these recommendations, you will significantly reduce the risk of injury and increase the effectiveness of each session.

A set of exercises for weight loss

The weight loss program, consisting of the following blocks, has proven itself to be excellent:

• warm-up;
• load and pumping of muscles;
• fat burning.

How to lose weight in the gym: pay attention to cardio training combined with strength training. During training, ensure that each muscle is worked, breathe correctly (exhale when you tense, inhale while relaxing) and do not allow your body to dehydrate. It is important to structure classes in such a way as to work problem muscles - special attention is paid to them.

To lose weight quickly, repeat the sets many times, without using weights or resistance. A full-fledged session can be called if the athlete’s pulse is at around 130-160 beats per minute for cardio and 170 for strength training.

Warm-up

Without a set of special actions to warm up the body, it is impossible to imagine a single workout in the gym. This warm-up program develops muscles and joints, tones the body, and increases the heart rate. The purpose of it is to prevent injuries to muscle groups, increase the intensity of training and speed up metabolism. There are complex exercises for warming up before training that are suitable for all athletes:

• rotation of the limbs, development of joints;
• easy running;
• jumping rope;
• for strength training, the warm-up is an imitation of the athlete's movements, but with minimal weight.

In addition to warming up before the main activity, it is recommended to do a cool-down or stretching after it. This includes relaxing actions for 5-10 minutes, which allow the body to calm down, remove lactic acid from the muscles, reduce the heart rate and body temperature, and normalize blood flow. Common cool-down actions include slow running followed by walking, muscle stretching, and stretching.

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Cardio exercises

Cardio exercises for weight loss in the gym bring visible results. They help correct body shape, give vitality, strengthen the heart muscle and blood vessels. Cardio relieves chronic fatigue and is a kind of “marathon” that works well on all muscle groups of the body. Exercise machines used in this direction include a treadmill, elliptical, exercise bike and stepper.

How to Lose Weight at the Gym While Using Cardio: Keep your heart rate between 60-80% of your maximum (counts as 220 minus your age). Perform exercises with a gradual increase in load and back again, monitor the functioning of the joints so as not to harm them. On a treadmill, walk first, then run. On the stepper, train your arms, legs and buttocks, adjusting the load yourself, and on the exercise bike, gradually increase the “mileage”, maintaining your posture and watching your knees while doing the exercise.

Strength exercises

After cardio, it is recommended to do strength training for weight loss in the gym. The goal is to restore body muscles, using your own weight or dumbbells, barbells and kettlebells as resistance. Training increases the amount of muscle tissue, which gradually replaces fat - body volumes are adjusted, the metabolic rate rises, calories are burned more intensely, and it is possible to lose weight faster.

Strength training includes working with weights - lifting barbells, deadlifts, biceps and triceps presses. In addition, popular exercises include push-ups, sit-ups and pull-ups, which work all the major muscles. This can be done from the floor, using a wall bars or a special bench for working on your abs.

Stretching and flexibility exercises

To improve muscle elasticity and work out joints, stretching exercises for weight loss are used in the gym. They expand the range of muscle movement and increase the level of stretching. Exercises include elements of yoga, dance, Pilates. Conducted at a slow pace, you can use them as a cool-down, stretching or warm-up, and at a fast pace, stretching exercises will be an excellent stimulator of the heart and blood vessels, and will provide an opportunity to lose weight.

Basic types of exercises on simulators and technique of execution, how to train correctly

So you came to the gym for the first time. Where to start training, which simulator to approach first? You should start by warming up on a cardio machine. Then you can work out different muscle groups. But it is recommended to first perform the basics - these are multi-joint exercises that involve several muscle groups at once, and then work on local muscle groups. It’s worth creating a program for yourself based on the general principles of training described above.

Let's look at the most popular exercises for training in the gym.

Cardio equipment

The treadmill is the most common piece of exercise equipment in any gym. On modern tracks it is possible to adjust the speed and angle of inclination.

Treadmill running technique:

1. Get on the treadmill and choose the mode that suits you best.
2. Adjust the tilt angle if necessary. If you are a beginner, it is better to start on a straight path.
3. Use the pens exclusively to check your heart rate.
4. The main indicator of training intensity will not be speed, but heart rate. Heart rate should be no less than 120 and no more than 160, although some calculate their maximum possible heart rate using the formula: 220 minus your age. In this case, the indicator of training effectiveness will be a heart rate of at least 70% of the maximum.

For example, you are 30 years old. Your maximum heart rate is 220-30=190. Training will be effective at a heart rate of 133.

You can do cardio training not only on the track. There is also an exercise bike, as well as various steppers and rowing machines. If the treadmill is aimed at strengthening the leg muscles, then the exercise bike and steppers also partially develop the abdominal muscles, and rowing machines imitate the movements of rowing, helping to strengthen the shoulder girdle and the entire muscle corset.

When exercising on any type of cardio equipment, you need to follow approximately the same recommendations for heart rate as on a treadmill, taking into account the specifics of each.

Rows on block machines

Block simulators are simulators that are based on blocks, by lifting which you purposefully pump up a particular muscle. The advantage of such simulators for beginners will be their relative safety and simple technique for performing the exercises. This is an alternative to free weight exercises for those who have not yet learned to feel their muscles.

for detailed study of individual muscle groups

Rows on block machines are basic exercises that work several muscle groups at once. Let's take a closer look at the main and most popular ones.

Vertical pull-down to the chest

The back muscles work, as well as the shoulders and arm muscles. An alternative to pull-ups if you don't know how to do them yet. When performing this exercise, you should follow the following technique, carefully monitoring the correct position of the body and arms:

1. We set up the simulator, adjust the height of the rollers so that it is comfortable to sit and hold on with your feet.
2. Sit down so that the bar is directly above your head, hold the bar with your hands, palms slightly wider than your shoulders.
3. The back should be arched at the waist and tilted forward or backward. It is important to understand that the thrust should not be performed at an angle, but strictly vertically.
4. We lower the handle to the upper chest, and the work of the shoulder blades should be felt.
5. Then we raise the bar to its original position, slightly short of bringing the arms to full straightening.
6. We repeat the exercise.

Horizontal row in a block machine

This exercise targets the muscles of the back, chest and shoulders.

1. The starting position is sitting on the simulator, the back is arched in the lower back, the legs should remain slightly bent at the knees.
2. We take the handle with outstretched arms, as we exhale, we move our shoulders back and try to bring our shoulder blades together, placing our elbows behind our backs as far as possible. At the same time, intense work of the back muscles should be felt. To use your back as much as possible, you can experiment with your grip and handles.
3. As you inhale, slowly return the projectile to its place, stretching the just-used back muscles as much as possible.

Leg exercises

Leg training is an important element of both mass gain and weight loss programs.

Leg press

This is a basic exercise that involves lifting a special platform by bending and extending your legs. The platform can be positioned horizontally or at an angle of 45 degrees. This exercise allows you to work your buttocks and thighs. It is ideal for those who are contraindicated in classic weighted squats due to back problems. When performing leg presses, you should follow the following technique:

1. Lie down on the machine and place your feet on the platform, placing them approximately shoulder-width apart.
2. Remove the platform from the stoppers and straighten your legs.
3. Bend your knees and lower the platform down.
4. We straighten our knees, resting on our heels, and repeat again the required number of times.

   basic exercise for working the legs and back

Lunges in Smith

Smith lunges are an increasingly popular exercise for pumping up the muscles of the front of the thighs, as well as the buttocks. Technique for performing classic Smith lunges:

1. Set the desired weight.
2. We stand under the machine, feet shoulder-width apart. Place the barbell on your back, just below your neck. Be sure to bend your back at the lower back, with one leg slightly in front.
3. As you inhale, move your other leg back and do a squat. The body weight is concentrated on the heel of the working leg.
4. We rise back and put the leg back in place, without straightening the knees completely, and at the same time exhale.
5. Repeat the required number of approaches. Then we change legs.

   correct position of the barbell

Squats at Smith

An effective exercise for working out the hips and buttocks. Technique:

1. We set the desired weight, place the barbell on the back in the same way as in the previous exercise. The grip is slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, and your feet are also slightly wider than shoulder-width apart on the floor. Shoulder blades retracted, back straight.
2. Slowly squat while inhaling, lowering the bar and bending your knees to a right angle. You can imagine that you are sitting on an invisible chair.
3. We rise up to the starting position, straightening our legs, with the main weight falling on our heels. Repeat as many times as necessary.

Exercises for the abs

The abdominals are the collection of muscles that make up the abdominal wall. To lose weight in the abdominal area, you should not do abdominal exercises every day or every workout. You can do a couple of abdominal exercises on your easiest workout day. At the same time, watch your diet. To pump up noticeable sculpted muscles, you need to understand that fat will not turn into muscles, even pronounced relief may be unnoticeable if you do not dry it regularly.

Let's look at the most popular abdominal exercises in the gym.

Roman chair sit-ups

This exercise engages the rectus abdominis muscles. To lose weight, it is enough to use your body weight. If you want to pump up your abs, you can use weights. Technique:

1. The starting position is lying on the simulator, the lower back is pressed against the bench, the legs are comfortably placed on the bolsters and fixed.
2. As you exhale, slowly raise your body up, slightly rounding your back.
3. As you inhale, lower your body down without lying on the bench, and then repeat the rise up again as you exhale.

Roman chair crunches

Crunches help keep your abdominal muscles toned. It is very important to consider that this exercise is performed slowly and calmly, without sudden movements to avoid possible back injuries. Technique:

1. We sit on a bench, arms crossed on our chest, eyes looking straight.
2. As you inhale, lower your body down, just below the horizontal position.
3. As you exhale, raise your body up to an angle of about 45 degrees, and linger at this point for a short time.
4. Lower the body to the starting position and repeat the exercise.

   straight crunches on a Roman chair

Leg raises on parallel bars

This exercise allows you to effectively work out the lower abdominal muscles and remove a protruding tummy. The exercise has a good effect, and the technique is simple:

1. We stand on the uneven bars with straight arms (if it’s hard on straight arms, you can use your elbows), tilt your chest slightly forward. The head and chest are on the same line.
2. We raise our legs bent at the knees to the chest.
3. Lower it to the starting position.

How to train for a beginner?

I often watch how newcomers come to the gym and flights of fancy begin. Somewhere we saw an exercise and by the time we got to the hall, we forgot something, thought of something, and in the end it turned out to be such a Frankenstein that it’s scary to watch, let alone repeat.

And the most interesting thing is that you don’t even say a word to such jocks, because they all know you better. So you wonder when and which joint will shoot.

Therefore, I will write here and hope that you are not one of those experts and will first study everything, and then go to the gym. And be sure to listen to the coach’s recommendations. He is not pointing out your shortcomings out of harm. It’s just that the coach is a priori a good person and he is worried that by the age of 30 your spine will not crumble into your underpants from the load that you place on it.

Now let's move on to sets of exercises for beginners in the gym.

For a guy

It’s best for a guy to start with a full-body workout, with the most difficult basic exercises possible .
Initially, the training program for beginners in the gym will be built on basic exercises.

The basis of the program for a male beginner will be:

• squat;
• pull-ups;
• bench press;
• seated dumbbell press.

These movements will work all major muscle groups in men and ensure maximum testosterone production.

Now we will not analyze the goals, because introductory training and exercises for beginners in the gym are the same for everyone, but then the branches begin.

Somewhere there is more weight and less repetitions, somewhere there are more repetitions and less rest. And, of course, basically everything depends on nutrition.

Therefore, for starters, this training program is suitable for all beginner men:

1. Squat with a barbell on the shoulders 4 rounds of 10-12 repetitions.
2. Pull-ups 4 sets of up to 12 reps (if you were raised by turnstiles and you do pull-ups as if you weigh like a small bag of potatoes, then feel free to attach additional weight to your belt and do pull-ups with it).
3. Bench press 4 sets of 10-12 reps.
4. Seated dumbbell press 4 sets of 10-12 reps.

After training like this for at least a week, you can increase the load and slightly break up the training plan into 2 days.

In this case, you will need to add exercises. For example, you can break the plan into the following days:

• day 1 – legs + deltoids;
• day 2 – back + chest.

And then a full three-day split can be done according to the standard. One option is:

• legs + deltoids;
• back + biceps;
• chest + triceps.

For a girl

Now let’s figure out what new girls should do in the gym.
Girls have a slightly different plan; they will have more load on their legs .

And, as we know, our girls are resilient, they can stop a galloping horse and all that, so from the very beginning they can be given more load. Therefore, I advise you to immediately divide your training into 2 days.

Here's where a new girl in the gym needs to start:

Day 1 (legs):

1. Squats 3 sets of 10-16 reps
2. Lunges 3 sets of 10-12 reps
3. Glute bridge 3 sets of 12-20 reps
4. Hyperextension 3 sets of 10-16 reps

Day 2 (top):

1. Lat Pulldown 3 sets of 12-16 reps
2. Push-ups 3 sets of 10-16 reps
3. Lower block rows 3 sets of 10-16 reps
4. Seated dumbbell press 3 sets of 10-16 reps

abs on the second day, or even pump them up at home on a rest day.

Exercises for the pectoral muscles

In pursuit of six-pack abs or toned buttocks, don’t forget about the chest muscles. But here it should be taken into account that the principles of female and male chest training should be different. Women should focus on the upper chest muscles and not overwork the lower ones. And for men, the load should be distributed evenly.

Let's look at a few popular chest exercises in the gym.

Butterfly

To perform this exercise, a “pack-deck” simulator is used, consisting of a bench with a back and two levers. The essence of the butterfly exercise is to bring the levers together. Let's look at the technique in more detail:

isolated workout of the upper chest muscles

1. We sit down on the bench, press our backs and the back of our heads against the back, with our feet shoulder-width apart. We clasp the handles with our palms.
2. As you exhale, pushing the levers, bring your arms together in front of you. We linger for a second in this position, tensing the pectoral muscles.
3. As you inhale, slowly and smoothly return your arms to their original position.
4. We repeat the exercises the required number of times.

Hammer press

Exercise to work the muscles of the lower chest.

Technique:

1. We sit down in the simulator, pressing the body tightly against the back. The shoulder blades are brought together.
2. As you exhale, gently push the exercise machine forward, tensing your pectoral muscles and focusing on your elbows.
3. In the extreme position, we linger for a couple of seconds and, while inhaling, slowly return to the starting position.
4. We do the required number of repetitions.

Hummer press, video

Exercises for the shoulder girdle and arms

Arm muscles should be effectively worked out by both men and women. After all, the structural features of the hormonal system will not allow a woman to pump up her arms without the use of additional means. However, it is worth considering the difference in weight and the number of approaches for losing weight or gaining muscle mass.

Scott Bench Curl

The exercise works well on the shoulders, back and biceps. Technique:

1. We sit on the bench, place the triceps on the surface of the bench, elbows shoulder-width apart. In your hands is a barbell or dumbbell.
2. As you inhale, slowly lower the projectile, straightening your elbows.
3. As you exhale, raise the barbell, bending your elbows, to shoulder level.
4. We repeat the exercise the required number of times.

   Dumbbell Curls

Curling arms on a biceps machine

To pump your biceps in isolation, you can perform biceps curls on a biceps machine. The technique is simple, the exercise is safe even for beginners.

1. We set the desired weight, sit on the bench, place our elbows on the supports and grab the handles. The elbows are in line with the shoulders.
2. Using the strength of your forearms, as you exhale, raise the handles.
3. Slowly lower the handles to the starting position while inhaling and repeat the exercise again.

Exercises with apparatus

Also, exercises with apparatus have become classics of training in the gym; dumbbells or a barbell are most often used today. Let's look at a few classic exercises with apparatus.

Barbell Bench Press

The bench press is an exercise aimed at working the muscles of the chest, back and arms. Considered basic. It is better to perform the bench press on a bench. Technique:

basic exercise for working the muscles of the shoulder girdle, back and arms

1. We lie down on the bench on our back so that the bar is at eye level. The legs are spaced slightly wider than the shoulders, the feet are flat on the floor, the main weight is distributed on the heels, the lower back is slightly arched, the shoulder blades are retracted.
2. We take the bar with an overhand grip.
3. As you exhale, raise the bar above you so that it is just above the bottom of your chest.
4. As you inhale, lower the bar to its original position.

Deadlift

An exercise to work the core muscles, as well as the shoulder blades and buttocks. When performing deadlifts, you must strictly follow all instructions, under no circumstances arching your back upward. Can be performed with both a barbell and dumbbells. Let's look at the barbell technique:

1. The starting position is standing in front of the bar, the legs are slightly narrower than the shoulders, the back is straight, the pelvis is laid back, the head is looking straight.
2. We tilt the body forward while simultaneously abducting the pelvis and bending the knees, arms down.
3. Without deviating in the body, we squat a little to grab the bar.
4. We take the bar with our palms facing us.
5. As you exhale, smoothly straighten your legs, then straighten your back, holding the bar in your hands.
6. As you inhale, lower the bar into place, avoiding rounding your back. We repeat again.

Deadlift technique, video

What exercises to do

If you work out on your own, the question arises: what should I do in the gym? The main secret is that for our muscles it doesn’t make much difference what kind of exercise you load them with. Everyone has the same anatomy - flexion, extension, bending, and so on. There is no advantage to one exercise over another. By and large, all the sophisticated variations pursue only one goal - to diversify the process and make it less monotonous. The leg muscles will respond to squats, platform presses, walking with dumbbells, and much more.

Everything is decided by the progression of loads and correct technique. Therefore, feel free to take a program with simple and understandable movements for you, and learn various “tricky” techniques from the arsenal of fitness veterans in the process, when simply doing pull-ups or bench presses becomes a little boring.

Photo: Valeria Barinova, “Championship”