When I talk to people who avoid the gym, I always hear the same thing.
The gym is an intimidating place.
Some people just find that the machines look way too complicated.
Or you know, sometimes if you're new to the gym and you see all these seasoned gym-goers,
you might feel kind of embarrassed and intimidated and you feel like they're judging you because
you don't know what you're doing.
So no worries, today I'm gonna take you through a step-by-step on how to use the most commonly
found gym equipment so that you can start at the gym.
Over here we have the strength training area and this might seem like the most intimidating
part of the gym, especially for women.
But in my opinion, strength training is probably one of the most effective and efficient ways
to burn calories and sculpt your body.
So don't limit yourself to the cardio area, I'm gonna show you how you can conquer these machines.
If you're new to resistance and strength training, I recommend that you start with cable machines.
I'm gonna start off with the seated row machine.
So with most cable machines, there's this area where you can adjust your weights.
And this is gonna determine the amount of load that you are lifting during your exercise.
Take out the pin and adjust it to the weight that you want.
And the lower you go, the heavier your weight would be.
If you're a beginner, I always recommend that you start with the lightest weight.
So you just grab the handle over here.
Keep your back straight, chest up, and pull it to your chest.
The seated row works your back muscles and this is going to help improve your overall posture.
This is where you do leg curls.
So according to your height, you can adjust this.
So if you're short like myself, pull, let go, make sure it's locked.
So you get on, mount the machine, lie down.
For your arms, there's usually some handles in front for you to hold, or maybe hold below,
and curl.
Make sure you curl in, come all the way out, pull it back in.
This is, in my opinion, one of the best exercises to target your cellulite at the back of your legs.
Over here we have the functional trainer and as you can see, there are a bunch of exercises
that you can do with just one machine.
I'm gonna just show you a couple of my basic go-tos.
Something to note about the functional trainer is that it comes with multiple attachments.
The most common attachments you'll find are these handles, a rope, and the ankle cuff.
So I'm gonna start with the cable handles and you're gonna attach it to the carabiner.
Adjust this according to your height.
So like all the other cable machines, you pull, you adjust higher or lower.
I usually like to put it around shoulder level so I'm gonna put it at 14.
And then do the same to the other side.
And then you adjust the weights.
That'll be 4.5kg and you adjust the weight to be the same on the other side.
I'm gonna start with a chest fly.
Grab the cables, put one foot in front of the other like you're doing a lunge,
and squeeze your arms together like you're giving someone a big hug.
This is gonna work your chest, and it's also gonna work the sides of your armpit.
Like you know where you have your armpit fat?
This is gonna target your armpit fat area.
Ow!
Another exercise that I love to do is the tricep pull-downs using a rope.
This is gonna target the back of your arms so if you don't want those flabby, shaky arms
when you wave, this is the exercise that you wanna do.
Again, attach it to the carabiner, adjust your height - this time put it as high as you can.
Keep your arms close to your torso, grab on to the sides of the rope, and pull down.
Keep your chest up, keep your core tight, and really feel the tension at the back of your arms.
And when you wanna stop, make sure you let go slowly and not just do a sudden release.
So the last exercise I'm gonna show you is glute kickbacks.
So same thing, adjust the lock, bring it all the way down, and we're gonna use the ankle
cuff for this.
And for ladies who want a nice, strong, perky butt, this is gonna be your new best friend.
Put it through the loop, strap it around your ankle and make sure it's nice and secure on the velcro.
Put it in the carabiner, hold on to the cable frame, and kick out.
Make sure you feel your butt squeeze at the top and come back slowly.
Don't just kick forward like this.
If someone is using the machine that you wanna try, don't be afraid to ask if you can share.
What I usually do is to ask very politely, how many sets they have left.
If they have maybe 2 sets left, that's maybe another about 5 - 8 minutes.
And usually people are very open to sharing at the gym, especially when it's crowded.
I'll make my voice like super high-pitched and very xiao mei mei (little girl) and then
I'll be like, "Uh hi! Sorry, how many sets do you have left?"
Even if they had 5 sets, they'll say 2 sets, or something like that. So yah, pro tip!
So over here you have the free weights area where you find all the dumbbells.
And the weights typically range from 1kg to sometimes even 50kg.
With the dumbbells, you can get injured easily, so when you start out, don't be afraid to
pick up the 1 or 2kg dumbbells because it's not about how heavy you lift, it's about your
form and how you engage your muscles.
Usually in front of the dumbbells, you will find your benches.
This is a flat bench.
You can adjust the incline of the bench by using the lock, you can make it higher or
you can also make it flat and lower.
And when you go to the gym it's important to bring a towel with you so that you can
lay it over the bench for hygiene purposes.
And of course, to reserve your bench.
So if you see a towel on the bench, you know that someone is using it.
For the shoulder press exercise, you keep your chair upright and you bring the dumbbells
to your ears.
Then you push the dumbbells up.
This is gonna target your shoulders, which a lot of women actually neglect.
But with shapely shoulders, it's gonna bring more proportion to your body.
The next exercise I'm gonna teach you are some tricep kickbacks.
Take the bench, make it flat.
Keep your arms close to your torso and kick back.
So after about 10 or 15 repetitions, you can do the same on the other side.
I'm gonna show you some bicep curls.
This is a very simple exercise that you see a lot of people doing at the gym.
What you're gonna do is keep your arms flush to your torso.
Let the weight fall down but not all the way down.
So your arms are always under tension.
And when you're pulling it to yourself, that's when you exhale.
So we've come to the stretching area of the gym and this is where you find all your yoga mats.
I'm gonna show you a couple of stretches that you can do after your workout to recover your
body because recovery is just as important as the workout itself.
Here are a couple of cool-down stretches that I do after my workout.
The downward-facing dog.
Keep your arms shoulder-width apart, place your palms down and place your legs about
hip-width apart.
This is going to stretch your entire body, but mainly in your calf and your hamstring area.
Then you're gonna do a counter stretch.
This is the cobra.
Push away from the ground, stretch your abs and it's also going to stretch your lower back.
The next stretch you're gonna do is a forward lunge.
This is going to help open up your hips, which can get very tight especially after an intense workout.
And make sure you do it on the other side.
I recommend that you do each stretch for about 30 - 60 seconds.
Oh and also remember, no matter how tired you are, it's proper gym etiquette to keep your equipment.
Done!
Yay, workout complete!
So if you're intimidated by the gym, just remember that everyone starts somewhere.
I was so scared when I first entered into the gym, I didn't know what I was doing but
I think it's really gaining more confidence with the machines and the equipment that you
feel a lot more comfortable being in the space.
The most important thing is to just show up and try.
I can promise you, the intimidation will go away at some point.
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Bye!