How to set up a training program correctly. Types of exercises with additional weights

Want to start strength training, but don't know where to start? Here are the basic principles and rules of training for beginners in the gym who have just decided to start training.

Have you decided to get in shape? Looking for a suitable training program for beginners? Don't know what exercises to do and what equipment to use? No problem!

I will tell you how to properly start working out in the gym and about the basic recommendations and rules for those who are just starting strength training. Whether you want to get stronger, lose weight, build muscle, or simply improve your fitness, this article will help you get on the right path to health and achieving your fitness goals.

Strength training will also provide remarkable results for those who have tried (and failed) to get in shape with just diet and cardio. Consistent and regular training (more than 2 times a week for 12 weeks) will lead to:

• Increased muscle fiber size
• Building strength
• Increasing tendon strength
• Increasing the strength of ligaments

All this will help you build a healthy and resilient body, and also reduce the risk of injury. You will end up looking absolutely amazing!

Gym for beginners: rules of conduct

• Always bring a towel with you to place on the machines and equipment you will be using.
• Return dumbbells, barbells, weight plates, and other equipment after use.
• Don't rest for long periods of time between sets when working on machines while others are waiting their turn.
• Finally, leave your cell phone in a locker or car so that others won't be forced to listen to your conversations.

Common Newbie Mistakes

• Using weights that are too heavy in the early stages. Start with small loads and then gradually increase them. If your technique suffers, you sway or use inertia, then this means that you have chosen too much weight. In addition, it increases the risk of injury and reduces the effectiveness of working the target muscle groups.

• Using too light a weight. It always makes sense to play it safe, but if you can do 30 reps with a certain weight, then it's probably better to increase it. Tip: Increase weight by no more than 5% at a time.

• Doing reps too fast. Lifting heavy weights at a slow, controlled pace puts more muscle tension and allows you to break down more muscle fibers and reduce the risk of injury. Remember that joints are only as strong as the muscles that surround them.

• Insufficient or excessive rest. Both factors have a negative impact on training. It is recommended to rest between sets for 30 to 90 seconds.

Training program for beginners

This set of exercises in the gym for beginners is perfect even for those who even come to work out in the gym for the first time. By exercising according to this scheme, you can strengthen your ligaments and joints, as well as prepare your muscles for more complex workouts and exercises.

1. Running on a treadmill - 5-10 minutes
2. Leg press - 1 approach
3. Lying leg curl - 1 approach
4. Pulldown of the upper block to the chest - 1 approach
5. Reduction of arms in the butterfly simulator - 1 approach
6. Arm extension in crossover with rope - 1 approach
7. Biceps curls in the machine - 1 approach
8. Overhead press in the simulator - 1 approach
9. Crunches in the simulator - 1 approach
10. "Bike" - 1 approach

note! Beginners should not use heavy basic exercises in their first workouts. This approach can result in injuries and forever discourage you from working out in the gym.

Moreover, a smooth entry into the training regime will provide a better start, help avoid injuries and soreness, and make it possible to get results faster.

Training Guidelines for Beginners

This program is designed to improve the physical fitness of a healthy adult who has never exercised before (or has little experience).

You will notice that most of the exercises are performed in machines. This is intentional because beginners have less stability in their joints and weaker core muscles. When trying to immediately work with free weights (dumbbells or barbells), beginners increase the risk of injury.

Using machines provides support to these weak areas and allows you to isolate and strengthen the muscles before moving on to free weights.

• Perform the workout at least 2 times a week to ensure significant strength gains.

• Between each workout there should be 1 day of rest.

• At least 1 set of 8-12 repetitions should significantly fatigue the muscles. That is, you should choose a weight with which you will not be able to perform 2 sets in a row without a 30-90 second rest break.

• Performing one full range of motion repetition in a slow and controlled manner should take 4-5 seconds.

• Rest at least 30 and no more than 90 seconds between sets, and 1 to 2 minutes between exercises.

Here are some tips to help you get more out of your training:

• Stay hydrated! Be sure to drink at least 8-10 glasses of water per day. Dehydration can weaken you and reduce the effectiveness of your workouts. Also drink plenty of water during your workouts.

• Eat a small meal with equal parts lean protein (lean chicken, turkey, beef or fish) and complex carbohydrates (oatmeal, rice) 30-60 minutes before and 60 minutes after exercise. This will give the body energy and ensure its recovery.

• Do cardio (for fat burning) only after strength training or at other times of the day.

• Keep a training diary. Record the number of sets and repetitions, the size of the working weights, and the exercises performed. This will allow you to track your progress and progress.

• On your journey to building your body, take regular photos and measurements of all parts of your body to monitor your results.

Fitness has long become not only a way of life for some, but also a business for others. City streets are full of signs for gyms, and every second person already calls himself a trainer. If you decide to create a beautiful body for yourself, it is better to learn a little about how to properly create a training program. Otherwise, you may waste money without getting any results.

Who is he - a good coach?

The most common misconception: a coach must be pumped up, like Arnie in his youth. And the larger its volume, the more professional it is.

Yes, of course, the figure is the calling card of a coach (in the case of bodybuilding). But you should not confuse a harmoniously developed body, obtained through systematic training and proper nutrition, and artificially (pharmacologically) obtained volumes. Therefore, first of all, look not at the incredibly swollen biceps, but at the harmony of the figure and the complex development of the muscles.

It is also worth asking about the trainer’s professional experience. Ideally, find out what results his students achieved.

The older you are, the more careful you need to be when choosing a coach. If you have health problems or are recovering from an injury, it is ideal to find someone with medical training. Such specialists are not available in every room - please check this question separately.

Of great importance is how sociable a person is, how pleasant he is to you personally, and whether you are ready to entrust him with your figure and health. To get started, agree on classes for a month. Then you can always continue studying with the same specialist or choose another one.

Next, I will tell you what to pay attention to when drawing up a program, and how the training process should be structured. The information will be useful both for those involved themselves and for those who want to become a trainer and create programs for others.

Rules for creating training programs

Have you heard of the term “individual approach”? Everyone has heard of it, but few want to apply it.

A good and competent trainer will create a program personally. He will also take a lot of money for this, because it’s not a five-minute job. To create a truly useful program, you need to test your body and study its individual characteristics.

It doesn’t matter where you work out: at home or in the gym - the rules are the same. You need to have a good understanding of what you are capable of at the “zero” stage.

Health status

The first task of the trainer is to learn in detail about the health status of his client. Anamnesis will have a primary influence on the formation of a set of exercises and the frequency of training.

• People who have problems with the cardiovascular system and musculoskeletal system should exercise caution.
• A person who has undergone abdominal surgery will not be able to do heavy base work for some time. Giving him even 50 kg of deadlift in the first month of training is tantamount to causing serious harm to health.
• People suffering from spinal diseases should carefully perform exercises with vertical load on the spinal column. It's best to protect your lower back. For some, you need to completely abandon such a load.

A professional trainer must know how to build a workout for any category of people.
Great importance should be given to the age of the student. The older a person is, the more difficult it is for him to bear the load. Age characteristics should be taken into account, otherwise harm can occur.

They say that it is difficult to get pumped up after 40 years. What they say is true, but it is still possible. And the person creating the program must know how to create a training program for the older age group.

At 60 years of age or older, a particularly gentle load on the heart should be given. At this age, there is no need for circuit training, crossfit and much more. The goal of the classes is to improve and strengthen the body.

If the trainer in the gym immediately, without asking you any questions, gave you some kind of program. Think ten times whether it is worth contacting such a specialist.

Features of the human body

By body characteristics I mean flexibility and stretching, speed of recovery, muscle fatigue, level of endurance and level of initial training in general.

Planning the training process should be aimed at minimizing negative consequences. That is, you should not overwork yourself at the very first training session (or overload a novice client), because this is fraught with long-term pain or even injury.

Stretching

Stretching should be included in your training program. Without it, many exercises cannot be performed.

There are many complaints on the Internet about lower back pain when deadlifting. Moreover, the complainers themselves write that they cannot touch the floor with their fingers on straight legs. I wonder how they pull, and most importantly, what do they pull with? There is no trace of any technique; the lower back is clearly round, as is the chest. Hence the pain, and then the consequences of incorrect technique. All this does not appear immediately; the first time may even pass. And when your weight gets heavier, at one point your lower back will hurt much more than before. And this is where your lifting will end. Maybe even forever.

So you need to stretch. This is useful not only when you are performing a strength cycle, but also simply for maintaining the elasticity of your body. Statistics show that the more elastic the connective tissue, the less likely it is to get injured due to careless movements. So stretch at home, you don’t have to go somewhere to do it. You can prepare your body for strength training in advance.

Endurance

Everyone's endurance is different. It also develops, just like stretching. The entire body is capable of changing, adapting to new living conditions.

The best way to develop it is through cardio exercises. Just brisk walking or exercise on an elliptical will do - safely and effectively.

While developing your endurance, remember about your health. Racing your heart is not always beneficial, especially if you work at a heart rate of more than 140 beats for a long time.

A professional trainer knows all these features, and will not race you on a treadmill until you lose consciousness.

Muscle recovery rate

This is the same individual parameter as the above. The speed of recovery directly affects the periodization of training, cycling, etc.

Usually 2–3 days are enough for a person to fully recover. But pain is not the best indicator of this process. For example, it happens that the pain has gone away (or it was not there at all), but there seems to be no strength. The muscles did not recover. This can happen for two reasons: you haven’t received enough building-energy material (you simply haven’t eaten enough), or you need to rest some more.

On average, you need to train one muscle group 1-2 times a week. Three is already a lot. For mass training, it is better to perform heavy loads on the same muscle group once a week.

Floor

You don't have to be a girl to create a workout program for girls. In principle, the physiology of men and women is not very different. But there is one important point - testosterone levels. There are other nuances, but this is the most significant.

Testosterone is an anabolic hormone that stimulates the growth of many things: muscles, hair, nervous tension, anger and aggression. This is why men fight much more often than girls. The level of testosterone in their blood is much higher than that of the opposite sex. It is clear why.

In general, girls' muscles will grow slower than men's. Yes, and the working weights need to be selected differently; for girls they are much smaller.

Creating a gym workout routine for girls is a little more complicated. Most women are much more interested in reducing body fat than developing muscle. Here, too, it is important not to overdo it. After all, physiologically, girls need at least 12% body fat to maintain body functions. That is, a girl will never be able to become as dry as a male athlete without harm to her health.

Features of a person's lifestyle

The preparation of a training program should take into account the characteristics of a person’s work. It is important to clarify whether the work is physical, office, or intellectual. The volume and duration of the load will depend on all this.

Those who move little and sit constantly need long-term cardio exercise. If a person moves a lot, the program is adjusted according to his lifestyle.

Based on the person’s employment, a training scheme of 2 or 3 times a week will be chosen. The financial situation is also taken into account, because in most clubs it is customary to either pay for each training session, or the subscription is calculated based on the number of training sessions per month.

Making a program

So, you have learned what you should pay attention to when creating a program. Now let’s look at how to create a training program in the gym, how often you need to change your training program, what cycling is, and whether we need it.

Zero program

This is a kind of sample to start with. This often includes the bench press (for men) and leg/glute exercises (for women). The rest of the load depends on the above-mentioned characteristics of the body and personal wishes. That is, exercises are selected individually. The goal of the trial program is to determine how your muscles react to load, how your technique is given, what your general physical fitness is, etc. That is, to look at you in dynamics.

In terms of equipment, if you work out at home, a barbell, an incline bench, and 2 dumbbells will be enough for you. You can only get by with stacked dumbbells.

You should definitely not do deadlifts and heavy squats with a barbell in the first month. The muscles need to be prepared for this base; it is enough to stretch them and strengthen them.

For the first month, exercises on and extension of the arms, legs, and body are suitable. For the abs, regular crunches on the mat are enough, for the lower back – hyperextension.

For men, it will be useful to include pull-ups and dips in your training.

At the beginning of each workout, do at least 5 minutes of cardio, and at the end - stretching. It is also better to stretch in a small volume after warming up.

In a month, your body will get stronger, and the coach will understand what you are capable of.

If you are your own trainer, still ask them to teach you the exercise technique. Even the simplest exercise is not as simple as you might think at first glance.
Learn to do everything correctly from the very beginning, while your weights are still light. This will save you a lot of time in the future (relearning always takes longer, and without the right technique you won’t achieve good results) and will save your health.

By the way, about the scales: for the first month, increase the weights in increments of 1–5 kg, depending on the muscles being trained. For example, on the leg press, a step of 5 kg is just right. Barbell curls for biceps – 1–2 kg each workout.

Take a light starting weight. The main thing is that you feel at least some kind of load.

Further strategy

Now, knowing your capabilities, you can create a program based on the goals of the classes. Choose whether you want the option of training for weight or relief. Maybe you want to become thin? Or maybe you are gradually going to find the forms you need. This is also possible, it just takes more time.

Decide whether you will exercise at home or in the gym. Home training is not so effective, there’s no need to even explain anything.

After completing the zero program, the task is to create a program for the next 4 weeks. Working weights need to be increased if you decide to go in the strength direction. If you are losing weight, you don’t need to add anything, just exercise and spend energy.

Think about your diet, you need to stick to a certain way of eating, otherwise your figure will not change noticeably.

When the second month has passed, depending on your results, you will need to change the program again. You can replace several exercises, you can change the direction of the workout. In general, you can change all this once a week. There is such a thing as periodization of the training process or cycling.

Cycling means that you divide the training program into cycles - part according to one system, part according to another. One week you work with heavy weights, the second with light weights, etc. The selection of the cycle is individual. It has been experimentally proven that cycling in bodybuilding has many benefits. This method of training in the gym for men and women is more effective than a monotonous program.

Optimal cycling for beginners is a slight change of program once a month.

Developing a workout plan is quite a difficult task. Psychologically, people tend to make two mistakes: they do too many repetitions and repetitions on different muscle groups and only do the exercises that they enjoy most, instead of turning to the most effective and difficult compound exercises. So, how to create a training program in the gym correctly and effectively? Read on if you want to know the answer to this question.

The basis

First you need to decide on the muscle groups that you will work on different training days. This is necessary in order to avoid imbalance in development. At the same time, every week switch the muscle groups with which you will start training.

A typical training plan might look like this:

• Day 1: Legs, Shoulders and Abs
• Day 2: back and biceps
• Day 3: Chest and Triceps

But there are no clear rules here; you can distribute muscle groups over different days as it suits you. In any case, it will be effective. The main thing, as I said, is to constantly introduce variety.

Exercises

What basic exercises can you use:

• Quadriceps - squats, lunges, one-legged squats (pistols), jumping
• Glutes, hamstrings and calves - deadlifts, Romanian deadlifts, machine leg presses, hyperextensions
• Chest, shoulders and triceps - bench press, seated press, standing press, standing dumbbell flyes, lying dumbbell flyes, push-ups, triceps dips and dips
• Back, biceps and forearms - bent-over rows, pull-ups, chin rows, dumbbell curls
• Abs and lower back - crunches, side crunches, lying leg raises, fitness ball exercises

Choose 2-3 exercises for each muscle group and do not use more than one similar exercise with the same angle of movement. That is, if you did a bench press, then you don’t need to do a dumbbell bench press or flyes. Start your workout with a different muscle group each week. That is, if on Wednesday you trained your back and biceps, then next time start with biceps exercises, and then do, for example, pull-ups.

Number of approaches and repetitions

Do not do more than 15-25 approaches in total for the entire period of one workout, which should not exceed 45-60 minutes. Your gym workout should be as fast and intense as possible. 4-5 exercises of 4 sets each is a good start.

As for the number of repetitions, there are three ranges:

• 1-5 repetitions - development of dense muscle tissue and strength (myofibrillar hypertrophy)
• 6-12 repetitions - equal increase in muscle strength and endurance
• More than 12 repetitions - increases muscle endurance and muscle size (sarcoplasmic hypertrophy)

In addition, you can constantly change your training program and change the number of repetitions even during sets to harmoniously develop endurance, strength and size.

Bottom line

So, to sum up the common denominator, remember the following:

• Always start your workout with a 5-10 minute warm-up, such as running or riding a stationary bike.
• Choose one exercise for each large muscle group - quads, glutes and thighs, back, chest and abs
• Do 3-5 sets of each exercise
• Determine the number of repetitions you will perform for each exercise
• Constantly add variety. Vary the number of repetitions, approaches and the exercises themselves. Training should be interesting
• Don't exercise for more than 1 hour
• Stretch after your workout
• Keep a training log

I hope this article helped you understand how to create a training program in the gym to achieve maximum results. If you still have any questions, ask them in the comments. I will definitely answer.

There are many different gym workout programs available. The choice of one program or another depends on your goal. Very often, when beginners come to the gym and start training, they jump from one training system to another, thereby not allowing their body to experience the pros or cons of a particular program. In order not to mark time, you need to make a training plan and constantly follow it, otherwise you simply will not understand whether it is effective for you or not. Usually, every newcomer who comes to the gym may be mistaken and religiously believe in some secret training methods and miracle programs, some magic pills. Thinking you'll grow up like a hulk. This is complete nonsense, because if you really want to achieve results, you will have to work hard on yourself for a long time.

As practice and observations in different gyms show, most trainers give the same program to absolutely everyone, making small changes that depend on different aspects. This happens because even a trainer with extensive experience is not able to immediately create an ideal training program for you. This can easily be explained by the fact that you need to experiment, adhering to the basic criteria. It's clear that if you're a beginner, your trainer will never tell you to do deadlifts or squats right away. In the first couple, he will exclude dangerous exercises from training and give you some alternatives in the exercise equipment, for example: lat pull-downs, dips, etc. At the initial stage, the main goal of training will be to prepare the athlete’s body for heavy loads, so to speak, “strengthening the physique.” In general, the main thing is that the coach is good and does not give you complete nonsense as a training plan. To avoid this, today we will try to clearly explain to you what’s what.

Why is it so important to choose the right training program?

You need to determine for yourself what goal you are pursuing. Why do you even go to the gym? If you want to lose extra pounds, then lifting heavy weights will not achieve your goal, but on the contrary, you will gain even more weight due to muscle mass. Aerobic exercise will help you more - light weights and high repetitions in each exercise.

If your goal is to build muscle mass, then the optimal program is one that consists of compound exercises that target large muscle groups, with no isolation exercises at all, which should be completely forgotten until you become a professional competitive athlete.

That is why at the initial stage it is so important to correctly determine the program, depending on your goals.

"Split" or "Full body"?

“Split” - separate training program

Thanks to this division, each muscle group gets more time to rest and has time to fully recover from workout to workout. Also, when working out using the “split system”, you can work out each muscle group more thoroughly, because if in one workout you pump only one or two muscles, then be so kind as to work on them properly, performing 3-4 exercises for each.

The most common split training program is the “three-day split.” Let's give an example of a “three-day split.”

Monday - chest
1. Bench press on a horizontal bench
2. Incline Dumbbell Press
3. Push-ups (chest method)
4. Bringing your hands together in a “crossover”

With such a training program, you will work out your entire body efficiently throughout the week, and your muscles will rest well and recover between workouts.

There is no need to do any hand exercises. Your triceps will work on Monday, along with your pectoral muscles, and your biceps, along with your back muscles, on Friday.

By themselves, the back muscles and pectoral muscles are large muscle groups, many times larger in size than the muscles of the arms, which means that they are more difficult to work out and they get tired longer. So, for example, during a “press” workout on Monday, the triceps will be as tired as the pectoral muscles, or even more so. With a “pull” workout on Friday, the biceps will receive enough load to grow along with the back muscles.

“Full body” - full body workout

If you have chosen the “full body” method as your training program in the gym, then the frequency of training should be less than with “split”, otherwise you are guaranteed to overtrain and there will be no progress. Fatigue will gradually accumulate, layered on top of one another.

With a separate training program, you can exercise 3-4 times a week, and with a full body workout - no more than 2.

“Low rep” or “high rep” training?

“High-repetition” training implies a high number of repetitions in exercises - from 15 and above. Such exercises should be considered aerobic. They develop endurance, help burn excess fat, thereby giving definition to the muscles.

Your best bet would be to fall somewhere in the middle and use the classic circuit for a typical bodybuilder - 8-12 reps per set. It will sometimes be useful to alternate loads, changing the number of repetitions in a particular exercise. This principle is called cyclicity. It will be discussed in more detail below.

We create a training program in the gym

If you want to go to the gym more often, then it is better to choose a separate training program; if you do not have enough time and you can only visit the gym 2 times a week, train using the “full body” system. To create a training program for the whole body in one day, we will take only the most basic exercises, otherwise we simply won’t have enough strength to do everything.

Here's a simple example of a two-day full body.

If before each exercise you perform 2-4 warm-up sets, gradually increasing the weight of the bar until you approach your working weight and conscientiously perform 3-5 sets of each exercise, then these two workouts per week will be more than enough.

You don’t need any techniques consisting of 15 exercises, 14 of which are various isolating exercises for the arms (all sorts of French presses, concentrated biceps curls, etc.). Look at the pictures and, without the slightest regret, throw this glossy magazine in the trash and don’t think about it again.

Such systems are designed for professionals who have built up enough muscle mass using anabolic steroids and are polishing it before competitions!

So, in order to choose the right training program, you need to clearly define your goal, and also take into account the amount of free time that you can devote to training.

Thanks to our catalog of training programs, you can choose the most optimal one for yourself.

Cycling of training

Training cyclicality is a periodic change in the training system that helps prevent the body from getting used to and adapting to the same load repeated day after day. The construction of so-called training cycles does not allow the body to adapt and provokes it to constant stress, which, in turn, leads to an increase in muscle mass.

Training cycles can be long, lasting 3 months, or they can be short (mini-cycles) - one week of light training and two weeks of heavy training.

What does easy or hard training mean? In a heavy workout, you train to failure, choosing a weight of barbell or dumbbells that you can work with in the range of 8-12 repetitions in each set. Moreover, the last repetitions should be given to you with great difficulty, and with light ones, you reduce the weight of the equipment by 30-50% of your working weight, which you use on days of heavy training, and perform a greater number of repetitions, but slightly reduce the rest time between approaches and exercises.

Thus, you kill two birds with one stone - you give the body a short break on days of light training, allowing it to recover better, and also, thanks to a change in load, you do not get used to a monotonous regime, which causes stress, stimulating muscle growth.

Super compensation

If you exercise too often, supercompensation will not be achieved, and accordingly, strength indicators will grow much more slowly or will not grow at all. For example, recovery can take place within a week, and supercompensation can take place within two weeks. This once again proves the importance of cyclical loads.

Conclusion

If you don't have a trainer at the gym, it is quite possible to do the analysis yourself and create a training program that will suit you based on your goals, subsequently experimenting and making adjustments to the program. But it’s best to consult with an experienced trainer who will tell you what and how to do correctly. The most important thing is to do everything wisely and not take some mega programs from professionals.

Remember, each person will have their own training program, selected individually, that will be most effective, so decide for yourself which program to choose.

The entire beautiful half of humanity dreams of a beautiful figure. And one of the “tools” for correcting your shape is the gym. The main thing is to clearly understand which simulators you should look at, which areas need correction, and what is included in the training program.

The best exercise equipment for women in the gym – which one should you choose in training?

The main areas of the female body that need correction are...

• Hands (there should be no “jelly”).
• Belly (it should be flat and firm).
• Breasts (nice, lifted and firm, not flabby and spreading over the belly).
• And of course,

It is on these areas that you should focus your attention in order to lose weight and achieve the desired result.

Choosing the right exercise equipment!

• Traction. The main purpose of working with this equipment is to work the biceps. An ideal exercise machine for long and hard training - with a set of weights and additional equipment, with the ability to independently regulate the load. The simulator provides effective training for the arms - for both at once or for each in turn to enhance the effect.
• Top/bottom pull. This tool works for slimness, strengthening the back muscles and, accordingly, protecting the spine, strengthening the biceps, and reducing the risk of injury. The wider the grip, the more intense the training of the back muscles.
• Horizontal leg press. Main target: glutes and quadriceps. The body on this equipment is fixed in a stable position, and the main load falls on the reed with the buttocks. By increasing the load and bending the legs as for plie, the inner thighs are trained.
• Smith's car. Here we train triceps and pectoral muscles. A safe and effective exercise machine with the ability to independently regulate the intensity of the load.
• Shoulder press. A simulator for working the middle and anterior deltoid muscles. To avoid causing harm to your ligaments, it is important to install the seat correctly.
• Abdominal trainer. A flat tummy is a completely achievable dream. Such a power unit allows you to perform abdominal crunches (note: with weights). It is important to remember that weight training significantly increases muscle growth and widens the waist, so it is better for lovely ladies to do without weights.
• Reverse glute raises. The simulator is focused on working the gluteal muscles and gradually tightening the butt. Such a tool will not do any harm, and as for the result, it will not be fast (there are more effective simulators for such purposes).
• Pull-down with a wide handle and behind the head. Good equipment for developing back muscles. It is important to remember that if you have problems with the flexibility of the shoulder joints, it is better to replace this exercise machine with another one to avoid pinching in the shoulders/joint.
• Cardio equipment. Of course, they are effective and useful. However, aerobic activity in women should have reasonable limits. The intensity of these workouts is a maximum of 3 times a week and no more than 40 minutes.

Exercise machines that are not suitable for ladies

Unlike women who go to the gym to lose weight and be slim, men go to workouts for relief and muscle mass. Therefore, their training programs, naturally, are different, and some exercise equipment, successfully used by men, can give the opposite result to a woman.

What equipment should I avoid?

• Shrugs with dumbbells. A very effective exercise machine for the trapezius muscles, but for men. It will not add beauty to a woman’s form.
• Bending with weights. There is an opinion that such training eliminates “ears” on the thighs. In fact, they only contribute to the expansion of the waist. A side plank, a bicycle and the right diet are suitable for this.

A set of exercises on exercise machines in the gym for women - creating a training program

Women's queues for cardio equipment are a common occurrence. However, you need to remember that torturing these simulators is pointless without strength exercises.

It is strength training that should be a priority, cardio training - to warm up the muscles or to consolidate the effect.

A set of exercises for the beauty of forms - what should it be?

1. For day 1: on the back and arms.
2. For day 2: on the thighs and buttocks, on the calf muscles.
3. For day 3: abs.

The beginning of the workout (always!) is a warm-up for 10-15 minutes from cardio exercises, or from key aerobic exercises.

Video: A set of exercises for girls in the gym

Video: Gym exercise program for girls

What exercises should the program consist of?

Exercises for the abs:

• Bending on a Roman chair. We place our hands crosswise on our chest, bend over halfway and press our chin tightly to our chest.
• Leg raises. We lean on our elbows in a suspended state (note - on the crossbar). We slowly bend/unbend our legs 20-25 times.

Exercises for the buttocks, thighs and calf muscles:

• Hyperextension.
• Abduction/connection machine: back vertical, hips apart and connected, holding the position for 3 seconds as you connect.
• Leg press. We use a training platform. Raise your legs from the center of the platform to the top edge. When lowering the load, keep your lower back close to the bench. Scheme: 4 sets, 30 times).

Exercises for back muscles:

• Head pull. Scheme: 20 times.
• Lower block thrust. The back is straight, in a sitting position we bend our knees, pull the block to the lower abdomen without swinging the torso. Scheme: 3 sets, 25 reps.

The general training scheme should look like this:

1. Warm-up – 10 minutes.
2. Muscle training for a specific group – 50 minutes.
3. Cardio training - 40 minutes (for example, exercise bike, jump rope or treadmill, hula hoop).
4. Stretching – 10 min.

You can also include in the set of exercises:

• Deadlift. Scheme: 1 time every 2 weeks.
• Squats with a barbell on the shoulders (note - for the leg muscles). Scheme: maximum twice a week.
• Lunges with dumbbells (tighten the legs and round the buttocks). Scheme: 1 time per week.
• Dips (ideal for weak arms).
• Barbell press at different angles. Suitable for strengthening the pectoral muscles. Scheme: 1 time per week.
• Plank. This universal exercise affects almost all muscle groups. It is recommended to perform it regularly.

Video: Training program for beginner girls - first steps on exercise equipment in the gym

Basic rules for training on exercise machines for women

Before you rush to the gym, must undergo a medical examination . It is important to exclude all diseases for which strength exercises are prohibited.

After the doctor's permission has been received, you should decide training program. You won’t be able to do it without the help of a professional trainer.

What to remember?

• Training should be regular - 2-3 times a week.
• Warm-up before each workout is required! Important: warm-up at the beginning (to warm up/prepare the muscles) and stretching at the end of the workout (to restore muscles) should concern exactly the muscle group that is being stressed during a particular workout.
• You can increase the load only gradually, after a month of constant training.
• The number of approaches and repetitions depends on the condition of the body, endurance and, directly, goals. Approximate amount: 1-5 – for developing strength, 6-12 – for muscle mass, more than 10-12 – for developing endurance.
• You should not saddle up all the machines one by one at once - start gradually and with 2-3 machines. Do not overload your body with maximum weight.
• - This is fine. It should go away as soon as the body gets used to the new lifestyle and stress. If the pain does not go away within 3-4 days, then you need to reduce the intensity of the load or consult a specialist.
• Proper nutrition is 50% of success. We eat fractionally - 5 times a day (before training, we eat 2 hours before it, no later!), drink 2 liters of water per day (and 1 liter during training), we pay special attention to protein foods in the diet (not less than 60%).
• If the number of workouts per week is reduced from 3 or 4 to 2, then the entire weekly load should be distributed over these 2 workouts.
• We do not change instructors during the first 6 months of training. Different systems can have a lot of contradictions, so for the effectiveness of training it is better to listen to the first trainer.
• Unsystematic classes are unacceptable! Each workout should be subordinated to a specific set of activities, clearly designed for a specific woman, taking into account her needs, capabilities and characteristics of the body.
• After each workout, close the “carbohydrate window”. Not with ready-made protein shakes, but with drinks made from natural products, prepared yourself.

And a few more important points:

1. You can’t go to the gym “with company”! Visit it in splendid isolation, only in this case your attention will be 100% focused on training.
2. Exercise should become your good habit. Therefore, the mood is extremely important: choose a comfortable and beautiful uniform for training, the best gym, a good trainer. Classes should not be hard labor for you.
3. Lack of results after 2-3 months of classes is not a reason to quit. Be patient, forget about laziness and shyness, cultivate fighting qualities in yourself.
4. Decide on a goal. Why do you need training: to lose weight, build muscle, tighten your “contours” or something else. The intensity and type of exercise depends on the goal.

Video: Common mistakes in the gym

And a little about mistakes to avoid:

• Don't overload your abs if your goal is waist correction. The greater the load, the larger the waist.
• Don't overdo cardio. The higher the load, the more active the production of the stress hormone, which, in turn, leads to the destruction of muscle tissue and exhaustion. Recommended maximum: 2-3 times a week for 40 minutes.
• Don't exclude dumbbell exercises . It is weighted loads that contribute to the formation of a beautiful tummy and elastic butt.
• There is no point in overloading your muscles with intense daily training. . It is a mistake to think that in this way you will quickly acquire the coveted appetizing forms. Remember: muscles need time to recover! The optimal break is 2-3 days for each muscle group. For example, on Tuesday you load the biceps and chest muscles, on Wednesday - the load on the legs, on Friday - the triceps and shoulders, on Saturday - the back. The rest of the time is rest from classes.
• Before you start exercising, adjust the machine to your liking. The activity should be comfortable and not cause injury.
• Choose a comprehensive program , which engages all muscle groups throughout the week. You cannot concentrate only on problem areas - this will lead to an imbalance in proportions.

And don't overdo it with training! If you have difficulty moving, your muscles hurt, like after a week of renovations in your apartment and falling from a stepladder, and you can’t even squeeze your pillow with your hands, then it’s time to slow down the pace and reduce the intensity of your workouts.

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