When working with the weight machines at the gym, how many sets and how many counts should I be doing?

Question

I am a 31 year old woman who has just started a fitness program, and am pretty clueless about what I should be doing. I would also like to know the best cardio machine to do?

Answer 1

No one can answer that question without knowing your current fitness level and goals.

The modern method of assessing the intensity of a work out is to say "tell me when it feels like your effort is 7/10, with 10 being maximum effort".

You need someone to assess you.

Generally speaking you want to do between 10 and 20 reps, multiplied by 2-4 sets. This is meaningless unless you know what weight is right.

The best advice would be to do a warm up of 20 repetitions, and then up the weight and do between 10 and 20 as a main set. You don't want to overdo it because you can overtrain or injure yourself and that will set you back or make you stop altogether.

Actually I just thought of something else too when I read your email.

I have changed to a one set to total failure system recently. The goal is to make sure you exert maximum effort and fire all muscle units. This is to achieve improvements in strength over a short time, with less risk of injury. The idea has been tested scientifically, and claims to achieve great results with less risk of injury. Important to this system is making sure you are completely recovered, even just one strength work out per week can achieve results if you work ridiculously hard and then recover with good rest and nutrition.

It is also suggested by modern research that you should have a couple of weeks off now and then to make sure your body recovers completely, avoiding injury.

This is for strength of course... endurance, not surprisingly, requires more repetitions and/or more sets, but less weight.

You might ask, why do weights if I am not going to get muscles? You will improve your muscles, and they will then burn more energy every minute of the day. Furthermore, weight bearing exercise has been proven to increase bone density which is especially important for women, who commonly suffer from osteoperosis, or the break down in density of bones - that why old people always fracture their hips when they fall down.

The best cardio, again, depends on your medical status and interests. No injuries? Run. Knee problems, ride or swim.

Diet is also important, do not cut what you eat immediately, you need the nutrition to replace the energy you use, and to repair/build the muscles.

The final piece of advice is the most important. Always maintain good posture while exercising, and do the exercises properly. A lot of guys go really fast or use their body to swing the weights around. Each exercise is for a specific muscle or group of muscles, and the correct technique will focus on those muscles. Bad technique can lead to injury or musculoskeletal disfunction.

If you want some advice in the future, email me.

Oh, finally, do not be concerned about gaining too much muscle. Women have less testosterone, which is the hormone that promotes muscle growth. Therefore women do not usually get bulky. You are simply not going to sprout Arnie style muscles, I promise you!!!

Answer 2

You should be doing cardio at least 30 minutes at a time. Any machine you feel comfortable on is fine, treadmill, stationary bike, stairclimber, rockwall, whatever. As long as you are continuously moving, you will get a good cardio workout.

As far as weights are concerned, it depends on what you are trying to accomplish. As a woman, I cannot imagine that you are trying to build muscle mass so I would stay away from heavy weights with low repetitions. To tone muscles, you really want to do high reps, 20 or more, with very light weights. As far as how you should be doing these exercises, you really want to get with a personal trainer or do some research online. Form is extremely important.

Most importantly, have fun. If you cannot have fun working out, you will quit. I just got back into exercising. I'm also 31. I really need to have a good time or I will quit. Good luck.

Answer 3

Depends on your goal. If you want to build muscel do heavier weight and less reps, if you want to tone then do lighter weights and more reps. Assuming you want to tone, do 15 to 20 reps for 3 sets.

All cadio machines are good, best advice is to mix them up. Try to work in a program where you're using them all at some point during the week.

Answer 4

anywhere from 6-15 reps for 3-4 sets
try taking about 60-90 seconds rest between those sets
a good rule of thumb for repetitions is that the last couple should be a bit harder

Answer 5

It depends on how much stamina you want and how strong you want to be. Load up on all the weight that you can lift. Then start taking off the weights, equally on both sides. When you can do the appropriate amount of lifting, make that your baseline. More weights, more strength, less weights more stamina. See how much you can do for an 15,30,45,60min. or so.

Answer 6

Start w/ 3 reps of 10 each, then move to 4 reps of 10 each.