Excess weight leads to an increased disease risk, while losing weight has the complete opposite effect. According to the National Institutes of Health, achieving a goal weight can help you control your blood pressure and cholesterol and also reduce your risk for heart disease. When it comes to losing weight, you have the option of working out at home or joining a fitness club. Joining a fitness club gives you the advantage of having multiple types of equipment at your disposal.
Step 1
Walk into the cardio room and try out some machines. You will find such machines as rowers, stair steppers, treadmills, elliptical trainers and ladder climbers. Spend five minutes getting instruction from a personal trainer or staff attendant to learn how each one works. Decide which one you like the best.
Step 2
Step into the weight room and browse. You will find weight machines, dumbbells, barbells, cable machines and rubber resistance bands. Get a tutorial on how to use all of this equipment and decide which ones fit your needs. If you are new to exercise, it is best to stick with machines to learn proper form and technique.
Step 3
Utilize a cardio machine to burn calories. Select a machine that you like and begin with a light 5-minute warm-up. Increase your intensity to a point that you are sweating and starting to breathe heavily. Remain at this intensity level for the duration of your workout. According to the American College of Sports Medicine, 60 to 90 minutes of cardio is needed for weight loss.
Step 4
Build muscle to tone your body and increase your metabolism. Target all of your major muscle groups with exercises like bench presses, shoulder presses, back rows, triceps extensions, biceps curls and leg presses. You can use machines for all of these exercises. Aim to do 10 to 12 reps and do three or four sets of each exercise. Adding 3 lbs. of muscle to your body will cause you to burn an extra 630 to 1,050 calories per week according to the University of Michigan Health System.
Step 5
Exercise often enough to get the best bang for your buck. The only way you will truly lose weight is if you work out often and stick with your program. Do three days of weight training and three days of cardio each week. Perform them on alternating days of each other.
Step 6
Inquire at the front desk about classes. Most gyms will have schedules to take home with you. Grab one, look it over and see if anything interests you. Replace one or two of your cardio workouts each week with a class if you enjoy a group atmosphere.
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