Today I joined LA fitness! I know I will be doing Aqua aerobics 3-4 times a week. but 2-3 days I'd like to do strength training and cardio!

I have no clue what to do.. I was thinking of getting a personal trainer to show me a good routine but they are sooo expensive! any one have some good tips? what sorta machines i should use how long I should use them for and at what levels or intensity?

I was thinking of doing the treadmill for like 20 mins, the bike for like 20 and then the elliptical for 15-20.. does that sound ok?

Cardio Cardio Cardio!

Honestly, doing cardio is the only way you're going to really lose weight. Then after you lose, start on weight training.

Don't do the eliptical for long periods of time, they're not "hardcore" enough. They're great for warm-ups, so I'd hop on one of those for 5-10 min, do the bike, or the treadmill. Switch it up every day. The most important thing is to find what works best for you and what gets your heart pumping. For me, it's riding my bicycle. It keeps my heart pumping and works out my thigh muscles like no other.

I think a personal trainer is a waste of money. You could just hire them for one or two sessions, and then go from there.

Good luck! It's a lot of work but it'll end up being worth it.

Cardio is Very important! However, studies today show that combining weight training and cardio helps with weightloss better than just straight cardio! Plus, weight training tones muscles and increases your metabolism because your muscles are getting bigger and hence need more food. They are also finding that toned muscle accepts insulin better, hence clearing the blood stream of peaks in blood sugar quicker.
Please, Do not just do straight cardio until you lose what you need to.. Get some weight training in there so that when you do get to where you want you have a nicely toned body already! And once you get down to your goal weight, Don't stop doing cardio. If you get yourself into a cardio and weight training routine, by the time you get down to your goal weight you'll have an excellent routine!
You will find your balance of what works for you! Try the different machines, you'll be surprised at which ones you like.

Most gyms provide one free personal training session when you join. Can you check on that?

I have to disagree with the person who said don't do weight lifting. Weight lifting is GREAT for weight loss. You will build muscle, which will boost your metabolism ALL DAY LONG. I had tried for*ever* to get below 190, and adding 2-3 days of total body strength training is one of the things that really helped. Plus I can see the muscles in my arms and that rocks.

Many machines are pretty simple and self-explanatory, so I'd start with those. You can experiment with free weights later. Once you get more comfortable, you can look at other people who are using the more complicated machines to see how it's done.

One other tip: You should be lifting weight relatively slowly, to a count of 1-2. You'll see guys (and girls) who do their weight lifting very fast in order to lift more weight. This totally defeats the purpose.

Do each exercise 12-15 times. Start with just doing this once, and you can build up to 2 or 3 times on the same machine.

Good luck! More questions, just ask!

Word!!
I think a lot of people have this misconception that strength training=bulky muscles=weight gain! Yes, muscle weighs more than fat. But, if you're controlling your diet and strength training, then you're not going to gain weight. And, if you do gain weight, its muscle gain (which is healthy) not fat gain! People get too attached to the scale. The scale only tells you a number! It doesn't tell you the difference between fat, muscle and water! Also, strength training does make you retain a little water, so don't weigh yourself right after!
The best way to know if you're losing fat and gaining muscle is to take measurements. It's hard to do because its embarrassing knowing how big we are.. But, its another way to see our progress.
and like mentioned before, more muscle mass = a higher metabolism. I'm so tired of seeing posts about how strength training is bad because it makes you gain weight! That they don't want to weigh themselves because they'll be disappointed because they've been doing strength exercises and think they've gained weight. You may have gained weight, but it's not fat!
Being obese and overweight means there's too much fat, not too much muscle mass! Please don't think that strength training is a bad thing. It is just as good for your body as cardio! It makes us much healthier!
Please stop spreading the myth that strength training should wait until after losing weight! It is extremely important to do along with cardio!

sorry for my rant! It really is bothering me!

Weight training is very important. As you lose weight, you will lose muscle and as we age, we lose muscle. Also building muscle increases your metabolism which is important for losing weight.

If you have never lifted weights, then I recommend having someone show you how and a good personal trainer can do that. When you hire a personal trainer it is important to set your goals from the start and tell them exactly what you are looking for getting from your training sessions.

There are also some good books that can help Body for Life, Body for Life for Women and the New Rules of Lifting for Women.

I hijacked one of my friends who is constantly at the gym and have him serving as my "personal trainer." I offered to pay him for a few sessions, but he refused and I think he is having as much fun with it as I am. He gets more excited when I can add additional weights or do additional reps than I do. (Plus there's the benefit of actually being able to curse out your trainer and knowing that he'll just laugh it off because he knows you!) Find a friend who is comfortable with all of the machines and the free weights, they'll take it as a compliment that you are that impressed with their routine that you want to copy it!

I didn't really start losing weight until I started weight training.

I agree that weight training is very important, personal trainer is a waste of money, but you can hire them for one or two sessions. That's a good way to do that.

muscels burn fat (or help to burn fat), they also have with metabolism... once you have them you will notice easier weight loss. I do cardio every day ( 3miles walking) and every other day do weights.
When we got membership we were required to have personal traner just for 1 day. Its important for you to KNOW the equimpment. Otherwise you mihgt injure yourself. Ask if first time members can get any free help. I am 100% sure they do have people for that. We first set down with the guy and descussed our goals (me and my husband), Then he made a list of weights we need to go through every other day to touch all major muscel groups. Then cardio every day. Also he gave us the ammount of lbs for each weight machiene. We have meeting with him every 2 months so that he can check on our prograss and update our warkout. In our gym its free. Go check in your gym.

thanks guys for all the advice! I definitely have plans on weight training as well! a side from being over weight I feel very weak strength wise and I don't like feeling helpless! I'd like to know I have a fighting chance to fight some one off me if needed! and right now I probably couldn't fight off a 5 year old!

I am going to wait until I can have some one show me how to use the weights properly though. my gym wont give a free day of training unfortunately! that sucks! They should! So I'm gonna wait to use the weights until I get comfy enough in there and notice some of the regulars who use the equipment and ask one of them how it works. because I def don't want to hurt myself!

What she said. And I couldn't disagree more that a personal trainer is a waste of money. Weightlifting is a skill. One that should be done correctly to maximize benefits and reduce risk of injury. Why in the world would we NOT want someone who has a clue to help us learn that skill?

If it's a skill worth having, it's a skill worth learning to do correctly.

The books Nelie recommended are great and are a great way to start. But I'll tell you, I've been working with my trainer for 14 months now and I still learn something new everytime I go.

Not worth it? She is worth her weight in GOLD. She has a masters degree and is working on her PhD in exercise science. She is herself a bodybuilder (and a mom). I can't even begin to say how much I have learned from her about weight lifting. And she knows soo soo much more.

I think it is worth having hands on guidance from someone who has a clue. Books and websites can only show us so much.