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stackcats
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26 May 2015, 9:14 pm

I've wanting for a while of going to the gym, but the thing that's stopping me is the thing that almost always stops me from doing anything: I don't know what to expect.

The very first time I walk through the doors of the gym, what should I do? Obviously I will have to talk to staff and pay a fee... but I have literally no idea what I do from there. Just jump on a running machine and off I go? Or should I call ahead first to arrange a membership? Or... I really don't know! How does this usually work?

(I'm 100% determined to do this, as I'm very overweight but my diet is inflexible, I just need a little help getting there!)



MollyTroubletail
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26 May 2015, 9:24 pm

First call them and arrange a membership. Then they will schedule you for a "tour" of the gym. Then either at the same time or at a later appointment, they will show you how to use the weight machines. You won't remember everything you were shown but don't worry. They will write down how much weight to put on each machine on a form you can follow.

You should bring a lock to stow your street clothing in the locker if you are going to be changing into gym clothes. Or it's easier to just wear gym clothes to begin with if you're able to. Remember to practice the combination lock and write down your combination somewhere you can't lose it.

Then get on either the treadmill or the stationary bike for ten to fifteen minutes. Try to pace yourself on the easiest level so you don't get exhausted. After that I like to stretch my muscles on the floor mat and just catch my breath. Then go through every machine they just showed you. Try to do around 20 repetitions with the weight they wrote down on your form.

It will feel awkward and you may feel self conscious at first. You will probably wake up the next day with sore muscles. Take a day off to recover and then go back and do it all again.



stackcats
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26 May 2015, 9:43 pm

Thank you, that really helps. So I should expect to put aside a couple of hours for the first visit?

An obvious and probably really silly question: do people generally accept a fat girl rocking up at the gym? I'm terrified of being laughed at. I know it's silly, that adults don't behave like that... except sometimes they do. Can I expect to be left alone to do my thing, or should I put on my emotional body armor until I've lost a few kilos?



Stargazer43
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27 May 2015, 6:00 am

stackcats wrote:
Thank you, that really helps. So I should expect to put aside a couple of hours for the first visit?

An obvious and probably really silly question: do people generally accept a fat girl rocking up at the gym? I'm terrified of being laughed at. I know it's silly, that adults don't behave like that... except sometimes they do. Can I expect to be left alone to do my thing, or should I put on my emotional body armor until I've lost a few kilos?


In my experience, most people will respect you for trying to live a healthier lifestyle, so I wouldn't worry about that.