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health advisory Diet Diet 2007-11-11 21:04:37

First, what are your age and gender?

Second: what do you wish to accomplish? (general health, bulk up, be a champion weight lifter etc.. etc...)

Assuming you are a male, over 16 and wish to tone your muscles to be in good shape and in good health, here is what you do:

For a given machine (don't use free weights unless you have an experienced person to instruct you close by) find out the max you can lift one time (just keep increasing and trying, resting a bit in between. After you found your max, then:

1) use about 70% of that max to do 6-8 reps, rest and repeat this set two more times (always with a rest in between).

2)Work one group of muscles each day you work out and let that group rest until it is not sore any longer before you exercise it again (it is rebuilding itself while you give it a break).

3) when you are doing easily 12 repetitions with the 70% max weight, in one particular machine, increase about 10% in weight and reduce the reps again to 6, than start increasing the no. again as you find it easy enough to do 6.

3) Eat at least 100g of protein a day, not more than 3 hours before your workout (not within one hour before it either), or you can also eat the protein right after wards. Eat enough carbohydrates before, but not more than about 40-60 g a day depending on your size and age.

Go for it, the first and most important step is to start, than resist every discouragement and lazy suggestion from your body that says "I am too tired today". You will feel better after the workout, stop complaining (tell yourself that, many times over).

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Roberto has great advice and is 100% correct on the free-weights. You can seriously hurt yourself if you do it wrong, especially if you grab too high of a weight and over exert yourself before you realize it.