How To Use Gym Equipment For Beginners? – Know The Basics

Going to a gym for the first time can sometimes be intimidating and overwhelming. Aside from the bodybuilders and fitness enthusiasts all over the place, there are also those complicated exercise machines and equipment. These things can sometimes dampen your spirits, and lose your interest and motivation to workout. Don’t worry because we will help you prepare yourself and give you guidelines on how to use gym equipment for beginners.

Exercise Machines And Equipment

Fitness pros and experts can all agree that using exercise machines is helpful, especially if you are a newbie. Here are some popular machines commonly used in gyms and how to use them.

1. Leg Press Machine  

Sit on the machine. Make sure that you are seated comfortably, your back and head against the padded support. Your heels should be flat as you put your feet on the footplate about hip-width apart. Your legs should form a 90-degree angle at the knees, and your knees must be in line with your feet, not bowed inward or outward.

Try to maintain that alignment as you press. You may use the assist handles to support and keep your head and spine in position. Slowly push the platform away using your heels and forefoot. Next, extend your legs while keeping your head and back flat against the seat pad. Gradually bend your knees to return the footplate to its starting position. Repeat from the top.

2. Lat Pulldown

Ensure that you are comfortably seated on the pulldown seat; feet should be flat on the floor. The bar should be at a height where you can grasp it without fully standing up but able to extend your arms. Your upper thighs must be firmly tucked under the pad. 

Grasp the bar. When you grasp the bar, the standard position is with a wide grip with an overhand, and knuckles are up gripping. While exhaling, pull the bar down up to approximately your chin level. Know that the bottom of the motion should only be until your elbows cannot move downward without moving backward. Keep your torso stationary as much as possible, although it is acceptable to shift backward slightly. Then, squeeze the shoulder blades together while keeping your shoulders square. Slowly return the bar to its starting position. Make sure it does not crash into the weight plates.

3. Chest Press Machine

Check the machine. There are different types of this kind. Older ones have a single weight carriage that distributes the weights equally between the two bars. Newer models, on the other hand, have a carriage for each bar. This kind of exercise machine can either have independent or non-independent bars.

Sit on the machine comfortably, your feet firmly placed on the floor about shoulder-width apart. Grasp the handles with a full grip then push the bars outward to full extension without locking the elbow. Maintain your head steady and your neck still. Pause for a few seconds at full extension. Then, allow the bars to return to your chest and breathe in during this time. 

Conclusion

Trying out new things, like going to a gym and using its equipment for the first time, can be daunting for some. It is a normal feeling, and there is nothing to be ashamed of that. The good thing is you can always do something about it like preparing, researching, and reading tips, just like how to use gym equipment for beginners.