Machine Basics for Women

Free weights are great, but machines are important, especially for beginners. Find out how to make the machines your friends while exercising in the gym.

Author: Shannon Clark

If you are a woman who has just started going to the gym, then it is likely that you are experiencing some sense of fear. And it's not just the number of machines in the gym that stuns you, but the hordes of muscular men who look like they're ready to crush anything that gets in their way - including you.

If these are the feelings you are experiencing, then you are not alone: most women share your feelings. But, if you're determined to step out of your comfort zone just a little bit, you'll be on the path to fantastic progress in your fitness.

Let's look at some of the key things you need to know in order to develop a machine training program to start your fitness journey with.

First, your workout should be as simple as possible. Your main goal at this stage is to accustom your muscles to the stress of training in the gym and prepare for more complex programs.

Since you are new to lifting weights, your body will respond very quickly to even basic exercises. So progress is not far off. Let the changes taking place in your body serve as motivation for you - this is called positive reinforcement!

Exercise machines are also great because they help you get the exercises right without giving you any extra hassle. You won't have to worry about getting the exercise right the way you would if you were lifting free weights. Exercise on machines will also help you feel more confident in the gym.

At this stage, lifting as much weight as possible is not the most important thing. No need to focus on your personal achievements. Now all you need is to feel comfortable and make sure that all the exercises you do are done correctly.

Although the machine will help you maintain the correct position, there are a few things you should pay attention to.

First, make sure your back is flat against the bench or support pad when doing exercises like leg presses, adductions, and shoulder presses on the machine. And second, don't stretch your knees and elbows too much when doing shoulder presses, low pulldowns, triceps extensions, or leg extensions.

Work hard, but don't overdo it or you'll lose your comfort zone and want to quit. If you leave the gym feeling exhausted from the exercises you've done, you may develop negative emotions about your workouts.

Definitely, you need to avoid bad feelings from training. Instead of feeling exhausted, you should be excited and full of energy to come to your next workout.

You must be aware of the difference between pushing yourself to new achievements and pushing yourself to the limit. Leave the most difficult exercises for the period when you already have a sufficient training base. Only then proceed to the most difficult.

And finally, take a good rest to recover. This is a critical moment on the path to success in any program, however, some beginners overlook it.

Leave at least one day of rest between your courses of complex training on simulators. If you are just starting out and know that you are slowly recovering, leave two days for rest.

More rest is better than not enough, so make sure you're fully rejuvenated and feeling great every time you hit the gym.

Once you start hitting the gym at least twice a week, you'll start to notice improvements in your physical condition and an increase in lean muscle mass. If you can do three workouts a week, that will be just great! But don't push yourself if you feel like you could use another day off.

So, now that you've learned the key points for successful machine training, you can find a few programs below.

You can simply repeat one of them two or three times a week, or alternate all three programs at once. In each workout, you will work out each muscle group, and you will also be able to increase the intensity of your metabolism.

Feel confident with the machines and when you're ready, you can move on to free weights and expand your exercise range!