What are the introductory fitness training courses for novices?

The core introductory courses for beginners to fitness are actually three categories: basic operation of fixed equipment, introduction to free weight compound movements, and basic functional training. The remaining various group classes and special classes are all adjustment options, so there is no need to rush to stock up on classes when you first get started.

Speaking of which, I met a little boy who had just entered college a while ago. He entered the gym with the idea of ​​building abdominal muscles. He signed up for ten sweat-burning fat-burning mass classes. After a week of training, his lumbar muscles were strained. He even felt pain after sitting for two hours in the final exam. He came to ask me if he was not suitable for fitness. In fact, he didn't understand the order of getting started, so he started to lose strength.

Many people who have just entered the gym think that fixed equipment is cumbersome and not as cool as lifting dumbbells. There have been two factions arguing fiercely on the Internet. One group says that novices must start with fixed equipment because the track is fixed and will not easily cause injuries. The other group says that fixed equipment limits the force generation mode and it is more efficient than directly using free weights. In fact, there is nothing wrong with both of these opinions. It depends on your own foundation. If you don’t exercise at all and sit for so long that you find it difficult to bend down to tie your shoelaces, then you should start with fixed equipment, such as high pull-downs to feel the strength in your back, or inverted pedaling machines to feel the strength in your legs. You don’t need to carry weight. First, understand what “muscle strength” feels like and not “joint competition”. It’s better than anything else.

When you perform movements, you will no longer have backache, neck soreness, or trapezius creatine. If you can accurately feel the contraction of the target muscles, you can take the introductory class of free weights. In fact, the core is to practice the compound movements of squats, deadlifts, bench presses, and presses. Don’t think these movements are old-fashioned. I know enthusiasts who have been practicing for seven or eight years. I had to spend a class every week to find the details of the movements with the coach. These movements are the foundation of all strength training. If the foundation is distorted, it is very easy to get injured when pushing the weight. I had a former member who relied on his own strength and dared to pull 80kg when he just learned to deadlift. His waist was bent like a shrimp. After pulling, he immediately moved his waist and lay at home for three weeks. The gain outweighed the loss.

As for the basic functional training class, many people think it is an IQ tax, just jumping around with the instructor. In fact, entry-level functional training does not jump at all. Most of them focus on core stability, joint mobility, and correction of bad posture. For example, if you usually have rounded shoulders and a hunched back, your shoulders will no longer be sore after sitting in the office. If you are exercising so that you can play ball or climb mountains without strenuous efforts in the future, this class may even have a higher priority than free weights.

The remaining group classes, spinning classes, and trampoline classes are all icing on the cake. If you feel that pure iron training is too boring, it’s absolutely fine to do it 1-2 times a week. It can improve your heart and lungs and regulate your mood. But don’t treat this as the main training. I have seen too many people who attend group classes every day. After practicing for three months, their knees and ankles hurt because they have no foundation and all the movements are wrong. They just follow it.

By the way, when choosing a class, don’t just listen to the salesman bragging about how many certificates the coach has. Buy a trial class first and give it a try. If the coach comes, he will increase the weight and impact intensity for you without correcting the details of your movements. Just turn around and walk away. The most important thing for a novice is never how hard you can practice or how fast you can lose weight, but first learn not to get injured.