The gym can seem daunting at first. There’s a lot of people, and a lot of weird looking equipment you probably have no idea how to use.
Fortunately, there are several machines at the gym that are straightforward enough for newcomers to use effectively. And if you’re still not sure – don’t be afraid to ask someone. However, keep these machines in mind as ones to try your first time working out.
1. Leg Press Machine
The leg press machine is similar to performing squats. However, it allows you to lift heavy weights with your legs without putting much strain on your knees and lower back. This equipment helps you to build strength while reducing the chance of injury.
2. Lat Pull-Down Bar
This machine targets the latissimus dorsi (lats), the biceps, and the shoulders. This machine enables pull-up motions for people who can’t lift their entire body weight. Working the latissimus dorsi, one of the largest muscles in the back, provides numerous benefits, including strengthening and sculpting back muscles, protecting your spine, and improving posture.
3. Rowing Machine or Ergometer
The rowing machine is an excellent choice if you’re looking for a low-impact cardio workout for the whole body with little risk of injury. Rowing helps build endurance in the lungs and heart and engages most body muscle groups, including arms, legs, back, and core.
4. Cable Biceps Bar
This machine offers the experience of free-weight bicep curls with extra support but without restrictions from a rigid machine structure. A beginner should try the cable biceps bar to strengthen their biceps muscles, which are crucial for lifting heavy objects, pulling them down, or pushing them away.
5. Barbell Bench Press
The barbell bench press is a device that works out several muscle groups simultaneously, such as the chest muscles and the front of the shoulders but places less strain on your wrists and shoulders.
In addition to strengthening and increasing chest muscle, the other benefits of the barbell bench press include increased bone density, burning more calories, better intramuscular coordination, and improved flexibility and range of motion.
6. Arc Trainer
A hybrid of a Stairmaster and elliptical, the arc trainer is the perfect low-impact machine for gym newbies. This apparatus helps you burn many calories in a relatively short time.
The other cardiovascular benefits of the arc trainer are wide-ranging, from improved cognitive abilities and mental wellness to increased endurance and muscle strengthening.
7. Treadmill
The treadmill is the ideal workout machine for gym newbies. This machine offers cardio and leg muscle workouts that strengthen thighs, calves, and glutes. The benefits heighten as the rate of incline is elevated. Running on a treadmill works the abdominal muscles and the muscles in the back, shoulders, and arms to a lesser degree.
8. Elliptical Trainer
The low-impact elliptical trainer is one of the most popular gym cardio machines and the most purchased home exercise machine. In addition to providing a whole-body workout, elliptical trainers improve mobility and balance.
9. Assisted Pull-Up
From personal experience, pull-ups are one of the most challenging exercises because of the sheer amount of upper-body strength required. An assisted pull-up machine allows you to build strength and gradually improve body movement and positioning. Assisted pull-ups may not be as strong as regular pull-ups, but the same muscles are targeted and worked out.
10. Cable Machine
The cable machine uses a cable and pulley system to lift weights down and outward. You can also increase or decrease the amount of weight raised. There are different types of cable machines, ranging from a basic home gym pulley system to double cable crossover machines.
The free-motion dual-cable machine works out almost any part of your body as part of a resistance exercise routine. Cable machines stabilize your core, activating numerous muscle groups to burn energy and build strength.
Be bold and ask questions from staff experts at the gym. That’s what they are there for. No matter which fitness equipment you decide to try, it’s essential to approach workouts with an open mind and realistic goals.