You’ve got the gym membership. Tick. You’ve been going a few times a week, doing the basics like getting your heart rate up on the treadmill, and while that’ll undoubtedly improve your fitness, if you’ve got specific goals for your gym-going, you’re going to want to focus on certain equipment.
But it can feel a bit daunting, with so many machines that all look like they do more or less the same thing. Which is why we asked Himmat Dhanda, fitness expert and founder of activewear brand Sculptmode, to give us a bit of guidance.
Here’s the equipment Himmat advises using dependent on your gym goals:
1. If you want to work on… your bum
You should use: Leg press
Himmat says: ‘A leg press is best here, working both the butt and the thighs. You want to adjust your seat so that your feet are parallel to the foot panel when you recline, keeping them hip width apart. Push with your heels and slowly use your quads to return to the starting position. Remember, the slower you go through the motions on a leg press, the greater the burn on your thighs and bum, therefore the better the results.’
2. If you want to work on… trimming your stomach, waist and love handles
You should use: HIIT
Himmat says: ‘High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) is great for those who don’t have the time to spend hours working out and instead want to do a much shorter, intense workout, that continues to burn fat in the hours following – therefore shrinking their stomach and reducing belly fat.
‘HIIT workouts are designed to be intense intervals of exercise followed by a short period of rest, worked into a cycle. So, for example, you might do 30 seconds of an exercise, have a 10 second rest, and then repeat this two to three times. Exercises can typically be done on a mat, but you can incorporate weights in if you’d like, and can include sit-ups, push-ups, tricep dips, star jumps, squat jumps, burpees, mountain climbers, and more. The aim here is to push your body hard for a short period of time, followed by an even shorter break and straight back into it.’
3. If you want to work on… toning your arms
You should use: Cable biceps bar/bench
Himmat says: ‘For working on your biceps, you want to be using the cable biceps bar from the ground up. This solely focuses on biceps and is ideal for those who don’t feel confident swinging around dumbbells. Once you’ve adjusted the weights accordingly, from a standing position you simply need to raise and lower the bar from having your arms down straight to bringing them up to your chest. The slower you raise and lower the bar, the greater the burn and the quicker you’ll see results.
‘If the dreaded bingo wings are more of a target area for you, some of the more simple workouts can be just as effective as using weights. On a mat or comfortable floor, you can do a few reps of push ups. Following this, find an empty bench in the gym and do a few reps of bench dips; for these you want to place your hands gripped on the bench slightly behind you, with your feet in-front of you hip width apart at a 90 degree angle, and then you lower yourself almost to the floor and raise back up pushing with your arms and not your legs.’
4. If you want to work on… shaping your legs
You should use: Mat/dumbbells
Himmat says: ‘One of the key pros to working on your legs is that if you struggle with cellulite, exercise can help to reduce the appearance, with a firmer butt coming along for the ride. You want to aim to be working on your legs twice a week if it’s a key area for you, with a mat and a dumbbell being two of the most basic pieces of equipment in the gym you can use in order to see results.
‘Glute kickbacks, lunges and squats are all great workouts to do on the mat. If you want to increase the intensity, grab a dumbbell or two and up the burn.’
5. If you want to work on… strengthening your back
You should use: Lat pulldown machine
Himmat says: ‘Strengthening your back will not only help you stand taller, but will also reduce your risk of injury and, most importantly, leave you looking fabulous in a strapless dress. The lat pulldown machine is best for this. Ensure the long bar is clipped accordingly onto the weight attachment you want and grab the long bar, noting that the wider your grip, the greater the burn on your lats. It’s always a good idea to trial different arm positions to see what’s most comfortable for you.
‘Keeping your back upright, arms straight and your abs engaged, pull the bar to your chest and hold for one second, then slowly return the bar to its original position, repeating until you’ve done enough reps or your arms need a break.’
6. If you want to work on… building abs
You should use: Medicine ball
Himmat says: ‘If you don’t fancy joining the abs class at your gym, there’s plenty you can do by yourself to get a rocking six-pack. The medicine ball will be your best friend here; sitting on the floor, hold a medicine ball with your arms straight out in front of your chest, lean back at a 45-degree angle and, bracing your core, rotate to the right as far as you can taking the ball with you, and hold the position. After a few seconds, reverse the movement and twist all the way to your left as far as you can, holding again. If you want to up the ante, raising your feet slightly off the floor will increase the burn.’
7. If you want to work on… sculpting your shoulders
You should use: Shoulder press
Himmat says: ‘A shoulder press might look daunting for the first time, but it’s a great machine to use if you want to strengthen, tone up and sculpt your shoulders, working the front side and tops of your shoulders all in one go. Ensure that when you’re sat down your back is fully upright against the seat and you’re not in a position from which your bum can easily slide off the seat. The narrower your grip, the greater the emphasis on your shoulders, but don’t go too narrow that you’re not comfortable.’
8. If you want to work on… a full body blitz
You should use: Rowing machine
Himmat says: ‘The rower is perfect for a full body blitz; everyone links it to a cardio workout, but it also covers both the upper and lower body of resistance training and will help you to burn fat and build muscle.
‘Firstly, you’ll want to secure your feet and choose your resistance level – if you’re new to the rower start low and you can then increase it during the workout or the next time you choose to use the rower. Once your feet are set, slide your knees up and grab a hold of the handle. From here, you want to almost completely straighten out your legs, pushing backwards, ensuring there is still a slight bend in your knee, whilst leaning slightly backwards and pulling your hands into your chest, elbows pointing downwards. To slide forwards, simply bend your legs and fully extend your arms, repeating these steps.’
Himmat’s top tips:
- ‘It’s worth noting that improper posture can lead to injuries in the gym, so if you’re not sure don’t be afraid to ask someone, or work out in front of a mirror to ensure you’re getting it right.’
- ‘You also want to ensure that you’re switching up your gym routine. Carrying out the same workout routine on a daily/weekly basis will lead to your muscles, as well as your mind, becoming bored, and you will stop seeing results. Aim to switch up your routine every four weeks, or try to keep your workouts fun and spontaneous.’
- ‘Lastly, you need to be living a relatively healthy lifestyle whilst attending the gym in order to get good results. You should be aiming for three to four workout sessions a week and eating healthy wherever possible. If you’re going to the gym but still eating non-stop takeaways, it will take far longer to see results, if any.’
