Newbie question!

[zulu]

Hi, everybody!

I'm about a month in to my latest exercise program. I've been going to Spa Lady for about a month and doing cardio and weight lifting on alternate days, usually four times a week total. I've been increasing my weights whenever I felt able to do two sets of twelve reps easily. All this work has been on machines, not free weights.

Spa Lady also offers a class called "Iron Reps" which seems to involve free weights and an aerobics-type class structure. I was thinking I'd try it out, but I'm wondering:

a) will I be likely to injure myself from not having experience with free weights?
b) is this kind of class useful if my main goal is strength training?
c) if it's useful and not dangerous, how will I know what weight to start with when I first take the class?

Thanks for any advice!

Comments

[ponderosa]

I've never taken that sort of class, although my gym offers the same. Based on what I've seen as a non-participant it seems pretty basic, things like step-ups and lifting a bar over your head for example, which doesn't really require form so much as balance. Personally, I'd call or talk to the instructor and ask them what weight is suggested to begin with based on my level of ability on the various machines.

[zulu]

*nods* Yeah, my real worry is that I don't have much in the way of rhythm. Weight I can handle! "And one and two and one and two" less so. I guess I'll see what the instructor says. Thanks!