Did I overdo it?

[Medellon]

I'm a 41 year old male and I have not exercised in about 10 years and even when I did exercise I just rode a bike a couple times a week. I'm now up to about 230 lbs. and want/need to lose weight. I'm embarrassed about how I look and tired of my clothes not fitting.

I went to a gym recommended to me and apparently they do something like cross training I think. I had to do timed rows, something called burpees(sp?), squats, pushups, pullups, etc. My blood pressure is a tad high due to my weight but no other serious medical conditions.

To make a long story short the trainer worked me out too hard I believe. I had trouble catching my breath, felt lightheaded and nauseous, and had a headache after I was done. I felt this way for a good hour after my workout. This feeling was very unpleasant and it is not something I wish to experience on a regular basis. I hate to quit after the first time but I cannot see myself motivated to do this program if I feel like crap after it is done.

I thought the trainer would gauge my fitness level and then kinda ramp me up slowly over time and increase the intensity as I lost weight and gained endurance. Is this how this type of exercise works? I really don't want to experience those feelings again. Thanks.

 

[ZOOYUKA]

Your headache and nausea might have to do with your diet and hydration.

 

[IceBergSLiM]

its called a work out for a reason. Its work. If you aren't out of breath, sweating, and exhausted you wasted your time.

EDIT: you haven't worked out in 10 years. You are obviously going to feel like shit because you are fat and out of shape and you just did work for the first time since the 90's. You can change for the better or you can quit because its hard. Its up to you If you want to do sissy work outs walk casually around the track for a half hour while gossiping with a girlfriend.

 

[OILFIELDTRASH]

Yeah don't bring that shit up in here yo!

Seriously though don't give up yet. Do you want to be the 40 y/o guy that is in better shape than most 20 y/o? Or the 40 y/o guy that is in okay shape except for the little flab on his arms and a gut? If you want to be the kick ass forty year old then keep going.

 

[StageLeft]

You can tone it down. FWIW even when very fit I've gotten headaches after intense cardio and never been able to find a source other than heat. If I sweat too much regardless of hydration I just get a headache.

 

[InflatableBuddha]

You guys are missing a few crucial points here. OP is not in his 20s. He is over 40, sedentary and with high-blood pressure. These are all risk factors for heart attack or stroke. It is simply not safe for him to workout balls-out, at least initially.

I know that at the institute where my brother works as a trainer, they require clients over 40, and anyone overweight, to complete a physical assessment before beginning training. These clients must wear a heart rate monitor during workouts, programmed for a safe range. Until they improve their fitness, lose some weight and lower their blood pressure, they are not permitted to work beyond that "safe range".

The safe range should be determined by a trainer, so I can't say exactly what it is. However, feeling lightheaded and nauseous for more than an hour after a workout is a bad sign.

Even on my absolute hardest workouts (weight training or running), I rarely feel light-headed, and even then only for a few minutes. However, as a 26 year old male in excellent condition, I am at far lesser risk.

OP - I suggest you find a different trainer.

 

[iluvdeal]

I've seen a lot of trainers at 24 Hr Fitness introduce new gym goers to working out by having them do isolation work on their weight machines. While they aren't breathing very hard or even sweating, I do feel sorry for them as that's not a proper way to get introduced to working out nor is it a very good workout.

In your case, the fact your trainer had you doing burpees, squats, pullups, etc. on your first workout is awesome. I would expect your body to react the way it did as you've been wasting away for the past 10 years. I can also see how your mind is trying to convince you to get you out of it so you can go back to sitting on your ass. It's telling you that you can't do it. It's like a drug addict whose trying to kick his habit, his mind/body had a violently ill reaction once that drug was taken away. My advice is not to listen to that part of your mind. Congratulate yourself for making it through that workout, you could have walked out in the middle of it and quit but you didn't. You did it so you know you are capable of doing it.

I guarantee that if you do the same workout next week, you'll be able to bang out one or two more pushups, burpees, etc. You'll still be breathing hard and your heart will be pumping but that's what a workout is for. Yeah it may not feel pleasant or easy, pushing yourself to expand your limits never is, but think of all the good you are doing for yourself. You could be anywhere at that time like sitting on your couch watching TV but instead your in a gym working your tail off and bettering yourself. That's something to feel good about it. Nothing worth accomplishing in life is easy, don't give up now as you already been down the road and you know where it leads.

 

[brikis98]

I'm a 41 year old male and I have not exercised in about 10 years and even when I did exercise I just rode a bike a couple times a week. I'm now up to about 230 lbs. and want/need to lose weight. I'm embarrassed about how I look and tired of my clothes not fitting.

If you want to lose weight, the first priority should be getting your diet in order. Exercise comes second. See the fat loss sticky for a good weight loss guide.

I went to a gym recommended to me and apparently they do something like cross training I think. I had to do timed rows, something called burpees(sp?), squats, pushups, pullups, etc.

Sounds like you unknowingly did a Crossfit workout. It also sounds like the trainer was an idiot.

From the Crossfit Start Here page:

"In any case it must be understood that the CrossFit workouts are extremely demanding and will tax the capacities of even the world's best athletes. You would be well advised to take on the WOD carefully, cautiously, and work first towards completing the workouts comfortably and consistently before "throwing" yourself at them 100%."

Crossfit is a fantastic program, and intensity is a big part of its success, but if this was your first workout in 10 years, the trainer should NOT have had you do anything intense at all. The first few weeks should be all about learning technique, getting used to the workouts and VERY SLOWLY ramping up intensity. Moreover, every Crossfit workout is scalable and beginners are always supposed to scale things way down - lighter weights, fewer reps, fewer sets, sub in easier exercises, etc. I strongly urge you to express these thoughts to the trainer if you go back because jumping into something like that is potentially very dangerous.

Having said that, a properly run Crossfit program is a fantastic way to get fit. I recommend you learn more about it by reading What is Crossfit?, What is Fitness? and the FAQ. The key thing to understand is that the workouts are intentionally VERY intense because pushing yourself hard is what produces the best results. You heart rate will shoot up, your breathing will become eratic, and you will be exhausted when you are done. All of these things are actually GOOD for you, but ONLY if you build up to them gradually and let your body adapt to the intensity along the way.

 

[conorvansmack]

You didn't overdo it, the trainer overdid it. Don't be afraid to go back, but ask if they can scale the workout for you.

 

[PingSpike]

Did you pay a whole year of gym membership in advance? It sounds like the trainer's plan was to kill you quick so he wouldn't need to do anymore work for the rest of year.

 

[SearchMaster]

He definitely pushed you too hard under the conditions. Once you get back into some semblance of shape it will actually feel good to feel like crap as strange as that sounds.

 

[gramboh]

If you want to lose weight, the first priority should be getting your diet in order. Exercise comes second. See the fat loss sticky for a good weight loss guide.


Sounds like you unknowingly did a Crossfit workout. It also sounds like the trainer was an idiot.



Crossfit is a fantastic program, and intensity is a big part of its success, but if this was your first workout in 10 years, the trainer should NOT have had you do anything intense at all. The first few weeks should be all about learning technique, getting used to the workouts and VERY SLOWLY ramping up intensity. Moreover, every Crossfit workout is scalable and beginners are always supposed to scale things way down - lighter weights, fewer reps, fewer sets, sub in easier exercises, etc. I strongly urge you to express these thoughts to the trainer if you go back because jumping into something like that is potentially very dangerous.

Having said that, a properly run Crossfit program is a fantastic way to get fit. I recommend you learn more about it by reading What is Crossfit?, What is Fitness? and the FAQ. The key thing to understand is that the workouts are intentionally VERY intense because pushing yourself hard is what produces the best results. You heart rate will shoot up, your breathing will become eratic, and you will be exhausted when you are done. All of these things are actually GOOD for you, but ONLY if you build up to them gradually and let your body adapt to the intensity along the way.

As usual brikis is bang on. Do you have a link to the website of the gym you went to? Do you know if the trainer was also the owner (this is assuming it is a CrossFit affiliated gym). What your trainer did is unacceptable, and they should hear about it (maybe they didn't realize what they were doing was wrong, who knows). When starting someone into a fitness regiment after many years of inactivity, it has to be a slow, logical progression focused on mobility and correct form before intensity is even considered.

The problem with some CF gyms is the trainers are worried that if clients aren't hammered into the ground every day with a 30min metcon they don't think they are getting value (which ironically is a very poor way to train for anything).

Please don't give up, if you stay committed and get on a good program you can change your life in many ways.

 

[Medellon]

Thanks for the replies all, the gym's website is getliftedgym.com which is actually a crossfit gym, I did not know that at the time though. I understand that after years of inactivity things will be harder but I'm concerned about potential health risks. I was told that the initial assessment is rough but the actual workout sessions won't be as bad. I'm thinking I'll give it another shot on Monday and see if they can tone it down a bit.

 

[brikis98]

Thanks for the replies all, the gym's website is getliftedgym.com which is actually a crossfit gym, I did not know that at the time though. I understand that after years of inactivity things will be harder but I'm concerned about potential health risks. I was told that the initial assessment is rough but the actual workout sessions won't be as bad. I'm thinking I'll give it another shot on Monday and see if they can tone it down a bit.

There are three health risks you need to be aware of with Crossfit:

1. Heart conditions. You are over 40, have been sedentary for 10 years, are overweight and have high blood pressure - all items that increase the risk of a heart attack. Of course, the risk may still be tiny, but without knowing your blood work, family history, etc, it is impossible to say. If this is at all a concern for you, go see a doctor and inform your trainer.

2. Crossfit induced rhabdo. It is very rare, but beginners are susceptible to it as a result of not being prepared for the intensity of CF workouts. This is one of the many reasons your first few weeks should be scaled down. Your trainer should know about the risks of rhabdo and as such, start you off at low intensity and avoid high risk exercises such as GHD sit-ups.

3. Random injury. If you don't know the proper technique for the MANY exercises used in CF, it is quite easy to hurt yourself. Usually, the injuries are minor - a back strain, pulled muscle, etc - but sometimes they can be worse and they will always interfere with future workouts. Therefore, to allow you to learn safe & effective technique, the trainer should keep the intensity low in the early workouts.

Other than that, there aren't any significant health risks with doing a Crossfit workout. Yes, you'll sometimes be out of breath, light headed, exhausted, muscles burning, etc, but none of these are bad for you; actually, they are all the results of you pushing yourself hard, which is how you get fast improvements in health & fitness.