Got my shiny new gym membership at the end of January.

Met their trainer... he's a tool. Won't be going for him to so much as ask if it's raining -- he's to stupid to know, if he's standing in it.

So I ignored him, and started going an average of 3x/week (on varying days).

10 min on recumbent bike, heart rate pushed to "max". (Usually takes me a few minutes to get to that level, so it's not at it for the whole ride.) Cool down a little, stretch out, do some abs (hanging leg lifts, a few other things), then start on weights. The heaviest I can manage and keep form.

So I'm definitely still in the "beginner" stage, but also definitely in the "high intensity" category. In the past, I've gotten "addicted to the burn" and overtrained. (Circa 1997... the results were pretty devastating). Right now, I've got my workouts broken down into 3 "days". Legs, torso/chest/shoulders, and shoulder/arms. Still using machines, not freeweights. Going down my row of machines, not using the same one without a 2-day gap for recovery.

At some point, I know I need to kick it up and move to the freeweights section of the gym, but I want to spend a good month with the machines, first, while I get used to moving again.