I decided to kick start one of my goals for 2023 last week by getting back into some basic weight training three days a week, on three of the days I don't go for a run. 

I used to do this back in Hereford until I left for Portugal in September 2020 and since then I've just been too busy TBH to fit in daily workouts. 

But now I'm settled back in the U.K. again and back into a routine, I think finding 30 mins a day for some circuit training should be relatively easy, and I want to tone up, not that I'm out of shape, but you know, body image and all! 

I used to do my own basic circuits, with really basic exercises such as push ups, chin ups, presses and barbell curls (I've got some basic weights) and lunges and a whole load of variations on those. 

However for some reason I felt like kickstarting my new campaign by heading down my local gym and just hitting some machines for a change. 

I didn't do too much, I wanted to ease back into it, literally just 15 minutes and I did:

- 3 sets of rows
- 3 sets of chest presses 
- 3 sets of preacher curls 
- 3 sets of should presses....

All of the machines I was using were fixed machines, which limited the range of motion, and I remember thinking at the time it all felt a bit uncomfortable, not painful, just awkward. 


![Screenshot 2023-01-24 at 20.52.51.png](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/revisesociology/23xezoMx9CeXyes4tuGANnxc8ZAXJH42WmnEeN7uWk3ftshUwwU38JtytnjPnsnd6ZcKd.png)


NB I had adjusted the seats etc. to my height so that was all fine. 

And when I woke up the following morning my body was aching in quite an unpleasant, niggling way rather than the pleasant 'that was a nice workout yesterday' sort of way I'm used to when I mix things up. 

I have this working theory that the restricted range of motion with those machines forced my muscles into unnatural movements. 

Thinking about it, had I been using weights, or even a lat pulldown machine on a chain, my arms could flex a little even just by a few mms to find the path they want to go in, to find, in short, better form by lifting weights. 

But instead they were, In think, forced into unnatural motions. 

I wasn't even using heavy weights, thank god I went over-light because I don't like the way I felt the morning after, perhaps it is an age thing, I have used set machines before and not felt like this after. 

Anyway, lesson learned, I will go back to just DIYing my circuit training at home, or maybe try and find some kind of functional fitness class locally instead. 

Defo no fixed-motion weight machines for me going forwards!