Gym/Exercise Thread

[Idoit40fans]

Really, what about with a treadmill. I always thought that was really low compared to what it was telling me.

[Grunthy]

The only things that are even semi accurate are heart rate monitors/calorie counters that you wear. Even they are off by about 15 percent.

[Grunthy]

Depending on model.

[shafnutz05]

In my experience, treadmills are more accurate with calories than ellipticals. For me, ellipticals are just too low-intensity of a workout, and boring. I'd rather listen to music on a treadmill or outside than watch TV on an elliptical.

As an aside, I just tried this for the first time today:

http://www.amazon.com/L-Leucine-227-Gra ... B00273BFSO

Absolutely one of the worst things I've ever tasted I ordered L-leucine and creatine, I figure if I am going to focus more on strength training I might as well give myself whatever safe advantage I can. The creatine is much more benign flavor-wise, but my God is the leucine awful. Like crushing up a Tylenol and drinking it in water.

[Idoit40fans]

elipticals are for people who want to save their knees at the expense of their hips and workout.

[shafnutz05]

I mean, you can get a good workout out of an elliptical, but you HAVE to jack the resistance way up. It would probably be ideal for interval training, like 2 minutes of low intensity and 20 seconds of max resistance or something.

[Idoit40fans]

I'd personally rather a hilly route than use an elliptical.

[Grunthy]

If I do an elliptical, I put it on really high resistance and do it for a solid hour.

[llipgh2]

elipticals are for people who want to save their knees at the expense of their hips and workout.

Ellipticals actually make my knees hurt. Or did, no longer use them since my injury.

I find bikes and treadmills to be more effective (for me) in losing weight than an elliptical was.

[pittsoccer33]

your shoulders are supposed to stay completely level on an elliptical, right? most people bounce up and down but i dont think youre supposed to do that. if you do it right it burns the bejesus out of your leg muscles

[shoeshine boy]

the end of january has arrived. hopefully it's safe to return to the gym now that the resolutioners have given up and gone back to the couch.

[Crankshaft]

the end of january has arrived. hopefully it's safe to return to the gym now that the resolutioners have given up and gone back to the couch.

Yea, hopefully all those people failed in their goals so you don't have to wait as long at the gym.

[PensFanInDC]

the end of january has arrived. hopefully it's safe to return to the gym now that the resolutioners have given up and gone back to the couch.

Yea, hopefully all those people failed in their goals so you don't have to wait as long at the gym.

This is my biggest pet peeve at this time of year. Gym rats who hate the people who come in and try to better their lives. I have an idea, let's belittle these people and mock them as they try to be healthier. That will SURELY motivate them! Forget about all that positive encouragement and advice I may have for them. Let's let them fail and then, in a few months, start telling them that they "should really start working out."

[tifosi77]

Biggest reason why I do home workouts. That "do you even lift" knucklehead is, funny as he is, fairly representative of my experiences.

[Troy Loney]

the end of january has arrived. hopefully it's safe to return to the gym now that the resolutioners have given up and gone back to the couch.

Yea, hopefully all those people failed in their goals so you don't have to wait as long at the gym.

This is my biggest pet peeve at this time of year. Gym rats who hate the people who come in and try to better their lives. I have an idea, let's belittle these people and mock them as they try to be healthier. That will SURELY motivate them! Forget about all that positive encouragement and advice I may have for them. Let's let them fail and then, in a few months, start telling them that they "should really start working out."

Well, nothing worse than facing the elements to get yourself to the gym in the middle of winter, but you can't do anything because the gym is overcrowded.

But I'll avoid lines in every situation i possibly can. I'd usually just try and brainstorm some sort of lift that would account for every bench and machine being occupied...but when there's not even enough open space to do anything, and just end up having to leave cause of the crowds sucks.

[shafnutz05]

Having a finished basement and home gym is the greatest thing that has ever happened to me. Good for the resolutioners, but man, I absolutely hated getting to the gym at 5 or 530, and literally having to drive around the building four times to try and find a spot.

[shoeshine boy]

the end of january has arrived. hopefully it's safe to return to the gym now that the resolutioners have given up and gone back to the couch.

Yea, hopefully all those people failed in their goals so you don't have to wait as long at the gym.

This is my biggest pet peeve at this time of year. Gym rats who hate the people who come in and try to better their lives. I have an idea, let's belittle these people and mock them as they try to be healthier. That will SURELY motivate them! Forget about all that positive encouragement and advice I may have for them. Let's let them fail and then, in a few months, start telling them that they "should really start working out."

Jebus, lighten up! I don't mind the people who stay. good on them! what I don't like are the people who come in with no idea of how to behave in the gym. perhaps what I hate most are the ones who sweat all over a piece of equipment and then don't bother to wipe it down when they're through. I once had a guy on the treadmill next to me literally sweating all over me. how hard would it have been to put on a hat or a skull cap?
2nd place would be folks who don't re-rack weights.

[PensFanInDC]

what I don't like are the people who come in with no idea of how to behave in the gym.

Then help them. At one point you didn't either.

I had no idea what I was doing when I walked into the gym. I met some nice people that helped me get along and I lost 100lbs. If it weren't for the friendly folks I met I probably would have quit.

[PensFanInDC]

I'm sorry dude but I have seen first hand that the attitude you are showing is a key factor in why some people quit going to the gym. It's not the main factor. Past habits and will power play the biggest part. But the lack of friendliness from other people at the gym is usually the straw that breaks the camels back (no pun intended).

I started going to the gym in January 2008. The wife and I would get up at 4am and drive an hour to the gym by our offices to get a workout in before work. Once I heard someone behind me while I was on the treadmill. She said to her friend "Why is that fat ass even here?" to which her friend replied "I hate January at the gym. It's full of losers who don't belong here.". WTF is up with that? I didn't want to put up with that so I quit and tried to do it at home. It didn't work.

I finally found a gym in December of 2011. Friendly people and staff. They genuinely wanted people of all shapes and sizes and ages and sexes to use their facility. They helped me lose a century of pounds.

This is something that has affected me and hits close to home. Sorry if I came off as peeved at you. I didn't mean it that way. I would submit to you that you try helping these people learn how to use a gym and see what results they get and, in turn, see what results you get from helping them.

[bh]

Still lifting 3 times a week since new years. I haven't really lost any weight yet but I feel a lot better. I'm definatly gaining strength.

[bh]

You have a great attitude PFiDC.

[largegarlic]

Just weighing in on the elliptical thing...

I find it to be a decent (not great) workout, if you up the resistance and vary your pace (I do something like sprint 30 seconds, normal pace 30 seconds). It's definitely not the aerobic/cardio workout that running is, but my quads and calves always seem to get more of a workout on the elliptical than on the treadmill. But yeah, if you keep at normal resistance and normal pace, it seems like you can go forever without feeling the least bit of fatigue. I just try to vary my aerobic workouts so it's not all pounding on my knees.

[pittsoccer33]

When I was at Pitt I always worked out at Trees Hall's gym for that exact reason. All the guys who wanted to stare in the mirror were at the Pete, anyone who wanted to work out went to Trees. Bonus points for the walk up Cardiac Hill.

I was lucky to have a friend teach me the ropes or I'd still be clueless. A friend from high school graduated as a chubby butterball. 2 years (and a bit of winstrol later) he was benching 400 pounds and doing body building contests. So it was a huge help to have him lift with me and show me the correct way to do things.

It is really intimidating though. If you haven't worked out in a while (or ever for that matter) you probaby cant bench press more than 100 pounds. And even that is likely too much. You see guys tossing numerous 45 pound plates on a bar and you're scared to do more than 10 on each side without a spot.

Finding a good time to go is another big key. Mondays are likely to be full. Fridays much less so.

[JS©]

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Subway’s motto is “eat fresh.” Sounds tasty, doesn’t it? Certainly sounds a lot yummier than “Subway – eat a chemical used to make yoga mats.”

Following pressure from a petition launched by food blogger Vani Hari, Subway announced on Thursday that it will be removing the chemical azodicarbonamide from the bread in its sandwiches.

As ABC News reported, the World Health Organization has linked the chemical, legal in Canada and the United States, to asthma, allergies and respiratory issues.

“It helps … produce the air within the foam of a yoga mat,” Hari told ABC News. “It does the same thing for bread.”

Constantly telling my athletes & executives, @SUBWAY isn't a healthy option on the go

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[count2infinity]

One of my biggest fears of joining a gym is that I've never lifted a day in my life. I have no idea what I'm doing and I don't want to be embarrassed.