Seemingly Obvious Exercise advice

Pay attention to where your foot is on the step during step aerobics or risk falling flat on you face....

You absolutely do *not* have to have a gym to work out. Do it anyway.

Vary what you do.

Just because something worked for that hot girl on the forums who's lost 70 pounds does *not* mean that it will work for you. And that's okay if it doesn't. And it's okay if you think that _____ is boring. Something else is fun and burns about the same amount of calories. Fun workouts get repeated.

1. Do NOT wear sunglasses in the gym. (ok that's not exercise advice, just a life lesson).

2. Hydrate yourself during workouts.

Hats, especially knitted hats should be added to #1

*red faced* I wear a knit hat when I work out. But for the single, solitary reason that it keeps my hair out of my face. I've tried differed kinds of headbands and sweatbands and my bangs always end up wiggling their way out and nothing bugs me more than having sweaty hair flopping in my face while I workout. If it's any consolation I hate that it's the only thing that works and do realize how stupid I look. lol

haha! okay, your case is different, I meant more the people who do it to be fashionable and trendy while they work out. I completely understand your situation--my hair is JUST now long enough to put in a pony tail!

This will be a thread in which you can give your seemingly obvious advice...things that while you should know you have done anyway....

Here is mine

DO NOT and I repeat DO NOT eat sweet pickles, black beans, cottage cheese and spicy grilled veggies 30 minutes before attempting to run a fast 4 miles....it makes your belly hurt....your kids will think you are funny for burping a lot but it sorta sucks...

Too funny!

Don't be intimidated by the people at the gym that make working out look effortless when you're breathing heavy and sweating like a pig. If they're not working then they aren't benifiting from thier time. You are!

enjoying this thread!:flowerforyou:

Listen to your body. Some days you can bring it on hard and some days you just cannot but always give your body a chance. Some days, I think, "oh, I just can't do this today" but by the time I warm up with a quick walk for 10 minutes, I am ready and so happy that I didn't give in.

Men: Do NOT wear spandex bottoms. No matter how good you think your bottom half looks, it's not a good look. :sick:

Tight tops? I get it; that's cool. But NO spandex bottoms for a man.

Other than that... choose your workout clothing wisely! It may look nice in the dressing room but some clothing (tight) and some colours (greys etc) will show just how sweaty you are... EVERY where... Good for you for working THAT hard but butt sweat isn't always that attractive! : )

I agree with you on this.

"I have been to the gym for an hour" sounds great except if you spent 55mins talking and flirting with the instructors and 5 mins on the treadmill. This is the reason that "I never lose any weight" is the next thing said.

Seriously there is someone at our gym that does this.

AMEN! lol Ive seen far too many ladies workin out with their ladies out lol

Do not sit at the machine for your rest between sets. If you do this, you're a jerk. If you do this whilst texting on your cell phone, you're just asking for me to claw your face off.

Don't have your cell phone with you at the gym. Leave it in your locker. Concentrate on your workout. If you can update your facebook status while you're working out, you're not working out nearly as hard as you could.

If you're not putting that machine to good use, you're wasting the time of someone who could be using it to get a real workout.

Do not sit at the machine for your rest between sets. If you do this, you're a jerk. If you do this whilst texting on your cell phone, you're just asking for me to claw your face off.

Don't have your cell phone with you at the gym. Leave it in your locker. Concentrate on your workout. If you can update your facebook status while you're working out, you're not working out nearly as hard as you could.

If you're not putting that machine to good use, you're wasting the time of someone who could be using it to get a real workout.

I hope people don't think that about me! I have an ipod touch and I keep track of the machine/weight/reps that I do on the Notepad feature of the ipod :S So it probably does look like I'm on an iphone, texting. Uh oh.

Using the notepad to do that makes perfect sense, but you don't have to be sitting on the machine to do it, right? I'm talking about people not allowing others to "work in" or just putzing about on cardio machines and not really working.

Do not sit at the machine for your rest between sets. If you do this, you're a jerk. If you do this whilst texting on your cell phone, you're just asking for me to claw your face off.

Don't have your cell phone with you at the gym. Leave it in your locker. Concentrate on your workout. If you can update your facebook status while you're working out, you're not working out nearly as hard as you could.

If you're not putting that machine to good use, you're wasting the time of someone who could be using it to get a real workout.

I hope people don't think that about me! I have an ipod touch and I keep track of the machine/weight/reps that I do on the Notepad feature of the ipod :S So it probably does look like I'm on an iphone, texting. Uh oh.

Using the notepad to do that makes perfect sense, but you don't have to be sitting on the machine to do it, right? I'm talking about people not allowing others to "work in" or just putzing about on cardio machines and not really working.

No, you don't have to be on the machine. I am usually, because I only take a minute to break from my set before starting another and use the time either to A) drink water or Type in the name of the machine. I work out in the Ladies Only section of my gym and it's never busy enough that someone is standing nearby waiting for the machine.

I'm always really conscious of the fact that it looks like I could be texting, lol. Because I also judge people who look like they're texting and not doing anything. :ohwell:

I use my iPhone MFP ap to keep track of my weights/reps. And yes, I will do it while sitting onthe machine - but my rests are also short, and I go go a small gym and there is usually only one or two other people using the circuit machines.

It probably means that I am not doing it right but I only pause about 10 seconds in between reps so I don't get off. There are others who are sitting doing nothing for a lot longer than that. I have a limited amount of time so I get to as many machines as I can in the 30-35 minutes allotted.

Also, although I don't use it, I keep my phone with me just in case my children need to get in touch with me. On the rare occasion that I get a call, I do get off the machine and take the phone some place more private.

D

if you're able to do a 2nd set with a 10 second pause, then you need more weight. Essentially, in order for any resistance to work well, you need to fatigue your muscles, and fatigued muscles need at least a minute or so to restore glycogen and calcium to the site. Otherwise they simply don't work. If you can still do work, that means the fatigue wasn't there and you're not really doing what the program is designed for. Unless you're simply trying to increase bone density, then that might be fine.