Sycoholic Member

Ok... it's a fact of life that gym's become more crowded this time of year. Regulars will be used to it and expect it. I know that the gym will be back to normal by March. However I welcome a "new" normal. I've already started to notice a lot more new people. I really hope they become regulars and don't become discouraged.…

Any good multivitamin should do. Centrum, One-A-Day, etc. Gummy vitamins don't have the same content as a traditional vitamin does but if you can commit to them when you can't the others then it's a no brainer. You may want to start taking a prenatal vitamin if you're planning on getting pregnant.

I've ridden in some pretty nasty stuff and in turn have frozen my *kitten* off. I live in the NC mountains so I get caught in hail storms, snow, and rain all the time. Your hands are critical and will freeze without very good gloves or decent gloves and heated grips. Basically, anything hit by the wind will get cold. If I…

My opinion is you need fuel to power the machine. Too much of a calorie deficit (even if from working out) will leave your body starving for food and you won't be performing up to your potential. I know as I am guilty as charged. Working muscle burns fat. You want to do upper and lower as your body will respond better and…

By calves I'm guessing you mean the muscle and not shin splints. You need time off. I've roasted my quads before and needed almost a full week off for recovery before. A foam roller is nice. Another idea, find yourself a "volunteer" and a rolling pin. Have them use it on your muscles and knead out the knots. Massage breaks…

I researched this for awhile to see if I was wasting my time. You sweat out a lot and it's possible to dehydrate yourself. Make sure you're well hydrated and typically you only want to do 10-15 minutes max. From my reading it is supposed to help clear your pores and because it's effects on blood flow it can improve the…

You will lose weight but it's impossible to target a specific area. Your body determines where it comes off. You can tone muscles in certain areas but you won't notice that until your body fat percentage drops. Intervals are great intensity for fat burn though. If you want to see results use a tape measure. After awhile…

Are you really worried about 2 calories a few times a day? I'm sure arguments can be made that coffee will speed up your metabolism, thus cause you to burn more. I've never read anything that implies you'll wind up a raisin from drinking coffee anyway. You need a minimum amount of water daily anyway so as long as you're…

You need to know your gait. A running store will help you with this if you don't already know it. You probably want to go with a better cushioned shoe since you mentioned you're heavier. I understand the minimalist shoe thing and have a pair. They're not a good primary shoe for a heavier person though. You have to start…

I've seen guys working out in overalls and work boots. Not really what I would consider condusive to working out and kinda makes me feel like I'm at some hillbilly gym. My friend runs a business with his cell as his main communication so he is the "phone guy", although he's not obnoxious about it. Otherwise I think I've…

You want to avoid as much sweat as possible by stripping down to just what you need. You want the moisture wicking layer to be against your skin. I'd also have a jacket to put on when you stop to prevent you from freezing or even a hoodie. You can get good quality running jackets from companies like Brooks. Try ****s…

Everybody has really good suggestions. What kind of shoes did you buy? I'm asking because there's a big difference. A pair from Wal Mart, stability shoes, neutral shoes, minimalist shoes, etc. I was made to wear stability shoes in basic. My knees ached through it all. You need to have your gait checked. Runner's World…

by the way.... I've also belonged to 24/7 gyms that have a keypad thing on the door. Yes, they may find you hours later passed out under a set of barbells. You're also alone if other people come in to work out. My current gym is 24/7 but has several staff members there at all times.

You may want to check out others by going there. I've seen gyms that have rooms of equipment dedicated just to women. My gym has one for example. It's got frosted glass on the doors going in and it's for ladies only. There's plenty of equipment in there and you're not on display to everybody when you work out. Is there a…

Ab exercises will tone the muscle underneath, aside from that there's nothing you can do. If it's loose skin from extreme weight loss you'll have to wait a looong time but your body will "shrink" to fit. If it's body fat then it'll disappear as the rest of your body fat does.

Where is the root of the pain? Stiff neck? Generally all over? Tension headache, such as feeling stiffness in your neck would mean you're straining those muscles. Could be bad form. Yes, it could be dehydration and that's easily fixed. It's not enough to drink while you work out, but you should be drinking plenty of water…

Sounds like you're just kicking up your metabolism (as what happens when working out) and possibly that's keeping you wired. There's endorphines that come into play and a variety of things your body does. I'd say that must suck. I have an opposite reaction. If I don't go to the gym i can't sleep. I'll lay in bed fidgeting…

Daughter's bf belongs. Doesn't really seem to be a traditional gym but more of a combatives oriented gym.

In the Army there's 3 magic measurements. Belly, neck, and height. Height you have no control over. Neck you can work with slightly by doing exercises such as shrugs. Belly has to be low body fat. Now, you do want to work your abs so your muscles can effectively hold your guts in and not look as sloppy. However, no amount…

I'm partial to Adidas. They always seem to fit me best and last long. Currently I have a pair of Adidas I run in and will be looking for another pair very soon. I bought a pair of Reebok Realflex. Initially I was impressed but after wearing them a bit they leave me wanting. I wear these to the gym and save my Adidas for…

Look into resistance tubes. I was doing some traveling for work and wanted to keep in shape so I stopped at Wal Mart and for a little over $20 bought a Gold's Gym resistance tube set. It even came with a workout dvd. I was in good shape but it was a great workout. Had me sweating up a storm in my room. It's easy enough to…

James Fixx. Arguably the man who started the running craze and he dropped dead of a heart attack. It can happen. Get a heart rate monitor and don't push yourself too hard. You should feel challenged but not about to keel over, especially if you have a history of high blood pressure and such. Better to start slow and safe…

I go right after work. If I go home I get too relaxed and never make it back out to the gym. Sure, it's busier then than later at night, but I belong to a large gym so equipment is never an issue. Sometimes I do go late at night, but it's only for the pool. I'm not a very good swimmer and I find the pool open without…

Is it cardio endurance, such as you feel it in your chest or your legs just wanna quit? That will make a difference. Hows your sleep? Make sure you're getting plenty of it. Eating habits? Are you eating enough calores to support your exercising? It's ok to have a slight deficit if you want to lose weight, but don't cut out…

Swimming. It's awesome conditioning. I'm in pretty decent shape and have a good run time, but swimming.... man, it kicks my butt. No impact, great cardio, and good strengh conditioning too.

It's a tubular piece of foam maybe about 8 or 10" in diameter. You roll your sore muscles over it. Example: I'm sitting here with my quads killing me from squats one day and hill runs the next. I'm using a rolling pin to massage them. It makes a huge difference! Look in the back of Runner's World and you'll see…

I agree. Book at least one session with a trainer. That'll help you get a baseline for where you're at and give you a plan for exercising. They'll be able to tailor a program that will work for you with the equipment they have.

Broke my wrist this summer while mountain biking. It was July... that only matters because I took and passed the Army APFT in October. Now, your main focus is healing your wrist. Doing ANYTHING to aggravate it will do more harm than good. I have seen straps to use on cable machines. You can put these straps over your…

I personally prefer not to ingest anything with such side effects as steroids. I'm on a multi-vitamin, whey protein, fat burner, and a N.O. enhancer. After I finish this bottle of fat burner (liquid clenbutrx hardcore) I'll start on creatine. Nothing there really has any side effects except maybe the fat burner and I…

Here's me. I do heavy strength training M,W,F. I'm talking about 2 hours each day of freeweights hard and heavy with a friend of mine. I then do about a half hour on the treadmill. The rest of the week I do light cardio and abs and lower back, depending on energy and how sore I am. At least once a week, usually on the…