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Bungee workout: Except for the 'fun' aspect, I don't see much benefit
I saw a lot of people expressing excitement about this bungee fitness class and what a great workout it must be. Personally, I don't see much benefit. Yes, I get that some will think it's fun, and that might motivate them to get off the couch. I acknowledge that benefit, though I personally that's overrated. (Relying on…
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How useful are the massage chairs at Planet Fitness?
Please note: This is NOT an anti-PF rant. I do have my issues with the Planet Fitness business model, but this is one situation in which I'd genuinely like to hear what others have to say. For the sake of the uninformed, Planet Fitness offers a "relaxation zone" in its facilities. These relaxation zones have tanning beds,…
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"Be the reason resolutioners choose to stay!"
It's that time of year again. I keep seeing people say "Make friends with the new year's resolutioners! Be the reason that they choose to stay!" I know their intentions are good, but I find this advice to be annoying. I would never pressure another gym member into trying to make friends with anyone at the gym. If they just…
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Sick of these chatty cathies during workout classes
I'm really sick of these women who keep yakking, yakking, yakking during my workout classes. If you want to talk, do so after the class, not during a set. (Yes, I said "women." I know this isn't politically correct, but for whatever reason, the men never do this sort of thing. It's always a group of women who can't shut up…
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Walkers in the runners-only lanes. It's so common.
Last night, some gym mates and I were talking about people who walk in the runners-only lanes on indoor tracks. We all agreed that this was really annoying and that it can badly interfere with someone's workout. I mention this because I know some people say, "What's the big deal? You can always go around the walkers…
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I was grunting during my weighted burpees. Oops.
I was doing some heavy slam ball burpees during one of my workouts. The ball was pretty heavy, and at one point, I decided I should pick up the pace. So I found myself grunting a bit in order to make it quickly through a few reps. Then I felt chagrined. "I sure hope the people here don't think that I'm doing this for…
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Should we try to make friends with the resolutioners?
Wow. Once again, I see people saying that instead of being annoyed with the resolutioners, we should strike up conversations with them and try to become their friends. I gotta say, I don't mind conversations that occur naturally. And if a friendship results from that, that's fine. When some is clearly trying to start a…
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Truly earning your medals
I think this should be required reading for everyone doing a Spartan Race. https://obstacleracingmedia.com/editorial/go-pound-gravel/
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Grunting in the gym
Some people hate grunting in the gym. I don't. As long as it's not excessive, it's simply a sign that the person in question is working hard. http://blog.anytimefitness.com/grunting-exercising-can-actually-helpful/
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Bad advice in dealing with New Year's resolutioners
This is the time of year at which gym aficionados complain about the early January crowd. It's also the time of year at which people respond, "Instead of complaining, we should make friends with the resolutioners! That way, they'll be motivated to stay. And if they're using the equipment wrong or violating some rule of gym…
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Why I hate running on indoor tracks
Now that the days are longer, I can run outdoors more during the evenings. With the longer nights, I have to use the indoor tracks. (One tends to run more slowly in the dark for obvious reasons.) I hate using the indoor tracks, though. In almost every gym that I go to, people routinely walk (slowly!) within the designated…
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Gym reviews that focus on cleanliness. WTH?
I keep coming across gym reviews online that start out with "It's so clean!" or somesuch rot. Very often, that's the primary focus of these reviews, with little commentary on the equipment or the environment. Now, I'm not suggesting that cleanliness is unimportant. You certainly wouldn't want to work out somewhere that's a…
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So this guy was grunting in my gym....
One night, there was this guy who was pushing himself hard on his bench press sets. You could hear him breathing hard, and at one point, he started grunting. The look of determination on his face was unmistakable. The grunting got louder toward the end. On his last rep -- well, he wasn't screaming, but you could tell that…
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How squeamish are you about other people's sweat in the gym?
You know how it is. Some gyms have policies that state people must wipe off each piece of equipment after using it. Others aren't so strict, though it's naturally best to wipe the equipment off if you've sweated into it. Where do you stand? Personally, I'm not that easily squicked out. If somebody drips sweat onto the…
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Is walking great exercise or just okay?
I've often seen people here say that walking is wonderful exercise. Words such as "great" or "excellent" are often bandied about. I've tended to differ. I've pointed out that walking is good exercise -- totally worth doing -- but that its benefits are comparatively low. That is, I would strongly encourage people to walk…
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The only gym that some would ever go to
This was posted online elsewhere: "It's kinda sad to think that the only gym that some would ever enter is a PokeGym."
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Yes, you should be deadlifting!
I just want to rant about this great exercise for a while. I never used to do a lot of deadlifting, since I chose to exercise my legs in other ways. After I started deadlifting on a regular basis though, most of my knee pain went away, and I found that I could run faster and jump higher. Not to mention that I think it…
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Not wanting to work out around bodybuilders?
A friend of mine recently surprised me when she said, "Nothing de-motivates me more than having a bunch of big bodybuilders around while I'm exercising. I don't want to work out with those kind of people around." This took me by surprise, perhaps because I can't really relate to that feeling. Does anyone else feel the same…
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What's so special about C25K?
I've been hearing a lot about the Couch to 5K program from beginning runners and from folks wh are at that "I really should start getting into shape, as soon as I'm ready" stage. I'm sure that this program is helpful, but I've never fully understood its appeal, so I was hoping that people could share their insights and…
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Worst fitness plans ever!
Alright. I know that some people don't like it when a certain large fitness chain gets criticized, but I just have to let it out. These fitness "plans" were pulled directly from their Facebook page. How can anyone think that these are sensible regimens for getting into shape? I'd even say that these plans will do more…
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Dirt-cheap gym membership... and not going
An acquaintance of mine just told me that she specifically chose a dirt-cheap gym membership. "That way," she said, "I won't feel guilty about not going for months." <<smh>> That's entirely the wrong way to think. It's one thing to fall into the habit of not going. When you start out with by resigning yourself to failure…
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Is this Protein World ad body shaming?
Perhaps you've read about this story. So, what do you think? Is this billboard ad a case of body shaming? In your view, do you think it says that only slender people should go to the beach? http://www.theguardian.com/media/2015/apr/27/mass-demonstration-planned-over-beach-body-ready-tube-advert
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"Zombies, Run!" app -- is it worthwhile?
A friend of mine has recommended the "Zombies, Run!" app, as it helps motivate her while running. She's very much a beginner though, and significantly out of shape. I've also read elsewhere that it is good for beginners. What about more experienced and/or fit people, though? Would you still recommend it?
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I had a great conversation with a PF employee
So I had a very cordial chat with a Planet Fitness employee this weekend. He told me that he wanted to build up his chest muscles, but that the Smith machine felt awkward to him. Naturally, I took this opportunity to explain why the Smith machine was a poor choice for strength building. I explained that it forces one's…
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People who do a Tough Mudder without training
How do you feel when people attempt to do a Tough Mudder or similar event without any training? By this, I don't mean individuals who are physically active and well-conditioned, but who don't train specifically for an obstacle course. Rather, I mean people who aren't in very good shape, but who attempt a long OCR anyway…
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Kicked out of gym for doing renegage rows????
A friend of mine told me that he was kicked out of his gym (okay, his former gym) because he was doing renegade rows. Apparently, this exercise was considered offensive and unacceptable to the clientele. For pity's sake, who does this sort of thing? For the sake of the uninitiated, this is what renegade rows look like:…
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Pilates for quadratus lumborum
My quadratus lumborum is tight from some of my weight training -- in particular, my dead lifting. My sports medicine specialist suggested that pilates might help in stretching this muscle out. Any suggestions for specific exercises that would help in this regard?
