Unveil the Effective Exercise Secrets With the Best Gym Equipment

Gym Equipment allows you to enjoy the benefits of saving money otherwise spent on aerobics classes, gym membership and personalized professional training. Setting up your home gym with proper exercise equipment offers convenience of shaping up and working out in a relaxed mood, within the comfort zone of your sweet home. Exercises blended with a balanced diet helps in attaining optimum health and strength. It is not necessary for you to battle with darkness or bad weather while using less expensive home gym.

Working out at the gym relieves the stress and is considered as the best way to stay healthy and fit. But while using the gym equipment it is essential that you understand its mechanism in order to perform them properly. If it is not used in the correct manner then you might be severely injured.

Following are the list of safety tips and basic rules to be implemented while exercising in your home gym.

1. Check for Safety

The gym equipment comprises of cables, pulleys and resistance bands that needs to be carefully handled to safeguard from any form of damages. When you continually use the gym equipment it is exposed to maximum temperature changes, which might cause break downs. Check the equipment every time you start exercising for any signs of malfunction or damages, so that you can continue safely exercising.

2. Alter the repetition of exercises

The gym equipment that you chose to practice should support the perfect results that your heart desires to attain, and learn to alter the muscle groups accordingly. If you want to grow and strengthen your muscles then exercise with up to ten repetitions on every exercise and try to use weights ranging up to 85 percentages for maximum benefits. For toning your muscles increase the exercise repetitions with weights ranging up to 60 percentages maximum.

3. Follow a perfect form for the entire exercises

Initially you should try lifting lighter weights and then once you have mastered the art of weight lifting then gradually increase the weights. This will provide ample time for you to exercise without getting hurt. You should focus on getting maximum benefits from limited speed.

4. Check if every aspect of the gym equipment is used

Most of the parts in the gym equipment have versatile pieces possess benches, positions, handles, speed and resistance. Learn and start using every part of the equipment efficiently for best results. Focus on those aspects that will allow you to strengthen your muscles and increase your health factors. Try to do various form of exercises in order to be continue your exercise routine without any disturbance.

5. Stay hydrated

Whatever exercises you perform it is very important that you drink enough fluids to be well hydrated throughout the regime. Usually you will be losing sodium and fluids in the form of sweat while exercising. Replenish and restore the fluids that are lost and give your tired body fluids required to function in a proper manner.

Take time to check the effective gym equipment that well suits your target and budget, before placing your order.

Advantages of using gym equipment

Comfortable and convenient

Performing exercises with efficient gym equipment is easy as drinking a cup of hot coffee sliding in your cozy couch. It is not necessary to spend on expensive gym membership but still enjoy the benefits of it with your home gym. Usually at a commercial gym you need to drive through traffic and wait in queue for your chance to work out in the equipment of your choice. But a home gym created with your favorite gym equipment will save you much time and is also energy consuming. You can squeeze in few minutes of work outs within your busy schedule at a convenient time without the distraction of people and environment. Exercising is fun and comfortable when done within the pleasant and peaceful home ambience.

Hygienic home gym equipment

Equipment displayed in Commercial Gyms can be a source of harmful germs that spreads easily when you touch and use them. People get infected easily and fall sick when exposed to uncleanly not sanitized gyms. But when working-out in a clean home gym you can stay away from hazardous causing diseases and germs. But it is essential that you keep your home gym machines clean and tidy.

Saves money and energy

In today's economical world commercial gym sign-up fees are quite expensive and are not worth the spent. You might be compelled to pay for yearly membership but in case you shift home or not able to go for work outs within your busy working schedule, still your membership will not be cancelled and money will not be returned. When you set up your own home gym you could save better amount of money on gas and also prevent any damages caused to your vehicle.

Thus when you invest in gym equipment it is like investing in good health, which is priceless!

Saves money and energy

In today's economical world commercial gym sign-up fees are quite expensive and are not worth the spent. You might be compelled to pay for yearly membership but in case you shift home or not able to go for work outs within your busy working schedule, still your membership will not be cancelled and money will not be returned. When you set up your own home gym you could save better amount of money on gas and also prevent any damages caused to your vehicle.
Thus when you invest on gym equipment it is like investing on good health, which is priceless!

Why Massage Therapists Should Dress for Success

Dress for Success is a popular adage based on sound advice ~ advice that actually works! More and more, I'm afraid, that saying is going by the wayside, particularly in regard to more casual vocations such as massage therapy. There are many reasons why massage therapists should Dress for Success.

I'm a keen observer of the world around me, especially when it comes to bodywork and bodyworkers. Over the years, I've witnessed enough examples of how not to Dress for Success that it would blow your mind. I'll share a few in this post to make my point; which is simply, when you Dress for Success, you're more likely to achieve success than if you don't.

I happen to live in an area teeming with massage therapists, and mobile therapists in particular ~ there's hardly a week goes by that I don't see a therapists carrying a table in or out of a session as I drive around town ~ and I've had therapists come to my house for sessions as well, so I have plenty of examples of how not to Dress for Success to share.

What if you were to put yourself in a new client's shoes? Not necessarily your client unless you fit the description below (and for your sake I certainly hope not!), but think of yourself as just a generic client looking for an in-home massage.

Let's imagine you've called a therapist and booked an in-home appointment with her. You've never met the therapist before ~ you either saw an ad, internet or otherwise, or someone referred her to you. You have a conversation with the therapist on the phone, she tells you her rate, let's say for fun it's $100 for 75 minutes, and you make an appointment. Before she arrives, you make sure your house is clean and tidy and you've showered, shaved and washed your hair out of courtesy for the therapist. You've sent the kids packing, the husband golfing and put the dogs in the backyard and turned off the phones. So far, so good, right?

The doorbell rings, and you, in your robe, peer through the peephole in the front door. You're expecting a clean-cut, well-dressed therapist ~ a professional ~ but what you see is an unkempt slob who looks like she just left the gym after a sweaty workout. If she wasn't carrying a massage table, you probably would not have opened the door, but since she is, you do. Open the door that is. In comes a woman wearing rumpled sweat pants, a t-shirt with a semi-lewd saying screen printed on the front and a small hole near the neck, dirty sneakers, and you're pretty sure her hair hasn't been washed in a week.

At that point, it won't matter if the therapist is Mother Theresa herself (in disguise as a bum) come to give you a massage, because throughout the whole session, you're going to be wondering why this slob is able to charge $100 a session when she obviously has no respect for her clients. Also throughout the session you'll be thinking about who else you can get next time because you don't want this icky person to come back. Chances are, you won't enjoy the massage and you sure won't remember anything good about it or her.

I'd like to say I'm exaggerating in my "let's imagine" scenario, but I'm not. Clearly, that's not how you Dress for Success.

Here's some of what I've actually seen ~ whether it's a therapist on the street as I'm driving by, or therapists coming to my own home that did not Dress for Success:

I've had a therapist come to my house who looked like she climbed out of bed and threw on whatever she found lying on the floor. I've seen a therapist pulling a table out of her car wearing short-shorts (I'm talking "no mystery" shorts), flip-flops and a wife-beater t-shirt. Seriously. I've seen therapists wearing tank tops and gym shorts, therapists wearing holey jeans, and therapists wearing hoochie-koochie mini-skirts and low-cut, tight-fitting spaghetti-strap tops with no bra. I've also seen more wrinkled (meaning, un-ironed) therapists than you can imagine. I saw a guy headed with his table into a private men's resort looking like he crawled right out of a dumpster. It takes all kinds, and I suppose that look is appealing to some, but I sure wouldn't hire him. Don't even get me started on dirty shoes. I've seen therapists wearing shoes that looked like they'd just been to a stable shoveling manure. I've seen therapists wearing sandals with chipped and peeling nail polish and... dirty toenails. Can you imagine yourself as a client looking at those gross feet through your face cradle?

I have to admit, just writing these descriptions makes my skin crawl. Even if any of those therapists weren't going to a paying client, but perhaps to a friend's house, my impression as a passerby was a terrible one, and obviously, it's a lasting impression. I've also seen therapists who were very impressive in their attire. Clean and crisp, carrying themselves with complete and utter confidence. I'd think, "Wow, that's a sharp-looking professional ~ that's how you Dress for Success! And... I bet they're really busy."

Now, I understand that being prior military where starch and shoe polish have been on my regular shopping list for the last thirty-five plus years, that I probably have higher standards for my work attire than most people. I understand that, but I also know that experience gave me a competitive edge over therapists who didn't have as high standards as I have. I know the first impression I made on a first-time client was one of a neat, clean, professional therapist.

That's really what the whole concept of Dress for Success is all about ~ making positive lasting impressions. Here's another popular saying: "The first impression is a lasting one." It's popular, because it's true.

I'm old enough to remember my parents always dressing to the nines whenever they went out for the evening, whether it was dancing, a party, the local bar or some special event. My dad, a truck driver in construction, wore a suit and a tie, and my mom always wore a dress and high heels. Yes, my truck driver father owned no less that seven or eight suits, numerous ties, dress shirts, and of course, his perfectly polished Florsheim shoes ~ a brown pair and a black pair. I used to marvel at his suits as they hung in his closet. There was the charcoal suit, the shark skin suit, the brown suit, the tan suit, the black suit, etc. Even as a truck driver, his pants and shirt were always ironed and his work boots always polished. My mom worked in an office downtown, and she always dressed to impress. I don't think it's a fluke that she was very successful in her career. What's interesting is that all of their friends, and well, pretty much every adult I knew dressed up when they went out where today people wear jeans everywhere for practically every occasion. The point is, how my parents dressed made an impression on me that has lasted my whole life thus far. That was a different era, indeed, but it always serves to remind me of how important it is to respect yourself in your attire, especially when you're engaged in running your own business.

I think my parents' lasting impression on me is why perhaps the easiest part of Basic Training for me was the ritual taught to me of caring for my uniforms. I always had the sharpest creases in my shirts, and even my combat fatigues, and my shoes and boots were highly polished to glass. In the military, whether you work at a desk or as a mechanic, whatever your job, your attire must be neat, clean, pressed and shined ~ always. Obviously, if you're in the middle of combat, not so much, but in the general work day, there are grooming standards you're required to keep. We were very aware of our standards at all times, and could often be found "grooming" each other, especially for an upcoming inspection. Yes, of course there were some who didn't take the standards seriously, but they were also the ones whose work was sloppy and showed a lack of pride.

Today, so many people are ultra casual in their dress for almost every occasion. When I was younger, I thought casual dress was everything, but now I'm not so sure it's such a good thing. Several years ago, I remember while visiting my widowed uncle in Las Vegas, he and my mom decided to go to a show on the Strip. They decked out as they always did; he in a suit and tie, my mom in a beautiful dress. When they got to the door, the ticket taker said it was so nice to see people all dressed up for a change ~ everyone else was dressed casually so they really stuck out from the crowd.

Because I live in a resort town, I do see an overabundance of casual wear, and I admit, I'm too often guilty of it myself. But I think too many therapists take that as meaning because everyone's casual, or because they work for themselves, or because they have a physical job, they can be careless in their attire; when in fact, the exact opposite is true.

When I taught massage, I was a stickler for neatness in my students' attire. I'll admit it, I was somewhat of a drill sergeant. Clean, stain-free, unwrinkled scrubs, clean shoes, clean nails, neat hair were a requirement in my class. I got a lot of flack from my students who thought that even having to wear scrubs was an affront to their sensibilities, but I didn't let it deter me from teaching my standards. Whenever we had practical finals, my students would line up while I gave them the once over, marking them down for stains, wrinkles, hanging threads, etcetera, which would affect their overall grade. The first line-up was a nightmare because they didn't take me seriously; and, as a result, they paid the price. After that first inspection, you never saw a neater, cleaner bunch of therapists lined up waiting for their once-over. What was more striking than their neatness was their changed attitude. The first line-up they were surly, with terrible posture and honestly, looked like hobos who didn't care. After that first disastrous line-up, they stood in their line proud as could be! Their posture was straight, their eyes beamed with pride and their overall demeanor was that of unwavering confidence. Even their practical massages reached a higher level of confidence!

Those students who embraced my strict standards for attire found it much easier to secure positions at the higher-end spas which have their own high uniform standards. High-end spas and hotels know their employees are judged on every aspect of their existence from what they wear to their behavior ~ every second of the day and night by their guests. As a result, they drill their standards into their employees, even having their own line inspections at the beginning of shifts. It's important to note that high-end hotels and spas aren't successful by accident ~ there's a reason for their standards. Dress for Success is certainly an important aspect of their own dress protocol.

The bottom line is this: If you want people ~ your clients, the public ~ to treat you as a professional, you have to act like a professional. Acting like a professional includes a lot of things, and dressing like one is right near the top of the list. Dress for Success doesn't mean you're to massage your clients wearing a suit or a dress, but particularly when you're going to someone's home, you want them to look at you and before you even lay your hands on them, you want them to have total confidence in you and your abilities. There's an entire experiential aspect to massage that goes beyond our hands. It's the feel of the table linens, the comfort of the table (warm in the winter, cool in the summer), the feel and aroma of the oils, the relaxing music, your touch, and... you. It's all incredibly important to the overall experience and it starts the moment the client opens their front door.

Whether your work "uniform" is sweats or shorts and a polo shirt, or even scrubs, it doesn't mean you can't take pride in your attire and yourself. A therapist arriving at a client's house who has bathed more recently than several days earlier, wearing clean, ironed clothes (or at the very least unwrinkled clothing), perfectly clean shoes, clean nails and neatly combed or styled hair is going to make a positive and lasting impression on the client. You can be the most awesome therapist with the most awesome hands in the world, but if you stink, if you look like you stink, if your clothes are wrinkled and stained... it won't matter how amazing you are, because your client won't want you to touch their body ever again. Remember, Dress for Success is a popular saying because it works ~ when you put it to work.

Jules Hamland is an author, educator and massage business consultant, California Certified Massage Therapist, Certified Raw Food Nutrition Specials, and Advanced Health Practitioner.

Home Gym Workout Routines

Creating successful routines for your self can be both easy as well as fun. There is no mystery to the process, and in fact most people over complicate the process; bringing it to a level that introduces unnecessary steps that only act as a barrier to your home gym workout routines rather then help you in your quest for fitness. There are however a few steps that people should take to ensure they stick to these.

The most important thing a person can do to ensure the success of their home gym workout routines is to set a scheduled time that they observe each day that you plan on working out. Adding this element of routine makes it more difficult to "cheat" and skip a workout. Additionally having a scheduled time means that you will be able to avoid scheduling interruptions. Lets face it every on is busy now a days, and it is not uncommon for our schedules to become full without even realizing it; but by having a set scheduled time for your home gym workout routines you will avoid this common pitfall.

Scheduling your home gym workout routines should not only be limited to times, but also dates. How common is it for people to put off a workout till the next day thinking that they only need to do 4 workouts a week, and there are still plenty of days left? Only to then realize that things keep coming up preventing them from getting in all of their weekly home gym workout routines. Preventing this is so incredibly easy that people often over look it. All that is required is for people to "pencil in" their daily home gym workout routines in to whatever schedule keeper they use.

Having a set of workout cloths also helps to get you in the proper exercising mood. When you dress for success (and in this case success is completing your workout) success will find you. More simply, by dressing to work out you put your self in the mindset to successfully complete your home gym workout routines. These cloths do not need to be anything special, just comfortable, and only used for your workout.

Music is another popular addition to any home gym workout routines. Music is generally seen as a motivator, and successfully used by many people to help push themselves farther and faster; reaching those exercise heights, and crossing those troublesome plateaus. Most people choose upbeat tunes, something with a driving beat and a fast rhythm to keep them motivated, however it is really a personal choice and if classical music feels like the proper accompaniment to your home gym workout routines then by all means enjoy your Mozart.

Watching television or reading is generally not recommended as a diversion while doing your home gym workout routines. These are seen as more distracting then music, and rather then pushing you harder in your workout, television and books tend to pull you out of it, causing your heart rate to lower and you to loose focus. Of course if you have to have the television on to be successful in your home gym workout routines then by all means watch it. Having an only partially successful workout is still better then no workout at all, and since you are working out for your own wellbeing then you may as well enjoy your home gym workout routines. Do what it takes, and have fun! This is your special time and you should embrace your home gym workout routines and really make them your own.

A Men's Guide to Dressing Well and Looking Polished

Being well dressed takes a lot more than just an expensive suit. A man can have the best suit money can buy and still not look polished. In order to present your self as a prosperous member of society you need to bring your look together by paying attention to detail. It's within the details that the full picture really begins to come to fruition. These tips will help you go from a boy in a suit to a polished and successful looking man.

If it Doesn't Fit Don't Wear It: Just because you have a really nice, expensive suit, or a pair of stylish dark denim doesn't mean your in the fashion clear. You need to make sure you clothing fits properly if you want to look your best. Pants that are too tight or suit coats that are too big will make you look anything but polished no matter how much you spent on them. If you find that your clothes aren't fitting the way they should consider visiting a tailor to have them let out or taken in.
Get an Iron and Get Rid of Wrinkles: Nothing says ill prepared and lazy like a wrinkles shirt. To make sure you look your best make it a point to iron you pants and your shirts. If you find that you don't always have time to put those important creases in your collar consider investing in a few wrinkles free shirts and pants and keeping them nice and neat on hangers until it's time to bring them out of the closet.
Invest is Some Nice Socks: Nothing ruins a strapping suit like a pair of white cotton running socks. Keep your gym socks for the gym and fill your drawers with at least five pairs of nylon dress socks that will match your suit. What if you don't wear a suit to work? As a general rule those white socks should be kept for sneakers only. If your wearing dress shoes do the same with your socks.
Make it a Point to Accessorize: Sure any man can throw a suit on and a pair of dress shoes, but it's the men who take five seconds more to add some accessories to their ensemble that really look polished and ready to meet the business world with open arms. Invest in small yet essential things like cuff links, tie clips and watches to make sure you're always dressed your best.
Don't Clash with Busy Patterns: If you want to wear a patterned shirt give up your pin striped pants for the day. Likewise, if your going to wear a pair patterned pants (Stripes and plaids only please), choose a solid color shirt. While yes, it is occasionally fashionable to mis match, it's not fashionable to clash. When it comes to dressing to impress clashing is a major fashion don't.
Sneakers are Never the Right Choice: Sneakers have come a long way and they have made their way past the gym and into our everyday lives. Unfortunately, no matter how comfortable and how stylish they are they are never appropriate footwear for a polished man. Leave your sneakers at the gym and look for classy comfort in the casual shoe.

Type 2 Diabetes - Overcoming Gym Fear For Woman With Diabetes

If you're a female with Type 2 diabetes looking to get healthier, lower your blood sugar and shed a few pounds or gain more muscle strength, chances are you're thinking about signing up to a local gym. You want to get in there, do some strength training and get your cardio work in.

But, you're feeling a little anxious...

you're worried what other people will think of you as you are a little overweight.
you're worried about exercising in the company of men.
you may be worried you just won't know what to do when you get to the gym and suffer embarrassment from this.
If these are all thoughts running through your mind, rest easy - they are all easily overcome.

Here's how to get past gym fear so you can get on to a new, fitter you with lower blood sugar levels...

1. Book A Session With A Trainer. First, if lack of knowledge is what's stopping you, it's time to book an introductory session or two with a trainer. They'll show you the ropes and help you feel that much more confident each time you step foot in the gym.

You don't necessarily have to train with them on an ongoing basis if your budget is limited, but one or two sessions will be the perfect way to jumpstart your effort.

2. Join An All Female Gym. It's also a wise move to consider joining an all female gym. If you're uncomfortable exercising around the men in the weight room, this is the ideal solution.

Or, look for a gym with an area just for females. Many now introduce this so will give you a place to do your workout worry free.


3. Dress Comfortably. It's also important you dress comfortably. While you may want to keep up with the latest fashions in workout wear, remember if you aren't comfortable, you will be miserable the whole time you're there.

Dress in something you feel good in. Function should always come first when choosing workout wear, fashion second. Not the other way around.

4. Take A Friend. Finally, you might also want to consider taking a friend with you. If you have a family member, co-worker, or friend who's looking to get in shape as well, go about this mission together.

Having another friendly face by your side can make it much easier to face your gym fears and also make the workout much more enjoyable as well.

This gym buddy set-up may also help you stick with it better, which will then mean better results for both of you.

So don't let gym fear get to you any longer. There is always a way to overcome whatever issue you are facing so you can get on to becoming a fitter you in control of your Type 2 diabetes, your blood sugar and your body weight.

Although managing your disease can be very challenging, Type 2 diabetes is not a condition you must just live with. You can make simple changes to your daily routine and lower both your weight and your blood sugar levels. Hang in there, the longer you do it, the easier it gets.

Selecting a Fitness Club: 10 Tips on Choosing a Great Gym

Place

If you choose a fitness club on the other side of your city, will you be capable to remain motivated and make an effort to visit regularly? Probably not. Particularly on those days when your determination is on a minimum and your work agenda is beyond busy. A good fitness club location will ideally be someplace between your home and your job. Having a fitness club in the area is going to reduce your stress level, keep you doing exercises and save you a lot of travel time.

Charges

Joining a fitness club can be a big financial investment. Gym membership charges aren't to be taken lightly and are often the main reason why people choose a specific gym. Inexpensive gym subscriptions may seem like a much better option in the beginning, but could be a poor choice if these gyms can't accommodate your needs. The same thing goes for more costly fitness gyms. You may be paying too much for what you are receiving. Additionally, many fitness gyms will require a registration fee. You might simply wait for any special offer to save on these fees, but you may also speak to the staff. Suggest that you're considering several other gyms as well and figure out what kind of offer they can present you with right away.

Services

Gym amenities and fees go hand in hand. If you are not planning on using much of the facilities the gym has to offer, you might be over paying. Alternatively, if you like a sauna or a decent swim after your regular workout, a less expensive gym without those amenities may not be right for you. Be sure to discover what the gym's facilities are and how regularly you will be using these. Modern facilities can be a good way to get your attention to sign-up, but you have to be sure you will need all the gym has to provide. If you need specialized facilities such as no cost car parking, group classes or group classes, see whether they are included in your membership or whether you need to pay extra for these.

Membership contract

An excellent fitness club agreement exists in order to safeguard both your own and the fitness club's interests. Find out how the personnel interact with you and if they can be pushy. If they expect you to join on the spot, walk away. Ideally you would want to carry the written agreement home with you, read it very carefully and think about it. Figure out just how long the written agreement is good for and if there are any concealed charges. Will your agreement carry over automatically? Hammer out a deal with the staff, view it as a sport and you can frequently get significantly lower rates. Request to try the facility before signing a binding agreement, but watch out for any paper that you need to sign. Less respectable fitness gyms could slip you a contract while saying it is a form for "liability purposes". Always look into the terms and conditions of your membership contract.

Opening times

Will your favorite gym be open during the hours that you might be thinking of working out? Many people exercise in the morning, some prefer the evening hours and there are fitness gyms that are closed during the weekends. You want to look for a fitness club that will suit your hectic schedule. Otherwise, you will be paying for a gym you can't get access to at times that suit you the most.

Staff

Excellent fitness gyms have good personnel, who are supportive, warm, friendly and skilled. The personnel should answer all of your questions, help you build-up fitness workout routines and even spot you during workout sessions. Make sure to ask about their accreditations and see how they treat you as a potential new member. In case you are struggling in getting your questions answered beforehand, be skeptical of the way they're going to treat you when you've signed up with the gym. Friendliness is a big benefit. A depressed facial expression as a welcome to your fitness club can drain all of the energy away from you.

Regular members

What's important is that you choose a gym where you will feel at ease exercising. You should not feel uncomfortable, threatened or confused. Find out what kind of folks are exercising at your fitness club of preference. Are they really your favorite type of people? If you want to exercise intensely, you will not like a fitness club where friendly chat is on the schedule. If you like meeting new folks, you are better off in a gym where there's a great personal ambiance and where people interact effortlessly with each other. In case you don't appreciate co-ed fitness gyms, you could choose a ladies only or men's only gym near you.

Gym equipment

Whenever you visit a fitness club of your choice, make sure to take a look around. Exactly what do you notice? Are there sufficient machines, weight plates and hand weights for everyone? Make an effort to find out if members are waiting around in line for well-liked fitness equipment and exercises. Some gyms are famous for using time limits on fitness cardio equipment. If you're intending to do a lot of cardio, this time limit won't be good for you. If you are a truly serious bodybuilder or want to turn into one, make sure that the available dumbbells, weight loads and weight plates satisfy your desires.

Care

There is absolutely nothing worse than a fitness club without any hygiene requirements. You'll want to sign up for a gym where they have clean fitness equipment, locker rooms, bathrooms and toilets. Look around on your initial visit. Are there sufficient towels to clean the gym equipment after each use? Also make certain that staff members enforce these requirements. While you happen to be there, take a look at the locker-room, showers and lavatories. If you don't appreciate what you're seeing, you can bet your money that hygiene standards are not being enforced in that club.

Good friends

Consult people you're friends with and ask where they've been keeping fit and if they're pleased. Many times, your friends and folks you already know can give you a great insight into great community fitness gyms and warn you for gyms you must avoid.

How to Deal With the Top 5 Annoying People at the Gym

The gym is an excellent place to work out for many reasons. For me, it's because of the vast amount of free weights and equipment and the hardcore atmosphere that feels particularly motivating for me.

The problem with working out at the gym is, it is after all a public venue. This means the moment you decide to sign up for a gym membership you will have to co-exist with the other gym members and deal with whatever peculiarities they have. This can prove to be very challenging especially when you are at the gym working hard on exercising to reduce tummy and the presence of some others are making it hard for you to do so.

I've seen how many people give up going to the gym or stopped following their training program because of some bad encounters they have at the gym. Moving from one gym to another doesn't help because some of these annoying people exist everywhere.

In today's post, I will list down some of the top 5 most annoying people you might see at the gym and how you can deal with them - if you have to.

The Chatterbox:
Every gym has at least one of them. This individual (sometimes a few of them) goes to the gym primarily to socialize, bitch, gossip and basically do anything but exercise. This person would chat with you between sets and if you get caught in the conversation, you lose track of your rest periods. Then your body and muscle cools down and you are no longer in the zone to lift your next set. Your workout gets ruined.

Sometimes this person would gossip about you - your clothes, your body part, your exercise technique, etc - and deliberately let you hear it. It makes you conscious about yourself and you lose concentration.

While there's nothing wrong with socializing, we should lose track of our main reason for going to the gym. Having an extended rest period can affect your training intensity and your focus on the next set. This is definitely not what you want to achieve especially if you exercising to reduce tummy. Remember, you can always socialize after your workout.

Solution: If you know the person, try keeping the chat within a minute or no longer than your usual rest period. If the chat goes beyond, gradually assume the position of your next exercise, smile and carry on with your exercise. Most people will get the point.

If they talk about you, glance at them and make sure they notice you. Let them know you heard them and continue with your workout. Who gives a s**t about what the others think? This is your work out!

The Hogger:
The people at my gym are generally very friendly and willing to share their equipment in between sets. But occasionally we have one or two of these possessive weirdos who simply won't share and insists on completing their exercise before anyone can use it.

If they have just a few sets left, that's fine. What's unforgivable is that they are hogging the equipment for the wrong exercise. Don't know what I mean? Here's an example:

Imagine someone hogging the squat rack to do biceps curl with the Olympic bar. The reason they need the squat rack is because they can rest the bar at the rack so that it's easier for them to pick it up at the next set... (long pause for effect). And by the way, in case you think these are strong people who need the Olympic bar to curl massive weights, you couldn't be more wrong. They are just curling an empty bar.

Hoggers are not just restricted to the weights section. The worst Hoggers are those on the treadmill. Because it's impossible to share the treadmill, users should be even more considerate and be conscious of the time they spend on the machine. Even though it's clearly stated that each user is limited to 30 minutes on the treadmill, some continue on, completely oblivious to the people waiting behind. And check this out, some even have the newspapers nicely laid out in front of them as they take a stroll on the treadmill while holding onto the handles...

As you patiently wait for your turn on the treadmill, homicide at this point inevitably comes to mind.

Solution: If they are using the machine for any other exercise than what it's meant for, politely tell them that there's an alternate machine that they can use. Usually this works. Otherwise, ask them to share. The switching of weights will eventually make one party give up. Usually it's them.

The Moaner:
I bet you can find one of these in every gym as well. Their voices echo throughout the entire gym. You know exactly when they are going to start their set and when their set is going to end. They psyche themselves up with a war cry that puts the New Zealand All Blacks to shame as they lift their massive weights (or weights which they think are massive to them), and throughout the set, the grunt, moan and groan until they eventually climaxed at the last repetition before dropping their weights to the floor.

Whether these people are truly trying to psych themselves or they are looking for attention, their loud moans and war cries are a distraction to everyone in the gym. Imagine if everyone in the gym starts doing this? Others might mistake the gym as a Taekwondo dojo or worse, an adult venue masquerading as a gym.

Solution: You can try to telling them to keep it down. But I've tried and it doesn't work. So, get yourself an iPod or a set of earplugs. I do like my friend's solution though, which is to exercise next to them and moan even louder.

The Big Bully:
A nightmare to both gym instructors and members alike, the Big Bullies are hard to miss. Walking around with arms flaring out as if there are potatoes in their armpits, these oversized muscle heads share many characteristics with the Hogger and the Moaner. They use your equipment between sets without asking and they never return any of the weight they use.

The worst of them even criticize your exercise technique without even giving you actual pointers.

Many of these muscle heads are just pure muscle bulk with no definition. Some even sport a belly. But they walk around thinking that everyone should marvel at their tremendous musculature.

Solution: Handling the Big Bully needs extra care. Remember to always be polite because these are the closest things that we have to a primate living among us. Perhaps the only stations you will never find Big Bullies using are the treadmill and the abs machine. But if a big bully is suddenly use your equipment without asking, wait for him to complete his set, then tell him politely, "Lets share between sets", as you pick up the weights. If he stops you or starts giving you aggressive looks, no problem. Move on to the next heaviest weight. Let him have it. It's not worth it. You watched Planet of the Apes? Just let the primate have his toy.

The Army Ants:
Usually in a group of at least seven or eight, these people are like army ants, ravaging every machine, treadmill and free weight they set their eyes on. If they are doing dumbbell presses, you can be sure that almost all of the weights on the rack will be gone. These people usually belong to a specific sports team and have decided to bring half their squad for training at a local gym.

Their disruptive presence at the gym is obvious and even greatly magnified when they are there during peak hours. If your gym is fairly small like mine, you can either wait for the ants to finish their workout or be prepared to wait for 5 minutes between each set.

Solution: Army ants or not, you are already at the gym. So get your workout in! If they are using the equipment that you plan to use, either find an alternative or workout another body part first. There's no point sharing equipment with the army ants because you end up wasting more time waiting to do your set.

Ok, I threw in this last group of people not because they are really annoying, but the way they are training is an utter waste of time and I've seen groups like this is three gyms I've been to already.

The Bench Press Boys:
There's this group of four to five overzealous teenage boys who go to the gym pretty frequently. I've only ever seen them train one body part.

Correction.

I've only ever seen them do one exercise - the bench press. Well, you can't really blame them. The obsession with having a huge chest is not just limited to women. Having a massive chest does make one looks just as impressive as having huge arms. The good thing is, at least they are choosing free weights over machines. But once they start to lift the weight, everything else goes very wrong.

They use a weight that's too heavy for them right from the first set. The boy performing the exercise has a spotter behind him, to his left and to his right. The scene looks almost like a pit crew carrying out a pit stop at a motor race event. What even funnier is the boy who's performing the exercise continues to add weight to the next set. As his spotters struggle to help him through his last set, he looks as if he has conquered Mount Everest and with that look of extreme satisfaction.

These boys don't really annoy anyone except sometimes if you really need to use the bench; you have to wait for them to get through their 10 sets of bench press, each.

Solution: Well, they are not really offending anybody. But if you need to use the bench, ask politely to share the bench. When they see you are lifting more than them and they give you that "Whoa! Awesome!" look, you can give them a few pointers and correct their bench pressing techniques.

When dealing with any of the five annoying people above, the key thing to note is, always remember to be polite. Never use aggression even if you are bigger and stronger than the other guy. Treat fellow gym users with respect and you will get respect in return.

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