Women in the Gym

Its been over a month since I started going to the gym three times a week, and I am already noticing a huge difference. Although, I may not see it in my reflection I see it in the heavier weights I am able to lift. So many lose faith if they aren't physically seeing the changes happen, but people have to remember that it's more than the way you look.

I found this article at www.cutandjacked.com by Laura Jeanne and found it very interesting, especially since I see so many of these things happening when I'm at the gym. Sometimes.. the gym can be  great place to people watch :)

WOMEN: 6 THINGS YOU SHOULD NEVER DO IN THE GYM

1. Run Your Mouh
Gym time is not social hour, ladies. Saying hi to friends or fellow gym goers is fine; standing around (or worse, sitting on machines or benches but not using them) and chatting for 20 minutes about how your day went, how your weekend was or playing catch up on the latest reality shows is not. If you notice dirty looks directed at you while you're blabbing away, chances are it's because you standing around taking up space talking is getting everyone around you… you know, the people who are there to actually train and use the equipment you're sitting on… really, really annoyed. Pick a different time or place to talk one another's ears off, please.

2. Be A Stalker
It's one thing to have a training partner and chat with them in between sets. It's another thing entirely to follow your boyfriend/husband/gym crush around the whole time you're at the gym, never leaving their side and not actually training yourself while they're trying to do work. I've seen this happen plenty of times and always feel bad for the guy, having his training session constantly interrupted. I'm not saying you need to or should be completely ignoring your significant other or whatever cute guy you're interested in, but you should be aware that you're interrupting their training and, honestly, wasting your own time by just following them around and not actually training yourself.

3. Worry About Your Appearence
This is a serious pet peeve of mine. I know women like to look good and a little primping here and there is necessary sometimes. But come on now, you're at the gym to train. Who the hell do you need to impress while you're there? I see ladies show up with their hair and makeup perfectly done and then proceed to walk up to the mirror in between EVERY single set to check and make sure everything's still intact. Or there's the girls who get right up close to the mirror while doing bicep curls with 5lb dumbbells, then proceed to turn to the side and stick their butt out as much as they can while curling the weight (using completely improper form, mind you) and using their free hand to adjust their hair. And of course, they're looking around to see if guys are noticing them. Stop this nonsense, please! No one is going to take you seriously if you keep preening like a peacock in front of the mirror. And guess what - no one really cares what you're doing! So stop strategically positioning your made up self in front of the mirror while a guy is doing an exercise in hopes he'll notice you and say something. It's not going to happen.

4. Obsess Over Cardio
I cannot stress this this one enough. PLEASE don't come to the gym just to spend hours on the treadmill, elliptical, or any other piece of cardio equipment and consider that a legitimate workout. It's not. It's a waste of your time and energy and, more importantly, is NOT going to give you the results you want to see in your body. The more cardio you do, the more you're going to have to do over time to see the same benefits. Not to mention, hours of cardio every day is just plain boring. Learn to train smarter. Be bold - pick up the weights! I wish everyone would start adding weight training to their gym routine. I'm not saying you need to pick up massive weight, but just don't spend your time there every day on a walk to nowhere on the treadmill. If you want to do cardio, consider adding high intensity interval training (HIIT) to your routine. HIT gets your heart rate up and the fat burn going in half the time. And as for that idiotic misconception that women will get bulky and jacked like a dude if they lift weights...STOP using that as an excuse to just do cardio. I train my butt off and I'm a whopping 115lbs. Bulky? I think not. Lesson to be learned here? Just say NO to endless hours of cardio!

5. Dress Inappropiatley
This is true for all women, from young girls to little old ladies. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for wearing cute gym clothes. My point, though, is that you should do yourself and everyone else at your gym a favor and dress appropriately. No one needs to see you prancing around half naked, especially if you've got some extra fat or things that really shouldn't be exposed or seen prancing anywhere. If things aren't covered up or you can tell they're oozing out, cover them up pronto. If you can tell something is too tight on you, don't wear it, or at least not in public. I've seen older women who look good for their age, but that's no reason to walk around in a tiny sports bra and short shorts with half your booty hanging out. It's definitely a distraction to the guys at your gym, but not for the reason you're thinking. They aren't looking at you thinking "Wow she looks GOOD." Trust me.

6. Act Like You Own The Gym When You Don't Know The Proper Form
If you see someone doing an exercise you think looks interesting and want to attempt it yourself, I applaud you for having the motivation and desire to try something new to improve your training. Most women I see in the gym live on the cardio machines, so anytime I see someone venture away from the cardio equipment and try training on the machines or with free weights, it makes me happy. However, don't assume you're doing the exercise correctly and using the proper weight just because you've eyeballed someone else doing a few sets. Don't be afraid to ask someone exactly how you should be performing the exercise, what weight you should start at, etc. It's only to your benefit to start off doing things right from the get go. And drop the attitude, too. The other day there was a woman who had NO clue what she was doing, wandering around from machine to machine and carrying her workout sheet from one of the trainers. I was using the lying hamstring curl machine and halfway through my second set, I noticed her standing next to me. Instead of asking if she could work in, or saying anything to me all, she just stood there, glaring at me and tapping her foot impatiently. Really, lady? Don't act like just because someone showed you how to use certain machines, you're running the joint. Lose the 'tude.