GYM ARCHIVES

Gym Etiquette

Gym Etiquette

Etiquette

Have you ever been at the gym, got on a machine to start your exercise, grabbed the handles and baulked as you feel someone else’s sweat still on the grip… It’s happened to us all and it really isn’t a very nice experience.
Thankfully there are things you can do to prevent this happening such as wiping a machine before you use it.  It would be easier  if everyone cleaned up after their workout but not everyone follows the correct etiquette.
In an environment where there are lots of people working out throughout the day, the gym is bound to get hot and sweaty and there are going to be problems.  In some gyms of course there are signs and rules that you should follow such as limiting time on cardio machines during busy periods etc.  How about the unwritten rules though?
I’m going to give you some pointers if you’re a beginner at the gym and you’re not quite sure on how to behave.  Hey, we’ve all been there as newbies and we all learn through experience.

• Cleaning – After you use equipment or a machine, wipe it down with a towel or if the gym provides paper towels and disinfectant spray then use that.
• Keep the place tidy – Don’t leave empty water bottles or plastic cups (empty or half full) lying around.  The number of times I’ve seen water cups kicked causing puddles on the floor is ridiculous.
• Always put the free weights back on the rack provided.  On the barbell put the weight discs back on the relevant holding area.  On weight machines, ensure the weight selected is put back to the smallest weight after you use it
• Share machines if you are using one particular piece of equipment for a while, you can offer to share it during your rest times.  Also, if you are waiting on a machine or a piece of equipment, don’t ask the person if you can use it when they are in the middle of a set, this is very distracting to them!
• Minimise the nudity! – In the locker rooms, please keep the nudity to the shower area.  I don’t like trying to get my things out my locker with a naked person bending over next to me!  Drying yourself in the shower area and wrapping a towel round your body when in view of others will ensure uncomfortableness is at a minimum!

Also, there may be people at the gym who are unfitter  than yourself.  Appreciate people for who they are and don’t laugh at people who are trying to change their habits and improve their lives.  And don’t stare at people either!!!

Free Weights Or Machine Weights

Free Weights and Machine Weights can both be used as you want to strengthen and build muscle.  Free Weights and Machine Weights are both very effective however there are advantages and disadvantages to using Free Weights or Machine Weights.

If you are a beginner to working out with weights then in general using Machine Weights are better  and as you become more of an intermediate to advanced Free Weights can be better however you can use both Free Weights and Machine Weights in your weight training routine.

FREE WEIGHTS – ADVANTAGES

• Free Weights are more versatile and  allow you to perform hundreds of exercises to work all the muscle groups in your body.
• As you workout targeted muscles using Free Weights additional muscle groups are also worked out to stabilize your body as you work the targeted muscles.
• Using Free Weights will help you increase your balance and coordination as you need to keep your body stable to keep a good posture during the exercise.
• Free Weights take up less room and cost less than Machine Weights.

FREE WEIGHTS – DISADVANTAGES

• Lifting heavy weights without a spotter or without maintaining proper posture increases your chances of getting injured.
• Using Free Weights can increase your workout time as you will need to spend time adding or removing weights plates to barbells or dumbbells for different exercises.
• You need to have more control and focus using Free Weights as you will be supporting the Free Weights completely on your own.

DUMBBELLS VS BARBELLS

Barbells will allow you to lift more weight with both hands simultaneously.  Dumbbells on the other hand will allow you to balance the strength in each arm correctly and you can do many more types of exercises using dumbbells.
MACHINE WEIGHTS - ADVANTAGES

• Machine Weights are generally safer than Free Weights.  As you are not holing the actual weights there is no change of you dropping the weights onto yourself allowing you to workout on your own without a spotter.
• Most Machine Weights are very simple to use.  You select the weight by inserting the pin into the weight stack and away you go.
• Machine Weights allow you to target specific muscle groups without using other muscle groups to the same extent you would using Free Weights.
• Machine Weights help guide and control your movements, making it easier to maintain proper posture as you are forced to using the Machine Weights in a specific manner.
• You can usually complete your workout in a shorter time as you will not be fiddling with weight plates.  To increase or decrease the weight simply pull the pin out from the weight stack a push into a different weight.

MACHINE WEIGHTS - DISADVANTAGES

• If you are much bigger or much smaller than the average person, you may have trouble positioning your body in the correct manner on the Machine to use it properly.  Most machines are not designed for people under 5’5”.
• Exercises using Machine Weights usually involve working the muscles on both sides of your body at once. If one side of your body is stronger than the other you may end up lifting more weight from your stronger side on the machine.  This will not help you balance your body strength.
• As you are using a Machine Weight you are limited to a specific movement which only allows you to perform one specific workout.
• Machine Weights can be expensive and bulky, which can make them impractical for home use if you have a tight budget or limited space.

7 Things To Consider When Choosing A Gym

As you have decided to start a Fitness Workout the 7 things to consider when choosing a gym you want to join are Location, Cost, Opening Hours, Contract, Cleanliness, Staff and Equipment.
Location
Sticking to a Fitness Workout is probably the most important part about working out.  Due to this, it is very important the Gym you choose is local to your home or place of work.  This will give you a better chance of following through with your Fitness Workout Plan as you will make it more convenient for you to go to the Gym from your home or place of work.  Remember to consider convenient parking if you will be driving to your Gym.
To find a local Gym you may want do a search online or speak to friends to get a recommendation.  Once you have some Gyms in mind establish if there are any open day passes or trial passes you can have so you can take a look before you decide to join.  When you go to have a look it is recommended to go at the time of when you would go to do your Fitness Workout so you get a feel for how busy it is and whether there is space for parking etc.
Cost
Joining a Gym can be a big expense every month.  Different Gyms will cost different prices and this will generally be down to what the Gyms have to offer.  You want to get a clear breakdown of how much it is going to cost you every month and what that will give you (towel service, spa, swimming pool).
Gyms can offer discounts if you recommend friends and if you are going to be working out with a friends then this is something to ask about.  If you are deciding to start your Fitness Workout near summer or winter then Gyms may have season offers.
If you do not want access to the Gyms full facilities you can ask if there is a reduced monthly rate.  Sometimes it will also work out cheaper if you pay for the full year in one go rather than paying on a monthly basis so this is something you may want to consider.
To make the most of your Gym membership you may want to try asking or negotiating your membership rates.
Opening Hours
It’s important the Gym you choose to go is going to be open at the time most convenient for you.  If you are going to Workout off peak times or weekends then this may also reflect on the price you pay for your membership.  The closing times for Gyms can vary so its worth doing your research.
Contract
Some Gyms can be pay as you go and cancel at any time.  One the other had Gyms can tie you into a minimum contract and to cancel before the contract minimum period you could be faced with cancellation fees.  Never feel pressured to sign the contract for the Gym membership.  Make sure you are happy with the reputation and service of the Gym before signing a contract.
Cleanliness
You do not want to spend your hard earned cash working out in a Gym where the facilities are not looked after.  The Gym area, bathroom, locker rooms should be clean tidy and fit for use.  The Showers should provide the appropriate water pressure.
Staff
All good Gyms will have great staff available to answer any questions about an exercise or the equipment.  All staff should be very approachable and be willing to help and be well informed regarding the Gym and the equipment.
Equipment
All the equipment in the Gym should be working.  Make sure the equipment is high quality and looks like it is maintained regularly.  You want to make sure the Gym has the equipment you want to use.  There is no point joining if you favourite piece of equipment isn’t there.  Ensure the machines are running well and the seats and upholstery on the equipment is in good condition.

Professional Body Builders

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The Truth About Professional Body Builders

Mr. Banawich has an expose piece of sorts over at Bodybuilding.com that contains an eye-opening description of the would-be Ah-nold’s that creep me out on ESPN 2.

The ultimate irony is that the IFBB is facing in trying to get bodybuilders into the Olympics is that while every athlete in every other sport is presumably the healthiest they’ve ever been so that they are able to compete athletically and break records, the bodybuilder is so weak on competition day that he or she would have trouble fending off the attacks of an enraged mouse. The weeks of constant dieting, workouts that continually tax the body almost beyond recovery, and a constant influx of potentially harmful drugs and diuretics have brought most of them to total exhaustion.
To think about the huge amounts of food some steroid-using bodybuilders eat. In all the longevity sites in the world where people routinely live to be one hundred, the only common denominator is that they all either under-eat or eat just enough to meet their daily caloric requirements. By ingesting less food, they ingest less harmful chemicals, and fewer free radicals are formed in the body. The average professional builder probably eats at least four or five times what these aforementioned people eat.
As a result, bodybuilders often suffer from high cholesterol and high blood pressure. Plus, with all that extra mass, the heart has to work that much harder and will probably stop beating years before it was designed to. That’s why professional bodybuilding is the ultimate act of vanity. It was done strictly to fulfill some misguided notion of the superhuman ideal, and health was not even a consideration. Almost without exception, these guys and gals are not healthy, and they’ll probably be among the first to tell you so. However, weight-training and consuming a nutrient-rich diet is very healthy, as long as it is not carried to extremes.
Terry Banawich – BodyBuilding.com

 http://blisstree.com

10 Bodybuilders

10 Bodybuilders Who Took Things to the Extreme

Now, let us take a look at the list of the top 10 bodybuilders who took bodybuilding a bit too seriously, which ended up making them look really big, bulky and brawny:

1. Arnold Schwarzenegger

Before he was known as California’s “Governator”, Arnold Schwarzenegger used to be a bodybuilder.  He’s an American and Austrian actor, businessman and politician who started weight training at the age of 15.
To sum up his bodybuilding accomplishments, he earned the title of Mr. Universe at the age of 22.  Later on in his bodybuilding career, he won the Mr. Olympia contest seven times.
Even long after his retirement in the sport, he still remained to be a prominent figure in the world of bodybuilding.
What makes Arnold Schwarzenegger’s career in bodybuilding so significant is that he managed to popularize the sport by becoming its spokesperson, especially later on when he became an actor in Hollywood films.
According to him, he had the following measurements during the peak of his career: 20″ calves, 28.5″ thighs, 34″ waist, 57″ chest and 22″ arms. His personal record in bodybuilding was 181 kg/400 lbs for 12 repetitions in a full squat.
The Governator earned his first Mr. Olympia title in 1970 at the age of 23, making him the youngest bodybuilder to ever hold the title. He went on to win the title six more times.

2. Charles Atlas

You probably won’t believe the story of how the late Charles Atlas has grown from becoming a scrawny weakling to one of the most popular extreme bodybuilders when he was still at his prime.
The Italy-born bodybuilder was dubbed in 1921 by the Physical Culture magazine to be the “World’s Most Perfectly Developed Man“. Aside from being a world-renowned bodybuilder, Atlas also became popular for his Dynamic Tension program.

3. Dr. Franco Columbu

He may be a 67-year old man today, but Italian actor and bodybuilder Dr. Franco Columbu was an extreme bodybuilder who was also a “World’s Strongest Man” competitor.
Despite his not being as tall as his bodybuilder counterparts, Dr. Columbu did not allow this to prevent him from achieving worldwide success.
During the 1977 competition for the World’s Strongest Man, he bagged the first place and that signaled a winning streak for him. Mr. World, Mr. Universe, Mr. Europe, a four-time winner of the Mr. Olympia title, champion power lifting titles and power lifting best lifts are among his accomplishments in the bodybuilding industry.

4. Louis Lou Jude Ferrigno

Those who are old enough may remember Lou Ferrigno as the man in the television series and movies who played the Incredible Hulk. The 57-year old actor appeared in countless magazine covers which featured bodybuilders.
His first bodybuilding award came in 1971, when he bagged the title of Pro Mr. America. He also went on to win four Mr. Olympia titles. At the peak of his bodybuilding career, Lou Ferrigno was known as one of the tallest professional bodybuilders, standing at a height of 6’5″.

5. Sergio Olivia

His nickname in the bodybuilding industry is “The Myth”. Sergio Olivia earned this nickname because someone commented at how unbelievable he is as a bodybuilder when he joined a 1967 Montreal World Fair competition.
This Cuba-born athlete has quite a number of feats under his belt.  He’s the only bodybuilder to win all the top titles in four major bodybuilding federations.
He’s the first black athlete to win Mr. America, Mr. World, Mr. Universe and the Mr. Olympia titles.

6. Dexter Jackson

Also known as “The Blade”, Dexter Jackson is yet another bodybuilder who took working out to the extreme. He first became active in the world of bodybuilding in 1992.
His most recent accomplishment came in winning the Mr. Olympia titles for 2008. The 5’6″, 39-year old athlete joined a seemingly endless number of bodybuilding contests and until now, he is working towards maintaining his perfectly sculptured body.

7. Dorian Yates

Yates was born in Hurley, Staffordshire, near Birmingham, England. He started working out in 1983.
After some victories in England – Novice Championships in 1985 and British Championships in 1988, Yates visited New York for the 1990 Night of Champions and, in his pro-debut, he came second to Mohamed Benaziza. He won the contest next year when he returned.
Yates may well be the bodybuilder that most aspiring trainees can best identify with because of his blue-collar roots, dogged determination and quiet confidence.

8. Markus Rühl

German bodybuilder Markus Rühl is a professional bodybuilder known for having the world’s biggest shoulders as well as one of the tallest athletes during his time.
Standing at 5’10″, his competition weight reached to more than 130 kilograms and his chest size measured an astounding 60″.
Through the course of his bodybuilding career, Markus Rühl went on to win titles as Mr. Olympia and other awards in different bodybuilding contests – with his huge shoulders as his main asset.

9. Ronnie Coleman

For a bodybuilder, earning a Mr. Olympia title is one of the best accomplishments that he will ever have in his career.
But what if you multiply that feat eight times over?  That’s exactly the number of times that Ronald Dean ‘Ronnie’ Coleman won the Mr. Olympia title.
Through the course of his bodybuilding career, he went on to bag several awards in different competitions.  He also is the man behind training videos like “Ronnie Coleman’s First Training Video“, “The Unbelievables”, “The Cost of Redemption”, “On the Road”, “Relentless” and “Invincible”.

10. Johnnie O. Jackson

Johnnie O. Jackson is a New Jersey native and another extreme bodybuilder. When you look at his photos, he is not as bulky and as brawny as his other bodybuilding counterparts, but what makes him stand out from the rest is the density and thickness of his muscles – even without flexing them


http://www.fitnesshealthzone.com