Please tell me I am wrong!
I have now been with the VA’s MOVE program for about 4 months, and I am ready to quit! When I signed up for this, it sounded really good, and the name, MOVE, implies action, but, so far, all I have seen or heard, are discussions on portion size, and hearing questions and answers that are just so absolutely basic, I feel like I have stepped into an elementary school classroom! I am sorry, common sense will tell you, fried chicken is worse than boiled chicken, fresh green beans are better than canned, and steaming them in water, is better than sauteing them in butter, simple stuff, right?
When I signed up, I had some sort of fantasy that the group really wanted to MOVE and get results, that we could go to the gym, even a fitness center, something, but no, the big MOVE event for next month is a walk in the park, literally, well, ok, that is some sort of action, but, unfortunately for me, the ROI is not worth it. What I mean is, I can only walk a very short distance, like maybe 100 yards, before the pain is so intense I have to sit. However, if it is to walk into the gym, then sit on a bench, do an exercise that actually does something besides get your shoes dirty, it would be worth it. Walking or standing are the two things I have to limit, I only can walk so far, total in one day, or I am stuck on the sofa for a day or two! If we were going to the gym, the benefits of that type of exercise, would make up for the pain, I would be getting a Return On my Investment, just walking, all I get is the pain and zero benefit.
I know that most of the folks in my MOVE group are much older than I, but, weight training is good for everyone, walking is about the least valuable of all exercises, if the same amount of effort is applied to weight training, the benefits will far exceed what one gets from a walk, as far as I am concerned, walking is only good for getting from the car to the free weights in the gym. Yes, there is a bit of cardio involved with walking FAST, but your heart gets a workout with weights too.
What is the whole point? Gaining lean weight (muscle), will increase your body’s ability to burn fat, even when you sleep, walking is only good for burning a few calories at that given time, and the muscles used for walking, will get used to that stress very quickly, and unless you start carrying weight, while you walk, you will peek in just a couple of days. If that is all that the MOVE program is about, it is not worth the gas money to get there.
Gym Etiquette: Peace and Quiet or Grunt and Groan?
March 1, 2010 by CarpetGuy · 2 Comments
Have you ever been in the middle of a set, and someone close by, is making loud grunts and groans, then you see that the weight that person is using, is not enough to even warm up with?
This happened to me today, there was this young guy, maybe 20 or so, and in great shape, who was doing a set of bench press, and he had a 35 on each side of the bar, along with 3 of those little bitty things, like 2.5 pounds or something, and he was grunting as if he had 500 lbs on the bar! Luckily, I had already finished my heavy set, before he added the second pair of tiny plates to the bar. I was doing a set of dumbbell pullovers, then the grunting started, and since I had seen what the kid had on the bar, I lost my focus and laughed so hard I almost dropped the 75 lb dumbbell on my head! Thinking that the noise would soon stop, I waited, but, the kid added that third tinker-toy to the bar, and did another set with his massive 130 lb load, while making even louder grunts and groans, the only thing missing was the usual fart that accompanies that much effort, when he finished that set, after all of that noise, I would have thought him to be done, but no, I saw him grab 2 more of those plates, that honestly could be used for key chains, I was sitting there, my towel over my face laughing, I couldn’t take it any more!
I wasn’t the only one, there were two or three others also laughing, one guy, doing dumbbell shoulder presses, dropped his and almost fell off the bench he was sitting on. I couldn’t take it anymore, I didn’t want to embarrass the kid, had I stayed any longer, I would have wet myself laughing! I couldn’t even finish my workout, I had lost my focus, and laughing zaps my strength, so I just called it a day and left.
The moral of the story is simple, if you are a “vocal” person, and train in a setting where others have to hear you, keep it down, anyone can see the weight you have on the bar, and unless it is heavy, keep your little girl sound effects to yourself, it is just rude, funny, but rude.
Weight Loss: What works?
February 25, 2010 by CarpetGuy · 4 Comments
When you look in the mirror, what do you see? Can you tell by looking, or stepping on a scale, whether you are too fat or just too heavy? No, you can’t, that is why a body fat measurement is vital to any weight or fat loss program, without this simple test, you don’t know whether your efforts are doing good, or bad. Most people assume that they are just too heavy, and all of the fad diets, and fancy pre packaged meals focus on this to make money from the unfortunate, fat, ill-advised consumer.
Yes, if you are active, work hard, and yet eat the wrong food, and drink too much, you can still be fat, and maybe one of those fad diets can do you some good, at least temporarily, the same goes for the fancy pre packaged meals, but, how do you know what is working? Measure your fat!
The graph above is for me, for about a month, with un-regular measurements, meaning, I did a couple of fat measurements only a couple of days apart, here and there, and it looks like the curve flattens out, when in reality, it doesn’t, so, let’s just use the results for my example.
Over this time period, I lost a total of about 18 lbs of body fat and gained about 11 lbs of lean body weight, for a net loss of 7 pounds. It is recommended that one should lose no more than about 2 pounds a week, but no one ever says anything about the details of fat vs lean weight.
No matter what diet you get on, all they ever talk about is weight, eat this, lose weight. The problem with that is that you can do more harm than good, by simply losing weight and not monitoring what type of weight, fat or lean, is being lost, and this is the most important detail, but all they care about is selling you a book, a membership, or some over-priced food!
So, what works? Yes, exercise, but, not just any exercise, because things like spending hours on a treadmill, will cause you to burn muscle, as well as fat, and that is not good, because muscle is your best friend when it comes to burning fat, so, what do you do? Resistance training, more specifically, weight training, is the answer, but, this too must be done properly, or, it is not much better than running, you must train heavy! No, you don’t have to become a power-lifter, but a man, doing a set of curls with a dumbbell that weighs about the same as a beer, just will not give you the desired results, the effort must hurt!
Before you get crazy, and do something dangerous, by hurt, I mean it must be something beyond what you would normally do, like drinking a beer, we have all heard the term “12 ounce curls”, and personally, I have done sets of 20 or 30 in the past! What I am trying to say is that it requires a bit of “discomfort” to get results, the keyword being, Intensity. Intensity, is what determines whether any exercise does anything, and it must be adjusted to your own level of fitness or health, so, get informed, if you go to a gym, or fitness center, the trainers there should be able to help you, and if you let them know that you want to gain muscle as well as lose fat, by training with weights, they can get you started in the right direction.
Just remember the old K.I.S.S. acronym, which means, Keep It Simple Stupid. If you eat food, as close to the way God made it as possible, meaning, NOT PROCESSED, and without added sugar and so on, and start training with some good ole iron, you can do it!
What is the MOVE Program?
Today was my second meeting with the MOVE program, and somehow, I still feel a bit disappointed. The VA offers the MOVE Program to help us overweight Vets to lose weight, the name implies action, but, so far, it is a basic, and I mean very basic nutrition class. The first meeting, we read a story about a 600+ pound woman that lost weight by kicking a ball around her apartment, this meeting we played a “Jeopardy” like game, after our standard weigh in. Yep, that was it. Oh, by the way, I was the “biggest loser” this month, I lost 9lbs.
I never expected much from the program, after all, it is a government thing, but, at the weigh in, and they saw I had lost weight, I broke it down for them as to the fact that I had lost about 16lbs of fat and gained almost 6 lbs of muscle, something that one would think might make someone ask a question or two as to how, and yes, it was mentioned that I was going to the gym, but that was as far as it went, a wasted opportunity in my opinion.
I had told them the month before that I was going to get the software etc to keep track of fat loss, when I told them the numbers, the doctor for our group said something like “oh yeah, you mentioned that before”, why was there not more attention paid to this? From what I can see, as long as you do not gain weight, everybody is happy!
Somehow I feel that the name MOVE implies some sort of action, but, the highlight of the meeting was how many nuts make up a quarter cup? I have to be honest, the nutrition stuff doesn’t mean a hill of crap if you don’t have any exercise. The nutrition councilor even mentioned that briefly, while explaining an answer to one of the questions in the game we were playing. She told us that there was a lady in a wheelchair that started doing leglifts with a small weight and eventually got out of the chair because of it, but that was about it, again, a missed opportunity to actually teach the group or even maybe motivate someone, but no, it was all about somebody ringing a bell or blowing a whistle to answer the next question. The game itself is not where I have issues, it was actually an ok thing, you can find similar ones here, but, the meeting only lasts an hour, and so did the game, and everyone there participated, it was fun, but, was it productive?
I am usually way too critical about everything, and, in this case I am sure of that, but, as I see it, this MOVE Program is a waste of time. Here is the good news, we don’t have another one until April, something to do with Spring Break and somebody’s kids or something, to be honest, I don’t want to go back, but, I will, because somehow, I need to help. Being fat is not fun, being old and fat is even worse. I missed six years of training because I was in pain, and couldn’t breath, now that I have meds for this, and know that my pain is there forever, whether I train or not, I am sticking with it, the gym has been my life since I was a kid, I need to help others, it keeps me motivated. If you read this, and are a member of the MOVE Program, do as I am going to, Take Charge! Make the Move Program be more like the name implies!
Weight Loss through Weight Training?
If you are over-weight, this may interest you, if you are over-fat, this may help you, if you don’t know which one you are, this may clear it up. What happens when you get on a scale? Does it yell, “One at a time PLEASE!” or does it show a number that doesn’t tell you why your pants no longer fit?
Soon, I will be posting my personal training and FAT-LOSS reports, I am currently waiting on software to do this, and once I have it, I will tell you all about it, how to use it, and why you may need it to get the best results in your battle of the bulge!
For now, the topic is what does Over-Weight mean to you? To me, it means nothing, I am used to not fitting the “standard” height/weight requirements, I am a freak, according to them, and maybe you are too. These standard charts do work out ok as a guideline for most people, but, if you have a “wider” frame, with more muscle than a “normal” person, it may scare the heck out of you!
Below is what the chart says for me, here is the link to the whole chart.
|
5’7″ |
138-145 |
142-154 |
149-168 |
|---|
As you can see, there are three columns, one each for small, medium, and large frames, I currently weigh 278.8, that means I am 110.8 pounds over the max for large frames! Obviously, this chart does not work for me, according to my height, weight and measurements, I currently have 35.28% bodyfat total, which is down from 37.13% two weeks ago, my goal is about 12-15%. Based on the numbers I have, I still need to lose about 20-23% bodyfat, See where the confusion comes in?
In the last two weeks I have lost 3.8 pounds and just under 2% bodyfat (BF), but, I have gone from 104.93lbs (BF) to 98.36lbs (BF), that is a loss of 6.57lbs of fat! At the same time, I have increased my lean weight (LW) from 177.67lbs (LW) to 180.44lbs (LW) for a gain of 2.77lbs (LW).
If I were to stay at this same rate, in twenty weeks, I should lose 38 pounds total weight (TW), 65.7lbs of fat, and gain 27.7lbs (LW), lets do the math and see if this works out right. Subtract 65.7lb from 278.8, then add 27.7lb, that comes to 240.8lbs (TW) and ten times 1.85% (BF) is 18.5% (BF), which would put me at 16.78% (BF), I would be almost to my goal, but, wait a minute, I would still weight 72.8lbs too much, according to the chart!
Can you see my point? I know that the actual numbers over the next 20 weeks will vary from what we used here, but once I can print the reports, it will be easier to show you, who knows, it could be even better!
My point here is to ignore the charts! Measure your bodyfat and track your progress that way. Weight training is better than any aerobic training alone, because you will not gain any lean body weight, you will just lose weight, from both muscle, and fat! Yes, treadmills and such do play a part in getting your heart beating and burning calories, but, if you train properly with weights, you can get there and be stronger in the process. Personally, I would rather stay fat, than be a tiny little guy from running, been there, done that, and yet, never got below 14% body fat! So, get in the gym, move some Iron and watch your body change!
The Math: Sets and Reps Explained
One of the mysteries for beginners, and even some old timers, is the math of sets and reps. In this article, I will explain it, the answer may surprise you.
When you see a workout routine written in sets and reps, the basics are easy, one set is equal to one group of repetitions for one exercise, and the weight used for that set, like this.
Week one – three Bench Press
1 x 12-15 x 95lb
Sounds pretty simple so far, but what is meant by 12-15 reps? Is it just putting any weight on there, then doing 12-15 repetitions? No! When you write out your routine, you need to know how many reps you can do, MAXIMUM, for that weight. Lets assume that I can do only twelve repetitions of that 95 pounds, in that case, my goal is to do more than my maximum, that is how you get stronger, and you know when to add more weight.
The first week, all I can do is 12 reps, the second week, I should do 13 or 14, the third week I should do 14 or 15, then, for weeks four to six I would add weight, not reps. In the above illustration, 95 pounds, which is the bar, 45 pounds, and two 25 pound plates, for a total of 95 pounds. So, in the second week, I would use two 35 pound plates, for a total of 115 pounds, like this.
Week four – six Bench Press
1×12-15x135lb
Now, why is it I added 20lbs? Simple, if you can do 15 reps of 95, you should be able to do 12 of 115, even if you can only do 11, don’t worry about it, that is your goal, it is not supposed to be easy. As far as I am concerned, those little bitty plates, less than 25lbs, are useless, unless maybe for a keychain or something.
In this example I am using a standard 12-15 reps, this is a general fitness type of set, if you want to do more, for endurance, thats ok, just remember, it is the maximum weight for X repetitions, but in any case, I don’t recommend doing more than 15 if you want to get stronger, and then, I would use 15 as a warm up. A typical Bench Press routine would look something like this.
Week one -three Bench Press
- 1x15x45 (empty bar)
- 1×12-15×95
- 1×10-12×115
- 1×4-10×135
Week four -six Bench Press
- 1x15x45 (empty bar)
- 1×12-15×115
- 1×10-12×135
- 1×4-10×155
Of course you have to know what numbers to plug into this, if all you can bench is the empty bar for a few reps, thats ok, go from there. This is just an example for an average person, in average shape, your specific needs may vary, and as always, make sure you are healthy enough, talk to your doctor before beginning anything new.
Free Weights vs Machines, what works best?
Free Weights and Machines both have a purpose, and even though I am seriously biased, whatever works for you is a good thing.
Having this said, there is a difference, a factual one that cannot be denied, no matter what your opinion says, they are different. I am an IronHead, and for me, Free Weights will always make up the biggest part of my training, but, I do use machines for some things, but, what is the difference?
When you are doing a Bench Press with free weights, there are many tiny muscles that are used to stabilize the weight, with a machine, the machine does the stabilizing for you. If you want to throw those rubber-band gizmos into the mix, it is basically the same as any machine, but, it pulls in its own direction, not just that of gravity, which is straight down. That pretty much covers it, but I will get into more detail below.
Free Weights
Take a look at the picture of the Weight Rack, what is wrong with it? Notice how the different sized plates are all mixed up? That is just wrong! That rack is designed for three sizes, and should be so, because those little bitty things are of no use when you train, properly, something I will get into in detail in another article.
When using Free Weight, the first indicator should be the name itself, free weight, no, that is not the price, it simply means that weight is free to go where gravity pulls it. No matter which exercise, if it can be done with Free weights, you will get more out of it, because there are so many more muscles involved, free weights do not isolate a specific muscle, but an entire group of muscles. With free weights, you use different benches for different angles to hit the entire muscle group, not different machines. Do this test, if you are a regular machine lover, just try doing the same weight as the machine, with free weights, you will immediately notice the difference.
The downside to Free Weights is that when you get to the heavier weights, it is good to have a spotter, something not needed with a machine.
Weight Machines
The good side to weight machines, like the one in the picture, is that you can get a full body workout in no time, almost like circuit training, but take a peek at the weight stack, a beginner should be able to max out the machine in just a few months, then what?
Machines come in several types for different purposes, some for home use, which is another advantage over free weights, a machine takes up less space, but, in some cases cost more than a total set-up with Free weights. At the gym, you will see the machines set up in groups, and can be very beneficial for everyone, they do have a purpose. Many people get taught as a beginner on the machines only, and then tend to just stick with them, which is ok, if that is your thing, but, if you want to get strong, Free Weights are a must.
Now, I am going to talk about the biggest joke in the fitness world as far as I’m concerned, bu
t yes, they do have a purpose. The rubber-band gizmos, are fine for those that just want to do something to make them sweat. I don’t care who the “expert” is that they hire to do a commercial, they are useless if you want to gain any mass or strength. These gizmos, will give you a good workout if you have to skip the gym one day, but, even if you buy the expensive ones, that have up to 400lbs of resistance, the movement is unnatural, and does not give you the best bang for your buck, if you really want to train right, and get bigger or stronger, but, they are kinda cute.
Free Weights and Machines, even the rubber-band gizmos, can all give you a workout, it is up to you to decide which is best, For You, look at what your needs are, what your goals are, then decide. Either way, just move something, control your diet, and stay as active as you can. I know that many veterans have limits that prohibit using certain things, for those of you, use what works for you, just keep it fun, never let it become a chore that you dread, because if it is fun, you will stick with it!
Over Weight or Over Fat? Running vs Weight Training?
If you served in the military, before 1983, you may not have experienced the first changes that I know of, about weight restrictions. I joined the Army in 1982, and for my height, 5′ 7″, the limit was 205 pounds, I know this, because that is what I weighed and was told that I was at the limit for my height. This was of course after basic, and AIT, was after passing my PT test at my unit in Germany, and was just part of their physical requirement check-up. I was not fat, not even close, but, I was at the max for my height. Within 6 months, when the next evaluation came along, I of course passed my PT test again, but this time, 205 pounds was over weight! The chart used at that time said I was to be no more than 176 pounds, that is now, 29 pounds over weight! I hadn’t changed, the chart did!
From what I have read, the Army is using body fat along with the height/weight/age chart now, that is good news, because I would not wish what I have been through on anybody! (Read This, Click Here)
After being told that I was now fat (over-weight), I was shocked, but that was just the beginning of the embarrassment, they put me in an extra-PT group and we had to do PT twice a day! This by itself was fine, it got me out of the boring, motor pool and do maintainance routine, but there I was, with a bunch of fatties from the head shed, like clerks, secretaries, and such. The spec-5 that was in charge of our PT was so fat he breathed hard just standing there! All of my fellow platoon members, were rolling on the ground laughing, it was awful! We went on a run, around the block, not even a mile, and I was one of maybe four or five that made it all the way, and, it was my first time to be the one calling cadence, because the spec-5 was the firt to fall out, he didn’t make it out of the gate!
The next day, Top called me into his office and put me in charge of the Fat Platoon, that is what they called us, made up of the over weight and failed PT test group, and I was instructed to get everybody in the group Fit! I said, “Yes!, First Sargent” and walked out to the group. I was an E3, but now, I was in charge of getting about 20 tubbies in shape, so, I marched everybody to the gym! Now, I am loving this extra PT, I get to go to the gym on Army time, not mine! I started the group off with a sort of circuit training, using the limited equipment we had, an old Universal Machine, a stationary bike, a jump-rope or two, and of course Free Weights and a basketball court. We were a bit disorganized at first, but, it worked out pretty good.
After about 2 weeks, my CO, an arrogant, skinny, pencil-neck, geek, was mad, because he never saw us do anything, he wanted to see us running, so, I got called into Top’s office again, where he informed me what the CO wanted, again, I said, “Yes, First Sargent” and walked out to my “trainees” and told them we had to go for a run at least once a week, and I fibbed a bit, and told them that we had to do at least two miles or I was getting replaced, and that the extra PT was going to just be running from now on, when we marched out the gate, I have never heard such a loud group of but maybe 20 soldiers, something was different about them, and me, I was actually proud, not embarrassed!
Once we were about 5 minutes underway, we still had a tight formation, no one was lagging or falling out, we were actually picking up speed! Here we are, the “Fat Platoon”, and we are running! Where we ran, there were only a few options, places where the sidewalk was wide enough, or a street that was not too busy, even to just turn around and go back the way we had come, without stopping, which kills momentum. Since around the block was not allowed this time, we had to do at least a mile, according to Top. Our options on this road were, around the block, one mile, two miles, or the next was just over three. As we got close to the cut-off for one mile, the squad was going strong, and something strange happened, the whole squad wanted to do 2 miles! So, we passed that first turn, there was no turning back, it was either two miles or failure!
As we ran, all the way through the gate, it was now time for the afternoon formation, and everybody, every platoon, every battery, every single soldier at Bismark Kaserne was outside, watching us, all of us, not even one had fallen out, so, instead of just stopping, we make a victory lap, all around the inside of the Kaserne, about a quarter mile rectangle, past every single formation, and all the way back to our unit, which is right at the front gate. As we stopped, I didn’t have to tell them that they had done a great job, they knew it, you could see the look on every single face. I dismissed the squad to their platoons, we were about 5 minutes late to formation.
The next morning was our “Brigade Run”, which meant that everyone from the Kaserne went on one big group run, before formation, Top called me aside and told me to go the Headquarters building and get the Brigade colors, which is a big flag, I was thinking that I was just supposed to bring the flag back to Top, but,as I get there, the harness to help support the thing, was strapped on me, I knew what that meant, I had to run 7 miles with about a 50 pound flag! Whats worse, is that it meant I was running in front of the entire brigade!
The next day, the “Fat Platoon” was given 6 weeks to train as we pleased, then those that had not passed the previous PT test were to take it over, everyone passed! Then came the weigh in, guess what, each one of us had gained weight! Now I am guessing, but I would say that the average for the group, we had lost at least 3-5 inches in the waist, some were a lot more, some were less, but, everyone was in better shape.
After all of this, those of us that were the “over weight” group, had to get a fat test, if we passed great, but, if we failed, we would be barred from re-enlistment, awards, or anything positive, then, would be given another 2 months to lose the rest of the “weight” or get kicked out of the Army, NO ONE FAILED! All of us had room to spare, we were over weight, but not over fat!
By using weight training, we had all gotten stronger, this had made it easier for us to run, do push-ups, and the fat loss had made sit-ups a breeze, so, get in the gym, push some iron, ignore the scale, and get fit!
Sick Call:The Sick, Lame, and the Lazy!
January 22, 2010 by CarpetGuy · 2 Comments
Do you remember what sick call was like? For me, it was a nightmare that I lived through too many times. In Basic Training, the Drill Sargent would always refer to anyone that was hurt or sick, and went on sick call, as the Sick, Lame and the Lazy, and now, society still looks at it that way, if you miss a day of work, get hurt, or anything else, everyone still talks about you.
As much as I hate to, I have to say it, there are a lot of people who do fit in the Lazy group, and, it is probably the same in the VA, but as of yet, I don’t think I have met anyone like that. Military people in general are the hardest working, most team oriented people in the country, but yes, we do tend to party a bit too much, and that has added to our problems later in life, but, if anyone can overcome it, we can.
Anyone that thinks the government should control health Care in this country, needs to go ask a veteran at the VA how it is working for them, the one asking would quickly change their minds, but, I do not blame the doctors, nurses, or most of the people who work there, it is simply the size of the bureaucracy, the red tape, rules and regulations. I know that I appreciate what I get, even if it takes a long time, I am unable to work, have no income, but do not qualify for, nor would I accept, Medicaid, being able to go to the VA is something every veteran has earned, we bought and paid for it by giving our time, and for many, our body parts in service to our country.
Now that I am older, and in the VA system, I see first hand how many of us there must be, that have gotten old and out of shape, but I believe than almost anyone can get healthier with better eating habits, and some form of excersize, even if it is just moving a few feet at a time, yes, age, and health conditions do prohibit many from any serious activity, myself included, but, we can get better. Getting fit, does not mean that you have to pass a PT test, but, losing body fat will help anyone that is “over weight”, I hate that term, because weight is not what matters, it is that we are “over fat”! Remember that, lose fat, which is actually very light in actual weight compared to muscle, but, it adds weight in places that cause our posture to get bad, which by itself can cause injuries to feel worse than they actually are, I am hoping that is the case for me and that by losing fat, and exercising, I will once again be able to walk and stand for extended periods of time, which will add even more fat burning power to what I am able to do now.
If you are considering starting any type of activity, and you have health concerns, always talk to your doctor first, and if you experience any physical problems during exercise, go back and tell your doctor, he or she may be able to give you information that can help prevent injury, so just be safe, but get off your butts and move something!
Which is your favorite gym or fitness center?
I have trained at so many different gyms, I could not even begin to list them, I think there were three where I lived in Germany, and probably twenty to thirty, maybe more, here in Texas, and two in Tampa Florida, needless to say, I am an Iron Head, I believe in heavy weights, and sadly, many gyms no longer offer such a thing and have replaced iron with treadmills and stair steppers and such, which are all useful, but way down on the scale of importance to me, I would rather have 150-200 pound dumbbells!
I am now training (working out) at Gold’s Gym, College Station, Texas, and I have to say, in today’s world of “Fitness Centers”, Gold’s is right at the top, they have dumbbells up to 120 pounds, I think, It will be a while before I am using the heavy ones any way, probably six months or so. Gold’s in College Station, does not have a pool or racquet ball or any of that stuff, and I have no use for that anyway, and it keeps the kids off of my squat rack! Really, those “Fitness Centers” have so many people just going there to play, get a date, or kill time hanging out with friends, they are a distraction, when I am in the Gym, it is me and the iron, nothing else matters.
When it comes to my favorite gym, I would have to say Costa’s, in Houston, before they closed the location where I was training and I had to go to the main one. That gym was tiny, but, had plenty of weight, in racks all over the place, and very few of the “girly” machines that are no good for anything but taking up space, and dumbbells up to 200 pounds. I also trained at a ruthlessly brutal gym in Germany, where almost everybody was so “roided out” it was scary, but I loved it.
I have to drive 45 minutes just to get to a town that has a Gym of any kind, and there are but two choices, Gold’s and Aerofit, and about ten years ago, I got kicked out of Aerofit for breaking the ancient leg press they had then, and probably still do now, by putting too much weight on it, all I did was load it up with maybe 800 pounds and it derailed! Golds has an awesome leg press, back in the day, it was a “Neptune 2000″, I think it is the same machine, but the sticker is gone, anyway, it has four spindles on the sides for weight and in a year or so, I will see if it can still hold 2000 pounds. All of the people who I have talked to there seem very nice and helpful, and the way they have the workout areas set up, it is divided into sections, “girly” machines, circuit training, some kind of aerobics class room (or whatever they call it now), then dumbbells along one wall, with the heavy ones on the end, which is also the area where the good stuff is located, like the squat racks, deadlift platform and leg press and such. I am very happy there, and, they just opened a “Smoothie Bar”, if you like that kind of stuff.
If you are in my area, and need a training partner, let me know, and I will be glad to share what I know and love, Iron!