just a little story.

[hallanole]

so guess what. i joined the gym with my girls. pam and i put our kiddies in the daycare and we hit the equiment.

let me tell you. this is tough. I can handle the bike and tredmill. yeah i have medical reasons so i'm taking my time.

so we went thurs morning. great fun. all old people so i didn't feel bad that i was dying after an hour. and more so since i'm a quitter in the smoking game. lol.

today we go and not only is the gym packed but the eye candy was unbelieveable.

i totally embarrased myself too. i borrowed my girls button down adidas pants and i snapped open while i though i was reaching in my pocket. so yes loads of guys got a peak at halla's panties if they were looking in my direction. *prays they weren't*

the best part was i died laughing when i recongized people from my highschool. teachers to top it off.

ok ok i will admit, i'm guilty of people watching... this place just helps the giggle factor.

[squirrley]

what is it about the gym? I tried it once or twice-guess i feel more comfortable doing my own thing at home-to prevent the little embarassing moments. Maybe one day I'll get the nerve and get back...

Good for you Halla girl!!! Hey know whats the best machine? When you can you do the legs and you push in and out! Or when youre working your arms-and your tits just seem to flare up or something...I love those two the most!!!

[hallanole]

i focus on my legs. i have a bad hip. so i do the easy stuff. and no arms for me. i have nothing to work with there. lol. actually i'm going to wait to go there. i'm going to tone my legs and belly. my friends are doing major stuff.

so yeah my schedual just increased. i have no clue how i'm going to manage. i've already accomplished making the day 36 hours long... can i manage 48??? lol

[Ironliftr3]

Welcome to the world of sado masochism! It's a great ride, and well worth the effort! Let me know if I can help you any Halla.

Yes, depending on the type of gym you're going to, they can very much be meat markets. Want to avoid the being gawked at? Go at 6 am like I do! But remember, EVERYONE started new at some point, no one that I know looks down at a newbie (and you can always tell!) for not knowing what they are doing. And if you feel overwhelmed or don't know how to do something, ASKS SOMEBODY. Unless this gym is totally different than any I've ever worked out in, no one with any self respect will hesitate to help somebody new out. We've ALL been there, I'm always happy to help somebody who needs a bit of guidance.

As far as the time, consider it an investment. You WILL gain the time you spend in the gym, and then some, in the fact that every hour of your day will become more productive once you are in decent shape. It pays for itself. Not to mention the stress reliefe. Stick to it, if not for yourself, for your DAUGHTER.

[hallanole]

aww thanks iron.

yeah i'm mostly doing minor stuff. getting off my lazy butt and building some strength back. i would walk around but after a year of living here, i still have yet to find the block. i did find the llama's.

i won't have a prob asking someone for help, so long as i don't get checked out. lmao!

i just did at work today. all day long. must be this newfound confidence i'm feeling.

[Breezy18]

Halla that's GREAT!! Only one word for the gym and that's sweeeeeeet!!!! I joined just over a year ago to lose weight but stayed because I LOVE how the exercises sculpt my body. It's amazing when you notice you actually have definition for the first time. And Iron's right Halla. Everyone at my gym was willing to help and give advice when I was new and didn't have a clue. (I still don't.........I just pretend to now............ ). I tried to do it at home like Squirrely, but I'm just not that disciplined. I NEED the gym atmosphere. It keeps me motivated. Good luck with it girl!

[BillyGalbreath]

Hmmmmm....... Maybe I should join a gym - It would get my ass off the computer and back into shape - and maybe I might meet new friends there...

I am going to have to look into this.... Money wise and stuff - I have time - 4 hours each night that I do absolutly nothing at all...

Yo Iron ! Would you recommend weight lifting, running, or whatever else... I really just want to work on my upper body and abs. My legs are strong as hell already (I can lift 900 pounds with my legs, but only about 100 with my arms)

[Ironliftr3]

Billy, it depends what your goals are. You need to decide the 'reason' you are working out. I would ALWAYS suggest some form of resistance training, in addition to cardio/aerobic training (running, biking, etc). The question lies in the amount of time you want to dedicate to each.

Whatever you do, DON'T become one of these guys who only works upper body. BIG mistake. Legs are 50% of your body, and should recieve 50% attention. Plus, chicks dig a guy with good legs, right Squirrley?

[BillyGalbreath]

my reason to workout is to do with alot of things - looks, health, girls, bordom etc etc... i have been wanting to do it for awhile but never made the move to do it. But the thing that has always made me want to do it is the looks - I am tired of having a gut and shit.. I want to be built, but not big. I dont want my arms to be bigger than my head and I dont want my legs to be bigger than my waist - if ya know what I mean. I just want to be able to look at myself in the mirror and thing 'wow'. So yeah... just enough to 'turn heads' I guess. Slightly above average, but not as big as you. I think too much muscle is ugly - no offence man.

And about the leg thing - I know that the legs are 50% of the body - but my legs are fine - there is no fat on my thighs or anything. My legs are HUGE. They have always been muscular - i do alot with my legs tho on a daily basis i guess. alot of squating, running, heavy lifting, etc etc... I dont just sit behind a computer desk at work - I do alot of things -- and plus having a 14 month old son keeps in a bit of shape - but not enough that I want...

And yes, I have decided to change my diet. I dont really know what to look for or eat anymore - But I have made a start by staying away from fast food and sweets. I prolly wont 'count' carbs or calories, I am not that obsessed with my looks, but I have started to eat healthier foods.

My main areas that I want is to cut down my body fat a bit to allow my existing muscles to show thru and at the same time to make my muscles bigger. Mainly in my abs, chest, and arms - in that order from highest priority to least.

If one was to look at me naked (and ignored my goods) you would notice that my gut is not a gut, but it has alot of 'flab' or 'loose skin' there from when I was fatter. I also have a bit of 'love handles' - i can prolly pinch 3 to 4 inches of skin on my stomach and about 2 inches from my sides. My chest does have any fat or loose skin but my muscles are small there. My arms have a small bit of fat and decent muscles - but you cant see the muscles very well because of the fat on my arms. My back has no fat and is extremely musclular. and my legs have no fat and are extremely muscular.

Hmm.. I hope I gave you a good visual of my bod because I am NOT going to post a pic of me - its too embarrassing for me.

Well now you know my goals and where I sit today. I have never had any advice and I know nothing about where to even begin... So yeah - I am dumber than a newb here. I really need it to be broken down into lamens terms and step by step crap if you could. PM me later tonight on aim or something if you want to know anymore about me or my looks - I would not feel comfortable going any more detailed than I already have out here in public eyes...

[squirrley]

Billy-youve made a big step-YOU STARTED TO CHANGE YOUR DIET!!! good for you man! When I started on this-oh I went extreme for me-but it worked-now Ive become kinda at the bla stage-nothings changing...hence me starting to talk to Iron.

Hes awesome at explaining things to us dummies who dont know shit about the right combinations of nutrition/exercise.

I dont want the muscular look either-just want to lose the last of the belly and maybe an inch on the waists-but I feel great NOW! And I want to look that extra tad better. Theres always room for improvement for myself. But you HAVE to want it! And stick to it!

It looks like for the most part a lot of us are getting into the "gotta get into the shape mode!" yea for us!!

[Ironliftr3]

Just remember, it's a long journey. I've been doing this for ten years, probably spend five figuring out what does and doesn't work, and learning how my body reacts do different stresses. Now I can gain and lose 25 pounds in a matter of a few months (off season to summer). It's a learning process for everyone, and there are no shortcuts, only HARD WORK. The ability and desire to work hard is what seperates the haves from the have-nots.

[Breezy18]

. The ability and desire to work hard is what seperates the haves from the have-nots.

SO true Iron. In ALL aspects of life. My ability is always there, but the desire fluctuates from day to day. You just gotta give yourself a smack in the butt every once in a while. Remeber why you're doing the things you're doing.