if you workout...you'll understand
Mens' Fitness 10 commandments
1. thou shalt not dress like a herb
wear sweatpants,a t-shirt, and sneakers. never workout in jeans or a polo shirt or, even worse, the duds you painted your garage in. you don't need lift gloves either.
2. thou shalt not get between a lifter and a mirror
mirrors serve three purposes: to check out your form, check out yourself, and check out hot girls. Don't disturb this harmonious balance by putting your scrawny ass in the way.
3. thou shalt not fall for "I only have a few sets left"
picture this: you have one exercise left, there's only one piece of gym equipment you can do it with, and somebody's beaten you to it. you ask if you can "work in" with him, but he assures you it's all yours after he does "one or two more sets". Lies, all lies. his concept of one set could take as long as your workout, so find a substitute exercise or jump in when he goes for water.
4. when spotting, thou shalt not deadlift a bench press
if your buddy gets in trouble on the bench press, don't immediately deadlift the bar off his chest and onto the support rack. instead lightly touch the underside of the bar, giving him just enough help to get the weight back up.
5. thou shalt not replace the pin on the weight stack
when you've finished your sets ona machine, just get up and go. screw 'em
6. though shalt not flap your gums
taking extra time between sets to socialize with your gym buddy or road test pickup lines on a gym bunny cuts down on your intensity. remember, you're working out, not hanging out.
7. thou shalt not do curls in the squat rack
feel tempted to rest the bar on the safter rods between sets? don't.
8. thou shalt not tell anyone they're "doing it wrong"
there are scads of variations on many exercises, some of which can look downright deadly but are still highly effective. anyway, you're a newbie, so what do you know about the proper form?
9. thou shalt not use the leg adductor or abductor machine
in case you didn't notice, they're for chicks (or atleast that's the perception). performing variationsof the squat, lunge, and deadlift will build all the muscle your legs will ever need --without having your manhood challenged.
10. thou shalt not wait long for someone to return
think someone's still using a piece of equipment, but he's nowhere to be found? give him 30 seconds to return before you claim it. if he's jacked, give him a full minute, safety first.