So true. And I can’t tell you how happy it makes me when that happens. I can’t be the only one, right? It’s really less about being lazy and not wanting to walk far and more about how I hate wasting time searching for a place to park.
And I get so happy when I find a treadmill open right away. I settled into my 3.25 mile run last night and my legs were flying. It felt so good.
There’s a weird dynamic at the gym. It seems like cardio is considered “girly” and the weights are considered “manly.”
And these big guys, you know the ones–jacked up muscles and big egos–seem to think that they have priority over the weight machines. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been doing my weights and some jacked up guy stands right next to my machine trying to pressure me to hurry up. Yet these types of guys will hog a machine for a good 20 minutes. It seems to me that because I’m a girl I shouldn’t be able to use a machine they want.
Tsk tsk tsk. What these guys don’t know is that I’m a raging feminist and when they try to pressure me that just motivates me to do a few more sets. 🙂 Just because I’m a girl doesn’t mean I can’t lift weights too!
I was feeling upbeat and energized after my workout.
Gym Stats:
Time: 1:28
Calories Burned: 653
I got home to find a “Everything in the fridge” dinner. It was good too!
Cheese ravioli with pesto, steamed broccoli and shrimp. It sounds like those things wouldn’t go well together but they really did. It all tasted lovely.
I reheated some leftover acorn squash as my side because I was extra hungry. We settled in to watch Top Chef. I’m not happy with who went home. I think this season has been a weird season–people who don’t really deserve to be in the final group somehow made it and it’s baffling. Yet Fabio went home too early? Lame.
I have a quickie Giveaway! (Updated 3/11/11: CLOSED)
It’s a book I got when I joined Curves back in the day. It’s used and there are some notations in it but it’s not beat up and it’s a great resource. There’s information on how to meal plan, WHAT to eat at each meal, calorie information and recipes.
It’s a GREAT starter guide for someone who’s not sure where to start. I used it a lot as a resource for looking up calorie information.
If one of my readers would like this book to get them started, leave a comment on this post and I’ll try to mail it out before I leave on vacation. I’ll pick a winner tomorrow!
Update: The winner must live in the US. Sorry!
Since we’re talking about weight loss (and thank you for all the nice comments on yesterday’s post), Carbzilla said something really profound: “Food solves hunger and nothing else.” That’s an excellent mantra to have!
QUESTION: Are you ever treated differently at the gym because you’re a woman? How do you deal with it?
Amber from Girl with the Red Hair
I know EXACTLY what kind of guys you’re talking about. My gym in my old town used to be majorly into bodybuilding (owner is a national bodybuilding champion, they host the yearly bodybuilding show etc.) Anyways, THOSE guys and girls used to be all over that gym. I felt like the hardcore bodybuilding girls were just as bad as the guys, felt like THEY had priority over the machines. It was annoying.
Lisa Eirene
Isn’t it weird? Like I guess I can get that way if someone is just SITTING on a machine, playing with their phone and not using it. I might ask them if I can work through on the machine. But if a machine I want to use is being used I’m not going to stand there glaring at them until they move! I’ll use something else until it’s free. It’s such a weird thing!
Susan
Agreed!! The girls training for competitions are just as bad as the guys.
Also, the only time I don’t appreciate chivalry is at the gym. When I’m having trouble loading plates or adjusting equipment, and a man comes over to help me, I get PISSED 😛
Lisa Eirene
YES!! Me too! It is so annoying when I’m using the machines and I can usually remove the plates by myself. It never fails–a guy comes over and offers to help. Which is nice, I guess, but I can do it myself. I’m pretty sure if I’m using the machine I can move a 40 pound weight. 🙂
jaki williams
omgosh ur dinner looked delish! enter me for the giveaway peass 🙂
Beth @ Beth's Journey to Thin
That is so annoying! I think I feed into that statistic unfortunately because I don’t do weights very much. After I’m doing with my half marathon later this month, I really want to focus on lifting weights and getting more toned. I would do the same thing though – do more sets and take up the machine for longer if someone was pressuring me to get off!
Lisa Eirene
It’s passive aggressive and petty, but hey, if they’re going to pressure me, that’s what I’m going to do!
Amy Ramos
Oh I would love that!! Since I do not have an iphone (boo) the apps for food and exercise suck big time so I have to
Yes, I know I am looked at differently b/c a)I am a woman b)I am short and look overweight c) I appear younger than I am. I even get double takes from women too! I try to ignore it as I am there the same reason they are-to be healthy!
Lisa Eirene
Yep! We’re all there for the same reason. We should play nice. 🙂
Lori
I find it depends on the guy how they act towards me. I just try to go about my business. Since I am mostly in the free weight section, and one of only 2 women that use the free weights (at least during the time that I go), most of the guys have gotten used to me. Some of them surreptitiously watch me, which is funny, because I will do something unusual and about 10 minutes later I will see a guy doing the same exact move.
One time I was getting dumbbells out and a guy came over and asked if I needed help. I looked at him funny and said “I am going to work out with these, why would I need help getting them of the rack??” I think he then realized how silly that was 😀
Some guys won’t move for nothing and I ask to work in. Only once have I been told no – which was a shocker. He said he didn’t want to have to set everything up again.
It actually seems to be an age thing. The older men are more accepting of me in the free weight area and talk to me more than the younger ones. At least around here. Maybe because the younger ones come in groups.
Lisa Eirene
How did you respond to the guy that said no? That’s the one reason I haven’t asked a guy if I could work through on the machine. If he says no I don’t know that I could bite my tongue and be polite. 😉
I think your response to the guy wanting to help you with the plates is AWESOME. I will remember that one and use it next time. I actually snorted my water a little bit at that one!
Jennifer
What I hate about my gym is there is literally one set, ONE set of 5 lbs. dumbbells. And the trainers are always hogging them to use with their clients! I generally use heavier weights, but there’s one move I like doing that I can only use 5 lbs. It’s so annoying!! Just because you’re a trainer, doesn’t mean the rest of us don’t need the equipment too!
Also, Top Chef, I TOTALLY agree with you! I hate to call her out, but what, WHAT is Tiffany still doing there??? I was shocked that she didn’t go home last week. I haven’t watched this week’s episode yet (DVR!), but I doubt I’ll like the outcome.
And I just love Richard. Maybe because I love his restaurant, Flip, but I love him.
Lisa Eirene
I’ve had one of the trainers at my gym actually tell me I couldn’t use a machine because she was using it with a client–yet she wasn’t. I could have done my set and been done with it before they needed it. Rude.
I love Richard too. He’s so likable!