The Truth on 7 Items in a Hardcore Gym Bag

Top 7 important things that should be in a hardcore gym bag:

1. Most important to me is my iPod! You have to have your own music to jam to while you're pushing that weight hot and heavy. The shit thats plays in most gyms is enough to put you to sleep and if you train as early as I do. You need Metallica, Rick Ross, and Eminem. Wake up people! This is a damn Gym you're walking into! This is my playground so if you want to play...these are the rules.

2. Wrist wraps, knee wraps, and elbow wraps. You'll need this stuff if you've been in this as long as I have. Your body starts to make noises and cringes as you push that heavy weight around. NOT GOOD! Do yourself a favor and get these wraps.

3. A good post workout/during workout supplement to sip while you're training to replenish the body while under fire.

4. Definitely a towel of some sort because whether if you're a heifer or a twig, you will sweat! So clean up after yourself please!

5. Notebook. This is a bible for some and has every workout from the day they first entered the gym until the day they fall down or disappear. It's the holy grail to many. It tells them their previous moods, how they felt after they have done their sets, what weights they have used and their body weight at that time. Some runners use iPod and iPhone apps to track their runs for the same purpose. It tells them how far they run, their pace, calories they burn and show a map of where they've gone. Both are great ways to go back and reflect and see your progression.


6. Chalk in a little container. This is for the hardcore and they know it! Heavy deadlifts, heavy bench, etc. If you can find a gym now-a-days that will allow you to use it you're in luck. Most guys make a mess and it gets all over and then all the little pus__s cry to the front desk and that gimmick is done. Years and years ago this was common practice in my gym and that's why I trained there. Because the atmosphere was REAL not some made up place with stickers and door clings showing smiling people losing weight as they do it! Hell no! The people's faces should be grimacing in pain if they are really working!! No pain no gain!

7. Finally a little hidden stash in your bag of some kind of candy bar or nutrition bar that's high in sugar in case you start to feel like you're going to pass out and your sugar levels are crashing. Reach in and eat this for that little pick up to save your ass from crashing to the floor and passing out.


What are your must-haves for your gym bag? Are my top 7 in your gym bag? Let me know.


The Truth

Workout Wednesday: The Truth About How to Act at the Gym

I think we need to start with gym etiquette before we get into workout ideas and routines so you don’t get your heads ripped off by a guy like me who is totally into my routine and doesn’t have time for ignorance or stupidity. Some people don’t know better so if you’re one of those people learn now with five rules to live by at the gym:

Cleanliness

Always bring your self a towel so you don’t sweat all over the equipment or on the bench. This is common courtesy that you would expect from your fellow humans. But there are the few who apparently think they don’t sweat and when they get up leave huge puddles of swamp ass on the seat or bench. Why?

Hygiene

Brush your teeth and spray some deodorant on before walking into this wonderful closed environment we call the "GYM" and I call HOME! You can say this too if you have trained as long as I have. My point being, I don’t go to your house and stink up your place so don’t do it in mine!

Space

Now this one is one of the worst and I see it happen all the time. You happen to be using a piece of equipment or standing there doing an exercise and some nucklehead walks right up on top of you and invades your space! You look to your left and you look to your right and there is enough area to land a plane on but no…this person has to be in your lap. Again I ask myself why? Just remember to give your fellow gym rat the space needed to breath and you will never get that nasty- I am going to knock you out with my dumbbells look. It could save some of you your lives!

Equipment

Next, please pick up your own weights and put them back were they belong. Unless you’re Ronnie Coleman or Jay Cutler you have no excuse to leave the weights or the equipment on the floor! I’m not your mommy or daddy who needs to clean up after you!

Grunting

Last but not least, THIS IS FOR ALL THE GRUNTERS WHO YELL AND GROWL. If you are going to do this make sure you have more than 135 lbs. on the bench press brother if you’re going to have me and everyone else look at you- please...make it worth my time!

If you can follow these basic rules you are ready to work out. Has any of this stuff happened to any of you? If so, tell me about it. Also, leave me a comment with your gym etiquette peeves for those knuckleheads that don’t know. Until next time, chow.

The Truth