Hey Friends!

Hope this all finds you on your whey and doing healthy things for yourself. It’s getting cold here in Michigan the fall colors are getting close to peek already; time sure passes fast.

Well, as you all know I am a huge Biggest Loser fan. I am facebook friends with a lot of the players past and present. It’s exciting reading the contestants postings, seeing their success and challenges. Oh, this Saturday Helen Philips season 7 winner will be in my town! I am going to try and get to meet her maybe even lucky enough to get my picture with her. She lives in Michigan about 2 hours away from me.

I like to write down good things people say while watching the show and like to share with my fans. Words have powerful healing truths in them and you never know what you say may change another persons life.

Make it conscious; why you do the things you do. If you are not aware you can not fix it.

The only failure is not trying.

When losing: eat berries for your fruit, no cheese, use cauliflower for a mash potato fix, steam or roast your veggies, avoid sautéed or pan fried foods

Bring your calorie counter where ever you go

When going out to eat look at the restaurants online menu and pick out your food before you go. Don’t be afraid to ask how the food is prepare and don’t be afraid to put in a special request

Control your environment

Choices have to have a purpose behind them

How about those beans, friends. Something to think about.

Oh my gosh…Biggest Loser has a resort where anyone can go! Look it up biggest loser resort. What a dream that would be to go. Unfortunately unless we win the lotto or someone pays for me it just does not seem possible at this time. If I did get the chance, I think I would have to go for 8 weeks, because I have never been thin. I do not even know what it feels like. I was a fat baby, a fat child a fat teen, a fat adult. I was fat all through my pregnancies; I got married fat and am still fat. Granted, I did lose 30 pounds this pass year using Designer Whey great protein powders. I generally stick with the weight control powders and the biggest loser powders which are all great and have really helped me. But it’s not enough for me. I have to learn how to be a thin and healthy person because I have never been there. My best efforts have not been good enough. No matter the effort I end back where I started. It’s frustrating. I am 41 and have never jumped on a trampoline with my kids…and they have asked since they were little munchkins. I have to say no…because I am over the weight limit for the trampoline. I am seriously thinking about trying out for season 10…we shall see.

One thing the trainers keep saying is to control your environment. I have never been in a “controlled” environment when it comes to health. My parents owned a restaurant, my grand parents owned a party store; I never saw my parents exercising. Food and junk were always around me and no one taught me healthy ways. Sure I can read about it, I can watch videos on it, I even can blog about it but I have never lived it. I need to live in a controlled environment to experience how to live and keep my environment “controlled”. The Biggest Loser show or resort has that controlled environment. Having a controlled environment is not easy. You can not even go to a gas station or grocery store, to the movies or restaurant and be in a controlled environment or could you… I was discussing this subject with my Chiropractor and said; about the “I can’t even go to a gas station and have a controlled environment. There is candy, chips, sodas, junk every where in a gas station”. He said…pay at the pump! HA! Something as simple as that. Now why didn’t I think of that?

Have blessed day friends! Can’t wait for next weeks show!

Camille

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Side note: for the next three phases of this ongoing mild rant I want to bring up what I like to call the IPod trio. These next three phases are more comical to me than annoying. I don’t get as mad at these three as I do all of the others, but none the less, these three are still bothersome to many people sharing the communal gym.

Phase Nine of “appropriate behavior at the gym: the do’s and don’ts, according to a guy with an opinion about anything and everything.”

Don’t: sing at the top of your lung while you listen to your IPod
It does not take a genius to realize that when you have your IPod volume cranked past “turn it the f’ down already,” your voice seems to project itself at higher decibels than usual. Why is this you ask, well it’s a matter of simple physicality’s really. You see the Lady Gaga Technocratic remix ft. Soulja Boy or whatever other god awful song you are blaring, is playing directly in your ear drum at a high level of capacity sound waves. This in turn blocks out external as well as internal interior sounds, like your own William Hung-like voice that makes you yourself want to cry whenever your head phones aren’t embedded in those tiny little ear drums of yours. And it’s perfectly ok that you have a dreadful singing voice, hell my own car radio tells me to shut up when I’m alone with it, that’s how bad my singing pipes are. Its not the signing itself that irritates others or makes me laugh, it’s the fact that everyone can hear you singing and on top of that everyone has to hear you at very high and extremely putrid levels. I do not want to be mid bench and have to hear your tone deaf acapella version of “loving you.” Last week I will have to say that I got a huge kick out of this exact scenario. I am in between a set of bicep curls just relaxing when out of no where this dude, this gargantuan of a human being actually, just bursts out into song (but of course only for a couple lines at a time). The dude next to me on the cable cross over machine  is in mid motion and completely falters and gets thrown off balance by this man’s startling yelp. It actually isn’t all that funny because the guy on the cable cross over machine totally almost rips his shoulder out of the socket when he was thrown off balance because of the tremendous singing talents of Baby Huey on the lat pull downs (waiting to start a new rep).

Do: keep it to yourself and sing in your head or under you breathe like the rest of us
Personally I could care less, I think it is hilarious. But after speaking with a couple of people at the gym and seeing its destructive effects on cross cable man, I realize that it is certainly a nuisance when people sing at the top of their lungs when they are listening to their IPods loudly at the gym. Listen – if you can hear me over your obnoxious singing voice – please just keep it in the voice box. There’s really not much else to say other than it is a spectacle or a distraction or in some cases a health hazard. So for the well being of others ear drums and limbs, try your best to not to let your inner Pavarotti out while in the gym. Once again this is simply my opinion, take it or leave it.

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Hey Friends!

I know you all are watching our favorite show that our favorite protein powders.…Oh yeah baby… The Biggest Loser show has begun and Designer Whey is the chosen protein meal! I love it and it’s good for us too!

Biggest Loser Proteins 10oz and 2GO

This season is so full of emotion, challenges and people over coming difficult past life experiences that have contributed to their weight. For me, I have never experienced being thin. I was a fat baby, a fat child, a fat teen, a fat adult, a fat mom and am a fat wife. Biggest Losers Season 8 sure has had a ton of information. So much information that I had to watch the shows two times to get the info down. I wanted to share some of my notes.

·        You can do it!
·        Realize how ill we are being obese
·        Let go of the past
·        Say you deserve to be happy
·        A lot of pounds are wounds that need healing
·        Must have plans… eating plan, exercise plan and recovery plan
·        A calorie is a unit of energy
·        Read the labels
·        Weigh your food on a scale
·        Keep a food journal…all food and all drink
·        Plan 3 meals and 2 snacks a day
·        Prepare meals ahead of time for the entire week
·        Use Ziploc bags for prepared meals and mark each meal
·        Proportion control every meal
·        3-4 ounces of meat
·        Cook your food by baking, poaching, steaming, grilling on non-stick grill or broil
·        When eating pasta eat ½ cup and fill in the rest with veggies
·        Snacks with protein are a must
·        No Soda
·        Weight loss foundation for any plan…calories in calories out
·        The way we manipulate our diet will determine the most calories out before we even start to exercise
·        To accelerate calories out…exercise
·        Circuit training for a variety
·        Protein refuels muscles, gives fullness feeling, and maintains blood sugar
·        After you workout you must get protein in to keep the body burning calories. Bob suggests 2 scoops of the Designer Whey Biggest Loser Protein Powder with 16 ounces of water
·        The contestants are just like you. They are doing it and you can do it too!
 
Well, friends keep watching… keep drinking (your designer whey that is)

I am on my Whey!
Camille

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Hey Friends,

I know you are as happy as I am that the kiddies are back in school! Oh the last few weeks I was ready for them to go back to school. The kids were sick of each other and I was on my last nerve. I love my kids with my whole heart but sometimes us moms just need a break.

Hey, next week is all of our favorite inspirational show! Yep, that is right September 15th is coming up soon. I am excited to watch and see my favorite Designer Whey drinks help people just like me, people who could afford to lose a few or 2 or 3 pounds…lol. Hope you watch The Biggest Loser along with me!

Guess what the weight loss fairy delivered to my house??? My protein water! I will rate according to my tastes. In 4th place is the Orange Mango… I thought too intense orange taste. Maybe like the taste of baby aspirin or very strong tang.  Which I am not so fond of. But for you, you may love it. Probably those of us over 40 can not handle such intense flavor. To me, it was OK but not my favorite flavor of the protein water. In 3rd place is the Cranapple…the only reason it’s not my favorite is I am not an apple juice person. I do enjoy cranberry so for me it was tolerable. In 2nd place is the Pomegranate flavored Protein Water…I very much enjoyed the light fruitful flavor. Camille’s #1 pick is the Blue Raspberry… to me it is perfect! Light, yet flavorful, not too sweet and is very refreshing. My only problem is my 16 year old daughter DRANK all of my Blue Raspberry and Pomegranate Protein Water! UGH! I went to take a bottle with me to work and ALL GONE! Luckily, I found some at our local grocery store.

I have to apologize to all my friends reading this blog. Anyone who reads this blog is my friend! I promise to blog more often, summer is hectic with kids home and watching my friends’ children as well, plus my cleaning jobs. By the time I sat down I was spent. But now that school is back in session and The Biggest Loser Show will be on, I can get back into routine. When you are trying to lose weight routine is essential. I share that with you so I can share things I am doing to get back in the flow of losing weight.

One thing I do now is to always keep a 2-quart pitcher filled with my favorite Biggest Loser Protein Powder both the Red Raspberry and the Blue Blueberry. They only have 40 calories, great flavor and fiber to take the edge off when you are looking for something sweet to have. I put 6 scoops in a 2-quart pitcher and keep in the fridge, ready when I need it. Sometimes, I mix the two flavors for a different twist. Enjoy a cup before dinner and you will eat less, try it! I also

The Biggest Loser Protein Powder Vanilla Bean

LOVE the Biggest Loser Vanilla Bean Flavored Powder. I like to make a creamy shake when the ice cream man is trying to stop by! The chocolate is a great treat, as well, and makes a great meal supplement.  I enjoy adding the vanilla bean to cold coffee; add ice and you have a great low calorie, delicious, ice coffee! Some of those ice coffees can have 400 calories or more! Compared to 50 calories with the Biggest Loser Powders there is no comparison and they are YUMMY! Don’t forget to put a case of bottled water in your car (please recycle or refill) along with a bunch of 2GO packets, they really take the edge off when you are temped to stop by a drive thru, when you know you should not eat fast food.

You can enjoy any of Designer Whey’s Protein Powders. Whether you are trying to lose weight, maintain a healthy weight or building muscle, it’s all good! It works too! I lost 30 pounds in a year. Not a huge change like the Biggest Loser Show but progress; and we need to accept any progress as good! Make your kids a healthy shake after school instead of cookies and milk! I know my kids act a lot better after a Designer Whey Protein shake instead of climbing the walls after cookies. Calmer kids equal calmer parents; and that my friend is a happier home. How about starting their day with a shake at breakfast! They will think you flipped making them a shake for breakfast! But studies show good protein in the morning gets their brain ready for thinking. Kids who have a good breakfast do better in school!

Alright Friends,

I think about you and hope you are healthier today then you were the day before. Drink you whey every day!

Your friend,

Camille

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Phase Eight of “appropriate behavior at the gym: the do’s and don’ts, according to a guy with an opinion about anything and everything”
Don’t: Use three to five machines/benches/weights at once

Ever since the p-90X and cross fit workouts have become so popular, this has been a phenomenon that I have witnessed in the gym. And While both of those types of workouts are insanely good for you (in most cases) and do yield substantial results, they don’t really pan out in the common gym dynamic, the way that people tend to go about them. When I say “the way that people go about them,” I mean the way people go about hording equipment. For instance, yesterday when I was at the gym, I noticed that a guy on the cross cables had three different types of attachments on the ground next to him and then one that he was using on the cross cables themselves. I just thought they were there because someone just didn’t put them up when they were finished, but that was not in fact the case. A man came up and asked, can I use that one (pointing at the attachment for triangular tricep extension) and the guy on the cross cables said “no I’m using that one.” The guy asking, looked puzzled but then fine, and then he asked can I sue that one (pointing at the attachment for the straight bar) and the guy said “no I am actually using all of these right now for a cycle workout – I will be done in about 20 minutes if you want to use them.” Really though??!!! I wanted to walk over there and just snatch one and give it to the other guy, but then I would be doing the crap that I hate that other people do at the gym. In a sense that a person is restraining other people from being able to use the gym when they come in and the only time that should ever really happen is when the gym is actually packed to capacity and you have to wait to use a machine. In this case, it was not even close. It was 11pm at night and hardly a soul was around at the gym – which is why (I later found out) is the reason that the guy trying to use the equipment goes late at night. It is probably why the other guy goes as well, so that he can get those types of cross fit workouts in- which is fine but not when you are taking up four pieces of equipment and not letting others who want to, use them. But this does not just simply happen at big gyms at late hours, this happens during peak prime time hours when equipment is scarce to begin with and it also happens at smaller and residential gyms where equipment is scarce to begin with. I was in my building gym and a guy was on a five machine cycle and I went to hop on one and he was like, bro I am using that, so I said alright. Then, I hopped onto the next one and he was like, man I am using that one too. At that point I laughed (because I had already seen him use three other pieces of equipment) and worked out anyways letting him work on that machine in between sets – which mind you, out of five sets, he only needed to work in once. He probably thinks that I am rude for laughing at him and going about my workout and to an extent I am but – you can’t take up ¾’s of the gym and expect no one else to try and cut in.

Do’s: be MINDFUL (it’s broad but the explanation covers it)

I am all for these types of workouts, because like I said previously, they are quite effective and they are becoming more and more popular. Just be mindful when doing them. If you are using four pieces of equipment and two people jump on two of those machines go about your workout and when you get to those two machines see if you can work in with those people on their accord in between their sets, so that you are not holding people up. And the guy late at night, that is perfect planning. Go later at night when less people are there, so you can do these types of workouts. But if other people want to use the equipment you have stock piled, by all damn means please let them and if it is that crucial to your workout, ask if you can work in with them. People have just as much right to the equipment as you do. In all essence, you can even be more of the hardball in this situation and it would still be fine. Meaning if you really want that extra piece of equipment you can say “yeah I am using that one too but if you want you can work in with me.” It still makes you look like the little ass on the playground that took all the good toys but at least you are not inhibiting people from doing what they came to do at the gym. I am not saying that it is bad to do these workouts in the common gym or that you should not do them, but all I am saying is just be mindful on how you approach going about them. Once again this is simply my opinion, take it or leave it.

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Fix Your Goals

Not reaching your fitness goals? The problem may not be with what you’re doing — it may be with the goals themselves.

The fitness goals you set need to be SMART: Specific, Motivating, Achievable, Relevant and Trackable.

Specific: What exactly do you hope to achieve? Instead of making the mushy goal “I want to get healthy,” say “I want to lose five pounds, drop an inch from my waist, be able to run five miles, and eat five servings of fruits and veggies per day.

Motivating: You need to be excited about what you want to achieve! If the idea of walking regularly on the treadmill makes you want to snooze, even if it’s a goal for a lot of fitness buffs, maybe it’s not the right goal for you right now.

Achievable: Nothing is more discouraging than a goal that’s too difficult to achieve. No one can lose 20 pounds (healthfully) in a month or be ripped in a week. Give yourself a break!

Relevant: The goal needs to make sense for you. If you choose some pie-in-the-sky goal because it looks good on paper, chances are you’ll ditch it within a month.

Trackable: If you can’t measure or track your goal, how will you know when you’ve achieved it? We’re talking numbers here! Instead of setting a goal to get fit, resolve to lose a certain amount of weight by the end of the year.

More on the Motivating goals: The reason we don’t reach our goals may be that they’re not exciting enough to motivate us. If this is the case for you, heed my life coach, who recommends setting big, audacious goals. For example, instead of making a resolution to walk three times per week, how about vowing to train for a triathlon? Instead of losing five pounds, why not resolve to enter — and win — a fitness competition? And rather than making the vague goal to nosh on more veggies, why not promise (as I’ve been doing for the last month or so) to eat a big salad every day of the week.

A quick note: I’m taking a hiatus from the Designer Way blog due to other commitments. I hope to see you — and motivate you — again soon!

Stay healthy,

Linda

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Phase Seven of “appropriate behavior at the gym: the do’s and don’ts, according to a guy with an opinion about anything and everything”
Don’t: Leave a stack of weights on the machine, bench or bar

    If there is anything that I am truly guilty of on a regular basis, it is this. I have a hand full of excuses as to why I do not do this. One: I am super exhausted after finishing a set at 100%, and just don’t feel like lifting any more weights. Two: they were on there when I first got onto the machine or when I first started using the bench, so why should I have to do double duty and pick up after myself and the person before me? Three: I see the next machine that I want to use or the weights that I want to use next, open and available, and I want to grab them before someone else does- I don’t have time to re-rack my weights. I constantly cycle these thoughts through my head when at the gym, but are any of these excuses actually valid? The answer is simply NO. By not re-racking the weights I am essentially perpetuating this vicious cycle of taking accountability away from myself and placing it on others.

Just like you hate it in real life when people pawn their workloads off on you for the simple fact that they know you will do it, and they can get away with making their lives easier at the expense of others. This is may seem like a harsh example or personification of the matter at hand, but in reality it all boils down to the same issue – you not taking accountability for your own actions.

You put the weights on the machine, you used the machine and now you need to put the machine back to its original form. But what if I got to the machine and it had weights already on it? Well, who the hell cares! If you are constructing a building and someone forgets to fill a corner a concrete foundation, do you just build continue to build around it? And when the building later falls do you say it wasn’t your fault because the foundation was incomplete? Or if you walk your dog and you see that there is already dog crap on the ground so you just let your dog do its business and leave the mess? Is it ok to just leave it because someone else did? No, it is just as much your fault as it was their’s for not completing the job or them not picking up their dog’s crap, for not saying or doing anything about it. I will be the first to admit that I need to be way more mindful of this at the gym and that I need start practicing what I preach with this one. For one reason and one reason only – this week’s “gym redemption.”
Let me explain further, I was watching TOSH.O on comedy central and I saw a segment that was titled “This Week’s Web Redemption.” This segment was simply taking someone that has failed miserably in front of the entire nation on YouTube or some other video streaming site, and giving that person a chance to redeem themselves in front of the entire network audience. I thought to myself ‘I bet this could be applied to the gym segments I do’, and after a weeks worth of watching people at the gym I realized that it was the absolute truth. The cool thing about these types of redemption is that the people on them are not asked to redeem themselves; they simply just make the transition on their own accord – shocking, I know. So for this week’s DO section I will give you all the weeks “gym redemption.”

Do: Re-rack your weights

    Case and point: This week’s “Gym Redemption”
For two weeks in a row I have noticed that these two extremely loud, foul mouth and definitely out of place vacationers, down for the summer break (probably), have been an absolute spectacle at the gym. Dancing around, jumping in on people’s sets uninvited, being extremely loud and obnoxious, grunting, trying to lift way more weight than they can handle and in doing so completely misusing the machinery and of course they never re-racked their weights. When it comes to misusing the gym, you name it they did it.

Anyway, one night they had three plates on each side of the bench (although they really only should have had two). Of course when they were done, they left those three plates on each side. The next person to use the bench was an older tiny lady. She was struggling just to move one of the plates. Now only one of these two people gets to be redeemed in this section. They were both talking to another person on the other side of the gym. Both of them saw the lady, and they both looked over, but only one of them actually ran over and re-racked all of the weights and apologized for not doing so in the first place. The other one continued his loud god awful conversation that I could here clear across the gym. I applauded (in my head of course – otherwise it might be awkward). The lady looked extremely happy that this person showed such gentlemanly manners, and looked excited that she could actually now use the bench because before she could not, being that she could not lift all the plates off.

Mystery Vacationer number # 1 you rock and have completely redeemed yourself. Mystery Vacationer number #2 you suck and you are still part of that sect of society that just doesn’t care: stop ruining it for everyone else. So, it is in fact important to re-rack your weights because you never know who will need the machine or weights next. Even if you are using dumbbells, why do you leave on the ground or by the bench? If someone wants to use that bench but can’t move the weights because they are too heavy, why should that person have to wait or have to move those weights? Well they shouldn’t have to, period! I personally am going to really work on making sure that I am constantly re-racking my weights when I am done with them…you should do the same. Once again this is simply my opinion, take it or leave it.

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Scaling Down on Serving Sizes

Okay, here’s the deal: For breakfast I have a blueberry smoothie. For lunch I have a grilled chicken salad with nonfat vinaigrette or a PB&J on whole grain bread. For a snack, I have raw nuts or another smoothie.

And for dinner: All hell breaks loose.

I’m a good cook, so when I make dinner, I tend to fix a plate overflowing with food. But we’re meant to eat one serving of each food, and I’m pretty certain one serving of pasta is not one giant bowl. I’m also not so sure a serving of mashed potatoes is “as much as I can eat.” So I decided to educate myself on what a serving size really is. Luckily, experts are starting to understand that we humans have trouble eyeballing measurements such as a half cup or a tablespoon, so they’re comparing proper portions with everyday objects. Here’s the scoop:

One serving of this food = The size of this item.

Veggies or fruit = One baseball.

Cooked rice or pasta = A rounded handful.

One snack, such as pretzels or chips = A rounded handful.

Meat = A deck of cards or the palm of your hand (not counting fingers).

Fish = A checkbook.

Nuts or dried fruit = One large egg.

Ice cream = A tennis ball.

Baked potato = A computer mouse.

Pancake or waffle = A CD.

Peanut butter = One thumb tip.

Cheese = Six dice.

Boy, some of these serving sizes seem so tiny! A thumb tip of peanut butter on a sandwich? A single CD-sized pancake, when we’re used to getting a stack of plate-sized flapjacks at the local breakfast joint? But there you have it — we eat way too much.

I know that if I can manage to keep my portion sizes under control, especially at dinner or when I have an occasional treat, I’ll become more fit and healthy. How are your portion sizes — are they reasonable or way too big? Do you plan to cut portion sizes to reach your weight-loss goals? Please share your experiences in the Comments below.

Stay healthy,

Linda

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Trainer Becs here reporting in on my training!

This is me last week, the week of Aug. 24th. I have realized that even if I just take a sip of some sort of Designer Whey product it helps me out with my cravings. I crave sweets like it’s my job too!

I’ve been eating six small meals a day and putting in Designer Whey whenever I crave the sweets and always BEFORE and AFTER my workouts. Every meal I eat I have a protein, 6oz and a veggie, 1 cup. I won’t eat any kind of bread product unless its my oatmeal in the morning. Bread will make my stomach puffy and I can’t have that for my contest. Eating the protein and veggie combo as many times as I do makes my body able to burn more calories because it has to work at digesting it. Drinking the protein before and after my workouts are easier to digest and won’t take as long to get the nutrients to my muscles. If you eat solid foods to close before working out then all your blood goes to your digestive system instead of your muscles and you feel weak or like you just can’t function in the gym…not good. So it’s best to get a liquid in.

I’ll be doing some long cardio sessions this coming week as well to trim off some more fat and will drink my protein water during!!! Pictures will come soon!!!
 
Trainer Becs

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Phase six of “appropriate behavior at the gym: the do’s and don’ts, according to a guy with an opinion about anything and everything”

Don’t: Ask to work in, use the machine in a different way and then not put it back at the personal original weight or placement.

 Boy, do I absolutely hate when this happens to me. I view this as a real life scenario that seems to get played out time and time again with that friend you have that is always finding new ways to make you not want to invite him, or others in general for that matter, back to your house. You know that one friend or acquaintance that just comes over and treats your house like it is his own (well probably treats it way worse) – a Kramer pretty much. He or she says they are coming over to hang out and watch the game but when they come over, they come with a keg and five unruly individuals that leave your house in ruins. Or it’s the friend that eats half of that candy bar that you have been saving or drinks half of the last beer that you were looking forward to and then puts it back into the fridge. It may be an extreme example but it is coasting on the same tracks for sure. I am using the cable cross for tricep extensions and you ask me if you can work in with me. I of course say yes without any hesitation because that is just usually how it works at the gym. But then you move the cable cross from the top to the bottom and lessen the weight by 30 to 40 pounds. I come back from the drinking fountain a little irked to find that you didn’t put the cable cross back up where I had it and then nonchalantly go to use it after putting the cable back up. I then slam the weights of the machine when I go to use it because I am thinking that I will still need to exert the same force to lift that extra 30-40 pounds that is no longer there. Then I look like a jackass, run the risk of throwing out or pulling something and I have to stop what I am doing and readjust the weights. All because you are choosing to be rude and lazy on my good graces. I let you in so that you didn’t have to wait for me to finish and you totally throw it in my face. And I can say something to you but why would I? You have already spent the majority of your life not getting these social norms, so what is a random guy at the gym’s opinion going to do for you. You will probably blow me off like you did with your parents when they tried to teach you this stuff when you were five. Just not cool man.

 Do’s: Just make sure you are not being invasive

 I could personally care less if you come over and move my cable from the top position to bottom position or change the seat height and weight of my machine, as long as you put it back when it is my turn to jump back into the exercise. I will definitely show you the same courtesy by readjusting the seat and weight back to what you had it on, even if I don’t have to, because it is just common decency to do so. You are in essence asking someone if you can borrow something and then completely changing it and then returning it without changing it back. If you borrowed my laptop to do a Spanish project and converted the windows key strike functions to Spanish and then returned it with out changing it back, I would be pretty pissed off when I tried to type something and everything came out written like a teleprompter for Telemundo. The same logic applies here at the gym. If someone is going to show you a strong sense of civility and let you work in with them, make sure that you are just as respectful to them as they were to you. All it takes is just paying a little bit of attention. Take a look at where their weight was at or where their seat was placed or where their cable was located and just remember to put it back. More often than not if you do this, when it is your turn they will put the weight, seat, cable, etc back to where you had it. Bottom line is, be mindful of your actions and surroundings, not only in the gym but in life as well. Trust me it might just get you a little farther in life. Once again this is simply my opinion, take it or leave it.

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