Beefcake!

http://www.erikandanna.com/Humor/Fla...k/beefcake.swf

For the longest time the only exercise I've done is running and working out on a weight bench at home. Obviously I lack the equipment to get into serious cardiovascular exercise and weight training, so I was thinking about getting membership at a gym to get in shape and develop healthy fitness habits for the rest of my life. And as far as weight training goes, I've never really pushed myself to the limit because there is no one there to spot me in case I have fall back, and I don't want to drop heavy weights on my body.

The only real gym I've been to is the one at the university, but I've never really stopped to work out with any of the weight or cardio machines, I actually signed up for a swimming class. Since I'd be brand new to the gym experience I'll probably think about shelling out the additional money to get a personal trainer to help me figure out what my goals are going to be and how to work hard to get there. Also it's nice to have someone there to help you out and show you the ropes, so to speak.

So, how many of you are members at a gym? How often do you go to the gym and what do you do there to keep in shape, like your exercise routines or classes that you take? Does your gym provide any other amenities like a steam room or showers, etc (and does it cost more money)? How much does membership cost at your gym? Do you have any advice about what to look for when considering membership at different gyms? And anything else you want to share about your gym experience or stories.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

I've been pretty hardcore about weightlifting and nutrition for a year now. It's been a life altering experience so far. I dropped around 35 lbs (going from over 20% bodyfat to about 8%) earlier this year, and now I've been "bulking" for about a month.

Right now I'm doing a high frequency routine. This week I'm building up to a three rep max in a variety of lifts, and after that I move on to lifting twice a day, four days a week. So that's eight full body sessions a week, which is pretty intense but I'm very excited about it.

What I really recommend is staying away from machines almost entirely. Use free weights. Definitely get an experienced personal trainer to show you how to deadlift and squat and all that. Make sure your gym has a few squat and power racks. Personally I use my school gym, and we only have one squat rack, which is a pain in the ass.

My favorite resource is T-Nation. They put up a new article every weekday (about nutrition or a new training protocol, for example), and they have a great message board.

There's nowhere I can't reach.