Things Female Gym Rats Are Tired of Hearing

1. Do you have to work out that much?

Umm yes, because once or twice a week does nothing to change you (granted it is better than 0, but you can't expect real results either)

2. You can't lift heavy weights, you'll get too bulky!

You need to lift weights to build muscle, more muscle = better ability to burn calories and fat

3. Aren't you afraid you'll look like a man?

No, because muscles = fit, and fit beats skinny every time.

4. If you stop working out, your muscles will turn to fat!

That is not how this works, your body always has muscles, it's just a matter of if you use them/tone them and lose fat surrounding them that makes them visible. 

5. Real women aren't muscly!

WRONG. Real women are fat, skinny, muscular, black, white, purple, tall, short. We come in all shapes and sizes.

6. So is your diet nothing but meat, veggies, and protein shakes?

We eat healthy, but know how to treat ourselves. We are fitness fans, not professional bodybuilders.

7. Can I help you with that?

Nothing irks a female more than when a guy offers to help them at the gym, thinking they don't know what their doing. I mean unless we are clearly trapping ourselves under the weight of a bench press––we got this.

Gym Personalities

We see them, we know them with one look, those people at the gym. Granted almost everyone has a gym membership nowadays, and everybody is different, but there are those few stereotypes you will see if you are a regular gym goer. Not saying that everyone fits into one of these categories, but these are just some of the most common ones I've seen. I'm sure there are more that others can think of, so please share!

Upper Body Guy - Never (or barely) works out his legs, has massive upper body strength and toothpicks for legs. Everything from the waist up looks great. But how is he not toppling over from his own weight??

Social Butterfly - The girls who come to the gym just to hang out, gossip, and try to pick up guys. They tend to walk around, occasionally pick up a weight, but mostly they just chatter on the cardio machines.

The Lunk - The big beefy guy walking around in a muscle shirt, drinking his protein shake, and dropping his giant barbells obnoxiously. He looks like (and probably can) he can lift a truck. Okay, we get it, you want to be the next Hulk.

The Beauty Queen - There's always that one perfect girl. She's got a fit body with perky boobs and a butt and never sweats. Her makeup and hair are always done. She looks ready for a photo shoot, not a workout. Tends to make the sweaty, hard working girls jealous.

The Mayor - The one who is always greeting people, chatting up the gym staff, walking around talking to everyone. They know all the info on the gym, what's working, what's broken, when something new is coming in. They spend more time talking than lifting. Too bad the only muscle they're working is their mouth.

The Pig - The person who is dripping in sweat and for some unknown reason refuses to wipe down a machine they have used. They never re-rack their weights, leaving them wherever they finish. In the locker room they take up an entire bench with all their clothes sprawled out. They have no consideration for others.

The Couch Potato - The person who just zones out in front of the TV on a cardio machine, occasionally will use weight machines, but most often are too busy reading or playing a game or video on their phone/tablet. Just because you're at the gym, doesn't mean you're working out.

The Self Absorbed - Similar to our social butterfly and beauty queen, usually decent looking and constantly checking themselves out. Always stopping in front of a mirror, and infamous for taking selfies rather than their workout (#GymSelfie). Barely breaking a sweat and still looking good when they leave.

This Or That

There are little changes you can make in your diet that can have a positive impact on your health just by making substitutions of certain foods or ingredients in recipes. It's best to start out with a few small changes than to completely overhaul your diet (unless you are under a diet that is overseen by a doctor). If you do a complete 180, you can end up with cravings, crashes, and other things, which will just cause you to get off your diet. Another thing to consider is not using the word 'diet', and instead refer to it as a lifestyle change. Because honestly, you are trying to change your health for the better of your life, not just a crash diet which will fail and ultimately cause more bodily harm than good. So here are some recommendations I have for those looking for a place to start their change.

General choices you can make for a healthier diet:

• Choose whole/multi grain or whole wheat instead of white breads.

• Ditch soda, even diet, it's full of too much sugar and artificial ingredients. Diet soda (along with most 'diet' foods/drinks) contains aspartame which is, essentially poison.

• Choose egg whites over whole eggs, especially if eggs are a daily staple for you. Too much yolk leads to high cholesterol, among other things.

• With meats, if your budget can afford it, choose organic/cage-free/pasture-raised chicken/beef/pork. You will taste the difference.

Take a look at some of these ingredient substitutions you can make:

So remember it's okay to start small, you need to start somewhere. You are also more likely to stick to your healthy lifestyle if you change little by little and get your body accustomed to these things while eliminating poor choices.

Choosing a Protein Powder

Why take a protein supplement? Protein is essential for our bodies, whether you are a gym junkie or not. Protein is needed for the body to function optimally. So regardless of your fitness goals, you need to get your protein. Ideally it should come from food sources, but sometimes that's not enough and you need a supplement. The average man should intake 55 grams per day, while the average woman should intake 45 grams per day. These numbers vary though depending on body weight and activity level.

There are so many protein powders on the market, it's hard to find what's best for you. Process of elimination is one way to go, if you have an endless budget to buy and try them all. But I recommend you should ask yourself a few questions before just buying that big jug.

1) Do you have certain nutrition or dietary needs? Whey, Soy, or Plant based?

2) Is your goal fat loss or muscle building?

3) What time of day are you taking the protein? Immediately after a workout? Or during the day as a quick meal or snack?

4) Are you going to mix it with just water? Or make shakes/smoothies? Or blend it into food/recipes?

Why and how you take your protein is important as to how it will affect your body. You need to determine your individual needs and tastes to find what's best for you.

Quick Breakdown:

Whey - For immediately after a workout

Casein - For a mid-day meal or snack

Soy/Rice/Other Plant Base - For those with lactose intolerance, gluten allergies, or sensitive stomachs (from personal experience, I recommend Garden of Life Raw Meal).

*For weight loss, you'll want a pure 100% protein powder that is low in calories.

*For weight or muscle gains, you'll want one with a higher calorie range. Perhaps an isolate protein that also packs in vitamins and other nutrients.

For more detailed information, check out this article on BodyBuilding.com