Top Ten Gym Pet Peeves

Besides the usual stuff such as those don't utilize cleaning products for equipment or their body:

1. Guys who come in the locker room with muddy boots.  They dismounted from the bulldozer in the parking lot and then apparently came directly in the locker room.
2. Phone campers.  They come into the locker room and just spend their time looking at their phone and not working out.  The majority seem to be teenagers without data plans.
3. The people that are oblivious anyone would want to work in on the same equipment. Watching TV, playing with their phone.
4. Guys that spend an inordinate amount of time naked in the locker room.  Blow drying their junk on the hand dryers, baby powdering their crotch, having a conversation on peace in the Middle East while in the buff.
5. Guys that want to have a 30 minute conversation about sports in the locker room at 7am.  I want to take a shower in peace in the morning.
6. Seeing Post Malone videos every half hour on TV.  We get it; you're a young, hip gym trying to drive out retirees that come there every day for two hours
7. Bad water fountains:  Low water pressure, room temperature water.  This is something that is cheap to provide.  This only makes me think you're trying to nickel and dime me for cold, bottled water or you have planned for no maintenance of the facility.
8. People who use the cable crossover machine to do tricep pushdowns.  That's what the tricep pushdown station two feet away is for!!
9. Any rule that is based on what you're wearing/fashion.  You seriously risk having employees enforcing these rules arbitrarily and then coming off as targeting one group or another.
10. People who bring big gym bags along on their workout:  Besides mixing shakes like a traveling special forces barista, they use their bag to lay claim to some piece of equipment and then mysteriously disappear. 

And this, keeping, or at least inhibiting, anyone from giving form tips:

So that the lady hyperextending her legs on the press doesn't permanently turn into one of the backwards knee aliens from "The Arrival." No not "Arrival." "The Arrival."

Dollar General for the Fitness-Minded Traveler/Commuter

Dollar General may be laying waste to small town grocery stores, but for the traveler who needs healthy food on the road it's great to have one in a convenient location.  If you work out in the morning and shower and change there, the best place to find a Dollar General is between the gym and work.  If you forgot to pack something you can pick it up.  From experience I can tell you a shoestring can serve as a belt in a pinch!

Some may say: "Why not Walgreen's or CVS?"  I find that pharmacies have higher prices than dollar stores, but we aware that sometimes the dollar store will have unique-sized packaging that may take a calculator to compare prices to other store's prices.

""More Deals for Your Dollar""by Random Retail is licensed under CC BY 2.0

List

• Spices
• Frozen Chicken Breast  (I keep a soft-side cooler in my car.  You can buy the chicken before work, add marinade, and let thaw in the cooler.)
• Tuna Snacks, Bumblebee brand (Although they've got mayonnaise in them, they're great when you suddenly don't have a meal to eat.  They're better than eating a candy bar out of the snack machine and can be kept at room temp) 
• Nuts
• Trail Mix
• Beef Jerky
• Sauces: Soy sauce, steak sauce, hot sauce
• Canned Tuna (in water)
• Medicine (It seems there's always a medicine I need whether it be Ibuprofen, muscle rub, or allergy meds)
• Coffee for work.
• All the accoutrements to take a healthy lunch to work: 
• I prefer real utensils and steak knife.  Plastic utensils can't handle chicken breasts and steak.  Although this is my favorite steak knife for travel: Round Tip Victorinox Steak Knife  
• Microwave containers.  And don't forget something to wash your utensils with.  Some sponges, being so cheap, you can take to work and not care if they walk off.
• Note on microwave containers:  My preference is glass-bottomed vessels.  I heat to about 4/5 of the way done, then let the container sit and the glass keeps adding heating.  This way they food is not overcooked and tough and stays warm.  I can almost get my chicken breasts as juicy as they were when they came off the grill.
• A can opener.  A good one.  The last thing you want to do at work is spill soup all over you or cut your hand trying to use a cheap can opener.
• Salad toppings: Bacos only have 1g of fat.  Banana peppers, etc.

"Greeting Sight"by Random Retail is licensed under CC BY 2.0

And if you're going to the gym regularly, any extra time that can be gleaned is a win.  Dollar General allows you to grab all the crap you are suddenly out of: pet food, toilet paper, trash bags, that poster board for a child's school project.

Caveat:  Of course you have to stay from the highly processed and fatty foods such as Vienna sausages, potato chips, and fried chicken patty sandwiches.

Disclaimer:  I own stock in Dollar General...of course.

Bodybuilding/Fitness Shopping List for Walmart

This is aimed at the bodybuilder, fitness-minded person looking to eat lower fat.  I use to eat lower carb while following a bodybuilding routine.  But currently trying a regular bodybuilding macro levels.  

Most of the time I shop at Food Lion.  The one that is w/n a mile of my house is new, clean, and checkout is quick.  Things are not quite as cheap as Walmart and selection is not as good, but the Walmart nearest me is a cluster to get in and out of.  I keep a list of thing that I try to buy specifically at Walmart because they are cheaper and/or only available at there.  And then a few things that I may buy at Costco.

Walmart 

• Meats/Protein:
• Cube Steak
• London Broil
• Sirloin
• Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast
• Canned Tuna in water (preferably white albacore.  The least fishy tasting)
• Center cut pork chops (You can always get a fattier cut and trim)
• Ground turkey
• Turkey burgers (the taste between brands can vary greatly since they add their own flavorings and mix different rations of dark and white meat)
• Shrimp
• Eggs
• Turkey breast for roasting in the oven.
• Sliced turkey breast (Try to get the stuff from the deli counter.  The stuff from the shelf is higher in stuff that ain't turkey.  The Land O' Frost stuff says "40% by weight" of added ingredients.
• Carbs
• Rice (So cheap and then getting a $20 rice cooker makes it so easy to consume a lot of carbs)
• White bread
• Bagels (My new thing.  Low in fat and easy on the go)
• Potatoes (Great baked potatoes can be cooked in an Instant Pot! Quicker and more energy efficient Instant Pot Baked Potatoes)
• Spices
• Kosher salt (once you can tell the difference between iodized and non-iodized salt you won't go back)
• Dried Onions
• Italian Seasoning mix (buy in bulk)
•  Dried & Bottled Garlic
•  Paprika
•  BBQ rub
• Bouillion
• Jerk Seasoning
• Mexican Section
• Maggi (great for adding taste w/o calories.  Tastes different based on where it was manufactured)
• All Purpose Seasoning
• Black Beans, canned
• Beans
• Hot Sauce
• Asian Section
• Indian Bottled Sauces (little pricey, but add a lot of flavor to chicken breast w/o adding fat)
• Sriracha
• Ponzu sauce (Soy sauce w/ citrus and less sodium)
• Sesame oil
• Chile oil
• Gochujang (Red chile paste)
• Vegetables/Fruit 
• Bananas (peel and freeze to keep from going bad and then add to protein shakes in the blender)
• Apples
• Canned Vegetables. (I know some argue that canned vegetables are higher in sodium than frozen, but the convenience is so much greater given that most canned vegetables just need to be reheated. There are also low sodium varieties/no salt added.  I can lower my blood pressure twenty points by exercising regularly so it doesn't concern me as much)
• Frozen Broccoli ( A favorite healthy meal for work, is to put a grilled chicken breast and frozen broccoli in a glass container.  When reheating, take the chicken out, add a little bit of water, heat the broccoli for two minutes, add the chicken breast back, heat another two minues: Voila, steamed broccoli w/ chicken breast)  Add a bit of lime juice and pepper to the broccoli makes the taste so much greater.
• Red Leaf lettuce (Difference between green)
• Other
• Salad toppings: I used to eat a salad for dinner every weekday.  Couldn't cook and was eating lower carb.  I would make salad using thick sliced deli turkey and red leaf lettuce.  I used a variety of salad topping to keep this interesting: Capers, artichoke hearts, tomatoes, olives, banana peppers, etc.
• Lime juice (Great for broccoli and asparagus)
• Olive Oil
• Vegetable/Canola Oil

Costco

• Larger sizes of spices.
• Sliced oven roasted turkey, Kirkland brand.  (This stuff is great!)
• Skirt steak w/ chimichurri sauce (Seasonal)
• Whey Protein & Creatine.  Costco carries Gold Standard whey protein
• Oven Roasted Chickens ($5 a pop.  Picking apart will give you a good pound or two of chicken breast.)
• Muffuletta spread (Great for spicing up sandwiches and salads)
• Note: I have a family of three, in total.  Most fresh groceries just do not make sense being bought at Costco.  The individually pre-packaged, organic boneless skinless chicken breast are nice, but more expensive than my local grocery store.  And since I marinate my chicken breast, I have to still take them out of the package and toss.

Supplements

•  Yohimbine (for energy)
• Dopa mucuna (dopamine)
• Tyrosine

Links & Articles

Links:

Your Goals Are Overrated  Argues that continued habits are more important than goals.  In this same vein I recommend Charles Duhigg's book 'The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business.'

How To Wake Up at 5 A.M. Every Day

Nike Was Right

For a couple years, I am a regular on Reddit's /r/fitness.  Pretty motivating and helps when you don't have a lot of people around you that are that into the gym or fitness.  My favorite is Gym Story Saturday.  But there is a main current I see on the site that just annoys me.  The post usually goes like this:  "He guys look at this workout plan.  Will it help me get stronger?"  Or "What do you all think of this lower body routine that I am going to start in two weeks?"

Come on people! Just put one foot in front of the other.  Start doing something.  If it's not working for you, change, optimize, tweak.  You don't get into habit by planning on doing it for two months and then expect to the first day to go great and day 30 to look like day one.  Some of the best days in the gym have been when I don't want to go, but I tell myself to go the the gym.  And then I tell myself: "One more set."  And then: "One more set."  Before I know it, I've got a pretty good workout in.

Great book on habit:  Charles Duhigg's 'The Power of Habit.'

Killer Chicken Breast for Protein

Everybody knows that boneless, skinless chicken breast is about the best protein you can get.  The chicken breast I prepare is not the healthiest.  But given this chicken is better tasting, I think you will be more likely to eat more of it and feel satisfied.  Props to Food Lion who has consistently carried boneless, skinless chicken breast, everyday price, at $1.88/lb.  Costco doesn't even beat that.

I used to work in a kitchen where we vacuum marinated chicken breasts in a tumbler (Eskimo Joes) and they were awesome. I used to use my vacuum sealer and do this, but given the trouble of cleaning the container and digging out the sealer, a gallon freezer bag is quick and simple.  Some forethought hast to be take, but if done on a weekly basis, it's much easier.

I marinate the chicken breasts for two or three days.  I make a marinade of Italian dressing:

Photo courtesy of: https://flic.kr/p/fuBGZd

• 1/2 cup of vinegar.  White, red wine, or balsamic/white.
• 1-1/3 cup of oil.  I try to mix 1/2 olive oil and 1/2 vegetable.  It's cheaper, you get some health benefits, and the oil won't totally solidify.
• 2 tablespoons of Italian seasoning
• salt, pepper, garlic, lime juice, and red pepper flakes to taste.
• 1 teaspoon of xanthan gum to keep it emulsified and it makes the dressing stick to the exterior of the chicken when cooking.

I throw about six breasts and about a cup of marinade in a gallon freezer bag and then put into the fridge.  I think marinating for a couple of hours is not enough and past 4 days is too much.  The chicken becomes rubbery once cooked.  If I remember, I flip the bag of chicken over to move the marinade around once a day.  (And don't store above cooked food for safety in case of leakage)

To grill, I cook 10-12 minutes per side on high heat.  If your grill is a little too hot, after the first 10 minutes when I flip to the other side, I turn the heat to medium.  I put the exterior side of the breast on the grill first, so that any marinade pools on the interior side and adds to the flavor.

Now the critical part:  Most people and restaurants overcook their chicken.  The way to tell if it is doe without cutting into the meat, is to pick it up with the tongs and shake it gently.  If it still feels like a flaccid piece of meat, it's not done.  If when it flexes as you shake it, like a solid piece of rubber, it's done.  It should be taken off the grill as soon as this occurs for maximum juiciness.  If you're not quite sure, pierce the fattest part of the chicken with tongs and peal 3/4 of it off.  You want to see no remaining pink; all white.

I used to also cook chicken breast under the broiler.  I could get them pretty nice, but my new oven I can't get the height quite right.  450°F in the middle on a broiler rack may also do the trick.  The key is to keep the chicken breasts out of the pooling liquid so that they somewhat steam instead of grill/broil.

Reheating:
I also became a pro at reheating this stuff 5 days a week for at least a year.  I leave the breast intact or cut in half.  IF you slice before reheating it will dry out much more than being whole.  I reheat in a glass microwave container.  I believe you can reheat for less time in the microwave and then let the heat of the glass continue to warm the food without overheating the chicken and causing it to become dry.

Combing with vegetables:
On the road, I would use frozen vegetables with the chicken.  When packing for say lunch, add frozen broccoli with a splash of lime juice and pepper to the same glass container.  At mealtime, take the chicken out, add a splash of water to the broccoli.  Microwave for two minutes.  Add the chicken breast and heat another two minutes.  Note:  This was a large container and it gets hot.  I use bunch of paper towels underneath to carry.  This also requires a fairly large cooler: ArticZone Titan Cooler

Super Pro Tip:
Flying?  Freeze 5 breasts solid. Double bag and put in luggage.

Workout Organization/Prepping

How do have I learned to stay organized for workouts and eating?

The biggest for me is to always be thinking about the next 24 hours:  What will I eat? What will I wear? What can I pack now?  When am I going to bed?

I go even as far as to write these on a 3x5 card and put them in my pocket.  Half the card for work, half the card for personal including workout/prep stuff.  (props to Zig Ziglar for this tip)

I also look to continually optimize my routine; How can I save more time? 

• Clothing
• Running shorts = no underwear required.  Barefoot shoes without socks.  
• Set coffee brewer night before so coffee is ready when I wake up.  Or make cold brew the night before. Take a pre-workout pill.
• Keep as much stuff at work as they allow.  Tubs of protein.  Canned tuna.  Condiments.  Frozen meals.  Clean as much stuff at work as you can get away with; blender bottles, food containers.
• I wear one jacket.  Insulated wind breaker with hoodie.  Can use year-round for pretty much all situations.
• I commute over one hour, so I go to gym near work, so I've beaten all the traffic when I get there early in the morning.
• Eat as much of the same thing as you can stand.  Easier to prep and easier to stick to a known meal plan.
• Leave work shoes at work. Wear gym shoes to work and change there.
• Take a nap at work at lunch if you can/are too tired.
• Grow a beard.  You don't have to shave everyday.
• Brush your teeth/shave in the shower.  I find this also useful at the gym because you don't have to then put your toiletry back down at the sink or 
• Electric shave in the car. (at stoplights or in the drive-thru)
• And always,always, do multiple meal prep on the weekend.  Batching, doing one specific task repeatedly then moving onto a different task, saves time.
• I put stuff in the same spot in my gym bag.  It makes it easier mentally and it makes it easier to spot if something is missing.
• To dry all my stuff, I keep a clothes rack in the car.  The kind that goes from each side of the car.  I can lay out my huge towel and hang up my clothes.  I then put my shoes and socks in the back glass.  I crack the windows while at work and everything gets dry and without moldy smell.