BEER

I love beer. I'm convinced that it's better for you than soda. So for my fellow drinkers, here is some information on beer.

Beer!

Beer is as good for you as wine. It's also fat-free.
Its health benefits

After running the Big Sur Half Marathon, I got some free Sam Adams. Turns out it's not just because they sponsored the race. Beer can be good after running. Hell, look at hash running.
Running and beer

Shamrock Drills!

The Shamrock Drill was designed by MMA fighter/legend Ken Shamrock to help prepare for demands of a standard MMA fight: three five-minute rounds that put strengh, cardio and endurance to the test.

The course is made up of a start point and four stations all 25 yards apart. Doing it on a football field makes it easy. From the start point sprint 25 yards to the first station where the first exercise is push-ups. Knock out 50 good ones, and sprint back to the start point. Immediately turn around, and sprint out 50 yards to station number two. Don't pause, but drop to your back and do 50 crunches. When you're done, it's back to the start and then out 75 yards to the third station for 50 sprawls. If sprawls are a problem for you, replace them with 50 mountain climbers.

This Guy explains how to sprawl. Use the basic two leg sprawl he shows first. It's almost like doing the worm. If you want to add some challenge, jog in place between sprawls. For mountain climbers. This is a good example of how to do mountain climbers.

After sprinting back to the start and back out 100 yards, it's time for the 50 burpees. Yeah burpees. Here's a good example of how to do burpees. If that's not hard enough, instead of just standing back up jump when you rise. This is called a Thai Burpee. Having been to Thailand, I will attest that this is the preferred mode of getting from one place to another.

Now, sprint back to start point. This is one complete Shamrock Drill. For best results do about three drills with sufficient rest in between each. Or work with a partner, and take turns doing the drill until you're both done three. Feel free to modify this to meet your own needs.

The Gym - for noobs

So, you've decided to make getting your lift on part of your GAIN HP game plan. Sweet! But where do you start? How do you not make a fool of yourself? Well, here are some tips based upon my own experiences.

1. It's ok to be a noob.
Ok, chubs, you're not fooling anyone by trying to act like you're Schwarzenegger. We know those aren't real lats. They're flab lats. FLATS. People don't go to the gym because they're in top-notch shape. They go to get into shape. Remember that when you feel self-conscious when you're surrounded by people who have been lifting regularly for some time. Just think, with time and dedication, that could be you. On the other hand, do walk in there with unreasonable expectations. You're not going to bench 300lbs on day one. One week isn't going to magically transform you into an Adonis. Ask any body builder at any level, and they'll tell you how much toil and sacrifice it took them to get where they are.

2. Have a reasonable goal.
It's cool to think that you want to get shredded, but that's a long term goal. How do you plan to get there? Set attainable goals for yourself that put you on track to met your long term goal. You want to drop 30lbs? It's not going to happen overnight, but you can pace yourself. Lose five this week. Three the next, and so on. Setting attainable goals helps you motivate yourself by providing proof that your routine is working.

3. Warm up before you dive into the workout.
Do some low weight exercises first to prepare your body. Diving right into any workout is an invitation for injury. You're never so tough that a good warm up won't do some good. This goes for all exercise. A walk or easy jog before your run is a good habit to get into.

4. She's not here for you.
The woman on the treadmill with the ipod? Yeah, she's here for the treadmill. The one doing the concentration curls is busy. Don't bother her. Unless you want to work in, or you need a bit of advice for your own routine, leave the ladies alone. And no, there is no working in on the treadmill.

5.You can't have it all.
You're either lifting for tone, or for size. You can't do both at the same time. If you're trying to loose weight, go for the tone first. Low weight and high rep. That way you're building muscle which helps burn fat, but you're not bulking.

6. Put things away.
The most annoying thing at the gym is wasting time trying to figure out where the other 25lb dumbbell went to. A close second is tripping over a bar someone left in the middle of the floor. Everything has its proper place. As a courtesy to other, put everything back when you're done.

These six beginning pointers can make your initial venture into the land of the gym much easier. For more tips and ideas, check out BodyBuilding.com