The girl's guide to the weight room: if you're new to the gym, this M & F HERS lesson plan will show you the ropes, cables and bars

Muscle & Fitness/Hers, May-June, 2003 by Lara McGlashan

Whether you choose free weights, machines or cables, always move your body through a complete range of motion, and consciously make an effort to breathe throughout the exercise. Always use correct form, and if you ever have a question about anything you're doing, feeling or using, query a fitness professional.

Congratulations! You've graduated summa cum lifting from Training as a Second Language, and are now a virtuoso of the weight-training world. The machinery and metal is no longer a mystery. As for the grunting guys, you're on your own!

RELATED ARTICLE: rules of the room

MANNERS FOR THE GYMNASIUM

Just like there are guidelines for dining etiquette, so are there similar rules in a weight room. Become familiar with this list to avoid committing a fitness faux pas.

* Always re-rack and replace your weights and dumbbells.

* Use a towel to wipe off any "afterglow" you've left on the equipment.

* Avoid walking in front of people who are watching their form in the mirror.

* Avoid wearing excessive perfume or body spray, but always be hygienic and clean.

* If someone asks if they can work in, be gracious and share the equipment you're using.

* Keep your headset adjusted to an acceptable volume level, and avoid singing aloud to your tunes.

* Heed time limits on cardio equipment, especially during peak hours.

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NECESSARY NICETIES FOR LIFTING

1) Small towel

2) Water bottle

3) Lifting gloves

4) Cross-training or aerobics shoes

5) Close-fitting, comfortable clothing

6) Workout journal

7) Headphones or radio (optional)

8) A positive attitude!

RELATED ARTICLE: mini glossary

Like any other sport or activity, weight training has its own jargon. Here's a lingo list to help you decode the bodybuilding babble.

REP (short for "repetition"): One complete motion of an exercise.

SET: Number of repetitions performed in a row.

BODYPART SPLIT: What muscles you train on which days.

POSITIVE (concentric)

CONTRACTION: The shortening action of a muscle on the "up" phase of a rep.

NEGATIVE (eccentric) CONTRACTION: The lengthening action on the down phase.

ROUTINE: Series of exercises done in a particular order, performed on a particular day.

WORKING IN: Taking turns using and sharing gym equipment with another person.

DOMS (delayed-onset muscle soreness): The muscular fatigue and soreness you feel the day(s) after you train.

RICE (rest, ice, compression, elevation): Initial formula to follow if ever you incur an injury.

Fitness competitor Lara McGlashan is a free-lance writer based in Los Angeles. She has a master's degree in screenwriting and film from the University of Miami and a bachelor's from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, She can be reached at LaraFitGal@aol.com.