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American English Vocabulary from this story

gym- fitness center

to dread something- to be reluctant (hesitant) to do something

to workout- to engage in physical activiy (usually running, lifting weights, etc.)

locker room- a room to change your clothes in (you store your clothes temporarily in lockers)

get changed- to change clothes

warm up- light physical activity to "warm" your bady for a workout

half hour- colloquial way to say "half of an hour" or "30 minutes"

cardio- type of workout that does not involve lifting weights (running, walking, riding the bike, swimming, etc.)

elliptical- a machine that simulates running

mix it up- to occasionally change what you are doing (do different things)

do arms, do legs- a colloquial way to say "to workout your legs, arms")

abs- refers to your abdominal (stomach) muscles

- refers to lifting weights

get in shape- become physically fit (to workout until your body has the desired shape)

the basics- the fundemental elements of something (a gereral understanding of something)

Working out at the Gym

It is always hard for me to go to the gym. It is one of those things I just dread all day. But as soon as I get done with my workout I feel so good. I usually like to go to the gym either early in the morning or late at night. During the middle of the day it is so crowded. When I get there I usually go into the locker room and get changed, then I usually start out with a light warm-up. To warm up I usually ride the bike for 5 minutes and then I will do a little stretching.

After my warm-up I will usually workout for about a half hour. I like to alternate cardio and lifting. When I do cardio I usually just run on the treadmill, or do the elliptical the whole time. When I lift weights I try to mix it up a little bit. Some days I will do legs, some days I will do arms, or abs.

Lifting weights is frustrating for me because I don’t really know what I am doing and I don’t really feel like it is helping me get in shape. My friends say I should hire a personal trainer to help teach me the basics. We’ll see I guess.