So you know which fork is for salad and which is for your main meal. Guys, you know to open doors for women. And you never let a thank you card sit unwritten. But do you know proper gym etiquette?

Even if you're a gym etiquette dummy, never fear. Dummies.com has tips for mastering gym etiquette. For example:

• Don't rest on weight equipment between sets. The equipment is for everyone, and your little break could be holding someone else up.
  
• Manage your own sweat. Bring a towel with you and wipe off equipment when you're done. It's just plain nasty to go to a machine and find someone's sweat waiting for you.
  
• Use the lockers. So great, you have a gym bag. But please don't tote it around from machine to machine. Stow it in a locker ... that's what they're for.
  

For more tips on gym etiquette, see the full article on Dummies.com.

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Are you an outdoor exercise enthusiast? Do you reject the idea of running anywhere without trees and scenery? It must drive you crazy that the chilly temperatures and shorter days are sending you into the gym. Good news: Active.com has several suggestions to help you out.

In addition to listing the Cardio Top Five, Active has pointers on how to get a better indoor cardio workout on whatever equipment you choose to use. Remember, if you keep it interesting, you'll work harder. Check out the gallery for a few of the pointers I'll be taking to heart!

I love that in the first paragraph of the description of this product, it states that you'll have the body you've always wanted by using the Ston-O-Max Turbo Body Toner ($129.95 on sale for $89.95 on epartyunlimited.com), "in conjunction with a proper diet and exercise regimen." Because, hey, learning to speak Latin in conjunction with diet and exercise might get you the body you want, too.

So what exactly is this device? Well, it's a belt that uses "the patented CBS (Centrifugal Body Stimulation) technology. Its elliptical motion causes muscles to contract and in turn build muscle and break down fat." That description doesn't really clear it up for me, so I went to the video (warning -- loud, automatic music). And ... I'm still not totally understanding how this is supposed to get me in shape. It massages and heats up the area you put it on, but I'm not sold.

A lot of people are sold, however, and quite a few of the reviews actually state that the user felt like the machine was truly working their muscles. However, a number of other reviews said exactly what I expected -- it works well as a massager, but is no replacement for exercise. This is one gadget I don't think I'd spend my money on -- would you?

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When little Millie Kelly was born, she was diagnosed with gastroschisis, a condition where the intestines (and sometimes other organs) develop outside of the abdomen. During surgery to correct the defect, her kidneys started to fail.

Infants, particularly tiny infants like 6-pound Millie Kelly, are too small for traditional dialysis machines. So Millie's physician, Dr. Malcomb Coulthard on Newcastle's Royal Victoria Infirmary in the UK, together with senior children's kidney nurse, Jean Crosier, came up with a plan for a smaller version. And then, Dr. Coulthard built the machine in his garage.

After seven days on the machine, Millie's kidneys were able to recover. Today she's a happy two-year-old and her mother describes her as "fit as a fiddle." The homemade machine is still in use, but Dr. Coulthard hopes for a professionally assembled version to replace it soon.

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I always get a kick out of watching people at the gym, especially in the free weight and stretching areas. Everyone has their own way of doing crunches, or lunges, or squats, probably because they're trying to target their trouble spot.

However, the cardio machine you choose can have a lot to do with the area you target. Women's Health magazine listed the best cardio machines for your bum, and you can check them out in our gallery. After all, if you're putting in the time at the gym, you want to make sure you're getting the most out of it you can, right?

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My home treadmill has a strategic location -- right smack dab in my kids' playroom so I can work out and watch my boys play at the same time. ER actress Linda Cardellini has a strategic spot for her exercise equipment too.

"I have an elliptical machine at my house that I placed between the kitchen and the couch," Cardellini tells Good Housekeeping in the June 2008 magazine. "So I can't sit there and eat bonbons on the couch -- I've got to get up and work out."

Got a strategy for your workout routine? Feel free to tell all.

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Most abdominal exercises can't quite be called relaxing. You might enjoy them, and they might not be painful, but if you try to tell me any exercises really feel wonderful while you're doing them, I'm going to ... well, I just won't believe you. But that's not really my point.

This week's Fit Gadget, the Multi-Core-Flex Excel Body Gym, is designed to massage your back while working your abs, quads, and inner and outer thighs. Actually, it claims that, in addition to giving you a fantastic workout, it will give you "the most relaxing back massage you've ever had. Its comfortable rounded pads enable you to stretch your entire upper body as well as your back for total relaxation."

Hmm ...

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I was running on a new treadmill at my local gym yesterday, and I had really exerted myself and my breathing started getting a little out of control (I'm asthmatic, so I'm careful not to overdo). I slowed to a walk, and as I did so, I put my hands on the heart rate monitors, and ... according to the display, my heart rate was at only 112, but I know from monitoring it at other times, at a similar intensity, it has shown 180+. Huh?

I've noticed before that my heart rate fluctuates considerably depending on the day, but never looked into it. Yesterday, though, it made me realize that I really have no idea what heart rate I reach at my peak, and what I maintain.

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When you think of nuclear particle accelerators, you probably think of massive pieces of equipment like Tevatron. But now these beasts of physics will be making headway into the field of medicine for cancer treatment.

Just like its name suggests, these machines accelerate protons to the speed of light (or nearly that fast, anyway). Doctors are then able to direct the particles into tumors. By doing this, they are trying to treat cancer more efficiently so that stray radiation is minimized. That means fewer side effects!

The catch is that this equipment is extremely large, and very expensive. Therefore the cost of treating cancer this way goes up considerably. Opponents of nuclear medicine say this limits the less-expensive alternatives, because doctors will feel obligated to prescribe this type of treatment if it's available. With only 5 proton therapy centers in the US, taking up over 200 tons and costing more than $100 million, it's easy to see why doctors would want to take advantage of them. Who knows -- maybe one day we'll see a particle accelerator in every hospital as the cost of technology declines. That's probably a long way off, but the more prevalent this equipment becomes the cheaper it will be to use.

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This is ridiculous. It's a cross-training exercise machine that claims to give you an awesome workout in just 4 minutes a day. I guess people with money will buy anything! It's the ROM machine and it's being billed as a 4 minute cross trainer. It supposedly works by exercising 55% of the body's muscles at one time, or 465 calories in 4 minutes. Is that even possible?

Sounds a little dangerous to me, and the phrase "if it sounds too good to be true..." comes to mind. Plus the price tag is definitely not too good to be true, at $15,000 I think I'll stick with something I'm sure will work.

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Walking into the gym is scary enough, and that's only step one. Once you've gotten that far you still have to get in there and use the equipment, which can be intimidating if you're not exactly sure what you're doing and there's a burly sweaty type hanging out waiting for you to finish.

Cables can be a great way to add a little spice to your strength-training routine, and they're fairly easy to use with some basic knowledge. Read these tips and pointers on what attachments and bars are used for what moves -- you'll open up a whole new set of workout possibilities, get better results, and feel that much more confident!

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As the large population of Baby Boomers grows older, and as all ages of Americans become more interested in exercise and activity, a new challenge is being created for fitness companies to create equipment that will not only work for the previously common "average" customer, but for newly growing "aging" group as well.

Recently companies from all over convened in Las Vegas to show off what they've done to make fitness machines not only challenging and effective, but also sensitive to older users and adjustable for things like achy joints. There are all kinds of new ideas out there, click here to see a few examples of what the Vegas trade show had to offer.

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Gyms are full of machines and equipment for every type of workout and exercise you can imagine. If you're looking to burn calories and get in shape they'll all do the trick, albeit some faster than others.

All those machines are there to cater to all of our differing preferences when it comes to working out, and hence the industry never stops working to come up with new ways to get the same job done. The latest is the "gravity machine," and if one makes an appearance at your gym will you try it? Because it may not be that long before you have the option, if you don't already. They're rapidly getting floorspace and even becoming the center of various fitness classes, and although I've never used one people who have seem to love them.

Thoughts? Opinions? They look like a backwards leg press to me...

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November 26th I broke my left foot. I broke it bad. In fact, I broke two bones in the foot, and tore both a muscle and ligament. When I do it, I do it right I guess. Sentenced to crutches for 10 weeks, I was given a grand opportunity to practice what I preach. Being Miss. Fitzness Trainer, I'm constantly telling others to 'find a way' to make it happen. Stop making excuses I say. Now it was my turn to find a way.

Going 10 weeks without working out was not an option. Sure I could lift weights, but cardiovascular workouts are a definite must for me. Now what? I absolutely could not partake in my favorite workouts; kickboxing, running, jumping rope. I couldn't even swim! So I had to search around the local gym. Fortunately I am a member of the Gainesville Health and Fitness Center which is probably one of the most beautiful and complete gyms in the country. If it weren't.....I would have been screwed. GH&FC has two kayak machines. Whoopee! I mean that both seriously and sarcastically. Grateful to have something to do to make me huff & puff without putting pressure on my boo boo, and annoyed because it's one of the most boring and tedious things I've done in my life.

First day I lasted 10 minutes and cursed like a sailor. Second day I begrudgingly conquered 20 minutes. Argh! Of course it was also the ONLY machine in this monstrous gym with no television attached. It was awful! Nonetheless. Because I felt obligated to all those nice folks I told to find a way, I stuck it out....and cursed a lot. I'm glad I did.

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