I had a session left with my trainer, and because I had a previous appointment (which ended up canceling on me), we made the training time for 6 p.m.

I'm a big fan of morning workouts, simply because it's a quick check on the to-do list and you don't have the whole day to come up with excuses not to work out.

I also like to think that the theory of the post-workout metabolic rev-up is correct. But hey, any time you work out is the best time.

The gym was packed with the after-work crowd, but we stuck to the cable machine and the training room so crowds weren't an issue. Actually the crush of people made the workout more fun because my trainer loves to people-watch, as do I, so we spent the time commenting on the workout crowd.

• "Why are those women working out with their hair down? Sweaty hair is gross."
• "That woman has eyebrows tattooed on!"
• "Oooh, not a good outfit for her."

Sure, it's catty but this is South Florida where there is no shortage of colorful characters.

Aside from the people watching, I did learn a great way to do squats. By holding on to the waist-high handle on the cable machine, I was able to go down 90 degrees while keeping my back straight, maximizing the effectiveness of the squats.