One of my grandmother's favorite sayings is: "There's more than one way to skin a cat." While the fact that there's apparently even one way to do this is disturbing (skinning cats? Really?), the idea behind the saying is often true; there's usually more than one way to reach a goal. Choosing how you get there is the confusing part.

Weight training is a perfect example of this. Whether you want to lose weight, get strong or build muscle, there area a number of ways to accomplish this. You can follow the standard straight-set training, you can alternate exercises or you can do circuit training...some of us do all of these in one week of training, maybe even in the same workout.

How you choose is based on not just your goals but what you like, how much time you have and how experienced you are. My beginning clients usually stick to straight-set training to learn the exercises and keep things simple. My experienced clients often prefer to mix things up and, because they have a strong foundation to work from, they're able to change workouts more often without getting sore.

I'm curious about how you lift weights. Do you follow a certain type of training all the time or do you mix it up? Vote in this week's poll and leave a comment to tell us about how you lift weights.

Weight Training Resources

• Changing Your Method of Training
• How to Choose Your Reps and Sets
• Workout Ideas

Nothing gets people going like the topic of gym etiquette - namely, how other people don't seem to have any. Just the other day, a client of mine threw out her back while unloading huge weights from a leg press machine...weights the previous user simply left there. She mentioned the idea of taking fingerprints to find the offender and then punishing them by making them load every machine for every gym member for one entire day. Not a bad idea, actually.

We've talked about this before here on the blog, so I know my readers have similar complaints and now we have a new way for you to express yourself, called User Answers. I want to know what your experience is. What breaches of gym etiquette burn you up? Leave a reader's response or leave a comment below...whatever floats your boat.

Years ago, I had a client who's main goal was to lose weight. After working out for for more than a month and watching her diet so closely she could tell me the nutritional information for even the smallest thing (calories in a stick of Extra gum? 5!), she'd managed to lose about five pounds along with a couple of inches. While I was telling her how fabulous she was doing (weight loss + inches lost = good, right?) she was busy saying (well, shouting), "Civilizations have come and gone in the time it's taken me to lose 5 pounds. Why is this so slow?"

Watching the scale inch down week after week can be frustrating, but there are reasons why fast weight loss isn't always recommended. For one, you often end up losing muscle along with fat. Preserving muscle mass is essential for keeping the metabolism going and, of course, keeping the body, bones and connective tissue strong. Another thing that happens when you lose weight quickly, especially with weight loss surgery, is extra skin that may be difficult to get rid of.

Loose skin isn't just about rapid weight loss, of course. Your age, genes and skin elasticity also determine how your skin responds, even with slow weight loss. And, of course, pregnancy can leave some women with extra skin as well. Whatever your situation, if you're dealing with this issue your biggest question might be: "How do I get rid of it?" My latest FAQ about loose skin talks about the factors that can affect your skin and what you can do about it.

If you've dealt with this problem, leave a comment and tell us your experience.

Turning on the television right now can be hazardous to your health. Just this morning, I mistakenly watched a morning news show and was reminded about the financial crisis, the high price of gas and a multitude of other things that made me feel like throwing something at the TV (not that I would ever do that to your precious baby, dear husband).

We're all under pressure right now and, though it seems impossible, it's more important than ever to take care of our bodies and minds. Today, I'm issuing a challenge to my readers, and myself, to take a little vacation from stress with a few simple yoga exercises. Carve out at least 5 minutes (more if you can) and do each of these exercises, focusing on deep, full breaths.

Back Stretch

Lower into a squat with the hands on the thighs, back arched. Pull the abs in and round the back up towards the ceiling as you exhale and then smoothly go back into an arch as you inhale. Repeat 15 times.

Sun Salutations

Begin in a standing position and inhale as you sweep the arms up and overhead. Exhale and engage the abs as you tip from the hips and lower into a Forward Bend, with hands on the floor, feet or shins (bend the knees if you need to). Inhale and come up until the back is flat and exhale back into Forward Bend. Inhale and come back up, sweeping the arms overhead until palms touch. Repeat the series 4 to 8 times.

Spine Twist

Lie down on a mat and bend the right leg and place the right foot on the left knee.  Slowly twist to the left while taking the right hand straight out on the floor, the left hand gently pressing on the right knee.  Relax into the stretch and feel it in your lower back and hips.  Hold for 15-30 seconds and repeat on the other side.