Gym Characters: From Arnold Schwarznegger to Paris Hilton

I've been going to different gyms throughout my career, yet I've always noticed the same types of characters that frequent the place. Some make you laugh some make you cringe, here's my attempt at stereotyping these interesting characters:

The Steroid Monkey: This guy is huge, a behemoth with shoulder caps the size of your head. He carries around a milk jug full of water, but his strength doesn't match his physique. He spends 40% of the time at the urinal, 40% mingling with the trainers and 20% working out.

Miss Beautiful: She's single, beautiful and ready to mingle. This girl has several memberships at different gyms because she's already in great shape and is just there to flirt with the boys. All eyes are on her when she's there and she flaunts it flawlessly.

The Strong Man: He's big, brawny and bear-like. He could pop off your head if he squeezed you hard enough and consumes 5000 calories a day to support his physique. You'll hear his screams and grunts from across the gym and you'll never hog his machine because he would hurt you.

Teenyboppers: They come and go as a flock and are there to outdo one another. Trying to learn the ropes of training but they're egos always get in the way. They use more weight then they can handle, don't understand proper form and nearly kill themselves trying and have the scars to prove it.

Healthy Recipes: Garlic Chicken Quinoa with Arugula

Here's a slight twist on my favourite garlic chicken quinoa recipe, I top it with some arugula to add some color and flavour.  For those that haven't tried arugula, it's really big in Europe and is just starting to invade our kitchens.  It has a nice aromatic and nutty flavour in the texture of a leafy vegetable.  The first time I had it was in Berlin in 2007 and I fell in love with it, now it's finally available here for a reasonable price.

I love quinoa, see my superfood article to understand why

Ingredients:
Salt/Pepper
6 chicken thighs
6 garlic cloves
3 cups arugula
1 cup quinoa
2 cups chicken broth

Press garlic cloves and mix with chicken and pepper in a bowl
Allow to marinate for 2 hours in the fridge

Pour a teaspoon of oil into pan and heat until oil is hot
Add chicken mixture and stir-fry until chicken is cooked

Poor quinoa into pot with 2 cups of chicken broth
Bring to a boil for 2 minutes, then turn to low and let simmer for 10-15 minutes
Salt to desired taste
Mix chicken into mixture and let simmer for 2 minutes
Allow to cool, top with arugula and serve