Max Power is a fitness experience in Lancaster, PA. Certified personal trainers use a combination of powerlifting, olympic lifting, circuit and interval training, and plyometrics to increase power, speed, strength and endurance.

Most weekends I’m out at Max Power with whoever is crazy willing (or crazy stupid) enough to endure one of Mike and Nick’s workouts under the summer sun. Mostly, the crazy seems to involve testosterone, so it’s usually me and a group of guys.

This is what I’ve learned from training with the big boys:

• Guys like to burp. They will, in fact, burp a lot when training hard and pushing themselves. Learn to accept this, as burping is much more preferable to alternatives.

• Guys don’t care if you’re sweaty and gross while training. Mainly because they’re probably sweatier and grosser, so it’s okay to leave the makeup at home, ladies. Though not the deodorant – c’mon, that’s just common courtesy.

• It’s okay to push yourself. Though it’s really tempting to just sit back (or sprawl, depending on how wiped you are) to take the easy way out and use the excuse that you’re a girl. But guys – even after they’ve puked, even if they’ve aggravated an old injury or broken a state powerlifting record the day before – will keep pushing through and do another set.