You may not be able to spend all day scrolling through your Facebook and Twitter feeds. If you are, you probably should be doing some work. But either way, you shouldn't have to miss out. So we're going to make your life a little easier. Each week, we'll pull together some of the best, most-engaging, can't-miss content from MensFitness.com—everything from training to nutrition to style—and give you a chance to play catch-up.

WORKOUTS and FITNESS

Injury Free: The Best Rotator Cuff Exercises>>>

Unquestionably the hottest story to hit our social media pages this week, garnering more than 1,600 Facebook shares and more than 3,000 "Likes." There's no doubt that rotator cuff injuries are the worst. Employ these exercises and save yourself the trouble later on.

The Best Medicine Ball Abs Workout>>>

Get your abs popping with this fat-torching routine. 

Rookie Mistakes: The Overhead Press>>>

Arching your back? Not pressing all the way out? Don't cheat yourself—or hurt yourself—making these rookie mistakes.

HEALTH and NUTRITION

What Effect Do Vitamins C and E Have on Endurance?>>>

Could taking these antioxidants actually have a negative effect on your stamina?

3 Protein Bars You Can Make at Home>>>

That protein bar in your gym bag may be as good as any candy bar. Try making these high-powered snacks at home.

PROFILES

Athlete Q&A: Hunter McIntyre>>>

Meet Hunter McIntrye, one of the world's best Spartan Race athletes. 

The Keeper of the Stanley Cup>>>

There is only one Stanley Cup. It's 36 inches tall, 35 pounds, and 121 years old. And Phil Pritchard has been its official caretaker for 26 years.

On Saturday, May 3, some of the world's best kickboxers will collide at 1st Bank Arena in Denver, CO, in the Glory World Series. The headline event will put the World Welterweight title up for grabs when Marc De Bonte squares off with Karapet Karapetyan.

The event will air on SPIKE TV at 9 p.m. ET and also includes a four-man Heavyweight Contender Tournament that will earn the winner a chance to chase the World Heavyweight title this year. And to top things off, fight fans will get to see the Glory debut of Pat "HD" Barry, who is making his return to kickboxing after a long stint in MMA. 

Get a Fighter's Physique>>>

The tournament will see Sergey Kharitonov square off with Anderson "Braddock" Silva, and experienced fighter Errol Zimmerman will take his 101 wins into the ring against "Banging" Ben Edwards. Zimmerman's tremendous power has made him a slight favorite in this tournament, but all four fighters have reputations for toughness and big power. Whoever wins here will go on to the Heavyweight Championship Tournament later this year. "It's a big prize so you can be sure there will be fierce competition in the Contender Tournament," said Cor Hemmers, Glory matchmaker and head of talent operations. "And it goes without saying, Glory heavyweight fights don't often go the distance. Don't blink when these fights are on."

The event headliner is any man's fight and could be a prelude for fierce battles to come in the heavyweight division. De Monte was ranked No. 2 in the Glory series before the Welterweight Championship Tournament at Glory 13 Tokyo but was forced out of the tournament because of an injury. He was originally matched up with tournament winner and top-ranked fighter Nieky Holzken, but a recurring shoulder injury sidelined Holzken. 

10 Gold-Medal Knockout Kings: USA's Boxing Legacy>>>

Eventually, the slot was offered to Karapetyan, who took third in the tournament and came off a strong win over Artur Kyshenko at Glory 14 Zagreb in March. There will be plenty of fighters interested in the outcome here, including Joe Valetellini, who was second in the tournament but had to pass on taking the title fight Saturday to nurse his own injuries. 

Glory 16 Denver airs on SPIKE TV Saturday, May 3, at 9 p.m. ET. For more information, visit gloryworldseries.com.

For the last 10 years, I’ve been a professional dating coach with Love Systems. I help men succeed with women, from meeting and attracting women at bars and coffee shops straight through relationships and even breakups.

One thing I’ve noticed across over 10,000 clients is that dates are actually the worst place to screw things up. If you mess up when you first approach a woman, you’ve lost 15 seconds and maybe bruised your ego. If things don’t go well on a date, you’ve lost the time and money from the date itself, from the first time you met her, and all of the phoning and texting in between. Fail early, not late. To that end, I’d like to share these nine dumb things not to do on a first date. These tips won’t get you the girl on their own, but they’ll stop you from sinking your own ship unnecessarily.

7 Traits That Turn Off Any Woman>>>

Dumb First Date Move #1 – Expect her to pay
The biggest rule with money and dating is to never let money cause awkwardness. Don’t look at money as a tool in your arsenal. Think of it as a bomb you don’t want to go off.

For example, most women will expect you to pay for at least most of the first date. In an age of equal-pay laws, you can be political about this, but what’s the point? Plenty of things in our world are illogical, and you’re not going to get much sympathy talking about how men get a rough deal in society. Assume you’re paying.

Now, some women will resent the notion that they need to be paid for on the first date. So if she insists on splitting the bill or paying for some activity even after you’ve declined her offer once, then let her. It’s that simple. 


Dumb First Date Move #2 – Take her somewhere super expensive
This is a more subtle flaw than expecting her to pay, but it can be just as devastating.

A lot of women will be turned off by an overly-expensive first date. They will be anxious that you will “expect something” at the end of the night for what you spent. Or they will wonder if you have so little going for you that you essentially have to try to buy affection.

Even if she’s not turned off, overspending can be counter-productive. A friend of my ex-girlfriend was being pursued by a rich businessman from Hawaii. He flew her around, bought her jewelry, and spared no expense. I asked her how he was in bed. Her response: “Are you kidding? I’m not going to sleep with him. if he’s spending this much to pursue me, I’m going to keep the chase going as long as I can.”

Best and Worst Dates to Take Her On>>>

Dumb First Date Move #3 – Overinvesting
The Dumb First Date Move #2 was overinvesting financially, and #3 is overinvesting in any other way. When I was in college, long before Love Systems, I invited a woman to my place for dinner. I cooked a delicious meal from scratch and organized my apartment to be lit entirely by over 200 candles. It looked beautiful. It was romantic.

And it was a complete failure.

Overinvesting on the first date sends the same kind of signals as telling a woman you just met what an amazing person she is. It makes most women uncomfortable, because she knows she hasn’t earned the value you are placing on her yet. So your affection isn’t about her – it’s desperation, or a mechanical desire to be with any attractive woman you see. Neither point of view is attractive to most women.

Dumb First Date Move #4 - Grill her
Don’t bombard her with questions. So many men do this, and I’ve heard lots of women compare the process to “interviewing for a job that I don’t even know if I want.” No one goes to job interviews for fun.

But isn’t the point of a first date to get to know each other? Yes – but getting to know each other is as much about chemistry and emotional fit as it is about comparing facts about each other’s lives.

Of course, you’ll want to ask some questions – and you should. But questions aren’t the only way to get information. If you tell her something about yourself, she’ll probably reciprocate with the same information. Or use statements or even guesses. Instead of asking her what she studied in college, take a guess. Instead of asking her how she felt on her canoe trip, tell her it sounds very fun and peaceful. And so on.

7 Pick-Up Lines to Never Use>>>

Dumb First Date Move #5 – Dinner and a movie
This one won’t completely kill you, but it’s really not ideal. Dinner-and-a-movie dates are very conventional and will remind her of every other first date she’s been on instead of revealing your uniqueness.

Both parts of a dinner-movie night are bad for first dates. First date dinners can be awkward--you can’t touch, and there’s little external source of entertainment. Movies provide almost no opportunity to get to know each other.

Instead, take her somewhere more fun and interactive, like a comedy club or bowling alley. You can talk, touch, have fun, and be entertained. And she’ll probably love you for it.

Dumb First Date Move #6 – Argue about facts or logic
It’s okay to disagree with her. In fact, it’s good to do so a couple times, to show her that you’re your own man and not hung up on someone’s approval. But this is best done over subjective topics, where there is no right answer. She says he likes oranges; I say oranges are disgusting and apples are the bomb. And keep it playful.

What you don’t want to do is argue about whether global warming is real, or who invented the telescope. Even if you know she’s wrong, even if you can prove she’s wrong by browsing your phone, even if it’s completely common sense, let it go. If you see her again and develop something with her, there will be plenty of time to show her the truth later.

Are You Giving Her the Wrong Idea?>>>

Dumb First Date Move #7 - Brag about yourself
You absolutely want her to know about your best qualities. But you want to communicate them to her in a way that she finds interesting and compelling, not braggy or insecure.

It’s natural to talk about yourself – or blurt out anything – when you’re nervous or feel an awkward pause in the conversation (another reason to avoid dinner and a movie). But it’s OK on dates to let a silence develop and let her fill it once in a while. It’s not like at a bar, where she could wander off any moment and you need to keep the energy level high at least for the first few minutes.

You’re best off revealing your good qualities through a Love Systems technique called embedding. Tell a story about something you’d tell anyway, but fit in ‘incidental’ details for her to ‘discover’ about you.

For example, you could tell a funny story of something that happened at a restaurant, mentioning in passing this took place during you last trip to China. If the “China” angle is purely incidental, the reference will seem incidental. In doing so, you’ve conveyed that you’re a traveler and must have at least a certain amount going for you. For more on this, there’s a great Love Systems article (with examples) about how to tell stories to meet women.

Dumb First Date Move #8 – Being negative
You’ve probably heard by now not to be negative about your ex-girlfriend, and that’s good advice. But it’s even better not to be negative in general. People who are negative about their family, friends, career, etc., usually aren’t very happy people or much fun to be around.

Just as importantly, guys who complain about everything don’t generally have very good lives. Instead of believing that everyone in your life has randomly done you wrong, she might reason that the common element in all of your complaints is you.

Be positive. It’s easy to do and will make a big difference.

Dumb First Date Move #9 – Making a second date
This might seem paradoxical. Presumably, if you are attracted to each other, you want a second date. That’s true, but you still don’t want to make the second date during the first.

Flirting and romantic tension is part of the process for a lot of women, and if she knows that she’s earned a second date already, that deprives her of wondering when you’re going to text or call to invite her out again. You won’t come across as much of a challenge – and, as I wrote in my book The Magic Bullets Handbook, being a challenge is one of the eight crucial factors to attract beautiful women. Press too quickly for a second date and she might start to doubt her attraction to you.

A partial exception – you can make vague long-term plans during any date as long they’re not specific – e.g., “You like sushi too? Awesome, we should go to that new place on the beach sometime this summer." Just don’t get specific or make firm plans.

Nick Savoy is the President of Love Systems and a regular contributor to Men’s Fitness. Follow him on Twitter @LS_Savoy.

It’s Cinco de Mayo and you’re tempted to splurge, but with beach days on the way, you’re going to do it within reason. And we’re here to help. We’ve compiled a list of tasty Tex-Mex meals and snacks that are packed with protein and nutrients, and lower in fat than the dishes you’d find at your favorite Mexican food joint. So, instead of getting your fiesta food fix from cheesy enchiladas or taco pie, try these slimmed down south-of-the-border staples and you’ll still have room for a couple of celebratory cervezas. 

25 Ways to Lose Fat Faster>>>
8 Amazing Fat-Burning Intervals>>>

1. Crunchy Herbed Guacamole Chopped radishes and chives add volume (and crunch), and help cut down on the amount of avocado you’ll be scooping up with every bite (because hey, at the end of the day healthy fat is still fat).

10 Foods to Fill You Up While You Trim Down >>>

2. 7-Layer Dip Full-fat sour cream and cheese, refried beans, ground beef, and guac make traditional seven-layer dip notoriously high in calories and fat. But this healthier version, made with reduced-fat cheese and sour cream, Greek yogurt, black beans, homemade guac, salsa, and fresh vegetables, slashes fat in half.

3. Chorizo Nachos Extra-lean pork and black beans help keep this loaded nachos recipe to under 350 calories. Plus, it’s bulked up enough to be a meal on its own.

4. Stuffed Peppers Estia Ninety-five percent lean ground beef helps you keep tabs on fat and delivers 24 g of protein per serving. Cut even more fat by using ground turkey instead of ground beef. 

5. Spicy Tuna Tacos Canned tuna…in a taco? Sure, it sounds strange, but once you mix the fish with tomatoes, chilies, cilantro, and lime juice, you won’t miss the beef. 

6. Ceviche This gluten-free, Paleo-friendly seafood dish weighs in at only 221 calories and 9 g of fat per serving. Plus, it just looks great on a plate. 

--
Related:
5 Ways to Cook With Fresh Herbs>>>
The Top Protein-Filled Foods>>>

101 Best Workouts Of All Time is the ultimate answer to the question "What workout should I do?" No matter what equipment you have available, from a fully-stocked supergym to a pair of mismatched dumbbells in your garage, or nothing but your body weight alone, you can build muscle, lose fat, and sculpt the physique you've always wanted.

Build Your Best Body Ever Now! Buy the Book >>>

If you train at home or anywhere else that provides only a barbell and a small amount of weight, you can make the most of it by speeding or slowing your reps and performing your exercises circuit-style.

HOW IT WORKS

The barbell was invented to carry balanced loads but works just as well out of balance. The following exercises can be performed with one end wedged between two walls while you lift the other end like a lever. You may find that pressing the bar like a lever feels less stressful to your shoulders, plus it activates your core to a greater degree.

DIRECTIONS

Perform the exercises as a circuit, completing one set of each in turn without rest. If an exercise feels easy using the load you have available, perform your reps slower and with more control. (Or, if you have extra weight, load it.) Another option is to choke down on the bar. Gripping it lower will decrease your mechanical advantage and make the exercise harder. After the last exercise, rest two minutes and then repeat the entire circuit. Continue for 20 minutes. You can repeat the workout up to four times per week, resting a day between sessions.

THE WORKOUT >>> [PAGE 2] 

The Best Medicine Ball Ab Workout >>>

OPTION 1

1. SPLIT SQUAT TO PRESS
Reps: 10–12 (each side) Rest: 0 sec.
Wedge the end of the barbell into a corner of the room (to avoid damage to the walls, you may have to wrap a towel around it). Load the opposite end with a weight plate and grasp it toward the end. Get into a lunge position with your left leg in front, bent to where your thigh is parallel to the floor and your right knee nearly touches the floor. Stand up explosively and press the bar straight up.

2. SINGLE ARM ROW W/ PARTIAL LUNGE
Reps: 10–12 (each side) Rest: 0 sec.
Hold the barbell behind the sleeve (where you load the weights) with your left hand. Get into a lunge position but not deep—keep both legs slightly extended so that the bar and plate don’t brush the floor. Draw your shoulder blade back and row the bar to your ribs.
Reps: 10–12 (each side) Rest : 120 sec.

3. BARBELL RUSSIAN TWIST
Reps: 10–12 (each side) Rest: 0 sec.
Grasp the bar near the very end again—this time with both hands. Stand with feet shoulder width. Swing the bar to your left, pivoting your feet as needed, and then swing to your right.

4. LEVER FLOOR PRESS
Lie on your back on the floor and grasp the end of the bar again behind the sleeve with your left hand. Hold it just above your shoulder and extend your right arm out to your side for support. Press the bar over your chest.

OPTION B >>> [PAGE 3]

The Best Barbell Only Back Workout >>>

OPTION B

Call this one the “No Excuses Workout” because we have yet to hear a compelling reason why someone can’t succeed with it. First of all, it takes only six minutes t complete. Second, it requires just a barbell and a pair of plates. Load the bar once and you’re ready to go. Think you can handle that?

HOW IT WORKS
The workout is a barbell complex—a series of exercises that flow. The finish position of the hang clean sets you up perfectly for the front squat, which then allows you to move right into the overhead press, and so on. Choose one weight, which will be determined by the exercise you can lift the least amount on (in this case, the overhead lunge), and go for it. The pace will be so intense that you’ll be grateful the workout is over in six minutes. Fortunately, your metabolism will remain accelerated for 48 hours afterward.

DIRECTIONS

Perform the exercises as a circuit, completing one set of each in turn without rest. Complete three reps for each move. Time your circuit. After the last exercise, check your timer and rest as long as it took you to perform the circuit. Repeat for three total circuits. Choose a load you could use for 10 reps on a normal overhead press, and keep that same weight for all the exercises.

Rookie Mistakes: The Squat >>>

1. ROMANIAN DEADLIFT
Reps: 3 Rest: 0 sec.
Hold the bar at shoulder width and stand with feet hip width. Bend your hips back as far as you can. Allow your knees to bend as needed while you lower the bar along your shins until you feel a stretch in your hamstrings. Keep your lower back arched throughout. Squeeze your glutes as you come back up.

2. HANG CLEAN
Reps: 3 Rest: 0 sec.
With the bar in front of your thighs, bend your hips and knees so that the bar lowers to just above your knees. Now explosively extend your hips as if jumping while at the same time shrugging your shoulders and pulling the bar straight up in front of your torso. As the bar reaches chest level, bend your elbows so that your palms face the ceiling and catch the bar at shoulder level. Bend your hips and knees as you catch the bar to absorb the impact.

3. FRONT SQUAT
Reps: 3 Rest: 0 sec.
From the catch position of the hang clean, squat as low as you can without losing the arch in your lower back.

4. OVERHEAD PRESS
Reps: 3 Rest: 0 sec.
From standing, press the bar overhead, pushing your head forward and shrugging your traps as the bar passes your face.

5. OVERHEAD LUNGE
Reps: 3 (each side) Rest: See directions
Hold the bar overhead and step forward with your left leg. Lower yourself until your left thigh is parallel to the floor and your rear knee nearly touches the floor.

The Best Anytime Workout >>>
 

 Men's Fitness training director Sean Hyson, C.S.C.S., assembled a team of the best trainers in the world to create boredom-beating, plateau-busting routines that cover any amount of time you have to exercise and whatever tools you have available to do it. Programs cover every body part, every implement (barbells, dumbbells, bands, etc.), and cardio. There's a nutrition plan, too.

Pick up what Arnold Schwarzenegger called "a fantastic collection of workouts" at 101bestworkouts.com.

When you think of ab exercises, the first one that usually comes to mind is the situp. While the situp is OK when performed properly, there's other options that place less strain on the neck, spine, and lower back, especially for people who spend countless hours sitting or working at a computer. "Spinal flexion," which basically means you sit in a hunched crunched position for too long, is similar to a situp, and over time, can cause numerous problems including poor posture, pain, and decreased performance.

Instead of doing situps give these three exercises a try:

Single-arm Weighted Carries
Pushup Hold Walkouts
Side Plank

For demonstrations and instructions go to page two.

1. Single-arm Weighted Carries

The single-arm weighted carry is a go-to exercise, every workout. It's very simple to perform and very beneficial in many ways. Simply grab a weight in one hand and start walking.

Some tips to quality weighted carries are:

1. Maintain good posture. Chest up, eyes up, and shoulders back. Be sure to not hunch or round the shoulders or upper back.
2. Brace Your Core. To do this, flex your core like someone is going to punch you in the stomach. This immediately will give you the feeling of creating a brace.
3. Make a fist with your free hand. This will create more full body tension, which will make this more of a full-body exercise.

Weighted single-arm carries can be done with dumbbells, kettlebells, standard barbells, and more.

2. Pushup Hold Walkouts

This is a simple yet effective core exercise that requires no equipment that will turn your abs to bricks.

1. Start in a pushup position with your hands under your shoulders.
2. Brace your core like you're going to get punched and squeeze your glutes as hard as possible.
3. From here start walking your hands upward, one at a time past your head. Keep walking your hands up slowly and controlled.
4. Your core will immediately brace and you'll feel your midsection lock down.
5. Hold the walk-out position for 3-5 seconds, walk your hands back to pushup, position, and repeat.

Always be sure to keep your core locked and maintain a strong, neutral spine.

​

3. Side Plank

Planks and side planks are a great exercise for core strength, improving hip issues, and helping people with lower-back pain. The side plank especially is a low-risk, high-benefit exercise.

To do a side plank:

1. Lie on your side. Put your top leg directly in front of your bottom leg. The heel of your top foot should be in line with tips of your toes of the bottom foot.
2. Take the elbow of the side you're lying on and prop yourself on your elbow with your elbow and shoulder stacked in a straight line.
3. From here rise up the hip that is on the ground and maintain a good neutral spine and brace hard.
4. Hold this position for as long as possible without losing form. Rest and repeat as necessary.

If you want it all to kill it in your next CrossFit class, or even have a shot at competing in The Games one day, here's the five-move workout to have you get it all—speed, power, and strength. Will Huntington, C.S.C.S., a CrossFit Level 1 instructor, and certified strength and conditioning coach (C.S.C.S.) takes us through the demo.

GOALS: Increase total body power, strength, endurance, and agility.

THE WORKOUT

1. Kettlebell Swing
5-10 sets
5-20 reps
* Go heavy for power.
* Vary the resistance and rest periods.

2. Barbell Thruster
21, 12, 9 reps
* Complete as fast as possible
* Also known as "FRAN"

3. Strict Pullup
3 sets
8-10 reps
30 seconds rest

4. Overhead Squat
5 sets
6-8 reps
1 minute rest

5. Handstand Pushup
3-5 reps
* Complete every minute on the minute for 10 minutes.

* Shot on location at FOCUS NYC

Moms can be the easiest and the hardest people in your life to shop for. On one hand, all Mom really wants is a little facetime with you—in which case, why not take her to brunch on Mother's Day at a place like Telepan Local? On the other—doesn't the woman who brought you into this world deserve more than just another flower bouquet? (Not that we're trying to guilt you or anything.)If you're still scrambling for a thoughtful present, think outside the box and gift Mom with something she'd really appreciate: like a stylish iPad case from Coach, or an elegantly designed drip coffee maker from Chemex. Or better yet, hand-write her a note with a Mont Blanc writing instrument. Deputy editor Dean Stattmann goes through all of these out-of-the-box gift ideas in our last-minute Mother's Day Gift Guide video. And don't forget, Mother's Day is this Sunday, May 11.

Mother's Day Gift Guide 2014

If you're old enough to read these words, there’s a 99.9% chance you’ve said something to piss off a woman. And while we’re sure you probably didn’t mean to elicit that strong of a reaction, you can probably recall a few cringe-worthy memories when some flippant remark made your girl (or a complete stranger) fly off the handle.

To help you know what not to say to any woman from here on out, we asked 10 female comedians about what men say that irritates them the most. Here are their takes on the words that should never leave your lips again—unless you really enjoy the doghouse.

5 Texts That Kill Your Chances>>>

“Are you wearing that?”

“If you’re taking me out somewhere, and you see me with clothes on, then yes, I'm wearing that. This is not a hologram outfit under which I'm actually naked and about to get dressed in something you won't passive-aggressively tell me you don't like.”
–Fara Greenbaum, comedian, New York City

“You should smile more.”

“I hate when guys tell me to smile more. Maybe I just got fired today. Maybe I've just been walking around in 5-inch heels all day. Maybe I'm just not impressed with your mesh t-shirt. I don't tell you to do things, like get a haircut. But you definitely need one.”
-Chrissie Mayr, comedian and host of Comedy at Stonewall Inn, New York City

“A pet peeve is when strangers—always men—tell me to smile. This happens a lot on the NYC subway, and no one on the subway is happy to be taking the subway. While waiting for the train one day, a guy asked me, ‘Why aren't you smiling?’ and I told him, ‘Because I didn't push you in front of the train yet.’ Another time, a perv licked his lips at me and was like, ‘Have a good day, sexy.’ I told him, 'Since we're in the spirit of giving orders, go f--- yourself."
-Jessica Sager, comedian, New York City

"You're too pretty to [FILL IN THE BLANK]."

“A friend of mine encountered this pretty recently when a man came up to her after a show she was on and told her she was too pretty to use explicit language during her act. Unfortunately, this sort of comment crops up more than you'd think, as well as the notion that women can't be both ‘pretty and funny.’ This sort of backhanded compliment is guaranteed to incite rage in the recipient because, shocker, I don’t like being told what I can and can't do because of the way society may perceive me. And no, I’m not too pretty to kick your ass.”
-Nikki Black, Comedian, Philadelphia, PA

5 Reasons She Went with the Other Guy>>>


"You wanna watch a movie?" 

“I love movies. But come on, we all know what that means! 'You wanna watch a movie?' translates to 'Let’s bone.' Most sentences uttered by men can be translated to 'You wanna f---?' Sure, let’s bone but you said we could watch my favorite movie! You can't ask a movie lover to watch a movie unless you plan on finishing the flick. You better be a real good fella if you're going to interrupt Good Fellas.”
-Jessimae Peluso, comedian and star of MTV’s Girl Code [pictured above]

“You look tired.”

“This makes me irate! (And I never say that word!) This is never okay! No one ever wants to hear that, especially a girl. We already have enough problems trying to keep things sucked and tucked in all day let alone you telling us we look like we didn't sleep well. Yeah, yeah, I am tired. I'm busy walking my dogs, writing a book, touring the country, putting on acrobatic lingerie, and posing for you all while you make yogurt commercials. (That was my fake fight with boyfriend John Stamos.)”
-Jessimae Peluso

9 Dumb Things to Do on a First Date>>>

“Are you on your period?”

“Menstruation is like a free pass for a guy. If a woman is mad at a guy, he'll be held responsible. But if a woman is mad at a guy and on her period, it's not his fault. I wish more women went around saying to men, ‘Are you upset? Is it because [insert whatever the male equivalent to a period may be]?' To avoid the doghouse, he should immediately acknowledge that it was an idiotic thing to say, then perhaps buy his gal a box of chocolate on the off chance that she actually is on her period. A bouquet of bacon roses couldn't hurt either.”
-Madonna Marie Refugia, half of the NYC comedy duo IMELDA

“Can I use your bathroom?”

“I hate it when a guy walks you home from a date and instead of making a move or being upfront, asks, 'Can I use your bathroom?' Like, sure, you pissing in my toilet will make me want to hook up with you! Just cause you get inside...doesn't mean you'll get inside, 'naw mean!?”
-Chelsea Devantez, actor at The Second City, Chicago, and creator of the "Modern Women" series

The Best and Worst Dates to Take Her On>>>

“Have you lost weight?”

“When a guy says this, or 'Wow, you look slimmer!' my blood starts to boil because, nope, I'm the exact same weight I was yesterday. I resist the urge to grab a marker, pants this doofus, circle all his fat and instead say, 'I haven't lost any weight. But you've lost any chance of going home with me.' The only way this dude can recover is by full-on admitting he was just trying to be nice and didn't know what else to say because I'm always looking great. But seriously, don't comment on a woman's weight, ever!”
-Marianne Schaberg, writer and comedian, VH1

"Wow, I didn't recognize you with makeup on."

“It drives me nuts when I wear makeup and a man says to me, ‘Oh my god, I didn't recognize you! You're so pretty.’ This is the ultimate backhanded compliment. I don't wear make-up at my day job because I don't consider all of life a show. A simple 'You look very pretty today,' is fine. Beyond that, we're not that close, so please keep your comments to yourself. I don't tell you when your bald spot looks extra shiny, don't tell me when I'm looking tired or fat or thin. I have a mirror. Believe me, I know.”
-Corinne Fisher, comedian, New York City

“Can’t you take a joke?”

“Sometimes when men find out I perform stand-up comedy, they think that gives them permission to 'fake-insult' me. When I don't laugh, they ask, ‘Can't you take a joke?' to which I say, 'Can't you tell a joke?'  Enjoying humor isn't a green light for reciting every sexist joke your uncle told the family at Thanksgiving dinner.”
-Carolyn Busa, host of "Side Ponytail" in Williamsburg, Brooklyn

7 Pick-Up Lines to Avoid At All Costs>>>