Possible Clues:

• Gym gear
• Set at the gym?
• Items of sports equipment
• Women crews may train with these
• Tons, grams, pounds, ounces etc
• The first words of the answers to asterisked clues are types of them
• By the sound of it, time hangs heavy on one's hands when one does this
• Burdens
• Question 'How can we reduce ours?' -- Answer fast!
• Gym gear hidden in this puzzle's theme entries