People who make you inwardly laugh at the gym.

[Rorschach]

I just got back from the gym so this was on my mind but what are some of the 'types' you see at the gym that make you roll your eyes.

 

The athletic looking men who lift high weights with terrible form make me chuckle. The ones who seem more concerned with making it look like they're super buff than actually building muscle. The guy who comes to mind was doing the bench press with 2 45s on each side, yet only dipped the bar maybe 2-3 inches each rep and was clearly having trouble even doing that.

 

Oh and the people who lift hardly anything but do it super fast.

 

I don't mean to mock any of the people who do this but it does make me smile when I see somebody who is clearly out of their element. I try to go up and give some advice to these people but most of the time they don't listen anyway.

[In_Repair]

I don't go to the gym anymore, I work out at home. When I did though, I always found humor in the guys who thought they were the gym police, or something. Spending more time standing around watching and criticizing others more than working out themselves... or mister/miss "cool" who feels the need to use the gym for socializing and showing off... or the meathead offshoot of those guys, who's whole life revolves around the gym and therefore feel like they own the place. Nothing was funnier than the gym groupies though, those pathetic half-way good looking bitches who prance around the gym working out with 10lb weights and wearing an outfit that looks like it came from the local stripper supply store. Nice to look at, but aggravating as hell when actually trying to work out.

[tman666]

I'm usually training too hard to notice the other people in the gym, but at the end of my squat workout on Friday, I had one of these moments.

 

I was sitting on a recumbent bike for 15 minutes (I've found that this really helps my recovery, for some reason) and this guy walks in the front door who's pretty build, but nothing to write home about. He gives me a "sup pussy" look and struts over to the squat rack. Over the course of the next 10 minutes or so, we worked his way up to 205 lbs for 2 struggling reps on back squat. He barely made parallel.

 

I normally don't laugh at weak people, fat people, ugly people, etc., but the way he walked in there and stared me down allowed me to warrant an internal chuckle.

 

Fortunately, these kind of stories are few and far between for me. My gym in my hometown is relatively devoid of these kinds of displays.

 

The best thing for your training is to internalize "I don't give a sh*t". Don't give a sh*t about what the other guy is doing, what he looks like, what they're thinking of you. Just go in, focus, and train like an animal.

[donnamaybe]

The only thing that ever made me REALLY think "OMG" at the gym were the gals who would come in there, hair and make up all done, and spend an actual, maybe, 10 minutes lifting a few 5 lb weights but spend all KINDS of time chatting up men. I mean, seriously go the f home and get the hell out of the way of people who are in there for a purpose.

[Star Gazer]

Like Donna, the only real people I laugh at are the chicks with full makeup and "cute" gym outfits on. Who works out with makeup on??

[tman666]

Who works out with makeup on??

 

I do! Nothing like some eyeliner and lip gloss to make me feel fabulous while pulling a deadlift PR.

[Rorschach]

I do! Nothing like some eyeliner and lip gloss to make me feel fabulous while pulling a deadlift PR.

 

I find this easy enough to believe

[Not the love ace]

Personally, I get a lot of people criticizing me sometimes for some of the awkward exercises I tend to do. And I hear people complain about my form but when its all said and done, when I'm making gains, when I'm feeling sore and tired, when I feel my strength increase, when I feel my stamina and endurance increase, when I see a change in my body, I can care less. I've worked out the way I've worked out and I feel like I've been in the best shape of my life yet. I've gotten more ripped than I ever had and physically I'm stronger, faster and my endurance is serious.

 

Like someone else mentioned, I'm usually way too busy to really pay attention to anyone else unless they are doing something outlandish that makes me turn my head.

[USMCHokie]

...or mister/miss "cool" who feels the need to use the gym for socializing and showing off...

 

Ahem...ummm...this is me... :rolleyes:

[Mary3]

Guys that are so muscle bound swollen that they walk like a watermelon is stuck between their legs..

 

Guys who look in the wall mirror and look in the mirror and look in the mirror.....

 

People who stand around and yak yak yak not working out and doing that for 2 hours while you are working up a sweat and wondering why these people pay Gym dues ?

 

The pesky trainers who bug you for 4 Personal Training Sessions and when you say NO they ask you the next week...ugh

[bayouboi]

The athletic looking men who lift high weights with terrible form make me chuckle. The ones who seem more concerned with making it look like they're super buff than actually building muscle. The guy who comes to mind was doing the bench press with 2 45s on each side, yet only dipped the bar maybe 2-3 inches each rep and was clearly having trouble even doing that.

 

Sorry bro, but you will just have to accept that some people have different goals in mind for working out. You've mentioned that these are "athletic looking men" that look "super buff" as opposed to the purpose you have in mind for working out to "build muscle", and this may be their goal. Perhaps they don't care about strength and are only working out to be more aesthetically pleasing to get more female attention. In my mind, you should be encouraging towards ANYONE who's at the gym for whatever purpose because they are making a WHOLE lot more effort than most people out there these days.

[bayouboi]

Oh, and to add, I've only been working out for a little more than 2 years now. My initial motivation was to lose a bunch of weight, drop about 50 lbs. Then it became to build strength, I got to where I was deadlifting ~400 lbs. The thing is, my body structure and genetics make me look like I don't work out even though I'm consistent with 3-5 times a week for 45-90 minutes. When I first started, I was all about proper form & technique, but after watching all of the more muscular guys working out, I've recently started swapping my routine to be more sloppy/fast which is more prone to injury, but perhaps the payoff will be more gains like it seems to work for those guys. So in your case, that guy might just be trying something different.

[bayouboi]

Oh, but on topic, the only time I felt like laughing at someone in the gym was when this one overweight lady was riding a bike & she asked one of my lady friends whose in excellent physical shape what her routine was. My lady friend told her her regiment, to which the lady responded "wow, you have no life!". We never saw that fat lady again.

 

So I basically laugh at those who are critical of others' efforts they put in at the gym.

[In_Repair]

Ahem...ummm...this is me... :rolleyes:

 

Ummm... well, you see, I was actually talking about... aww screw it, sorry Hokie.

[Sphere]

I don't really notice people at the gym because usually I'm too busy on the treadmill while watching Sports News to notice those around me. I do notice this one chap who spends an hour on the bicycle riding as if he was training for a marathon cycling session, he nearly passes out when he manages to climb down off the bicycle. It's classic and always makes me laugh out loud and there is one man who will burst into a Dr Evil laugh when on the treadmill, I had to stop my workout, get off the treadmill, go to the other end of the room to snigger and laugh my ar*e off.

[USMCHokie]

Ummm... well, you see, I was actually talking about... aww screw it, sorry Hokie.

 

Hahah, no worries. I've made a lot of friends at my gym over the past year, so it's a pretty sociable gym where all the regulars get to know each other. I'd much prefer that kind of atmosphere over the type where everyone is standoffish and always looks like they're pissed off at and want nothing to do with everyone else...

[donnamaybe]

Well, there's a happy medium. I like to get to the biz and get my workout done. There've been times when a gal will be SITTING on a machine I want to use just TALKING to someone on the machine next to them. For, like 15 MINUTES! Then, without doing any more work on that machine, she gets up and goes to the locker room.

[bayouboi]

Well, there's a happy medium. I like to get to the biz and get my workout done. There've been times when a gal will be SITTING on a machine I want to use just TALKING to someone on the machine next to them. For, like 15 MINUTES! Then, without doing any more work on that machine, she gets up and goes to the locker room.

 

At the gym I would have NO problem calling someone out on that. Next time just be like, "Hey, you gonna use that? I'd like to if you're not." If they get attitude, report them but usually you'll find they'll weigh the situation out and either say "sorry" then get off and let you have it, or they will say "I am" and then actually start using the thing.

[Star Gazer]

Well, there's a happy medium. I like to get to the biz and get my workout done. There've been times when a gal will be SITTING on a machine I want to use just TALKING to someone on the machine next to them. For, like 15 MINUTES! Then, without doing any more work on that machine, she gets up and goes to the locker room.

 

Oh, I wouldn't tolerate that for 2 minutes let alone 15. I ask to work in straight away.

 

I also loathe the people who spend more time looking at themselves in the mirror than actually working out.

 

Ha...no makeup, no machine hogs, no mirrors...all the more reason to love CrossFit!!

[donnamaybe]

Oh, I wouldn't tolerate that for 2 minutes let alone 15. I ask to work in straight away.

Well, often I'll see people do a set, then sit and rest for a few, then do another set. That was what I thought was going on. But, no. After she got off her fat duff and walked away, I knew all that was going on was self centeredness.

 

I just satisfy myself now with my 15 lb weights and my elliptical. My sweety has a total gym that I'll be sharing with him too once we find a decent spot for it.

[USMCHokie]

Well, there's a happy medium. I like to get to the biz and get my workout done. There've been times when a gal will be SITTING on a machine I want to use just TALKING to someone on the machine next to them. For, like 15 MINUTES! Then, without doing any more work on that machine, she gets up and goes to the locker room.

 

I think I'm a bit spoiled at my gym...it's huge, and I don't think I've ever seen a time when every piece of cardio equipment was occupied...so I don't think it'd ever be an issue for anyone at my gym...I guess I lucked out in that regard...

 

But I'm with Star in that I have no reservations asking to work in with someone on a piece of equipment. I also don't mind someone else working in with me. Again, the friendly atmosphere helps facilitate that attitude amongst the members at the gym...and if you all pretty much know or recognize each other, you never run into those sorts of problems...

[donnamaybe]

I used to work out at Bally's. It was HUGE and VERY inexpensive. My dues at the time were $11 a month. Then I moved. The closest one is over 150 miles away. Not exactly on the way home from work.

 

As for there only being considerate people in your favorite gym, trust me. There are ALWAYS the OTHER kind, even if only a few. Like the gals I used to encounter at Bally's who would put their towel and water bottle on the piece of cardio equipment they wanted THEN go to change. Talk about selfish bytches! Sure there were also lots of bikes and treadmills, but if I wanted the f'ing stair stepper and one of those selfish bytches pulled that crap, I just took their stuff and set it aside and got on the machine.

[USMCHokie]

Oh, of course, I agree that there are definitely a fair number of folks at the gym who make you go [what the hell are you doing???] and then , even at my Golds location...but they are generally few and far between and somehow know the stay the f away from the established regulars...

[Star Gazer]

I think it depends on the quality of the gym too. Golds in my area is for more serious bodybuilders, and they do socialize amongst themselves between sets. But it's understood. Average Joes and Janes don't frequent the place, and the rest know the drill so they don't get mad.

 

24Hour/Bally's and another chain in my area are pickup joints.

 

The racquet club I belong to, surprisingly, isn't very chatty in the gym, only out on the courts.

 

When I was at Sports Club LA, men would come in, shower and change and PRETEND to have worked out while they relaxed at the cafe or bar. And the chicks...we were there to be cute and ogle the celebrities.

 

Yup. I'm loving CF more and more as I think about this...

[USMCHokie]

I think it depends on the quality of the gym too.

 

Very true. We have a wide variety of different companies set up in my area, and it seems each one caters to a specific clientele. Luckily Golds is where both the serious trainers and young female 20-somethings go to workout...

 

Oh, and yes, I did say "jim."

 

 

Yup. I'm loving CF more and more as I think about this...

 

<--- my eyes doing somersaults to the back of my head...