O/T: RANT TIME! - The Story of the Power Rack

[segment]

I walk into the gym as usual but I made the mistake of going in around 7pm instead of 12am today. As I make my b-line to the power rack as I always do, I see two women aged about 40 and 58ish stretching at the power rack. They seem to be using the rails to hold on to while stretching their calves.

I have no problems with that, so I end up waiting around for about three minutes while drinking my water and hydrating myself. So they were stretching for the entire three minutes? Well not exactly. In between about 5 seconds of stretching, they continued to gab about what was on Opera today, and what Mary did to Joe, etc.

So after waiting three minutes and watching about 90% gab and 10% work, I decided to go over to the power rack and very nicely asked 'Hi ladies.. are we using the power rack today?' (very nicely and not snobbish I may add)

The response?

The older one gets a nasty look on her face and says "Yes, we use it for stretching."

I respond, "Ohh, okay no problem. So will you be done soon?"

Old lady: "We'll be done when we're done."

At this point I'm getting a bit frustrated but still remain cool and say "What I meant is are you going to be using the bar on the rack today?"

They respond: "...silence... No we will not be."

I respond: "Okay so you won't mind if I load up the weights on the bar so when you're done I will be ready to go."

The old cranky one responds in a REAL snobby sarcastic voice: "This isn't right. What is the ENTIRE 'fitness machine' comes crashing down on us.. oh my. It better not!"

At this point I'm pissed. I've tried to be nice and got sh*t on. So I walk over to the bar and drop it about 2 feet on to the safety pins below and make a load crash. The younger lady decides it's time to leave and the older one gets madder.

Older lady: "Well I guess you want us OUT OF HERE now."

Me: "No thats okay, I'll just set this rack up."

So after some moaning and bitching she goes over to the ab crunch machine just beside the power rack and continues to bitch.

I say to her: "My aren't we the happy one today. Happy happy joy joy!"

She goes ballistic. Usually I try to be a happy, helpful person but this just pissed me off. She continues "Well I guess the dumber ones in the gym just get to push middle aged women around."

I say to her: "Sorry, next time I'll remember that the power rack is for stretching."

At this point a beefy guy besides me spits out his water and starts coughing. I could only imagine he laughed at what just was said.

--

Shat man, I don't know.. I hate being like that, but she started the sh*t slinging. They could of at least said, ohh sorry, we're just stretching.. we'll be done in x minutes. That would have been just peachy.. but because she is older and probably thinks she's the sh*t with her execute secretary position, that she has the right to bring her bitchiness to the gym and use it against younger males? Cock envy? Meh!

Enjoy!

Segment

[Rocky_Maivia]

I would have picked up a 45 lb plate and cracked her skull open.

[segment]

Originally Posted by Rocky_Maivia

I would have picked up a 45 lb plate and cracked her skull open.

Believe me, it crossed my mind.

Anyhow, the end I ended up having my BEST chest workout ever. For the first 3 sets my adrenaline was pumping and I felt pretty damn strong every time I concentrated on what just happened.

I hope that woman is there again next week :")

[TNT-36]

This **** Happends At My Gym All The Time, I Get So Mad, I Just Want To Lift My Weights And Not Have To Wait A Whole Day Just To Do My Routine \!

[I3oostedcubes]

Usually I hate these threads but this one was actually funny!

[danj112]

We're not supposed to call females names on this site, but those women were b!tches.

[segment]

Originally Posted by I3oostedcubes

Usually I hate these threads but this one was actually funny!

Heh, it wasn't meant to be funny.. I certainly wasn't laughing I guess I sort of am now though that it's all said and done. I sort of can understand where these women come from.. they aren't power lifters, they just think I'm trying to cause trouble coming over to their "machine." They have no idea that the power rack is #1 for most hard core lifters, and probably don't realize that it isn't a stretching rack.

But they don't have to be ignorant and nasty about it. If these were two men, there would have been no problems. I'm sure they would have said 'Ohh, no prob man.. we'll go stretch on the smith machine vertical bars' or something like that.

[darklight79]

Nice! One of the better rants. I'm kinda surprised middle aged women actually go near the squat rack. Most of them would be intimidated by it. They should know the squat rack isn't for stretching.

[mightymouse37]

Originally Posted by segment

I walk into the gym as usual but I made the mistake of going in around 7pm instead of 12am today. As I make my b-line to the power rack as I always do, I see two women aged about 40 and 58ish stretching at the power rack. They seem to be using the rails to hold on to while stretching their calves.

I have no problems with that, so I end up waiting around for about three minutes while drinking my water and hydrating myself. So they were stretching for the entire three minutes? Well not exactly. In between about 5 seconds of stretching, they continued to gab about what was on Opera today, and what Mary did to Joe, etc.

So after waiting three minutes and watching about 90% gab and 10% work, I decided to go over to the power rack and very nicely asked 'Hi ladies.. are we using the power rack today?' (very nicely and not snobbish I may add)

The response?

The older one gets a nasty look on her face and says "Yes, we use it for stretching."

I respond, "Ohh, okay no problem. So will you be done soon?"

Old lady: "We'll be done when we're done."

At this point I'm getting a bit frustrated but still remain cool and say "What I meant is are you going to be using the bar on the rack today?"

They respond: "...silence... No we will not be."

I respond: "Okay so you won't mind if I load up the weights on the bar so when you're done I will be ready to go."

The old cranky one responds in a REAL snobby sarcastic voice: "This isn't right. What is the ENTIRE 'fitness machine' comes crashing down on us.. oh my. It better not!"

At this point I'm pissed. I've tried to be nice and got sh*t on. So I walk over to the bar and drop it about 2 feet on to the safety pins below and make a load crash. The younger lady decides it's time to leave and the older one gets madder.

Older lady: "Well I guess you want us OUT OF HERE now."

Me: "No thats okay, I'll just set this rack up."

So after some moaning and bitching she goes over to the ab crunch machine just beside the power rack and continues to bitch.

I say to her: "My aren't we the happy one today. Happy happy joy joy!"

She goes ballistic. Usually I try to be a happy, helpful person but this just pissed me off. She continues "Well I guess the dumber ones in the gym just get to push middle aged women around."

I say to her: "Sorry, next time I'll remember that the power rack is for stretching."

At this point a beefy guy besides me spits out his water and starts coughing. I could only imagine he laughed at what just was said.

--

Shat man, I don't know.. I hate being like that, but she started the sh*t slinging. They could of at least said, ohh sorry, we're just stretching.. we'll be done in x minutes. That would have been just peachy.. but because she is older and probably thinks she's the sh*t with her execute secretary position, that she has the right to bring her bitchiness to the gym and use it against younger males? Cock envy? Meh!

Enjoy!

Segment

I hope you were careful not to grunt once you started lifting in the rack

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=960770

[darklight79]

Originally Posted by mightymouse37

I hope you were careful not to grunt once you started lifting in the rack

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=960770

Holy crap. You've gotta be kidding me.

[segment]

Ohh I grunted like there was nobody around because I loaded that bar up with the adrenaline rushing.

But there really isn't a policy against grunting in our gym. I picked the dirtiest gym available. The problem is the northern gym (the one I went to today) has a good cardio bunny section. So you get lots of soccer moms pouring in.

[mightymouse37]

Originally Posted by darklight79

Holy crap. You've gotta be kidding me.

Yeah, I'd be pissed too. Even though I usually hate the loud grunters, that's a bit extreme. That's why the good Lord gave us iPods...

[JoeyTS]

I always try to free up equipment for others. For example, if I was going to shrug, and only one rack was open but two platforms were unused, I would use one of the platforms so all the racks are not taken. This way if someone needs to squat there is a rack free. It takes me all of one additional minute to look around and see what is open and consider what others may need to use.

I have seen people curl in the squat racks using an empty 45 lb bar for all of there many sets. I have asked to work in with someone on a pullup bar, but he said he needed to concentrate and that he could not be interupted; then he proceeded to continue taking 7 minute breaks and playing with his Ipod for the next half an hour. I see people use a bench press bench for 25 lb DB flies while people wait to becnh, and there are many open benches over by the DB section ect...

Ironic thing about it is, the "normal" people who do alot of this stuff think serious lifters, bodybuilders, and strength atheletes are snobish and rude equipment hogs. All you can do is be cool. Its not worth getting frustrated. We have all been there and it sucks. I do not know if its ignorance, or if people are just being *******s on purpose sometimes.

[SDFlip]

Originally Posted by JoeyTS

I always try to free up equipment for others. For example, if I was going to shrug, and only one rack was open but two platforms were unused, I would use one of the platforms so all the racks are not taken. This way if someone needs to squat there is a rack free. It takes me all of one additional minute to look around and see what is open and consider what others may need to use.

I have seen people curl in the squat racks using an empty 45 lb bar for all of there many sets. I have asked to work in with someone on a pullup bar, but he said he needed to concentrate and that he could not be interupted; then he proceeded to continue taking 7 minute breaks and playing with his Ipod for the next half an hour. I see people use a bench press bench for 25 lb DB flies while people wait to becnh, and there are many open benches over by the DB section ect...

Ironic thing about it is, the "normal" people who do alot of this stuff think serious lifters, bodybuilders, and strength atheletes are snobish and rude equipment hogs. All you can do is be cool. Its not worth getting frustrated. We have all been there and it sucks. I do not know if its ignorance, or if people are just being *******s on purpose sometimes.

^^^ great post.

people need to learn proper gym etiquette.

[daYDreAmErX]

My gym has 3 floors, 1 boxing room, 1 aerobic room, 1 cardio room and 4 weight lifting room.

22 000 members

And 3 squat racks

And you know what ? I go in the morning because I like to be alone and it gives me a pump for the day, but even if I go prime time later in the night the 3 squat racks are still empty !!!!

How is this possible ?! I spend hours in this cage, it feels so comfortable !

[massofgas]

haha reps

[Ricky_k]

Originally Posted by segment

Ohh I grunted like there was nobody around because I loaded that bar up with the adrenaline rushing.

But there really isn't a policy against grunting in our gym. I picked the dirtiest gym available. The problem is the northern gym (the one I went to today) has a good cardio bunny section. So you get lots of soccer moms pouring in.

Dude i think u just found ur new workout partner, looks like she can fire u up big time

[ThickAsABrick]

lol
*repped*

[JOHN GARGANI]

SEG: I feel for you buddy, having to deal with a commercial gym and that kind of nonsense.......

having a home gym is the greatest luxury in the world....

[retro_roots]

Originally Posted by JOHN GARGANI

SEG: I feel for you buddy, having to deal with a commercial gym and that kind of nonsense.......

having a home gym is the greatest luxury in the world....

My freinds dream about get Mailbous and Porches "someday" for me I cant wait for the day when I get my own Power Rack...

[dangoody27]

I'll post my recent story that I posted in the MISC section:
------------------
...I dropped the bar after doing my deads and one of the people that worked there came running in asking who dropped the weights. I confessed and he told me that the floor is not designed to have weights dropped on it. I asked him "How can you build a gym that is not designed to have weights dropped on it? That is like me building a freeway and telling you that you can't drive your car on it."

He walked away after that.

[Firepower]

haha...you handled the situation well

[Andrew.Cook]

*ugh* this is what I have to look forward to in commercial gym land? Yipes. I guess this will become part of my gym interview process "May I grunt here? May I politely ask soccer moms to step away from lifting equipment intended for the safety of people actually lifting weights?"

Well, this does give me a new appreciation for my military gym.

[papi93]

Use her as a training tool. Antagonize her so your can vent your aggression on your workouts. I use this forum for that many times. Note my sig.

[tarun_s]

should have pointed her in the direction of the smith machine. now thats a stretching tool.

[BluntD]

Originally Posted by papi93

Use her as a training tool. Antagonize her so your can vent your aggression on your workouts. I use this forum for that many times. Note my sig.

You're at the gym thinking about people on this site???

[Lencho]

Originally Posted by Bluntdogg

You're at the gym thinking about people on this site???

*thinks of name given to heavy curls*

I've done this, too.

[papi93]

Originally Posted by Bluntdogg

You're at the gym thinking about people on this site???

You have to use whatever motivates you to perform more work than your last workout. It doesn't really matter where your motivation comes from, as long as it works. Arguing with the old bag worked for the thread starter.

[BluntD]

Originally Posted by Lencho

*thinks of name given to heavy curls*

I've done this, too.

Touche'

[John Prophet]

its not her fault though...thats just normal gym non-etiquette...no one is taught any better

people join the gym...once the owner has their money the person is on their own, lol....no ettiquette class, no nothing

in my gym they even have signs all over the "executive line" of machines....you know, the long row of machines where the old folks do one set per machine and are done....the signs say "ONLY DO ONE SET" and "DONT JUMP IN FRONT OF SOMEONE COMING DOWN THE LINE" etc


it would be nice if the hardcore lifters got the same courtesy in the squat racks....maybe a sign that says "please do not take up a rack for curls or stretching if someone is waiting to squat".....or simply "please do not use the racks for curling, use a bench or use the preset curl bars"

we have 2 power racks and one "squat rack" so its usually not a problem...but on occasion I have had to wait.....once I was training a client and had to wait...that was even worse because I was on his dime more or less, standing there waiting for a rack when 2 racks were being used for curls