Behavior at the Gym

[gorilla69]

Hello- on a positive note, happy holidays to all you folks!

Now, on a negative note, I wanted to ask if there are some kind of unspoken rules about use of equipment at the gym. Sorry, below is kinda long.

Last time I went, I was doing a set on one of the benches, went to refill my water, and came back to find someone else using the bench for a different exercise. I was only gone about 2-3 minutes (water line was a bit long), and left my towel and sweat shirt covering the bench. When I got back, it had been tossed on the floor.

Do I have a right to ask him to move, or do you "loose your spot" if you leave the equipment?

Also- at my gym there tends to be a lot of socializing that goes on. People sit on equipment and talk on their cell phones, flirt with girls, shoot the sh*t, whatever- is it ok to ask them to move? I've even asked if I can "work in"/share, and folks seem to get annoyed... One guy works out and has his gf with him- together, they use up two benches (she just sits on one and watches him- why??). I asked her to move one day and both he/she gave me attitude. She will move, but they do this all the time. I now have two full-time enemies at my gym.

In general I don't mind to mix it up with folks (verbally or physically) if I need to (I actually kinda like to sometimes), but I also don't start stuff w/o a reason. Question is- am I right or wrong?

dude walk over making it kinda obvious they robbed your ****....then ask to work in

[BlkDrgn06]

At the gym I currently go to (apt. complex......pretty decent), I don't really have a problem. It's mostly made up of ellipticals, treadmills, and stationary bikes. It does have ONE smith machine, one universal cable setup, and a set of free weights (up to 65 lbs, at least). I'm just getting back into lifting, so it has what I need so far. I'm not the BIGGEST guy there (although I am big by comparison to the other regulars), but I do get the most respect. Maybe it's because I'm one of the few black guys there, I wear a du-rag, and I've got all my little workout toys (gloves, weight belt, 1 gallon jug, towel, workout journal, etc.) with me. Everyone sorta looks at me as the unofficial "gym manager/trainer" while I'm there. I make sure the dumbbells are put back IN CORRECT ORDER, I rack the plates in their correct positions, basically treat the entire gym as if it belongs to me (and everyone is a guest). The other regulars don't bother me except to crack a few jokes or say something that they find funny.......I don't laugh. I just take my earbuds out of my ear, ask them to repeat themselves (I like to drown out ALL outside sound.....of course, w/o killing my eardrums), give one word answers, and go back to my business. When I'm in the gym, I'm there to LIFT. I don't make "friends" (although I am friendly....you have to be in the gym) and I don't bring my cell. Like someone mentioned earlier....that's why I have voicemail.

Everyone tries to "secretly" watch me all throughout my workout, its funny. The ladies like to gawk, walk close by and/or bump into me...."oh, I'm sorry." I'm not the heaviest lifter there....yet, but I'm serious about my form. Maybe that's why I get the respect I get. No one takes my machine when I walk away (however rarely that is), but I do have to wait or go onto the next exercise when the exercise I really want is being used. That's alright, though. Everyone knows I'm serious in what I do and some will imitate that.

EXAMPLE: I was doing standing calf raises on the Smith Machine with the highest weight available (255 lbs). This guy, who wasn't a regular, saw me and I could tell he wanted to jump on the machine after me and do what I was doing (I get that a lot from a lot of other people in the gym all the time). Anyways, once I was finished I began to rack the weights. The guy says "No, that's alright. I'll do that." Ok, fine by me. I'm on a timeframe, anyways. I begin my ab workout by doing rope crunches and I hear this huge BLAM. Just as I turned around, I see the guy lying on the floor face down and the bar with ALL OF MY PREVIOUS WEIGHT on the ground. Oh sh!t, is the guy dead? No, he begins to move and I realized what had just happened. He tried to lift the weights onto his shoulders to do calf raises, the weights were too heavy (I know....255 is heavy? Give me time, remember I'm just getting back into it again ), he lost his balance and fell. Luckily, the way he fell was away from the bar so it didn't land on his head. I immediately get up and rush over to ask if he was ok. He says yeah and then says "....damn, and I just went to the chiropractor earlier this week" in a serious but joking manner. WTF? That annoyed the HELL out of me. (1) He put his life in serious danger, (2) he knew he wasn't capable of that much weight but still...., and (3) the shear stupidity of the matter annoyed me.

[Quelly]

Hello- on a positive note, happy holidays to all you folks!

Now, on a negative note, I wanted to ask if there are some kind of unspoken rules about use of equipment at the gym. Sorry, below is kinda long.

Last time I went, I was doing a set on one of the benches, went to refill my water, and came back to find someone else using the bench for a different exercise. I was only gone about 2-3 minutes (water line was a bit long), and left my towel and sweat shirt covering the bench. When I got back, it had been tossed on the floor.

Do I have a right to ask him to move, or do you "loose your spot" if you leave the equipment?

Also- at my gym there tends to be a lot of socializing that goes on. People sit on equipment and talk on their cell phones, flirt with girls, shoot the sh*t, whatever- is it ok to ask them to move? I've even asked if I can "work in"/share, and folks seem to get annoyed... One guy works out and has his gf with him- together, they use up two benches (she just sits on one and watches him- why??). I asked her to move one day and both he/she gave me attitude. She will move, but they do this all the time. I now have two full-time enemies at my gym.

In general I don't mind to mix it up with folks (verbally or physically) if I need to (I actually kinda like to sometimes), but I also don't start stuff w/o a reason. Question is- am I right or wrong?

sounds like you're totally in the right....but that last paragraph makes you sound like someone who looks for confrontation....so that's probably why people get annoyed with you even when they are in the wrong...its all in the delivery, you might to figure out why you enjoy mixing it up with folks...not a good thing

[Lencho]

I make sure the dumbbells are put back IN CORRECT ORDER, I rack the plates in their correct positions, basically treat the entire gym as if it belongs to me (and everyone is a guest).

I thought I was the only one that did that! I don't know what it is, but out of order DB's and disorganized weight trees drive me crazy. I'm putting stuff back in order so often that I've had people ask if I work there.

The ironic thing is that my closet at home is a mess.

[cowboyathlete]

i get a lot of the ****in old folks who sit on equipment or right next to the cables and talk forever, i'm talkin 20 minute conversation. but thats sucks for them because i usually dont even ask i just push my way in there and piss em off!

There is a paraplegic woman who comes to my gym sometimes. I can guarantee you that she works harder than some of the lazy sacks of sh*t that also go there.

[bango skank]

EXAMPLE: I was doing standing calf raises on the Smith Machine with the highest weight available (255 lbs). This guy, who wasn't a regular, saw me and I could tell he wanted to jump on the machine after me and do what I was doing (I get that a lot from a lot of other people in the gym all the time). Anyways, once I was finished I began to rack the weights. The guy says "No, that's alright. I'll do that." Ok, fine by me. I'm on a timeframe, anyways. I begin my ab workout by doing rope crunches and I hear this huge BLAM. Just as I turned around, I see the guy lying on the floor face down and the bar with ALL OF MY PREVIOUS WEIGHT on the ground. Oh sh!t, is the guy dead? No, he begins to move and I realized what had just happened. He tried to lift the weights onto his shoulders to do calf raises, the weights were too heavy (I know....255 is heavy? Give me time, remember I'm just getting back into it again ), he lost his balance and fell. Luckily, the way he fell was away from the bar so it didn't land on his head. I immediately get up and rush over to ask if he was ok. He says yeah and then says "....damn, and I just went to the chiropractor earlier this week" in a serious but joking manner. WTF? That annoyed the HELL out of me. (1) He put his life in serious danger, (2) he knew he wasn't capable of that much weight but still...., and (3) the shear stupidity of the matter annoyed me.

LOL, good story. Maybe he was hoping some of your blackness would rub off on him. (No Bigot) After he gets finished with his chiropractor's loving touch, I don't think he'll try that again.

[justin00008]

This is very, very off topic, but I just noticed EVERYONE but one poster who posted on the first page of this thread joined in 2002....

[Crunchbar]

You font go to the gym to make friends you go to workout.

if a kid using ur bench you kick him off. If people slacking yuo tell them to either speed up or get up off your machines!

WORKOUT is sacred time, dont let other people stand in your way.

be nice tho lol

[M_Ainsworth]

i agree, at my gym my usually planned 45 min. w/o ends up taking me well over an hour simply b/c of people messing around (talking and crap) there is a time for fun and games and a time to be serious, and for me the gym is a time to get serious...........so if you go half a$$, go home!

[eligal]

I dont know how it is in other gyms, but the gyms Ive been too, if theres a towel, shirt, or bottle on or right next to the station, then the station is in use so stay the **** away. It doesnt matter if the person using it went to get a 1min water break or went to take a ****, if you move his stuff youre lookin to throw down.... :P

Ok ok I exaggerate.... But in my gym no one ever touches a station when theres a towel or bottle on it, thats just rude... Andif someone is just sitting on a station or something chatting or staring into space, I dont see the problem with asking to use it for a sec.
If they give you **** for little things like that you gotta smack-a-bitch! :P

[knowles.ja]

I was doing my workout on Saturday and only had some dips left to do before I went home. There had been these two guys on the dip station and they had probably done about 10 sets each. I went asked how many sets they had left and he said he had 8 more... WTF? Luckily they let me work in, but seriously... 18 sets of dips?? They were doing about 10 reps per set. Sweet Lord.

[kethnaab]

know what I hate? When I'm trying to do decline bench presses, and my dog walks over to me and starts licking my face.

very distracting. Damn dog has NO gym etiquette at all, I tell ya what...

[Lembot]

I was training the other day doing some skull crushers on a flat bench and was just sitting on the end waiting to for the next set to come along when all of a sudden my bench starts moving. I look behind me a this guy had taken up position on my bench back towards me i guess to do some concentration curls. It was even more bizarre because there was a completely free bench right next to me.

I politely asked him to move.....

[Pretty Boy Floyd]

I say ef that

I go to the gym to workout but Im also a lifeless loser so thats THE social spot for me which means that I also do a lot of chit chat with friends etc but i never take away becnes or **** like that

[eligal]

I was training the other day doing some skull crushers on a flat bench and was just sitting on the end waiting to for the next set to come along when all of a sudden my bench starts moving. I look behind me a this guy had taken up position on my bench back towards me i guess to do some concentration curls. It was even more bizarre because there was a completely free bench right next to me.

I politely asked him to move.....

????

[roman209]

We have to train with towels at my gym.

The general rule is: No towel no save(well unspoken).

It also pays to look around to see if anyone is using the equipment and/or is resting from a previous set. Its quiet easy to tell because most gyms i have been at tell you to put the weights back when your done. So if the bench isnt loaded up anymore and theres no towel, its safe to assume its not being used.

[Lencho]

know what I hate? When I'm trying to do decline bench presses, and my dog walks over to me and starts licking my face.

very distracting. Damn dog has NO gym etiquette at all, I tell ya what...

Put Coco in the house, keth. Problem solved.

[BlkDrgn06]

I just experienced ANOTHER moment at the gym last night that pissed me the f#ck off BIG TIIME!!!

[#1] Yesterday was my chest/bi night and I just finished up w/ my chest exercises and moving onto my biceps. At the gym I go to (small yet decent one, part of the apt. complex I live) we don't have a preacher curl. So I improvise by inclining the flat bench to 45 degrees and using the bench as an extended preacher curl. Anyways, I'm hitting my bi(s) curling 35s cause I'm still a n00b and I notice this jacka$$ doing concentration curls on another bench. This is the same guy that fell and almost broke his neck trying to do standing calf presses the same weight I was doing a while back (see the story up above). While I wasn't really pissed when I noticed his form (curling 50 lbs w/ his right arm while supporting/assisting/CHEATING with the aid of his left arm - it was hard to keep from laughing my a$$ off), I WAS pissed when he kept dropping the db after each set. "If you can lift it, you can set it down nicely" is how I look at it. Pay respect to the iron, right? Getting back to it, after his fifth set of curls he drops the weight and breaks the end caps off of the dbs. WTF? We have those Hoist Fitness rubber dbs with the rubber endcaps that have the Hoist Fitness logo on them. Ok, I tell myself, don't get TOO mad. Just do your workout. Then this f#cker, after seeing the caps shoot off........decides to stand the f#ck up and walk away!!! As if to say "Well, if I walk away long enough no one would've noticed that it was me." O rly? Hey Sherlock.....everyone KNOWS it was you dumba$$......everyone kept looking in your direction each time you dropped the f#cking weight!! Between 5-10 mins and 6 sets of "quarter reps" on the leg press machine later, he goes back over to the injured db, looks around to see who's watching him, pushes the caps back onto the db as best he could, and puts the weight back like nothing happened. THAT f#cking pissed me the f#ck off!! Having NO respect for the equipment you're using is a cardinal sin IMHO.

[#2 - Same dumba$$] As I was performing my improvised "preacher curls," this same dumba$$ who's doing concentration curls keeps looking in my direction during his rest between sets. Keep in mind that my location was BEHIND him, so his a$$ kept turning around and I could see him from the corner of my eye. After the episode with the exploding dbs, I finished my preacher curls and used the 35s again for Hammer Curls. This dumba$$ takes a pair of 25s and goes over to the flat bench I was just using, inclines it back to 45 degrees, and TRIES to preacher curl a 25. He was only able to get TWO REPS in correctly before he dropped the weight onto the floor and threw his hands up in surrender. Then a lightbulb went off in his head. He took a quick rest break, got into position for another set of preacher curls, and.........uses his opposite arm for support/assistance/CHEATING. Oh yeah, NOW I can do this curl! Yeah!..........DUMBA$$. So, he's assisting himself for 8 sets of God-knows how many reps........all while using 25s and breathing hard like he's curling 100 lbs. Ok, to see my improvisation on the preacher curl and deciding to do the same.....fine, I like to be a shepard to my flock. BUT, when you cheat like that AFTER seeing me doing it correctly AND with a heavier weight........now you're a DUMBA$$.

That's my nickname for this guy.......DUMBA$$. Everytime I see him ever since the standing calf raise I say to myself "Oh ok.....here comes dumba$$ to workout. Wonder what exercise he'll copy from me THIS time." What make it more comical is that I'm 27......and he's nearing 40.

Oh well........DUMBA$$........and ANNOYING as hell, too!

[RaiderH8r]

GET HUGE!! When your thick and look like you can eat most people alive most peeps will not even mess with your stuff. And when you come back from getting a drink they usually say "oh man I'm sorry" and let you finish your sets.

lol XD I agree with that statement.

[MANOSTEEL00]

lol XD I agree with that statement.

Not only that, but be the guy that listens to loud metal/sings out loud and likes to make a lot of noise when he works out. That way, people won't even want to be around you let alone take your equipment.

Another option is leaving gross sweat marks on the bench; it keeps people away like garlic does to vampires.

[Bubblenator]

I just experienced ANOTHER moment at the gym last night that pissed me the f#ck off BIG TIIME!!!

[#1] Yesterday was my chest/bi night and I just finished up w/ my chest exercises and moving onto my biceps. At the gym I go to (small yet decent one, part of the apt. complex I live) we don't have a preacher curl. So I improvise by inclining the flat bench to 45 degrees and using the bench as an extended preacher curl. Anyways, I'm hitting my bi(s) curling 35s cause I'm still a n00b and I notice this jacka$$ doing concentration curls on another bench. This is the same guy that fell and almost broke his neck trying to do standing calf presses the same weight I was doing a while back (see the story up above). While I wasn't really pissed when I noticed his form (curling 50 lbs w/ his right arm while supporting/assisting/CHEATING with the aid of his left arm - it was hard to keep from laughing my a$$ off), I WAS pissed when he kept dropping the db after each set. "If you can lift it, you can set it down nicely" is how I look at it. Pay respect to the iron, right? Getting back to it, after his fifth set of curls he drops the weight and breaks the end caps off of the dbs. WTF? We have those Hoist Fitness rubber dbs with the rubber endcaps that have the Hoist Fitness logo on them. Ok, I tell myself, don't get TOO mad. Just do your workout. Then this f#cker, after seeing the caps shoot off........decides to stand the f#ck up and walk away!!! As if to say "Well, if I walk away long enough no one would've noticed that it was me." O rly? Hey Sherlock.....everyone KNOWS it was you dumba$$......everyone kept looking in your direction each time you dropped the f#cking weight!! Between 5-10 mins and 6 sets of "quarter reps" on the leg press machine later, he goes back over to the injured db, looks around to see who's watching him, pushes the caps back onto the db as best he could, and puts the weight back like nothing happened. THAT f#cking pissed me the f#ck off!! Having NO respect for the equipment you're using is a cardinal sin IMHO.

[#2 - Same dumba$$] As I was performing my improvised "preacher curls," this same dumba$$ who's doing concentration curls keeps looking in my direction during his rest between sets. Keep in mind that my location was BEHIND him, so his a$$ kept turning around and I could see him from the corner of my eye. After the episode with the exploding dbs, I finished my preacher curls and used the 35s again for Hammer Curls. This dumba$$ takes a pair of 25s and goes over to the flat bench I was just using, inclines it back to 45 degrees, and TRIES to preacher curl a 25. He was only able to get TWO REPS in correctly before he dropped the weight onto the floor and threw his hands up in surrender. Then a lightbulb went off in his head. He took a quick rest break, got into position for another set of preacher curls, and.........uses his opposite arm for support/assistance/CHEATING. Oh yeah, NOW I can do this curl! Yeah!..........DUMBA$$. So, he's assisting himself for 8 sets of God-knows how many reps........all while using 25s and breathing hard like he's curling 100 lbs. Ok, to see my improvisation on the preacher curl and deciding to do the same.....fine, I like to be a shepard to my flock. BUT, when you cheat like that AFTER seeing me doing it correctly AND with a heavier weight........now you're a DUMBA$$.

That's my nickname for this guy.......DUMBA$$. Everytime I see him ever since the standing calf raise I say to myself "Oh ok.....here comes dumba$$ to workout. Wonder what exercise he'll copy from me THIS time." What make it more comical is that I'm 27......and he's nearing 40.

Oh well........DUMBA$$........and ANNOYING as hell, too!

Wow, hes bad. I breathe hard no matter how much i do though, i could be doing the bar (very easy) and still breathe hard, it just how i am.

But i cant stand it when people drop weights and cheat. I do low weights cause they are hard for me and help me get better, but no matter how tired i am i make sure I put them down nicely before resting.

[Tejmik]

That's my nickname for this guy.......DUMBA$$. Everytime I see him ever since the standing calf raise I say to myself "Oh ok.....here comes dumba$$ to workout. Wonder what exercise he'll copy from me THIS time." What make it more comical is that I'm 27......and he's nearing 40.

Oh well........DUMBA$$........and ANNOYING as hell, too!

I feel ya bro. I go to a community center... (so maybe im asking for it), but damn there are some characters that just came in off the "i was born yesterday" wagon. No weight room manners at ALL.

[muscleman181]

If you guys like these stories you should check out http://gymsanity.com. It's a whole blog about this stuff.

[derrang3d]

I hate when people leave weights on the machines. Some people leave like 90lbs+ on the hammer-strength presses/bench press setups and you can't tell if someone is using them at that weight or someone is done. It's nice and easy when you can see no weight because then you know no one is there.

And people who superset can also be kind of confusing. Sometimes they'll use machines in combination that really don't make sense to me and you'll have no idea that there on them. I just ask the people in the general area if they're on something and that seems to work well but I've seen the supersetters get jumbled once or twice when there are a lot of people at the gym.

[KirkTriplett4]

I actually just came home for the summer with only one semester left in college and the gym I go to i see people i havent seen in a long time

Its rude of me not to stop and shoot the **** with them but I never do it while sitting on a bench or using free weights, proper ettiquette to me if you see someone and want to talk to them, by all means, life is about networking and the more places you can meet people the better. I just make sure Im not in anyones way or taking up weights that I shouldnt be while im talking to old friends

[ThickAsABrick]

wow, strong bump

[Krieger119]

I dont know how it is in other gyms, but the gyms Ive been too, if theres a towel, shirt, or bottle on or right next to the station, then the station is in use so stay the **** away. It doesnt matter if the person using it went to get a 1min water break or went to take a ****, if you move his stuff youre lookin to throw down.... :P

Ok ok I exaggerate.... But in my gym no one ever touches a station when theres a towel or bottle on it, thats just rude... Andif someone is just sitting on a station or something chatting or staring into space, I dont see the problem with asking to use it for a sec.
If they give you **** for little things like that you gotta smack-a-bitch! :P

Thats how its been in all gyms I go to ... if theres a bottle or towel there ... wait your turn or ask to jump in. And if theres plates on a machine/BB, look around to see if anyone is in the vicinity. If so, ask if they're using it. If not, then grab it. I talk to people at the gym but its more like,"wassup ... whats goin' on ... what you workin' on today? ... iight coo' let me get on this ... lata" kinda thing. Its good etiquette to keep your convos short n' sweet but its also better for you so that you don't lose out on your workout ... thats how I look at it. I don't want to cooldown or anything so I'll say wassup and keep it movin'.

[Wozz]

This is very, very off topic, but I just noticed EVERYONE but one poster who posted on the first page of this thread joined in 2002....

hahahaha why/how the hell u notice that?
and yes, I do agree its a bit off topic

[Slimmer]

Yesterday was leg day and I was suposed to start off with squats. So I was heading over to the squat rack. When I saw these two retards wearing singlets and knee wraps and doing e-z bar curls in the squat rack. The little guy would curl the bar for about 8easy reps and then hand the bar back to the big guy. He pumper out another 8 reps and handed it back to his buddy. They did this for about 20 minutes non stop. I was going to ask them if I could use the squat rack but the big one looked real scary. So I did concentration curls instead

[Kelei]

I was banned from 2 gyms for smashing fools who wanted to cause a scene, only reason I havn't been banned from my current gym is because it's the last gym within 100km so I gotta behave lol, true story. I am a national level kickboxer and plan to make a profession out of it, they picked the wrong person to piss off.