10 Ways Noobs Waste Their Time at the Gym

[StannaRad]

As for lowering DBs after bench. I use DBs from 40-50kgs (100-120 pounds) depending on my intended rep range for that workout, and i have never needed to drop weights. You do not need to twist your arms at all.
When you have finished your set, you hold the dumbelss to your chest, and sit up until they are resting on your knees it becomes a simple matter to the either stand up with the dumbells or lower them to the ground. If you are too weak to do this something is seriously wrong. Maybe your are training wrong?????????????

That had me wondering too...why would you twist your arms?? I'm not a big lady and can bench with 35's and don't drop them. Besides most gyms don't allow dropping. It damages the equipment and might cause someone to get hurt. I let one drop a little bit recently and it bounced back and put a bruise against my shin bone ( yow! ) and i mean I barely let it bounce. OP guy doesn't make sense.

[Nealwanderfoot]

The Smith Machine squat just killed the motivation.

i can get over the smith machine squats, especially in this girl's case. it's the pillow on the bar that i've never understood. maybe for people with rehabilitated neck injuries etc. but come on, really?! a cushion on the bar? ludicrous.

good information in the original article, although not 'groundbreaking', more of a rant. and the debate on dropping weights: do not EVER drop weights, throw them.

[eymen23]

Hey, pretty decent article. Would just like to comment on a few things....

Dumbbell lowering: there is a guy at my gym who weighs 18 stone (252 lbs) and is 6-8% which as you can imagine means he lifts some **** heavy weights and he never ever drops his weights. Just wondering, do any of you guy know how to get off a bench without dropping the weights by just lifting your legs in the air and using momentum to put the weights on your knees and get off the bench? He uses 180lb dumbbells for his flat pressing and he's never dropped them. My gym owner goes mad when you drop them cause it breaks the welds or something which means you could be the unlucky guy with a weight breaking above your head... Not good.

Sweating: If your sets are super intense but your resting 3-5 minutes between sets which is common with strenth training I doubt you'll sweat much. Also why are you saying it's stupid to wipe down equipment? The gym owner here doesn't let you go in the gym without you own towel or hiring one, basic and acceptable hygiene to be honest. Takes 2-3 seconds per machine to wipe.

Advice: I never really give advice unless anyone asks for it or unless there training with me. People sometimes train in a certain way for a certain event or cause there working round an injury or whatever, it's best to let them get on with it unless there literally seconds away from major injury.

[goodspeed8]

6) Being too perfectly neat. We've all seen the guy or girl who goes and grabs tissues or wipes down all equipment before and after use. They give glaring stares if you happen to forgot to wipe down one equipment.

How the hell does using your break in between sets to wipe off equipment when you are done with it mean you are wasting your time or are a gym noob?

Cool story OP

[Tuffman087]

Right, you MUST be a noob if you can actually handle the weight you're lifting and don't have to drop it on the ground like viking. On the rare occasion I handle weight I CAN'T sit up with, it's called getting a spotter.

Guess I'm courteous, I'm just stupid like that, I don't see the point in breaking someone's toes.

[RPPorter]

DONT DROP THE WEIGHTS...

you know.. that sign on the wall.

Plus not everyone wants to look like a douchebag.

[xaaronzx]

OP got flamed

[ryagatich]

Some added thoughts:
Take advice from the pros
Golden rule is diet, not pain
Setting weights down gives benefit to stabilizing muscles too
Drop your weights after that last failure rep that nearly broke your arm off
Take advice from the prosq
And don't forget genetics

[tajm611]

i really wish op would return and teach me what he knows so i can have super massive arms like him.


op giving gym advice is like a woman teaching drivers ed

[Backtothestack]

Wow, just wow. Really amazing the amount of pure douche-baggery floating around this thread. A lot of you have way too much time on your hands.

OP had good intentions, leave it at that. While I don't agree with a lot of what he said, I'm not gonna waste 10 minutes of my life writing up a novella on how/why the OP "fails" or is "retarded". Grow the fk up people.

[tajm611]

Wow, just wow. Really amazing the amount of pure douche-baggery floating around this thread. A lot of you have way too much time on your hands.

OP had good intentions, leave it at that. While I don't agree with a lot of what he said, I'm not gonna waste 10 minutes of my life writing up a novella on how/why the OP "fails" or is "retarded". Grow the fk up people.

so waste 5 minutes of your life writing up a novella on how/why everyone else "fails" or is "retarded".

way to go!

[Al Shades]

lol, the girl in the motivation is using a smith machine for squats... a good way to hurt your self............... don't know what wrong with me that i look at the machine though.

BS. Smith squats are not more dangerous than BB squats.

[clink88]

BS. Smith squats are not more dangerous than BB squats.

Agreed. And lack of motivation for using it? Top professional body builders have been quoted saying they use smith machine squats because they find them safer then standard Barbell Squats. I still love doing them free weight tho, makes you feel like more of a man.

[214Kidd214]

Maybe you're not training at your maximum abilities. Sure you can do that, and I can do that too,[b] but exactly what's the advantage of doing what you're doing??? Nothing.[b]

Btw, when I was saying you risk injury, I'm talking about actually lowering the weight to your sides to the floor... Not lifting the weights back to your knees like some people do (there's no injury risk there).

the advantage is that you don't seem like a complete douche bag when you put your weight up quietly.

[Brian94]

I don't understand why you're all so angry at me. You don't seem to get my article.

Some points to mention, because some of you seem to have this vision in your heads that is completely wrong and an exaggerated version of my suggestions.

1) When I say you should drop the weights instead of lowering them TO THE FLOOR (Note: I did not say putting them on your knees quietly, this is perfectly normal and OK), I mean to say when you are doing a bench press, and you decide to drop it for the last bit. There's very high risk in trying to lower it to the floor and twisting your arm while lying flat; this could lead to awkward contractions, and I tried doing it a couple times and it hurts my muscles.

2) There's a big difference between throwing the weights and dropping the weights. When I say dropping the weights, I mean from lying-flat-on-a-bench-press-height--- NOT throwing it from a shoulder press. Or forcing it down so that it starts bouncing around... NEVER would I ever recommend throwing it or bouncing the dumbbells, this could injure someone's foot. It could damage the floor too. The advice is meant for those who try to lower it to the floor, instead of putting it on their knees quietly, or dropping it from a reasonable height.

3) For those of you making fun of me based on my pics etc. It's interesting to know there are shallow people on this forum (considering so many on this forum work hard to transform from fat to thin, or thin to mass). That's fine. I have a lot to work on, I agree...... My post was well-intentioned, and you should debate the arguments and research, not the messenger's body. I didn't just make up this stuff. Perhaps if I had videos and pics, you might not misinterpret my article and actually agree with me.

4) The suggestion of sweating in a gym, was to be used as an indication of hard work (yes, you CAN work out hard and not sweat, the advice is meant for those who don't work hard and don't sweat a pinch). If someone is not doing the work, then they are not getting the most out of their gym time. Do you disagree?? If they are doing a lot of heavy work, then most likely, they will sweat. It's not a necessity, but can you honestly say that someone soaking wet with sweat in a gym, didn't burn any calories??

I'm sure some certified trainers here can relate, because they probably had clients and friends who worked out, but barely did much exercising and didn't even break a sweat. Do you disagree??

5) When I was talking about being neat, I'm talking about people with OCD, they wash clean machines beforehand, and afterward, wasting many minutes. It sucks, I have a family of OCD, they do the craziest cleaning behaviors, it's a waste of their time. (Ironically, somehow they still get sick). There's a difference in being clean, and being obsessive about being clean.

I'm really bewildered by how people rage so much on this forum whenever someone makes a simple suggestion they don't like. These weren't suggestions I just made up, it's stuff that's all over the web and I've heard many of them from trainers and body builders in the past.

[cdeff1985]

nice

[LDU]

WoW EpiC FAIL!

[EvilCookie]

...You're one to give advice. Look at that ridiculous physique you have to, unfortunately, call a body. If I looked like that I'd get into Sub-Saharin African modeling, because bro, you look sick.

Anyways, when someone drops the weight, whether benching, shoulder pressing, whatever with dumbells, they a nOOb. If you dont have the strength to lower the weight to the ground, then dont use it. I've never had a problem dropping the weight, I can control it because I've built the strength and dont go beyond what I cant lift. And think about it, respect the weights you use to build that body, with all the dropping you pose more of a risk in breaking them. But In your case, you dont seem to care, and why would you? Check out those inverted bi's...

People like you piss me off so bad. Go do P90x and take some creatine steroids, junior. I'm done.

I completely agree I wasn't going to say anything at first but the op has given douche responses. Just lashing out for his insecurity in himself. I lift 45 lbs dumbbells moving up to 50 when I do flyes I don't drop the weight. Just sit up as I set them down without putting them on my knees. You're right though if he wants to lecture people especially when I'm 25 lbs smaller then you and my LBM is his entire bodyweight. He can just go to a gym and tell people there and get told off by some massive guy lol.

[EvilCookie]

I agree that if you've sweated on your seat, of course you clean it up. That's just manners.

But I'm talking about when you barely even sat on it, and you're cleaning it like as if it's really dirty. Regardless, this can depend on your gym, some gyms are dirtier than others. Furthermore, it's not even that important, you can do as you please, whatever you think is best, I'm just saying don't waste your time at the gym.

You are a noob if you have to lower it. You're just wasting time and energy and risking injury. Simple as that. Are you saying, there's no way to get injured this way? Please show me a video, and I'll point out where your muscles are being pulled.

I'm not sure what you guys have against dropping weights... Is this some sort of crime? Do your feelings get hurt when I drop my weights? Do you get annoyed when I drop my weights? Dropping weights is normal, it's the safer way when you're lifting heavy weights.

Go ahead and keep lowering your weights to the floor after doing bench press; it's your body, and only you will be risking injury, and I can care less what you do.

You know what I'm shorter then you weigh more with LBM equal to you're entire bodyweight. I lift 50lb dumbbells don't drop my **** even though I have a home gym and you're calling me a noob kiss my ***. I could give a **** that you drop you're weight but I put hard work into my **** so suck it. If you sit the F up as you set the weight down you wouldn't need to drop the weight or set them on you're knees.

2nd cleaning the machine no matter how little you sweat is a health concern each person has bacteria with there sweat. If someone else doesn't clean off there sweat and you sit on it and lay all up in it. You could get this wonderful thing called ring worm see Tinea corporis in wiki and guess what I got it once in the military from an ***hole that didn't wipe his sweat.

[EvilCookie]

i really wish op would return and teach me what he knows so i can have super massive arms like him.


op giving gym advice is like a woman teaching drivers ed

lol

[Xptboy]

It is perfectly possible to lower DBs when doing bench press without injuring yourself. Just sit up and put them back on your knees and lower them from there!

Also the sweating point is retarded, sometimes the gym has an AC and some guys just don't sweat as much as other people.

Nothing wrong with guys cleaning benches or anything either... Just cuz someone goes to a gym and is buff doesn't mean he can't be civilized and clean.

And yeah, gotta agree that OP should get a better physique before giving advice

[Ninetysix]

OP needs to learn how to use DBs properly. LOL.

[BobbyHeinz]

I think the main ones are:

Insufficient protein and general food intake

Inproper post workout nutrition

Poor form

Using too much "specialised" training - like benching on a swiss ball, doing one legged squats on an unstable surface etc

[Ancher]

I saw a dude at my gym drop 10lb db's from the top of a rep doing lateral raises. He did this for 3 sets. I was speachless.

About the sweat... If skin touches it you need to wipe the funk off it. I paying to workout, not to be a maid.

[joshmasanow]

I don't understand why you're all so angry at me. You don't seem to get my article.

Some points to mention, because some of you seem to have this vision in your heads that is completely wrong and an exaggerated version of my suggestions.

1) When I say you should drop the weights instead of lowering them TO THE FLOOR (Note: I did not say putting them on your knees quietly, this is perfectly normal and OK), I mean to say when you are doing a bench press, and you decide to drop it for the last bit. There's very high risk in trying to lower it to the floor and twisting your arm while lying flat; this could lead to awkward contractions, and I tried doing it a couple times and it hurts my muscles.

2) There's a big difference between throwing the weights and dropping the weights. When I say dropping the weights, I mean from lying-flat-on-a-bench-press-height--- NOT throwing it from a shoulder press. Or forcing it down so that it starts bouncing around... NEVER would I ever recommend throwing it or bouncing the dumbbells, this could injure someone's foot. It could damage the floor too. The advice is meant for those who try to lower it to the floor, instead of putting it on their knees quietly, or dropping it from a reasonable height.

3) For those of you making fun of me based on my pics etc. It's interesting to know there are shallow people on this forum (considering so many on this forum work hard to transform from fat to thin, or thin to mass). That's fine. I have a lot to work on, I agree...... My post was well-intentioned, and you should debate the arguments and research, not the messenger's body. I didn't just make up this stuff. Perhaps if I had videos and pics, you might not misinterpret my article and actually agree with me.

4) The suggestion of sweating in a gym, was to be used as an indication of hard work (yes, you CAN work out hard and not sweat, the advice is meant for those who don't work hard and don't sweat a pinch). If someone is not doing the work, then they are not getting the most out of their gym time. Do you disagree?? If they are doing a lot of heavy work, then most likely, they will sweat. It's not a necessity, but can you honestly say that someone soaking wet with sweat in a gym, didn't burn any calories??

I'm sure some certified trainers here can relate, because they probably had clients and friends who worked out, but barely did much exercising and didn't even break a sweat. Do you disagree??

5) When I was talking about being neat, I'm talking about people with OCD, they wash clean machines beforehand, and afterward, wasting many minutes. It sucks, I have a family of OCD, they do the craziest cleaning behaviors, it's a waste of their time. (Ironically, somehow they still get sick). There's a difference in being clean, and being obsessive about being clean.

I'm really bewildered by how people rage so much on this forum whenever someone makes a simple suggestion they don't like. These weren't suggestions I just made up, it's stuff that's all over the web and I've heard many of them from trainers and body builders in the past.

I am not trying to be rude but i feel you are one of those kids who just wants to be liked on a forum when you can't make many friends in the gym or outside of the gym. Another thing, how are you telling us you hate when people don't drop their weights? what? haha. I find it respectful if your not throwing your **** on the ground. If a Asian kid with a fender shirt drops a 40 pound dumbbell on my foot im gonna ****ing hit you. Respect your wieghts and your gym dude. Respect others. How do you want us to respect you are ripping on other people when they do the "wrong thing" in your eyes. Stop worrying about others and just focus on your own gains. You have a lot to be worrying about btw. see ya

[Iron_Machine]

I gotta agree with the kid about gently setting the weights. With the amount i press with, at the very bottom, settimg them down gently and exposing your body to an odd angle is a bad idea.

You don't need to be a doctor to figure this out, I know how the joint feels when putting the weights down. My joints and tendons are more important than making a noise.

Of couse I;m not saying to drop them from a meter in the air either, last few inches for sure though

IM

[Fenix266]

I don't understand why you're all so angry at me. You don't seem to get my article.

Some points to mention, because some of you seem to have this vision in your heads that is completely wrong and an exaggerated version of my suggestions.

1) When I say you should drop the weights instead of lowering them TO THE FLOOR (Note: I did not say putting them on your knees quietly, this is perfectly normal and OK), I mean to say when you are doing a bench press, and you decide to drop it for the last bit. There's very high risk in trying to lower it to the floor and twisting your arm while lying flat; this could lead to awkward contractions, and I tried doing it a couple times and it hurts my muscles.

2) There's a big difference between throwing the weights and dropping the weights. When I say dropping the weights, I mean from lying-flat-on-a-bench-press-height--- NOT throwing it from a shoulder press. Or forcing it down so that it starts bouncing around... NEVER would I ever recommend throwing it or bouncing the dumbbells, this could injure someone's foot. It could damage the floor too. The advice is meant for those who try to lower it to the floor, instead of putting it on their knees quietly, or dropping it from a reasonable height.

3) For those of you making fun of me based on my pics etc. It's interesting to know there are shallow people on this forum (considering so many on this forum work hard to transform from fat to thin, or thin to mass). That's fine. I have a lot to work on, I agree...... My post was well-intentioned, and you should debate the arguments and research, not the messenger's body. I didn't just make up this stuff. Perhaps if I had videos and pics, you might not misinterpret my article and actually agree with me.

4) The suggestion of sweating in a gym, was to be used as an indication of hard work (yes, you CAN work out hard and not sweat, the advice is meant for those who don't work hard and don't sweat a pinch). If someone is not doing the work, then they are not getting the most out of their gym time. Do you disagree?? If they are doing a lot of heavy work, then most likely, they will sweat. It's not a necessity, but can you honestly say that someone soaking wet with sweat in a gym, didn't burn any calories??

I'm sure some certified trainers here can relate, because they probably had clients and friends who worked out, but barely did much exercising and didn't even break a sweat. Do you disagree??

5) When I was talking about being neat, I'm talking about people with OCD, they wash clean machines beforehand, and afterward, wasting many minutes. It sucks, I have a family of OCD, they do the craziest cleaning behaviors, it's a waste of their time. (Ironically, somehow they still get sick). There's a difference in being clean, and being obsessive about being clean.

I'm really bewildered by how people rage so much on this forum whenever someone makes a simple suggestion they don't like. These weren't suggestions I just made up, it's stuff that's all over the web and I've heard many of them from trainers and body builders in the past.

I am not trying to be rude but i feel you are one of those kids who just wants to be liked on a forum when you can't make many friends in the gym or outside of the gym. Another thing, how are you telling us you hate when people don't drop their weights? what? haha. I find it respectful if your not throwing your **** on the ground. If a Asian kid with a fender shirt drops a 40 pound dumbbell on my foot im gonna ****ing hit you. Respect your wieghts and your gym dude. Respect others. How do you want us to respect you are ripping on other people when they do the "wrong thing" in your eyes. Stop worrying about others and just focus on your own gains. You have a lot to be worrying about btw. see ya

Did you just make a new profile?.....

[Brian94]

It is perfectly possible to lower DBs when doing bench press without injuring yourself. Just sit up and put them back on your knees and lower them from there!

Also the sweating point is retarded, sometimes the gym has an AC and some guys just don't sweat as much as other people.

Nothing wrong with guys cleaning benches or anything either... Just cuz someone goes to a gym and is buff doesn't mean he can't be civilized and clean.

And yeah, gotta agree that OP should get a better physique before giving advice

I'm not trying to be rude, but...

Did you even read any of my posts other than the original-post???
What did I say?

I said "Just sit up and put them back on your knees and lower them from there!" <--- THIS IS PERFECTLY FINE, I NEVER said ANYTHING against this.

Also the sweating point is retarded, sometimes the gym has an AC and some guys just don't sweat as much as other people.

What did I say? I said it was meant as an indication of how hard you work. For certain situations such as freezing gyms, it may not even happen. For certain people who don't sweat much, sure, they can get a good work out without sweating.

Nothing wrong with guys cleaning benches or anything either

I did not say there is anything wrong with cleaning. I was talking about OCD people who waste half an hour cleaning stuff even when it's not dirty.

And yeah, gotta agree that OP should get a better physique before giving advice

Grow up man. Debate the research using logical arguments, not judge people's bodies.

[Brian94]

You know what I'm shorter then you weigh more with LBM equal to you're entire bodyweight. I lift 50lb dumbbells don't drop my **** even though I have a home gym and you're calling me a noob kiss my ***. I could give a **** that you drop you're weight but I put hard work into my **** so suck it. If you sit the F up as you set the weight down you wouldn't need to drop the weight or set them on you're knees.

2nd cleaning the machine no matter how little you sweat is a health concern each person has bacteria with there sweat. If someone else doesn't clean off there sweat and you sit on it and lay all up in it. You could get this wonderful thing called ring worm see Tinea corporis in wiki and guess what I got it once in the military from an ***hole that didn't wipe his sweat.

First... Grow up. Learn how to speak to people with respect especially if you haven't properly interpreted my posts (which you've clearly misunderstood).

Second... Never did I say, putting your weights on your knees is bad. I said that's perfectly fine. What I said was that if you're lowering the weights to the floor by your sides while laying down, then you are risking injury--this is NOT EQUAL to what you're saying. I'm not even arguing.

Read ALL my posts man. I didn't say you should not wipe off sweat. Read it again. I said you should not be OCD and obsess about cleaning machines that are already clean.

[EvSer]

didn't read the rest of the thread but dude you should be learning from others before giving your own advice. You barely look like you work out. And >40 pound dumbells are too heavy to lower eh? Clearly you've reached a level of physical prowess surpassed only by elite powerlifters and bodybuilders.