ExRx.net

What wreally get you mad at the Gym?

I consider myself to be a very laid back person, and it takes a lot to get mad, but there is one thing that always get me mad when im at the gym

Don't walk away from the weight you racked on a piece of equipment while you go do other things, or leave the gym, etc.


Yesterday I had to go early. I don't like going right after work, cause the gym is always packed. Someone was using the power cage to do deads and squats. No big deal, I waited for a few and then started a diffrerent exercise. After I'm done, I notice that the guy left 180lb racked on the power cage. I figure that he probably was resting to do his final set or something. 10 minutes later he's not back, and i'm tired of waiting, so I go start using the equipment. Of course, he enver does go back to the cage and reracks, although some guy wanted it right behind me, and he probably spent 30-45 minutes using it. I think I would have less of a problem with it, if my gym had two power cages. But we only have one cage. Lucky for me, very few people ever squat, so I dont really have to worry about it. Its more of a problem on the bench.

Why is it so hard to put your weight up when your done?

There are two other guys that are really bad about that. They will rack weight on a bench, the incline leg press, and the preacher bench, and then do a giant circuit routine. Usually I just take their weight off and get on with my workout. I only use the bench these days, so its no longer a problem.

What do you do in this situation?

Unfortunately I am one of these people that do massive circuits on the squat racks. If I am doing an IWT period which might consist of


15xSquatt, 3min cycle, 2min rest
3sets

5min rest
15xDeadlift, 3min cycle, 2min rest
3sets

5min rest
Weight circuit.
Clean, push press, over head squat, Dumbell swing.

As an example.

My opinion is that most people I see don't do squatts correctly, dont follow a set program etc.

In my opinion it's kind of tough. What annoys me more are those who reposition the stuff during the rest/bike. only to see them doing retarded 1/4 squats and hence I take the 'DGAS' attitude.

Should this be in the Lounge? He he…

Big pet peave’s include the following:

Asking a trainer or fellow patron a question and getting responses like:
1) “You should use straps instead of chalk. Oh your grip will get stronger, yeah good point.”
2) “That squat is way too low; you’ll blow out your knees. OR Why do you squat with the aerobic steps behind you? Oh it’s not to sit on when you rest between sets?”
3) “Yeah you can deadlift here, just don’t hurt yourself.”
4) “Here put these 3 inch pads under the weight when you deadlift. I know you start 2 inches higher than you should, what’s two inches? Yeah I suppose it is the hardest two inches isn’t it…”
5) “How’s your lower back feel after that?”

I also get worked up by people cheating themselves. Short ROM, horrible form, doing 3,000 curls and 6,000 crunches, but not one damn row, paying 8 dollars for a sugar, oops I mean protein shake at the gym...

STOP DROPPING THE DUMBELLS! If you can’t put the weight down like you picked it up, it is too heavy for you to be lifting in the first place. Because I love trying to press a DB shaped like a “J” because your stupid ass can’t stand up with it. (This is almost funny to me when someone right next to you is working with 20lbs more than you and NOT dropping them.)

The one guy at my gym, skinny-fat, no back work or development, wears a stupid bright orange tank top, always squat rack curling, slamming his weights down, and snickers at me doing deads, jerks and deep squats. All the while slamming his 65lbs down on the rack to try and make himself feel better. I have changed my workout times to avoid this loser.

The weird guy, who I think is training for the Highland Games, that looks at me like he thinks he knows me from somewhere, but never asks me. I’ve said hi to the kid like 5 times. Don’t look at me like you want to ask me something and never do it creeps me out.

The dude that eats too much garlic and “stretches” on the pulldown machine facing the left 3x longer than facing the right. Why you ask? Because the girls running on the treadmills are on the left. Dude your fat, bald and smell, they don like you. Take a shower and brush your teeth, I can’t breathe over here, and I’m trying to do chins.

Trainers that have obese people doing crunches curls & weighted twists, talking about their core. Their core is fat. Talk about diet, and for Christ sake please do one compound movement in the hour. Plus it is bunk they are paying you to stand there and watch them walk on a treadmill for 30 mins out of 60.

Standing in front of the dumbbells that I want to use, step back the 3 feet, the weight is not that heavy.

Squat rack curls anger me to no end…


Man I am paying way too much attention to others aren’t I?

There was actually another thread in the lounge titled 'pet peeves'. Was quite good, can't beat a good rant. Although, I think it finished on a debate on cooking, or something.

http://www.exrx.net/forum/viewtopic.php ... sc&start=0

It annoys me that my gym only has one squat rack. I almost always spend about 30 minutes in it. 2 months ago one of my leg days went like this - Box Squats, 8 x 3. Power Squats, 3 x 8, Reverse lunges with front squat grip, 3 x 8 - these were the first 3 exercises, in that order, all required the squat rack. Was in there for ages, but all it gets used to is curls anyway so I don't mind.

And yeh - it's ok doing a circuit. But some guys go well over the top. Like this guy that I see who takes about 6 pairs of DB's and lays them out nicely in front of them, then use up 2 benches for tricep dips, in the same circuit. This is an ARM circuit, must of done 1000 reps on his arms.

And the answers to questions and or advice you get. Apparently me and my training partner are on our way to getting "air lifted" out of the gym - this is what we got told when doing SPEED deadlifts. Apparently whilst doing SPEED deadlifts, we were lifting too FAST.

There's a guy that I refer to as 'Mr Bench Press'. I heard he used to make money winning bets on BP competition in his garage when growing up. Every time he's in the gy,, he's benching. He has a long, thick torso,l short legs and arms. he was born to Bench. He does bench a lot of weight. But he never trains anything else. Hence - Mr Bench Press (very creative?)

Then there's the Shrug Brothers. 2 guys who look very alike, like bowling balls. Shaved head and tatood - fat guys with big forearms. I know you may be surprised at my creativity once again, but these guys only EVER do shrugs, with LOADS of weight. Hence, the Shrug Brothers. They remind me of Animal and Hawk, of the Legion of Doom....

I could go on, as i'm sad enough to have names for many people that I see regularly, keeps me amused!


KPj

Sorry I should have clarified my definition of a circuit that these guys do

1 set of regular BP
1 set of Incline Leg Press
1 set of preacher curls
1 set of leg curls
rinse repeat.

The annoying thing is they have weight on 3 pieces of equipment, 2 of which are the only pieces of their type in the gym. It doesn't bother me when someone is actually using the equipment. But it does annoy me when some guy racks up, does one set, and then proceeeds to do 30 minutes of other exercises. In that case I usually de-rack their weight and do my own stuff. If im feeling nice I might put it back on for them.

Speaking of that, there is this one lady at the gym. She'll do some lat pull downs, puts a huge amount of weight on, and then uses her whole body to pull the weight down each rep. I always get a chuckle at that. She's also the loudest grunter in the gym, especially doing curls

That is awesome…

Chicks should grunt more in the gym I think, even if just for show. For some reason that makes it all worth it in my mind, the being a girl part. (I normally don’t have an issue with grunting, in any way, shape or form. Sometimes it’s heavy and some noise comes out.) If I wasn’t holding my breath the other night I would have screamed coming up from a squat. I would have looked like a tool, but it would have come out like that.

Hey grunting happens. (I will add that heavy weight must be proportional to the lifter to stop hilarity from ensuing. If some dude is grunting benching 85lbs, and he then grunts on 135, 185, and 225, I will laugh for grunting with 85… But if 85 is his max, then so be it, grunt away my friend.)

I love the body weight pulldown. Such classic jackassery… (Or the “I lean so far back, it’s now a row,” guy.)

The body weight or Greater pulldown is a true full body complex movement.

You must be able to balance between gripping the bar, pulling down, and Gripping with your legs to make sure you don't "Accidentally" pull yourself up and do a Chinup. Much harder than it sounds..

Cliff

Ha ha

http://video.aol.com/video-detail/perso ... /512866394

This should be proof of the Fullbody Lat Pulldown Workout.

Cliff

The really disturbing thing is that this is posted by a gym in Melbourne, and obviously it's something that they are proud of! Since it's mostly body momentum thats moving the weight, being fat would be a big advantage on this one!

I think it's the knee pads that put him over the top. Or maybe the gloves... Nope it's the belt with ipod strapped to the back, thats what makes him so jacked...

I like the part when he is finished with his set and lets the weight pull him up.

I wish he worked out at my gym. Some comic relief between sets is always a plus.

Oh, no. He just took off his gloves. Now we're getting serious.

1) Why would you video that?
2) Why would you post it on the net?
3) Why would you waste your time doing that exercise?
4) Did anyone else watch any of his other videos? I like the one with hooks to hold DBs on a bar so you don't have to pick them up off the floor! How lazy can you get? In my opinion if you can't lift the dumbell into position it's too heavy, work up to it with something you can handle!
5) Did anyone else notice how much he looks around the room to make sure people are looking at him?

He does have a bit of muscle going on, he could be a pretty big guy if he did things with good form! lol

OK, To get back on Topic....

Why is it so hard to put the equipment away when finished?

This really bothered me last night during my workout, which went like this.

Went in changed clothes and walked over to the Elliptical Machine for my short Warm up. While Walking across the gym, I glance at the Cage and see that someone is Curling with the Dedicated Curl Bars from across the free weight area. No Big deal though, because I need to warm up before squatting anyhow.

Finish my warm up and head toward the Free weights, and cage for my squats. BUT... Now someone else is doing some type of Deadlift in the Cage... No Big deal, I just do a few laps around the track while i wait. At least this guy is using the cage/rack as intended. It's just a low bar position. :)

Deadlifter finishes and unracks his weights, I make a couple more laps just to make sure noone else was anxiously waiting to use the cage and then head down for my squats.

While Performing my squats, I have plenty of time to watch the Free Weight area. I notice almost every Bench and Associated Bar loaded with weight. But Guess what, only 1 maybe 2 people are using the equipment. Keep in mind there are 6 different Bench stations, three of which are Flat Bench.

So I finish my Squats and head over to the Flat Bench, where 2 bars are loaded with varying weights. I'm pretty sure there is really only a single person Flat Benching though. I choose to leave the racked weights alone and use the last remaining Flat Bench, but For some reason, the Bar is Gone. A quick Scan and I find the Bar over next to the Leg Press in the Open Area. I assume someone was Deadlifting or something in that area, but why couldn't they return the bar to it's proper location. ARRGGHHH. No, I must go on the quest to find enough Clips for my Bench Press. Why do people find the need to put these on the Smith Machine. It's not like the Bar or Plates will fall off the Smith. The Range of motion will not allow the bar to move at an angle.

Time for Deadlifts (RDL's).......BUT........ Of Course, someone is using the Cage again.. Once again, No Big Deal, because he is doing a Hang Clean and Press, which is what I consider proper use of that equipment. I know he just started his routine, so I go and talk to my wife while she is doing her Machine Leg Presses. While keeping an eye on the equipment I need, I see the guy walk off and not come back, but the bar is still full. So, walk over to see where he went. I find the guy on the other side of the Free Weight area Curling. After waiting a couple more minutes, I catch him in between sets and ask if he's done with his Hang Cleans. He Says YES and I go over and unrack his weights and begin my RDL's.

I just don't understand. I always unrack my weights and try to place my equipment where it belongs upon completion. At least that way, it should be easy to tell if I'm done with any equipment. Oh Well.... Guess I just needed to vent...

Cliff