ExRx.net

That does sound like a good exercise if you start heavy lol what did they star at like 90 lbs? were they using an Olympic bar? lol that's hilarious

I've had a couple of interesting moments in the gym, both in the last week. Strange how they all seem to come at once.

Anyway, there's this guy that I try to help out. When i say 'try', he bothers me a lot and I try to help him but he doesn't listen. He knows I train for strength, try and keep my weight roughly the same, don't do MUCH isolation, etc, yet, he insists on asking questions like, "what do you do for your back?", "what good leg exercise can I do" "got a good exercise for chest? what do you do for your chest?". I don't really do anything for anything I just try and get stronger. Anyway, regardless, he makes me laugh and I can't help but like him.

The other day he came in, "i'm benching today, can you spot me?". I've been trying to get him off the smith machine for about 9 months now, so I was pleased. He said "I got 100KG for 2 or 3 reps last week". I thought, "suuuuuure you did....".... But said "niiiiice".

He warmed up with the bar, then said, "i'll just go straight to 100kg" (220lbs). I tried to convince him to work up, but he insisted, "sometimes it's better to just go straight to the heavy stuff". Riiiiight...

"spot' in my gym actually means, "forced reps" btw, but I never do that. I give them a 'hand off' then stand back. So i did, and proceeded to watch him staple himself to the bench. I let him sit stapled for a second or two, then took the bar up. Before lockng out, he screeched "another 2!!". I let him get stapled again then the bar came up. Then he explained to me about 'spotting' and how i'm supposed to help. "really, ah... I never knew that, you should of said". Then I explained to him what I thought 'spot' meant. Honest mistake...

Then he went to incline DB press. I actually sneaked away after the benching for a drink, hoping he'd think I left. But he followed me "can you spot me on DB bench, I got a couple of reps with the 38's last week" (80-ish lbs). Sure, let's go.

For some reason most people in my gym spot DB bench a weird way. They sit back and lift one DB up with 2 hands, get it steady at lockout, then get handed the other DB. I done this, and he done a big eccentric, the DB slammed into his chest/armpit area, and he dropped them... Again, no 'working up' to that weight, just straight to it. He wanted to try again. In fear of him just plain dropping a 38kg DB on his face, I convinved him to take both DB's, and start as if he had no spot, and I would shove his elbows up. Tried, and couldn't even move them, he was no where near being able to shift those. He eventually went down to 32KG db's, and got five 4 inch reps.

Then he said, "do you ever get a weird pain your shoulder when your benching". LOL. It's not funny, really, but it is kind of. I'm beyond cringing with this guy (i've tried and tried to help him out), now it's just like comedy. I had yet another attempt at explaining some fundamental rules of lifting to him, but i doubt he'll ever change.

KPj

KPj that guy probably thinks you're awesome, i bet he goes home and tells his mates about this great workout with his powerlifting friend who's strong but doesn't know how to spot...

Worst thing i ever saw in a gym was this poor girl go flying off a treadmill. She must've only been like 16 and her and her friend were clearly not too experienced in using stuff in the gym, just kind of larking about and giggling, not really doing anything. Nothing wrong with that, but they decided to get on the treadmills and see how fast they could get them going. It was so obvious what was going to happen, from where i was sitting i had the perfect view: treadmill got faster and faster until finally this poor girl slammed face first into the treadmill, which is one of those good bouncy ones so she she got a good like 8 inch bounce back up, and the momentum flipped her round so she was perpendicular to the track and it flung her backwards at speed! What made it even worse was the gym was a tiny little box room in the leisure centre in the town i come from, so there's a cross trainer thing right behind it and she hit that hard.

what must've made it even worse for her was the gym was full, literally full, every bit of equipment was in use, and in the wee town i come from the only folk that used the gym apart from me were old ladies. So this girl was suddenly surrounded by about 30 grannies all cooing and rubbing her and being like "are you alright dear?"

if it had happened to a guy i'd have found it funny, but to happen to a self conscious wee 16 year old girl? I was embarrassed just watching

HAHA. Sorry. I don't know if I would of laughed or helped, probably both - help whilst laughing. I'm quite bad like that. My g/f is quite accident prone, and I can never help myself, if it looks sore I wait until I know she's ok, then I laugh. Very thoughtful of me really....

The boy I was talking about with the benching actually has a cousin who comes into my gym who is HUGE. He's one of the local roid guys. About 5'6, and mustbe atleast 250lbs, body fat easily less than 10%, probably close to 5. It's actually a joke how big he is, he's like a cartoon. Like Johnny Bravo but with a bigger upper body and a better tan.

It's beyond me why he doesn't ask his cousin. I would love to flatter myself and say that there's a logical reason behind it that makes me look amazing, but the most likely answer is that his cousin is fed up trying to help him.

KPj