Random Gym Observations....List the Good, The Bad & The Ugly

[Exiled Martian]

So at one point I was fairly observant at the gym between prolonged rest periods ( on big ass compound sets). As school/college was out at the time, my gym had been rather JAM packed past couple of months in the summer... & since I carry a notebook to the gym (lifting geek) whenever I wasn't noting down figures ,reps,sets accomplished etc I decided to write a list of what I saw around me over a 2 weeks & lo & behold, below are my witnessed recollections *looking at my old notepad shyte is funny as FuKK*:


1. There are a lot of BIG dudes there. Big as in with a ton of muscles. Makes me feel so small and out of shape sometime

2. There are a lot of people who just sit at the machines and stare at themselves in the mirror. They don't look like they are resting. They just sit... and chill... occupy the machine... and stare at themselves.

3. Some people just have bad form.

4. Weight bar collars don't exist. They're all either lost, misplaced, or people just don't use them especially the alpha macho bravado dudes

5. No room to hardly do anything sometimes at full capacity evenings usually!

6. Pull up bars don't exist. As in, just a simple horizontal unbroken bar. You've got big steel cage things with numerous protruding handhold things but never just a simple bar. I can't find a way to do pullups with the proper amount of spacing between my hands so I just do these as warm up prior to my lifting starting.

7. Mirrors all over the goddamn place. It's hard for me to do an intense workout when there's a mirror right in front of me and my focus gets broken by the sight of myself. Just give me a blank wall (Personal opinion here some thrive on reflections)

8. Lots of people doing bicep curls...YAWN

9. Lots of people reading a book as they sit, sip on lemonade, and effortlessly pedal the exercise bike. Emphasis on "without effort." Bet their heart rate is volcano dormant!

10. Some newbs who go there and are absolutely clueless on what to do. These guys I feel bad for (the aimless looking around , random equipment selection gives this away)

11. Naked people in the locker rooms and no curtains on the showers - WTF

ADD ON AS OF WHEN YOU SEE SOMETHING NOTEWORTHY BREHS....

 

[Exiled Martian]

12. Lots of hot jailbait working out with weights. Realizing these chicks are anywhere from 15-21 because the gym I went to a tthe time had a student plan that allows various students to go free / off peak etc

12 A. Try not to stare at jailbait doing squats

12 B. Try not to stare at jailbait doing good mornings

12 C. Try not to stare at jailbait FULLSTOP...

 

[The ADD]

I stopped paying attention especially after learning more about various techniques and programs. I'm sure people think I'm slacking on some of my power day lifts.

Dude I train with was breaking down everybody and how he sees the same people doing the same lifts at the same weight every single month.

The thing that gets me is people setting up in front of certain machines or benches so they can lift in the mirror but block another piece of equipment. I don't event ask anymore, I just start setting up and working their view be damned.

 

[Exiled Martian]

I stopped paying attention especially after learning more about various techniques and programs. I'm sure people think I'm slacking on some of my power day lifts.

Dude I train with was breaking down everybody and how he sees the same people doing the same lifts at the same weight every single month.

The thing that gets me is people setting up in front of certain machines or benches so they can lift in the mirror but block another piece of equipment. I don't event ask anymore, I just start setting up and working their view be damned.

Wise words and totally relatable.... as I said all the above was written down and observed in the past so it was comical to go through it all just now (crunching figures & making tweaks to my workout on Excel)... but thankfully those T-shirt trainers i.e Mirror lifters are seldom seen in my gym...more recently I noticed the following jokers;

• Firstly, scale obsessed wannnabe boxer guys who weigh themselves every 10 minutes. Whats the point? Surely the only weight you've gained is the water you've drunk.

• Secondly, girls who go to the gym with a great body, wear a training bra and tight pants, leave nothing to the imagination, then scowl at me when they catch me checking them out. I'm sorry, but if you look good and you're wearing next to nothing, what do you expect guys to do? Admire the painting on the roof instead?

• Thirdly, people who put their ENTIRE body into a simple cable pushdown. The only thing meant to be moving is your forearms, yet I constantly see people on the tips of their toes, then bending their hips and arching their back to pull the rope down... & I see it at least a couple times a week & they all be Dapping each other & be like 'watch this FULL STACK set breh I'm gonna killing it'

 

[NSSVO]

Haters.

 

[Exiled Martian]

Haters.

Don't mind them breh.. we need those types around our day to day peripherals in all aspects!

 

[NSSVO]

Don't mind them breh.. we need those types around our day to day peripherals in all aspects!

It get's irritating because it gets to the point, you want the satisification of getting on their helmet, but you know that's what they want. Catch 22.

 

[The ADD]

Wise words and totally relatable.... as I said all the above was written down and observed in the past so it was comical to go through it all just now (crunching figures & making tweaks to my workout on Excel)... but thankfully those T-shirt trainers i.e Mirror lifters are seldom seen in my gym...more recently I noticed the following jokers;

• Firstly, scale obsessed wannnabe boxer guys who weigh themselves every 10 minutes. Whats the point? Surely the only weight you've gained is the water you've drunk.

• Secondly, girls who go to the gym with a great body, wear a training bra and tight pants, leave nothing to the imagination, then scowl at me when they catch me checking them out. I'm sorry, but if you look good and you're wearing next to nothing, what do you expect guys to do? Admire the painting on the roof instead?

• Thirdly, people who put their ENTIRE body into a simple cable pushdown. The only thing meant to be moving is your forearms, yet I constantly see people on the tips of their toes, then bending their hips and arching their back to pull the rope down... & I see it at least a couple times a week & they all be Dapping each other & be like 'watch this FULL STACK set breh I'm gonna killing it'

We had a guys that would shadow box in between sets with foot movement and everything

 

[Exiled Martian]

We had a guys that would shadow box in between sets with foot movement and everything

 

[TLR Is Mental Poison]

The gym I'm at now is prob the best one I've ever been to. Downright boring but I like it that way. Only thing of note, one of the counter girls has the best thighs I've ever seen. Hams and quads are so crazy. No ass or hips though

 

[Serious]

I stopped paying attention especially after learning more about various techniques and programs. I'm sure people think I'm slacking on some of my power day lifts.

Dude I train with was breaking down everybody and how he sees the same people doing the same lifts at the same weight every single month.

The thing that gets me is people setting up in front of certain machines or benches so they can lift in the mirror but block another piece of equipment. I don't event ask anymore, I just start setting up and working their view be damned.

what if they're just trying to maintain....

 

[Spliff]

what if they're just trying to maintain....

Word, or dieting. Makes me wonder what people were thinking when the saw me push the same weight for months

 

[The ADD]

what if they're just trying to maintain....

He is a trainer so you know that mindset. Of course what you and @Spliff move weight wise is different from the guy doing bicep curls with 20s for 4 straight months.

In some ways I see his point but like I said as I learn more I realize you can't judge a persons work out based on a snap shot of a few sets you see one a given day. Until you both said something I didn't even think about people working out to maintain.

 

[Bay Area]

I have my my own equipment so I lift at home now but when I used to go to the gym I had my headphones on and handled my business. I never really took the time to worry about what others were doing

 

[Kal El]

Pet Peeves:

-Dudes who slam down dumbbells.

I'm far from strong, but I do 95's for reps for DB Bench, and I can set them down on the ground without making the entire gym vibrate. There's no need for you to throw down a 60 after DB rows or some 30's after seated Curls and make the ground tremble. Shyt infuriates the hell out of me.

-the narcissitic fukks who stare at themselves in the mirror in between sets. I like to glance in the mirror every now and then, especially when you got that pump goin, but when you're staring at yourself non-stop, and lifting up your shirt, feelin on your chest etc... you're doin too much faq.

-Invisible Lat Syndrome

-People who don't re-rack their weights or wipe down machines.



I try to go to the gym when it's empty because I feel like throwing DB's at people's heads when I see any of the above.