Things that aggravate me at the Gym.

[MadMax]

1. If I am using equipment (CYBEX, Hammer Strength) and you want to use it as well, dont stand there and stare at me, ask if you could jump in between sets. If you just stare, I will take my time.

2. If I am doing seated military presses or any other exercises that require me to use a mirror (for proper form), do not come between me and the mirror, I will ask you to move.

3. If you are not using equipment, but rather sitting there talking to your buddies you should leave.

4. If you are using dumbells, get them from the rack and then move away from the rack. Do not stand directly in front of the rest of the dumbells.

5. Put the weights away when you are done!

6. If you want to talk to me, do it when I am between sets, not when I am doing the exercise.

7. Do not hog more than one piece of equipment.

8. Wear a towel in the locker room when you are going to and from the shower.

These are some of my pet peeves. What are yours.

[CinaC]

Cell phones.

[Jules]

Great Post!

I agree with all of your pet peaves and will add some more.

At my gym there is not a central music system, just a boom box in the corner. In the late afternoon and evening, when I have to work out, the "jocks" come in and take over the music. Mostly headbanging crap. They turn it up so loud that I can't use the equipment at one end of the gym. The owner has promised to fix this.

Don't criticize my workout routine, what I wear, or how long I stay. My workout is my business.

Dropping weights is a no-no at our gym, but the guys do it constantly. One day they brought in log chains, more annoying noise.

I'm sure I'll think of more later.

[Mitzi]

INSURANCE COMPANIES AND MEN! ( I know this is not at the gym but I am SO frustrated with my Insurance companies,,,ggrrrrrrr...I am mildly frustrated with the men in my life)

[ 12-10-2002, 12:08 PM: Message edited by: Mitzi ]

[rugbyman]

When people use the runners treadmill to walk...for 45 minutes.

[That Guy]

Waterfalls of sweat. If you sweat all over a bench or anyother piece of equipment PLEASE wipe it down.
And people who listen to j***, country, easy listening music to work out. WTF!??!?!!?

TG

[Nittany Lion]

A BIG AMEN to all of those, especially #5. Just the other day, some idiot puts on a bunch of weights on a Hammer Machine..and just walks away! This is the kind of person who's parents always cleaned up after them.

Another BIG AMEN to C in a J's comment.....There is always a bunch of people who walk around the gym with a cell attatched to their waist like they are that important that need to be in touch at all times. And I am talking about high school/college age people. Then to sit their on a piece of equipment talking on the phone!?!?

[JRT6]

When there's twenty people in the weight room enjoying rock music over the radio but because one old jock complains the music gets put on easy listening. Worse when the old jock complains that who are we, the twenty people, to decide what he, the one person, has to listen too. The old jock then does one set and leaves but the music can't be changed back.

[ 12-10-2002, 03:42 PM: Message edited by: JRT6 ]

[kirch]

I hate it when people monopolize equipment for several sets. Don't sit there hogging the machinery for three minutes while you rest in between sets. I think sitting there expecting someone to ask you if they can work in is rude.

How about the people that fill up their water bottles at the bubbler while a line forms behind them of people just wanting to get a drink?

Then there are the workout partners that take up a piece of equipment while they alternate sets, preventing anyone else from using it for 20 minutes.

And the grunters, groaners, yellers and screamers. I swear some of them do it just so you'll look to see how much weight they're lifting. If you're going to be that loud, work out in your basement.

But I don't get the whole towel-on-the-way-to-the-shower thing. If you've got a problem seeing naked bodies, get changed somewhere else. It's a locker room, for god's sake!

Good topic, thanks for letting me rant.

[ateamer]

I can't stand:
-People who go to the gym to socialize. I don't mean discussing training techniques and the workout; half the people there are yakking about the stock market or some girl they met. If you want to jack your jaw, do it somewhere where you're not taking up space that other people need. And don't dare try to make small talk with me when I'm backing out with a 620 squat (really happened a couple weeks ago).

-This is not a music club. Stop turning up the stereo so loud that no one can talk to each other. It's a huge distraction anyway.

-Mirrors. They have no place in a gym. My perfect gym has bare cinderblock walls.

-Personal trainers who don't work out themselves and have no clue what they're doing. The trainers at our gym tell people to never let the bar touch the chest when benching and never squat more than a quarter rep. I've been training longer than most of them have been alive, but they think they are the experts because they attended a weekend seminar (really, 16 hours and they are certified as training gurus).

-Retards who don't put the plates back, or who put them on the wrong racks. The rack says "45" and the plate says "45". Think that means they match up? Then why did you just put it on the rack for the 25s?

-People who drop dumbbells. It strips out the screws and they eventually fall apart. Those things are expensive and no one can use them safely once the screw breaks.

-People (and I use this term loosely) who scream as loud as they can while doing partial curls with 30 pound dumbbells, then throw the weights to the floor and look around to see who is watching and worshipping.

-Guys who load at least 50 pounds more than they can possibly bench, heave and raise their butts a mile off the bench, scream and squirm while their spotter gets a deadlift workout pulling the weight off his chest. This spotter, of course, is telling the weenie, "it's all you!"

-Quitters who say anyone stronger than them has to be on steroids. Ever hear of hard work, discipline and sacrifice? I am strong because I stay at home at night, don't party, drink very little and stay totally focussed on training.

By the end of the year, my training partner and I will be working out full time in our garages. Commercial gyms are getting too annoying and there are no hardcore lifting gyms left in this town.

[ 12-10-2002, 03:59 PM: Message edited by: ateamer ]