<Blank> makes you mad at the gym (or working out at home)

[Duck Off]

Well that was quite the ad hominen argument. Weight room etiquette is the same as common sense etiquette. Would you go into someone's house and move their stuff around and then leave? Didn't think so.

I absolutely commend people for trying to improve their fitness. But a lot of people have zero manners in public. All us "veteran elitists" are asking is if you get in the way, say excuse me. If you pick up weights, put them back in their proper place. If you leave sweat on the mat/bench, wipe it up. If you move someone's weight, put it back. Not too much to ask, correct?

I agree with everything you said, but I do believe there are many people at the gym who are entitled and rude.

The things you mentioned are things that are worth getting mad over for sure. However, I see a lot of entitlement at my gym. Like I mentioned earlier, it's generally from groups of young guys that are together. They're irritated because a new guy is on the machine they need, and you look over and every single one of them is staring and whispering quietly. That's annoying. I get it, I was once young (still am somewhat I guess, 27) and cocky/confident before, but I never looked down on people trying to better themselves. I think there are many that do.

 

[anlongo13]

Haha, nice try. These are people who have let themselves go, have nobody to blame but themselves, do not hire a trainer, have no idea how to work out, have no idea how to eat, they have put ZERO effort into getting into shape other than signing a contract. The people who have had enough of the blubbery body or their doctor told them either they lose weight or lose their left foot and decided today is the day to change their lives I'm 100% behind them. Being in shape isn't about a resolution, it's about 365 days a year of hard work and dedication.

While I agree the ones who decide to join the gym on a whim and have no real intention of sticking with it are annoying, that's a pretty broad brush to paint people with. While the newbies at the gym are pretty frustrating, there are plenty of "bros" that take up space looking in the mirror or hitting on girls while being completely in the way. That is just as bad as the poor newbie etiquette.

I agree with everything you said, but I do believe there are many people at the gym who are entitled and rude.

The things you mentioned are things that are worth getting mad over for sure. However, I see a lot of entitlement at my gym. Like I mentioned earlier, it's generally from groups of young guys that are together. They're irritated because a new guy is on the machine they need, and you look over and every single one of them is staring and whispering quietly. That's annoying. I get it, I was once young (still am somewhat I guess, 27) and cocky/confident before, but I never looked down on people trying to better themselves. I think there are many that do.

I was a resolutioner myself. After I got done playing college soccer and graduated, I put on a good 30 pounds. After a year of that, decided enough was enough and started working out. I half-assed it for a couple months, and then decided to really focus and learn about what I was doing and got invested in fitness. Don't get me wrong, yy earlier post wasn't about discouraging or putting down newbies trying to better themselves. I commend them for it. It was more a comment on the lack of respect for other people, which is overwhelming when you go out in public nowadays.

 

[What the Faulk]

There's lots of generalizations being made about both sides. People have different goals and different levels of motivation and shouldn't be looked down upon for that. On the flip side, the "going into someone's house" analogy kinda fits. No one owns the gym, but there's a set of rules established there and new people need to learn that, otherwise there's chaos and it just pisses everyone off and discourages the newcomer.

 

[KapG]

What the hell is the point of stacking on the plates for a bench press when you aren't even going to go down more than halfway annnd you're running double spotters????

Surely you'd be better off doing a full ****ing rep at a bit lighter weight, no?

These same guys left their dumbbells off the rack as well. Not only that but they were stacked on each other when they left them...

Smh.

 

[KingTux]

That one guy that leaves his Cahier Canada at the squad, then go do whatever a guy has to do in a gym for 30 minutes to only be pissed at me because I was 'using' the god damn squat. grgrgrrgrgrgrr

 

[Malinator]

After being a member to a gym with many of the negatives listed here, I'm glad I work out at home now. Its quiet, I work at my own pace with little to no interruptions. I put my weights back how I want them. I like it much better, only thing is I could use some more weights and some better equipment.

 

[firewagonHOCKEY]

Found out that there was a gym 600 M from my front door. Go there to test it out. It had no bench, no squat rack just a bunch of cross-trainers and one smith machine and a tiny little space to stretch.
I ask if they are thinking of adding such thing and the answer I get is " we are not a bodybuilder gym". WTF! I am not a bodybuilder either but I do like to use effective training.

 

[anlongo13]

Found out that there was a gym 600 M from my front door. Go there to test it out. It had no bench, no squat rack just a bunch of cross-trainers and one smith machine and a tiny little space to stretch.
I ask if they are thinking of adding such thing and the answer I get is " we are not a bodybuilder gym". WTF! I am not a bodybuilder either but I do like to use effective training.

Was this a Planet Fitness by any chance?

 

[What the Faulk]

Found out that there was a gym 600 M from my front door. Go there to test it out. It had no bench, no squat rack just a bunch of cross-trainers and one smith machine and a tiny little space to stretch.
I ask if they are thinking of adding such thing and the answer I get is " we are not a bodybuilder gym". WTF! I am not a bodybuilder either but I do like to use effective training.

Was it an apartment complex "gym"? That's what it sounds like.

 

[firewagonHOCKEY]

It is a gym/fitness center that as part of a Business Park. They do have some equipment like a lat pull-down machine, a heavy rower plus a cable tower and some benches. What made me upset was the "we are not a bodybuilder gym attitude"... I mean the stuff they have you can use for bodybuilding and what you can't do in that gym is lift for strength.

 

[Johansen2Foligno]

No complaints about my gym. It's $60 for the year and has everything I need.

Sure, the dumbbells are left on the floor or out of order on the rack, but that's not a big deal. There is a good atmosphere and no need to hit the 'Lunk Alarm'.

There is usually a class in there with younger children, but they are well behaved. The person in charge of the class makes sure to keep them occupied.

 

[KapG]

Getting tired of people not putting their **** away when they are done. Got into it with a guy today at LA fitness. Asked him if he planned on putting away the weights he left at 5 or 6 stations and he proceeds to tell me to mind my own business. I had to explain to him that it IS my business cause I'm tired of putting his **** away for him when i go use the stations.

Its like one giant cycle. One person doesn't put something away so you get a few people who think they don't need to.

 

[StronGeer]

 

[Whiplash27]

Definitely guys who use the power rack to do bicep curls. I mean, seriously?

Also hate the post-new years rush of people. My gym was typically quiet most of the time, regardless of the time of day. Now it's packed whenever I go in the evening. It stinks.

 

[What the Faulk]

I've been going to the same gym for about a year now. Moderately sized, crowd of all ages. My biggest complaints.

- 1.5 places to do squats. I say 1.5 because in addition to the power cage, there's another rack that you can load from, but no safety bars. I hate using it because I never go as low as I want. Just in case (don't really know how to bail)

- People who do rows/curls/anything that isn't squats in the power cage when it's busy.

- The dumbbell rack is a mess.

- Many plate stations look like the middle of a no-rules game of Tower of Hanoi.


That's really it though. I guess it could be worse.

 

[Whiplash27]

We have one of these:

and one of these:

I never use the first one (squat rack) for squatting unless I'm going lighter. If I'm maxing out, I want those safety bars to be right below the bar. I'm not super flexible, so I can only go so low and the bars on the squat rack definitely aren't high enough for me. I will always squat on the power rack if it's free.

 

[firewagonHOCKEY]

I am now happy because I have found my sweaty meat dungeon with bodybuilding posters on the wall. A place where no one looks bad at you for grunting or doing a biceps flex in the mirror. A place where I feel tiny compared to some of the beasts that go there. And its only 12 Euro a month. Bliss!

 

[PallasAthena29]

There are two guys who PARK THEIR CARS ON THE SIDEWALK outside my gym. I'm not kidding even a little bit. I'm there in the middle of the day, there are maybe 100 open parking spots, but these two pull up against the building and park ON THE SIDEWALK. I would take a photo of it, but they don't seem like very nice people, and I'm not about to get shanked.

Park as close as possible. Proceed inside to climb invisible stairs. Totally baffling.

 

[PallasAthena29]

Re: the Resolutioners: I have been that person to be frustrated with the influx of new members between January 1 and February 15 every year. They're not usually heading over to the weights, so my routine isn't bothered as much as someone who only uses cardio machines and does group fit. Maybe that makes me more sympathetic.

But here's a different perspective: MOST gyms operate only on something like 25 percent of their membership, meaning that the machines, classes, weights, amenities like showers, etc., are prepared for use by maybe 150 people when the total enrollment at a gym might be 600-800. The membership fees of the people who join but don't use the facilities maintain things (and lower memberships) for the 150 or so committed folks to actually do create wear and tear. Even if you don't consider the compassionate argument--that we should be happy for folks who want to be healthier--it's actually a good thing to have gym members who attend for awhile and then stop attending.

 

[KapG]

Thought this was pretty funny.

 

[Malinator]

I like working out at home. Does anyone know of a good squat rack/ bench combo for a reasonable price? I'm not looking for top of the line stuff. I've looked online and honestly it's hard to tell what's good by looking at pictures.

 

[ColePens]

All racks are expensive if you want good quality. Unfortunate, but true. That's why a lot of times it just pays to join a gym and deal with ****. But if you have the funding/space... do it.

I have a nice set up at home, but i'm not going out to buy a squat rack/bench/etc. I'll keep a gym membership for those days. I have a full area for cardio, full body workouts, etc. The major lifts are for the gym, unfortunately.

 

[Whiplash27]

You could always try to build something like this:
http://www.home-gym-bodybuilding.com/homemade-power-rack.html

 

[canucksfan]

Discovered an annoying thing.

When you are deadlifting and the barbell moves and causes the bar not to be straight. The one area at my gym is fine but the other area the bars moves about an inch or two and it isn't straight.

 

[StronGeer]

Discovered an annoying thing.

When you are deadlifting and the barbell moves and causes the bar not to be straight. The one area at my gym is fine but the other area the bars moves about an inch or two and it isn't straight.

Straight relative to the floor/mirrors?