How many of you feel unwelcome in your Gym you train at?

[The Booger]

I sort of feel out of place but not really.

Me and my buddy just go in, lift, and get out. Yeah we chat it up with each other but we get our shit done. For both of us it works better to work out with each other versus by ourselves. Motivation I guess, trying to out do each other. It's a friendly competition.

But we get stared at a lot by guys who go to the gym 5 days a week and curl 20lb weights all day......a lot. Sort of annoying but whatever. We were doing squats a few days ago and had one of them ask us "what are you guys doing?". Reply "Squats". Him "oh, those work your legs?"

Nope. They are good for your triceps.

 

[CHAPS]

Glad to see i'm not the only one feeling this way, it get's old fast when everyone is sizing you up.

 

[Gunsmith]

Glad to see i'm not the only one feeling this way, it get's old fast when everyone is sizing you up.

I don't realy feel uncomfortable anywhere ,I do get the feeling that people are staring and "sizing" me up now and then , for the most part the gym I train at I have been their for years so everybody knows me and whatnot but all the new people treat you like a side show attraction.

Its funny now that I getting leaner the stares are more and more and the comments are much more obvious even though I'm alot smaller.

I don't realy care who says what or what their oppinion is , it bugs me when guys try to act all hard and stare you down and shit , I meen whats the point? The guys that come up and what to chat about how they were my size back in the day and all that shit gets old realy fast but whatever

 

[617ricky]

LMAO bro i was joking about hearing them plotting in my sleep. fuck me i'm not a paranoid schizophrenic lol

hahah, well it wasn't obvious the way your post sounded.. I don't kno the situation obviously, but you gotta admit, just the way you worded it, it does make you sound a little paranoid - like how the people talk amongst themselves when you're training, and how you think they're talking shit about you with the way they shake their heads when you finish your set, lol.. The more I think about it, it sounds to me like maybe you're staring back at them, maybe giving them hard looks when you're lifting, and just not realizing it.. Cuz like someone pointed out, to notice someone is continually staring at you, you gotta be staring at them as well - it's a 2 way street..

 

[jrs]

My gym has a lot of mirrors so that's how I catch people staring at me. Or when I look up and catch them.

Don't feel awkward. Embrace it. I was once really irritated and uncomfortable too but slowly I realized that it wasn't going to change, people were still going to talk shit about me behind my back when i can see them in the mirrors. But then you realize its not just the shit-talkers, it's also the tan, tight college girls, and the look of respect from those who actually train hard.

Some days I have the entire gyms eyes on me. I feel like I have just walked into my kingdom and the eager spectators finally get to watch and whisper as I destroy my previous personal bests.

 

[J4CKT]

My gym has a lot of mirrors so that's how I catch people staring at me. Or when I look up and catch them.

Don't feel awkward. Embrace it. I was once really irritated and uncomfortable too but slowly I realized that it wasn't going to change, people were still going to talk shit about me behind my back when i can see them in the mirrors. But then you realize its not just the shit-talkers, it's also the tan, tight college girls, and the look of respect from those who actually train hard.

Some days I have the entire gyms eyes on me. I feel like I have just walked into my kingdom and the eager spectators finally get to watch and whisper as I destroy my previous personal bests.

AWESOME POST! thats all i have to say - thats probably the best way to look at and act about whole situation.

 

[gridlock]

hahah, well it wasn't obvious the way your post sounded.. I don't kno the situation obviously, but you gotta admit, just the way you worded it, it does make you sound a little paranoid - like how the people talk amongst themselves when you're training, and how you think they're talking shit about you with the way they shake their heads when you finish your set, lol.. The more I think about it, it sounds to me like maybe you're staring back at them, maybe giving them hard looks when you're lifting, and just not realizing it.. Cuz like someone pointed out, to notice someone is continually staring at you, you gotta be staring at them as well - it's a 2 way street..

its more when you look straight up after a set. its not like i'm new in there. i've trained there for a few years but have gone back there recently. there's no paranoia there, more annoyance at the fact that people care less about what they are in there to do and more about. Now that i'm back in there more often i'll find out from someone what the hell the gossip is, after all, 3 can only keep a secret if 2 of them are dead.

( and no that wasnt reference to me killing anyone before you get that twisted! )

 

[totalrecomp]

Generally everyone at my gym is really friendly and I get at the bare minimum a head nod. Of course there is about a total of about 6 guys who dont really seem to like me.

I have never gotten into any confrontation with any of them. Matter of fact I have tried saying hello in passing a few times. Just met with stares. I say to that what the fuck ever. If you got to know me you'd realize you were missing out, cuz at the risk of boasting I am pretty awesome, LOL.

Maqinly I think it has to do with the fact that I have blown by all of the people in question. They train, some of them even pretty hard, yet the gains are non existent. To me this means they eat like shit. Oh well, I still sleep soundly at night.

 

[terryd5150]

I guess I'm really lucky. I like the gym I go to. They host powerlifting events there on a regular basis, so they don't mind heavy lifters joining.


Plus, the owner treats me great and a lot of guys there ask me for advice. My usual answer is "Your diet sucks, dude". LOL.

 

[maldorf]

Trick really is finding a gym that is mostly hardcore lifters. I used to belong to one years ago before I moved and I was just one of the guys there. We had just a handful of women that belonged. If a woman came in it was a rare event.
When I joined the Golds where I moved to the place was so full of good looking women that it distracted me for the first month or so! At gold's you were a freak if you worked out with 405 lbs on the squat. One night I was doing squats with 495 and I had a small crowd gather,lol. Most of the attention though was postive, they were impressed but I dont really like attention so I was a bit embarassed. Back at the old gym we had guys squatting over 700 lbs so I wasnt a big deal, and shouldnt have been!

 

[Ruhlfreak55]

boy does this hit home for me.....jesus...where to start.

I mean i'm in college....so university gym we're forced to pay for....and I can't complain too much about how it's equipped....we REALLY need bigger than 150lb dumbbells though.

but FUCK.....the people that work there aside from 2 or 3 are such pricks. I've gotten "incident reports" filed against me and the bitch that runs the gym wont even tell me what i did. I still don't have a clue.

I lift hard....i go nuts....sometimes i make noise....sometimes i talk shit to myself....smack myself....whatever i need to get the fuck going. And these little frat boys everywhere just stare at you like your a freakin alien. A couple weeks ago i got in trouble for deadlifting with my shoes off.....which i have done in there for prolly 8 months prior to this day....I've been yelled at for dropping weights on multiple occasion when i've never "dropped" a dumbbell....yes you know...a 150 lb dumbbell coming back to earth from overhead ext. is going to make some noise...but i have it under control and always make sure it goes flat when i get it to the floor...but i'm not going to injure myself trying to keep it going at a turtles pace ya know....

fuck i'm so tired of it here.....

 

[dropshot001]

boy does this hit home for me.....jesus...where to start.

I mean i'm in college....so university gym we're forced to pay for....and I can't complain too much about how it's equipped....we REALLY need bigger than 150lb dumbbells though.

but FUCK.....the people that work there aside from 2 or 3 are such pricks. I've gotten "incident reports" filed against me and the bitch that runs the gym wont even tell me what i did. I still don't have a clue.

I lift hard....i go nuts....sometimes i make noise....sometimes i talk shit to myself....smack myself....whatever i need to get the fuck going. And these little frat boys everywhere just stare at you like your a freakin alien. A couple weeks ago i got in trouble for deadlifting with my shoes off.....which i have done in there for prolly 8 months prior to this day....I've been yelled at for dropping weights on multiple occasion when i've never "dropped" a dumbbell....yes you know...a 150 lb dumbbell coming back to earth from overhead ext. is going to make some noise...but i have it under control and always make sure it goes flat when i get it to the floor...but i'm not going to injure myself trying to keep it going at a turtles pace ya know....

fuck i'm so tired of it here.....

i feel you bro. i'm at the college gym too and we don't have these 150lb dbs of which you speak, only the 120s. anyway, i always get sized up, stared down, etc. it gets annoying, but i figure its because i'm bigger and stronger than pretty much everyone in there, minus two bb'ers who come in occassionally on the weekends. i've been yelled at for dropping a 45 plate off the leg press while someone else was powercleaning and dropping/throwing his weights down from shoulder level. its kinda rewarding for me when i lift enough that a significant part of the gym stops and watches the set, then quickly returns to whatever they are doing once my set is over.

 

[Husker]

This is something that has been on my mind a lot lately. I never really thought about it too much, but more and more I get the feeling that the people that work and workout at my gym's I go to dont really like me too much.

Like the other guy said- I go in and "keep me head down" the whole time. I never look at anybody, talk to anybody or god forbid, stare at anybody.

I am not the biggest dude or the strongest, but I hold my own. Im a 40 year old guy that goes in takes care of business, and rips it up as good as I can.

The thing that really bothers me is the nasty looks I get from the other trainers and some of the people at one of my gyms. After I get done with a heavy set of squats or Deads I notice that everybody is looking at me. Then I hear from a buddy that actually talks to people there, that the trainers HATE me or think Im a dick. I have never said one word to these people, but because I can lift more than they do or because Im bigger, Im a dick!!?? How the hell did this world get so fucked up that just because I can do something a little bit better, I am a bad guy?

I try to go in, mind my own business with my headphones on, but you cant escape this shit anymore...ANYWHERE. Its crazy.

 

[madmick]

Who here didn't start out wanting to be one of the big guys? I know I did. I was 158 lbs and looked at the big guys and watched there every move, trying to learn. Flash forward 28 years... One year ago I moved from a hard core gym on Long Island where mass monsters were the norm to being one of the few bodybuilders in my gym here in Georgia. I get looks all the time. But when its from younger guys it really doesn't bother me unless they are the skinny wannabee know it all's who look like there carrying suitcases around the gym. Most of them end up coming to me for advice. What bothers me are the A-holes that I see looking and shaking ther fawkin heads. They never do it to my face but my girl (who's on the stepper)see's it all the time. I take it as a compliment and so should anyone who goes thru the same thing. They are jealouse, there is no doubt in my mind. It will get worse as you get older. I''m 48 years old, look a lot younger, and I know for a fact, 90% of men my age cant even come close to looking like us older guys here on PM. I love going to a one of my kids baseball or soccer games. The other fathers are WAY out of shape(most are younger then me). None of them talk to me and none of them will even look my way... but there wives do . For you younger guys on here, dont let this get to you, this is why we do this,, to look better then the general population. Take it as a compliment.
It proves that you are standing out

 

[SacToSD]

i feel you bro. i'm at the college gym too and we don't have these 150lb dbs of which you speak, only the 120s.

I speak of which gym I go to that only goes to 100 lb dumbbells. Boohlshit

 

[csuperman]

shit we have 150's but when you use them and dont set them down with the utmost care they come a bitching, now i dont throw them down by any means, but no matter how soft you set one of those down they make a noise.

and then you have the other guys in there slamming down the 80's after a grueling set of presses and nobody says a word.

 

[fuckboy]

I have had to start training back at the gym near my office as the journey to my other one is 50 miles there and back and after 12 hours in work i'm too shattered.

I noticed in there again last night that people look and talk among themselves when i'm training. i know its not paranoia (even though i hear them in my sleep, plotting) so it confuses the hell out of me when and why they do it.

I know the difference between someone saying look that guy's big and someone actually talking shit about you and a couple of times i've seen people just shaking their head when i've just finished a set. I dont bang the weights around. I dont muscle people out the way. i dont bother anyone so i dont know why people feel the need.

anyway its just a vent but i was wondering does anyone else feel uncomfortable where they train.

fvck them all bro they wish they can be big to so they are all haters just keep your head up high and go in the gym like a happy man and do your thing.

 

[Bolo666]

I train at an awesome gym..I know almost everbody there..we talk open about everything..help each other etc..Its my second home and i love it..

 

[mojo jojo]

I am extremely handsome and feel welcome everywhere I go. Those of you less fortunate then myself my sympathy

 

[maldorf]

This is something that has been on my mind a lot lately. I never really thought about it too much, but more and more I get the feeling that the people that work and workout at my gym's I go to dont really like me too much.

Like the other guy said- I go in and "keep me head down" the whole time. I never look at anybody, talk to anybody or god forbid, stare at anybody.

I am not the biggest dude or the strongest, but I hold my own. Im a 40 year old guy that goes in takes care of business, and rips it up as good as I can.

The thing that really bothers me is the nasty looks I get from the other trainers and some of the people at one of my gyms. After I get done with a heavy set of squats or Deads I notice that everybody is looking at me. Then I hear from a buddy that actually talks to people there, that the trainers HATE me or think Im a dick. I have never said one word to these people, but because I can lift more than they do or because Im bigger, Im a dick!!?? How the hell did this world get so fucked up that just because I can do something a little bit better, I am a bad guy?

I try to go in, mind my own business with my headphones on, but you cant escape this shit anymore...ANYWHERE. Its crazy.

they might be talking like that because you never socialize with anyone. To many people the gym is a social scene. Me personally, I never really socialized that much but would talk to others and just say hello to be congenial. Perhaps if you were a bit more friendly. Dont have to go overboard of course.