What are your stories about times you were most humbled in the gym?

[AllOkJumpmaster]

I was having this conversation with a buddy just yesterday, and thought it might be a fun discussion here for anyone that cares. Felt it was a bit different than the "what it is the dumbest thing you ever did in the gym" thread

For me two specific examples stand out

The first was when I just moved to Monterey California. The gym there had this hack squat that looked like just a normal ass hack squat, simply was a brand I had never used (unfortunately forget the name now). Anway my strength level round that was about a 5 plate per side for 8-10 on most machines. It is my first day in this gym, and there were some pretty serious / big dudes there. I roll up to the hack squat and throw on 2 plates and a quarter per side to get 1-2 warm up sets before hitting the work set loads. I hit the eccentric, and immediately bottom out, stuck in the "hole", and have to let it hit the pins and crawl out like a dang newborn duckling climbing of an eggshell. Everyone looks over. Whatever the deal with this particular hack squat machine, it was so much fucking heavier than any other machine I had used. To the point that I couldn't even move 2 and quarter when I could normally 5 plates for work sets. That machine absolutely humbled the christ out of me, and embarrassed me at the same time. The bizzare thing was, is if you did a set with the rack and no weight on it, it felt no different than any other hack.

The other time was I broke my ankle during a static line jump as part of an airborne operation, and was basically completely incapacitate from all forms of training for about 6 weeks. Not just because of the injury but docs didn't want me to get blood pressure going. Anyway, when I was cleared hot to start training, I had lost a lot of my fitness, strength, and gotten soft. Nothing too crazy, but I have always been in shape, never been chunky. Holy shit when I began training I thought I could just roll back into. I was sweatier, stinkier lol, out of breath sooner, so weak. I mean I had endured quite a bit of fuck you situation in the Army where mental fortitude was required, but always was confident in my physical abilities. It really humbles you when you go from what feel like is beast mode to suck mode. It gave me a new perspective on what people that start a weight loss journey (not a prep) go through.

 

[01dragonslayer]

By far the most humbling move in my gym is watching Emily.

Emily is an inspiration.

Emily is a 45 year old young lady who comes to the gym 3-4Xs/wk using a walker. Emily has multiple sclerosis. She had it since she was young and she choses not to let it run her life. Her positive mental attitude encourages everyone she talks to. I wanna be like her when I grow up.

Everyone in this forum has had an injury that has kept them from training for a period of time. On three separate occasions I was non weight bearing post surgery short term. I was miserable to be around and my wife wanted ta kill me especially after my first surgery. And heres Emily who guts it out week after week that has a progressive debilitating disease she deals with daily, weekly, monthly, yearly....for the rest of her life! So....yes....she humbles me by not even saying a word.

 

[Fleezy]

asked a gal if i could work in on a machine she was using



she told me that she 'had a boyfriend'


i was like, 'ok, but can i work in with you on the machine?'





she rolled her eyes and put her headphones back on



most humbled i had felt in a good while

 

[AllLoadedUp]

By far the most humbling move in my gym is watching Emily.

Emily is an inspiration.

Emily is a 45 year old young lady who comes to the gym 3-4Xs/wk using a walker. Emily has multiple sclerosis. She had it since she was young and she choses not to let it run her life. Her positive mental attitude encourages everyone she talks to. I wanna be like her when I grow up.

Everyone in this forum has had an injury that has kept them from training for a period of time. On three separate occasions I was non weight bearing post surgery short term. I was miserable to be around and my wife wanted ta kill me especially after my first surgery. And heres Emily who guts it out week after week that has a progressive debilitating disease she deals with daily, weekly, monthly, yearly....for the rest of her life! So....yes....she humbles me by not even saying a word.

Its been several years ago, I've been going to the same gym for 21 yrs, that something similar happened to me. I was on the Elliptical one day. This young guy comes in with this girl and I'm pretty sure like in your situation she had MS. She couldn't walk quite normal, more like a limp type of walk. She was holding her left arm kinda up next to her stomach like she couldn't hold it out straight. I started watching her do one thing after another.

I don't know what it was but it really hit me like a ton of bricks. I kept thinking to myself how I might complain about stupid shit or think this thing or that was not right in my life. Whine whine whine. And here is this girl with obvious real physical struggles and she is right in there not letting it keep her down or stop her. I'm not ashamed to admit it my eyes got a little watery. I don't know what it was but it really effected me. I guess it just gives you perspective.

There is another guy who comes in our gym who is in a wheelchair. He has a friend come with him and help him get certain things started. He inspires me. I'll tell ya that.

 

[specter]

Had a friend in school, he was a heavy fella, prob like 110-120kg and like 5,6"-5,7" and never did any sports, so after we split at the age of 18-19 i met him at a local gym, still a big heavy fella but deff more muscular now, he was 100% natty, so i was just standing around and talkin to another on of our friends and i saw the heavy fella go on to the treadmill and my dumb ass said to the guy i was talkin too "what the fuck is he gonna do on a treadmill?" his answer "just watch"
This heavy fucker started the warmup and then fuckin exploded into full on sprinting and ran nonstop for 5km with 0 break or lower speed, he fuckin ran like he had the devil comin for him.. then he went over and did weights for another hour... that shit humbled my dumb ass...

 

[qbkilla]

We got some dudes with big strong legs..getting on the seated hamstring curl after them or leg extension and having to slide the pin up

Seeing someone leaner than me. I couldn't care less if someone is bigger or stronger, not my competition, but if you have a similar athletic build to me and your leaner, you put me in my place lol

The pendulum squat

Seeing a 70 year old lady on the treadmill at 5 am every morning for about an hour walking faster than I do for an hour...some old people have crazy energy

I was doing chins than some 80ish year old dude hopped on the bar next to me and started doing them but with his feet in an l..more than me and made them look easy.

 

[gauge22-v2]

- Training legs with a 5'6" IFBB pro in the 90s. Fucking dude could squat like a piston.

- Guy I see everyday in the gym who is an amputee (one leg knee down). Right or wrong I do think of him when getting deep into leg day. "I bet that guy wishes he could feel this searing burn"

- Younger guy (mid 20s?) who is mentally challenged and shows up all the time. He does tend to sing with his headphones on. I have had other regulars say to me "I wish that guy would shut up"....I had some choice words for those people shitting on the guy

 

[Big A]

Going to the gym with BigKiwi who starts WARMING UP with 4.5 plates per side on seated behind neck press.

Adam Coe (champion powerlifter under 220 but shit character) doing ass to ground squats with 7.5 plates a side for 20 reps.

 

[Sammy_J]

asked a gal if i could work in on a machine she was using



she told me that she 'had a boyfriend'


i was like, 'ok, but can i work in with you on the machine?'





she rolled her eyes and put her headphones back on



most humbled i had felt in a good while

That’s pretty fuckin’ funny. Some people bro

 

[chooch]

Not a specific incident but it always gets me
when I see a skinny little guy benching (for reps) like 315 or something. Or squatting big weight, just whatever. They look like it’s going to crush them but they’re just surprisingly strong for how small and skinny they are. Natural strength is a real and humbling thing lol.

 

[kadafi2]

The gym I go to is pretty small; everyone knows everyone, but sometimes someone shows up who happened to be there for a workout because it was open. And while I usually feel pretty confident, because the level here isn't that high, when I saw a guy who was about 6'2, a skinny 280 pounds, and had lats that looked like they were about to fall off, I felt like a little kid. It's really rare to find someone who looks like a big bodybuilder.

The girls are another matter, and when a cool trainer willingly gives you her number and then ignores you, it can also be confusing, lol. It's nothing new, but it's not pleasant.

 

[Kreatine66]

By far the most humbling move in my gym is watching Emily.

Emily is an inspiration.

Emily is a 45 year old young lady who comes to the gym 3-4Xs/wk using a walker. Emily has multiple sclerosis. She had it since she was young and she choses not to let it run her life. Her positive mental attitude encourages everyone she talks to. I wanna be like her when I grow up.

Everyone in this forum has had an injury that has kept them from training for a period of time. On three separate occasions I was non weight bearing post surgery short term. I was miserable to be around and my wife wanted ta kill me especially after my first surgery. And heres Emily who guts it out week after week that has a progressive debilitating disease she deals with daily, weekly, monthly, yearly....for the rest of her life! So....yes....she humbles me by not even saying a word.

We have a similar person (John) had a massive stroke over 30 years ago. He still shows up 3-4 days a week. He drives himself there, takes maybe 10 mins to get inside, and does his thing.
OH ya, he's 94 yrs old... A total legend..

 

[Prowrestler]

Squatting with Laura Phelps

 

[Fleezy]

That’s pretty fuckin’ funny. Some people bro

some people indeed.


truly, now i don't even engage with women in the gym - or at all - unless they approach me with a simple question. or to say hello

they guzzled a gallon of miralax, and jumped into the dating pool, so im keeping my head down and my eyes on my goals and hobbies only.


already had 4 false accusations lobbied against me - 3 inconvenient ones, and one serious one


so much for 'not bearing false witness against thy neighbor'

but that's a different topic for a different time

 

[Mufasa123]

Honestly obese females who show up after failing so many times to give it a shot again. They walk into the opposite of their element, lay it all out there. I was a trainer for a bit and made worked with a few. I put extra effort in discussing diet/goals/stay in the game. Was their biggest fan and all the ones I worked with made good progress and really changed. Not just outside but more importantly inside. So much is wrapped up on women's appearance. They'd been defeated so many times. This time I made sure they'd win for once. All you have to do is win once and it was everything to them. Changed their outlook. Gave them back something they always had but society made them feel diminished.

Lifting wise - shit, I was humbled so many times. Friend put 550 overhead in a jerk and 450 easy in a push press. Could throw on 600 anytime and just rep squats and conventional deads. Other guy held world record in shw bench. I probably spent most of my life humbled but it made me really work hard and work smart so I learned. Shit I watch that guy Colton in IG and it's like a whole other species. Gorilla strength.

 

[hawkmoon]

Watching Paul Demayo squat next to me.

Made me feel like we were different species

 

[SouthernMuscle]

We have a similar person (John) had a massive stroke over 30 years ago. He still shows up 3-4 days a week. He drives himself there, takes maybe 10 mins to get inside, and does his thing.
OH ya, he's 94 yrs old... A total legend..

Had a massive stroke , is 94 yrs old and driving. Safe to say I’m not a fan of John

 

[hawkmoon]

Had a massive stroke , is 94 yrs old and driving. Safe to say I’m not a fan of John

I'll cheer for him from behind a reinfiorced concrete barrier

 

[specter]

I'll cheer for him from behind a reinfiorced concrete barrier

Do you guys train at my gym ? we have a guy like 88-90 has testicular cancer and is a freakin marathon runner and has been since he was like 70 because he got bored after retiring sailing around the world as a world class welder working on oil ships and rigs. Some of these old fuckers are just tough as nails..

 

[traininsane11]

I used to train at a chain gym where they didn’t give a damn about their members nor did the members give a damn about the gym

Towards the end of me being there after years of being like the only guy who put his weights back I stopped as a final FU to everyone

Found out after I’d left there was a guy (or girl) who for months was taking shits in the showers and fucking the drains up cause they hated the place

Now that’s revenge it humbled my puny attempt