What's the stupidest thing you've ever seen in the gym?

[qbkilla]

Guys who think taking steroids and being strong somehow magically makes them tough and skilled at hand-to-hand combat. It doesn't.

Today some juice pig fucking asshole was running his mouth about me. Not directly to my face, but to his friend. There's only one of those Life Fitness dual pulley machines at this gym and some guy was using it when I came in, but I kept an eye on it to get it next. I got to it and after my first set this neanderthal walks past:

"I'D LIKE TO USE THIS MACHINE, BUT THERES ALWAYS SOME FUCKING KID ON IT."

I was looking at the floor at the time, but I knew it was about me. I also didn't realize I looked so young to be referred to as a kid when I'm turning 36 and six feet tall. Then a few minutes later I hear:

"LIKE HE'S BEEN ON IT FOR TEN MINUTES. I'M SORRY BUT COME ON."

I had used it for less than five at that point. He was just too slow to get it from the other guy and now he has to wait for me. I finish up and purposely walked towards them to get a spray bottle and both their eyes dart to the floor. Just shut the fuck up then. Walking around in a tank top thinking everyone should cater to you because you workout is so stupid. You can have 20-inch arms and incline 405, but if I punch you in the throat you die like everyone else.

There was a thread about this not long ago and I agree with your first statement. There's a reason UFC guys and boxers don't look like bodybuilders

 

[FK86]

You’re better than me! I couldn’t hold my tongue the way you did. Which is dumb I know, cause I’d end up with a charge, fines, possibly civilly sued, etc… So glad I don’t use a public gym! I really feel for y’all!

Cage

I don't think I'm much better. I was debating the whole time of causing a scene and calling him out to step outside. I absolutely loathe "gym culture." Male and female alike. Everyone so self-absorbed and obsessed with their Instagram profile. Why can't everyone just shut the fuck up, set goals, and achieve them while keeping their ego in check? I get that people are training to improve their appearance, but remaining humble is imperative to me and lost on everyone else.

Truthfully, the 24 hour access to bodybuilding via social media has made me hate it. I much preferred being kept at arms length by the magazines filtering a lot of stuff out and only getting an issue once a month.

 

[FK86]

People not minding their own fucking business. I had another issue today. I was doing pushdowns and some guy was doing seated cable rows. We're on one of those multi-station Life Fitness pulley machines so we're right next to each other. I attached a 5 lb and 2.5 lb plate to the pin before placing it into the weight stack. It holds very well. There's no point in buying a Gym Pin until you're maxing out machines. Anyway, I do a set and I'm resting and he's waving around those rubber plates that you're supposed to place on top of weight stacks and it causes me to look up. He says

"That's what these are for."

"...I know what they're for. I prefer this."

"Well, this way's safer."

I stare blankly and just turn away and ignore him.

"...But I don't care. I don't work here."

A few things I'm thinking afterwards:

1. I've been training for 20 years. I know my way around a gym. I'm also the only one in there with a logbook. Forgive the arrogance; I know what I'm fucking doing. I also wouldn't have cared if you did work at the gym.

2. Shut the fuck up and mind your own goddamn business. He wasn't even doing the row properly so he doesn't get to tell anyone anything.

3. Safer? Safer how? I took mechanical engineering in college and the tensile strength of the pin can likely hold hundreds of pounds if not more. The 7.5 lb resting on it will not compromise it whatsoever. It also always fits secure and never falls.

4. Those rubber plates are never marked. We all just assume it's 5 lb. I like precision and I also didn't need 5 lb. I needed 7.5 lb.

I really just can't figure out why he thought it was ok to get involved in someone else's workout.

 

[qbkilla]

People not minding their own fucking business. I had another issue today. I was doing pushdowns and some guy was doing seated cable rows. We're on one of those multi-station Life Fitness pulley machines so we're right next to each other. I attached a 5 lb and 2.5 lb plate to the pin before placing it into the weight stack. It holds very well. There's no point in buying a Gym Pin until you're maxing out machines. Anyway, I do a set and I'm resting and he's waving around those rubber plates that you're supposed to place on top of weight stacks and it causes me to look up. He says

"That's what these are for."

"...I know what they're for. I prefer this."

"Well, this way's safer."

I stare blankly and just turn away and ignore him.

"...But I don't care. I don't work here."

A few things I'm thinking afterwards:

1. I've been training for 20 years. I know my way around a gym. I'm also the only one in there with a logbook. Forgive the arrogance; I know what I'm fucking doing. I also wouldn't have cared if you did work at the gym.

2. Shut the fuck up and mind your own goddamn business. He wasn't even doing the row properly so he doesn't get to tell anyone anything.

3. Safer? Safer how? I took mechanical engineering in college and the tensile strength of the pin can likely hold hundreds of pounds if not more. The 7.5 lb resting on it will not compromise it whatsoever. It also always fits secure and never falls.

4. Those rubber plates are never marked. We all just assume it's 5 lb. I like precision and I also didn't need 5 lb. I needed 7.5 lb.

I really just can't figure out why he thought it was ok to get involved in someone else's workout.

He's a clown, I'd be pissed too at that as I do the same thing. Not his business and your working out he has no reason to interrupt you.

 

[ass2grass]

Ive seen this beginner lifter and his dad doing what i like to call "floating bicep curls". Load the smith machine with fairly light weight and would curl the weight up half way and let go to where it kept going up and then would catch it, lower it down and repeat the lift.

 

[Papa Van Smack]

I'll just break it down to what we're there for. Some people treat it like a social club. The social aspect is more important than the workout. I'm all for having friends at the gym. I guess I'd rather laugh and gossip over a ribeye and a few beers AFTER the work is done.

Side note, post workout endorphins leave a glow, prime time to pick up some tail.

 

[mascodal]

Today I saw a guy use the 45 degree HS leg press as a chest press. He sat upright on the pad, knees bent, grabbed the corners of the foot plate and pushed forward. I gave it some thought, and after almost 20 years of training, I think it's the stupidest thing I've ever seen in the gym.

I've seen some bizarre workouts. Mostly of the crossfit type such as getting into a pushup position and walking with your hands sideways. Then combining this with a circuit of burpees, "battle" ropes, box jumps etc. I don't know, maybe that improves your lung capacity , but the leg press as a chest press is just stupid. Some people use the v-squat as a shoulder press. Also stupid. There's always a vibe from these people that they think they're being innovative too.

I've also noticed that the worst things I see at the gym like this are part of the old, baby boomer demographic. Obviously not all of them, but such an overwhelming majority at every gym I've ever been to. They talk the loudest, never clean machines, perform clueless workouts that do nothing, bother all the women with these awful stories, and are so insecure about their status. I understand the getting old and "not what I used to be" bruising their ego, but it's so pathetic to see them try to act like kings of the gym when they have no idea what they're doing. They also get visibly phased when anyone younger lifts more than them or looks like what they're doing is actually productive.

Anyone else have stories like this?

Lmao there is a bunch of them at my gym. But there is this one old head in particular. Exactly everything you described; loud, ego lifting, and always trying to talk to girls. He does a bunch of stupid things IMO but the stupidest thing he does is these little baby pull-ups, prolly 30% of ROM I swear. Like borderline isometric holds. And I have a feeling that he counts those as reps too

 

[mascodal]

Years ago at a Powerhouse gym I trained at was this guy we all nicknamed "Arny". He would load up the leg press machine with all the 45's in the gym. He would walk around the machine and talk to it every day but never do it. One day I came in and the ambulance was taking someone out. Arny had decided to try it and crush his legs.

Years later I was training at another gym not to far from that powerhouse. Behold Arny got a membership there. I warned management what he had done at the powerhouse but they did nothing. He did the same damn thing. Walk around the press machine loaded up talking to it until the final day. He got in it and crushed his legs again.

Feel sorry for him because most likely he suffered from a mental illness but was the dumbest thing I ever seen in a gym. It seems like every gym has that guy.

I was calling BS until I got the last line lmao

There is no other explanation for why he would do something like that. Im laughing my ass off rn

 

[qbkilla]

the more I think of it, all the stupid things ive seen (exercises, hogging equipment, dancing).

probably the stupidest thing I see daily that screws up peoples workouts and other workouts is socialization

the need to socially interact at the gym provides no benefit for the workout, only downsides. I go to two gyms and I have started using only one, the one that is a further drive and has ineferior equipment. The reason is there are 2 guys who live in the other gym who I made the mistake of engaging with conversation in one happy day who now think when they see me im someone who wants to chat, even briefly.

Usually im pretty good at giving social cues im not into this convo it can't end a minute too soon, but some people, for whatever reason, you just can't get away or escape the conversation. The only solution would be to just point blank tell them "Im in a hurry, don't speak to me please" because hinting at that indirectly hasn't worked. I guess im too nice. Nothing against the guy he's probably one person in the gym who is interesting to talk To, but its the gym I want to get in and get out.

 

[mascodal]

I've seen so much insane shit in gyms. Haven for crazy.

Anyway I was squatting one morning and there was 185 on the half rack next to me. I'm 40mins into my workout (not exaggerating time) and this early 20s guy comes over to use the rack and asks if anyone is using it. I tell him no and the weight has been there the whole time. Guys gets maybe 4 sets in and this older guy (160lbs, 5'8" maybe and 65ish)comes over, gets on the platform and stands literally 18 inches behind him in the middle of a set. Way too close. The gym is basically empty BTW. No one with 30ft of us.

Kid gets off another 2 reps and finally racks. Old guy is just standing there grinning right up on him and kid is nice and says, "Excuse me but I'm trying to squat here" like WTF are you doing here creeping on me and are you crazy.

Guy tells him it's his rack and he's been working there. Kid apologizes and says he's been there for 20mins now and no one was around. Guy gets into it with him some (kid could flatten him BTW) and I finally interject that not only hasn't he been here for 20mins, but I'm basically an hour in and that bar was sitting there with no one around before I got there so nearly an hour since he's been within at least 50ft of that rack. He holds up his hand palm out and says "This is an A and B conversation." At this point I'm like fuck it. I step over onto the other platform "Not anymore," and just stand there waiting. Guy gets the point and fucks off.

This gym had great equipment - PowerLift racks, platforms etc... But the clientele was generally higher end, educated and at least polite. Was insane. Never saw him again.

Mc Gregor would've laid his ass out!

 

[mascodal]

HAHAHA, again bro? I see people doing like those tricep body weight skull crushers in a squat rack while the bar is freaking racked. like COME ON

There is this one guy which does body weight shoulder presses while leaning against the smith machine's bar. It's so fucking loud and annoying dude but he still continues

 

[FK86]

Today I saw a middle-aged woman load up the leg press with more weight than I use. I was about to pen my suicide note out of embarrassment when I saw her barely do a two-inch range of motion. Her knees were also caving inwards at the bottom of each rep. The day that goes wrong is going to be very painful for her.

 

[mascodal]

My favorite of all time was a guy we use to call Superman. He was in hid mid 40's and would come to the gym with the Superman shirt on 90 percent of the time.

This guy would do crazy shit all the time on almost everything. The one that sticks in my mind the most is his ankle cable kicks starting low weight and going high shit was hilarious.

He really screwed himself up oneday. I was watching him do this crazy shit- kick after kick- as he was going up in weight with the sound effects too o yea, oya. but then ultimate happened lol. The cable got jammed up in the guide for a few seconds as his foot was suspended in the air as he then tried to push it out more and it came back so hard he lost his balance and face planted busting his nose like crazy with blood all over his Superman shirt and screaming help me.

Some people who seen it were in shock and others were laughing so hard. I give they guy credit thou he was back the next day. He was one crazy mfer.

Word! I would've prolly switched gyms after some shit like that

 

[mascodal]

One more thing…. When i want to open locker and some idiot has a clothes over there but he cant be bother to spend a fiver for a padlock so i am playing stupid guessing game which locker belong to idiot. Honestly in those moment i want to throw their shit on a ground and leave it there. And no they dont forget padlock it is every day like that !!!!

Bruh I felt this. End up having to put my stuff on the bottom locker

 

[Green Miles]

This is long time ago, but I'm at the gym working out and this older gentlemen standing in front of a BOSU ball while holding what appears to be a 10 or 15 pound medicine ball! He is looking at the BOSU and then out of nowhere, he hits the BOSU ball with the medicine ball as hard as he can!
I don't know what he was thinking, but it bounced back so fast and hit him in the nose, blood pouring down, he grabs his face, runs, and I never saw him again!!

 

[cuz]

A guy doing crossword puzzles between sets.

 

[Cinder]

People who take videos of themselves

 

[hevi-head]

….people still thinking they can spot reduce fat. Specifically the guy with the big love handles with a 25# in one hand and his other hand on his head standing there doing side crunches or that machine you sit on and twist your torso.

 

[mascodal]

A guy doing crossword puzzles between sets.

That's not so bad if you're strength training and resting 5mins+ between sets

 

[cuz]

That's not so bad if you're strength training and resting 5mins+ between sets

Didn't appear to be strength training. Looked more like he was doing bench presses in between crossword puzzles.