Joined a new gym last night. Hilarious

[JCavin]

So I managed to get a good deal with a local "commercial" type of gym. You know, the one with Les Mills classes and Hammer Strength equipment. My wife really wanted a gym that allowed her to do those stupid classes and run.

I only had a few questions for the guy. Where is the squat rack? Where can I deadlift? How do you feel about chalk? All good answers so I said, what the hey and signed up. No contract and it only costs 43.00 for my wife and I per month.

So i've literally JUST got in the locker room. I'm putting on my shorts and my Chuck Taylors next to this other guy who's also dressing out. He looks over at me and says, "You wear your Chucks to workout in? Man, I tried to do that once, but my heels just wouldn't move at all in them. The soles were way too hard!"

Naturally, I almost laughed out loud. I then tried to explain to him that that was the exact reason I use them to squat in and that shoes with a squishy heel weren't good for that reason. He just responded with, "Oh, okay. Well that makes sense." :rolleyes:

There I was just doing my sets on bench press and waiting for my clock to hit at the 5 minute mark. In walks this guy that weighs probably 180#. He's cut, looks like he's at least been lifting for a while. The first thing I notice is his shirt. He's wearing one of those tees that is supposed to look like the sleeves are cut off. The collar is still intact, but you can nearly see his nipples from the way it is cut. The next thing I noticed was that his calves were about the size of my biceps. I don't even have huge biceps...

I'm watching him, and you'll never guess the very first exercise that he starts doing. That's right, bicep curls. He sits down, grabs a 25# dumbell in each hand and begins to pump these out for the next 30 minutes. He doesn't change the weight at all and I think he kept losing count because he had to have done at least 100 reps on each arm. The entire time I was there I never saw him do another exercise.

While doing some deadlifts back by the squat racks, these 2 guys walk in the gym together and make a b-line for the squat rack next to me(I guess that's what you'd call it. It was one of those Hammer Strength ones...). These 2 guys are fairly built so i'm hoping against hope that they are about to rep out some decent squats. Yeah...right.

Instead, they grab one of those bright green platforms for the Les Mills Body Step class and stick it in the rack. I'm thinking, okay, maybe they're gonna do some deadlifts then. They do.

All the while, i'm working up to 270 in front of them. I keep watching as they add more weight to the bar after every set of 10. I finally get ready to do my workset(270x1x5) and they are putting their last load on the bar as well. I count it up and it maxes out at 190lbs. As i'm resting to get this heavy ass load off the floor, I can hear them talking amongst themselves. "Dude, just remember, this is what our grip failed on last time so we've gotta make sure that we don't let that happen again!" The other replies, "Nah, I think it was a little more than this." This is when one of them pulls out some of those cotton wrist straps, "just in case."

I almost shit my pants from trying not to laugh directly at them as i'm getting ready to lift 270# 5 times off the floor.

Oh yes, I almost forgot about the guys doing their heavy "squats." As i'm warming up on the squat rack, there are these 2 guys next to me just going to town. They're screaming like they're about to prolapse and it is the heaviest thing in the world. Both of these guys are bigger than me and they are REALLY into this weight.

The whole thing wouldn't have been nearly as comical had they actually been using a real bar, squatted more than 1/4 of the way down, and not been on the Smith Machine while they did it. And they only had 2 plates on each side. This, of course, was immediately followed by a rush to the plate loaded press where they put 3! plates on each side and acted like it was about to crush them from all the weight.

This was probably one of the funniest 1.5 hours i've ever spent in a gym. I had no idea people like this existed and I can't wait to see more because I KNOW this is just the beginning.

As a side note, I sure did get a lot of stares when I was doing full squats at 225.

I got even more when I was DL the 270. This probably had something to do with the Arnold grunting I wasn't able to control. That, and it was nearing 6 o'clock so it was starting to get full. I really don't think anyone expected me to lift it... :(

I can't wait until Friday. It's gonna be biblical.

[Bloodninja666]

Ah, these gym stories never get old. I hope you'll keep them coming.

[Tim Lofton]

I can't wait until Friday. It's gonna be biblical.


Get done early, then shoot some video. Maybe it could be a documentary. :D

tim

[Weakling]

I'm really jealous. I wish I had weightlifting skits between sets.

[Paul Sousa]

At least it sounds like they weren't using a mixed grip on their DL's. There are so many guys at my gym who use the mixed grip no matter what weight they are pulling. I've seen guys using it for 135lbs. and it makes me want to kick them in the nuts.

[StLRPh]

At least it sounds like they weren't using a mixed grip on their DL's. There are so many guys at my gym who use the mixed grip no matter what weight they are pulling. I've seen guys using it for 135lbs. and it makes me want to kick them in the nuts.

Mental note: don't go to Paul's gym but if I do wear a cup :)

[Paul Sousa]

I swear to God though, it takes all my willpower to not have constant outbursts at the crap I see. The other night I saw a skinny kid on the decline bench doing 1/2 to 1/4 reps with 75 lb. to failure. I feel like I need to bring Starting Strength tracts like I'm a street strength evangalist.

[nisora33]

...they are putting their last load on the bar as well.

Dude, get the fuck out of there now.

-s.

[JCavin]

Haha!

Well, we WERE right next to the room with all the female cyclists...

[JCavin]

And, yeah, i'm gonna keep them coming.

I've been taking notes in my workout log about the crap I see. There is literally that much ridiculous shit that happens.

And this was all in my first night... I'm seriously considering staying late one day to just watch what else can happen.

[nisora33]

...and they are putting their last load on the bar as well...

And, yeah, i'm gonna keep them coming.



NOW the truth of the matters comes out!

[Sami]

I'm going to start (secretly) filming idiots at my gym. I'll keep you posted.

Should make a thread of videos of idiots. You can have stories only if it's a unique and original gym-fail; everybody's seen idiots 1/4 squat with the maxipad. But videos will be funny. I don't think that's illegal.

[JCavin]

There's just no way that I would ever get away with filming someone at the gym.

If I got caught i'd be screwed, lol. I'd probably be fired for something like that.

[homerj742]

I'm going to start (secretly) filming idiots at my gym. I'll keep you posted.

Should make a thread of videos of idiots. You can have stories only if it's a unique and original gym-fail; everybody's seen idiots 1/4 squat with the maxipad. But videos will be funny. I don't think that's illegal.

it may not be illegal, but it might a bit too immoral...

[JCavin]

"Like masturbating on an airplane."

"I'm pretty sure that's illegal too."

"Yeah, maybe after 9/11, when everyone got so sensitive. Thanks a lot Bin Laden."

[Weakling]

well, if youre gonna stay late, join those women on the bikes! ... assuming its overlooking the entire gym

[LudwigVan]

At least it sounds like they weren't using a mixed grip on their DL's. There are so many guys at my gym who use the mixed grip no matter what weight they are pulling. I've seen guys using it for 135lbs. and it makes me want to kick them in the nuts.

One of the more bizarre things I've seen in my gym was a dude doing 95# rack pulls from the lowest pin while standing on an aerobic step and using a mixed grip. And he was wearing gloves. I'm dying for an explanation of that little scene.

He was of course working with a personal trainer, the very same personal trainer who once interrupted my recovery-day squat sets of 225 to tell me I was doing good-mornings and was going to injure myself, and then adamantly refused to comprehend my explanation of low-bar squats, even after I helpfully brought him Rip's article on high-bar vs. low-bar. Some people just don't want to learn.

[JCavin]

I can't wait to see some of the personal trainers working with some lifters.

It is going to be priceless. If i'm between exercises I might just get as close to them as possible and pretend to lift something just so I can listen in.

[PJFleck]

One of the more bizarre things I've seen in my gym was a dude doing 95# rack pulls from the lowest pin while standing on an aerobic step and using a mixed grip. And he was wearing gloves. I'm dying for an explanation of that little scene.


Maybe this will help.

Two guys next to me were doing 185# rack pulls, with alternated grip of course. One was wearing gloves, the other not. The one with gloves says to the other one "Doesn't your wife complain about your callouses?" to which the other replies "No, I just put lotion on my hands before I workout".

So I guess he must have forgot his lotion. Of course, stilll doesn't explain the 95# rack pull part.

[Paul Sousa]

Maybe this will help.

Two guys next to me were doing 185# rack pulls, with alternated grip of course. One was wearing gloves, the other not. The one with gloves says to the other one "Doesn't your wife complain about your callouses?" to which the other replies "No, I just put lotion on my hands before I workout".

So I guess he must have forgot his lotion. Of course, stilll doesn't explain the 95# rack pull part.

I would be pissed and confused if I went to use a bar and it was covered in Jergens.

[StLRPh]

I've seen reverse curls with gardening gloves :confused:

[Flying Fox]

I've seen reverse curls with gardening gloves :confused:Maybe it was a gardener, training to become better at gardening.

Gardening can be hard work, you know.

[Sgsolberg]

Maybe it was a gardener, training to become better at gardening.

Gardening can be hard work, you know.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

That's too event specific... and if you are too specific in your training, you'll never be elite.

[Mr.City]

If you think that's bad. This (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HVQ0ydxbPRA) is the entire free weight section of the gym I shall be returning too shortly.

[BryanM]

Starting Strength tracts like I'm a street strength evangalist.

Like Chick Tracts (http://www.chick.com/catalog/tractlist.asp), except they're like Rip Tracks? This is possibly the best idea ever.

"How Johnny chopped his own head off."

[Paul Sousa]

Like Chick Tracts (http://www.chick.com/catalog/tractlist.asp), except they're like Rip Tracks? This is possibly the best idea ever.

"How Johnny chopped his own head off."

That's exactly what I'm talking about. If Rip made them I would see some poor kid quarter squatting and hand one to him telling him there is salvation.

[quadancer]

If you think that's bad. This (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HVQ0ydxbPRA) is the entire free weight section of the gym I shall be returning too shortly.

Looks like a typical yuppie fitness club...maybe ours has more benches and stuff, but we lack plates to accomodate everyone. 3 of us on a heavy day can wipe out the 45's.
The guy doing the deads had great form, despite the light weight and too much time in the hole. Oh, was that YOU?

[william jackson]

If you think that's bad. This (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HVQ0ydxbPRA) is the entire free weight section of the gym I shall be returning too shortly.

sweet neck crunches in the bottom right. i know they say dont mess with the program but ive been adding those and the results have been EPIC

[Mr.City]

Guys, that tiny ass space you see in the video is the entire free weight area. That's it. Racks are inches away from each other, so you try to load the bar while the guy next to you is doing a set, you're probably going to get rammed in the face and/or throat. Everything is so damn cramped that you can easily bump into someone and jar the bar loose on a very heavy bench attempt, ending their life and your gym membership. The stories I could tell....

[JCavin]

I'm headed back to the gym tonight.

I'm pretty excited. I told my wife I might be a little late getting home so that I could spend a little extra time watching for shennanigans.

[Platus]

Let us know if you see anyone spotting their partner as they do presses in the smith machine. I see that. All. The. Time.

[JCavin]

Hah, okay. It IS Friday too. So hopefully there will be a lot of people near me at the squat rack.

Gonna be awesome.

[Flying Fox]

Have fun at the zoo.

[quadancer]

Whatchawannabet that if something is removed to make more room, it won't be the machines!

[Jamie J. Skibicki]

Here's what I don't get. The guys that bench, squat, dead lift, C&J and press big weights get attention. Every one watches. THey all seem very impressed by those excersize, but almost no one does them.

I don't understand why

[BryanM]

Heh that reminds me of some story a lady shared at the bb.com forum.

Copypasta cause that's how I roll:


One bloke with shot-put-shoulders but little else developed (he's very lean and small, great potential but only does shoulder stuff with dumbells) saw me doing DB rows.
"What are you doing?"
"A dumbell row."
"What does that work."
I pointed, "Biceps, rear shoulder, upper back."
"Wow, you have 25kg dumbells, I can't do that."
"Sure you can, you have huge shoulders. Try." He pumped out 8 reps."Okay, mate, now the other arm."
"I can't do that."
"You just did. Do the other arm." 8 reps went out with the other arm. "See? Told you you could do it."
"I can't do that, it's too heavy."
"What do you mean you can't do it? You just did."
"No, no," he shook his head walking away.

Grrr and it turns out it was Kyle who said this, not a lady.

My memory isn't perfect.

[Platus]

THey all seem very impressed by those excersize, but almost no one does them.I think people get intimidated because A) they haven't seen it in Flex, and it is therefore new and scary B) they assume that they aren't strong enough to it C) they have heard bad things about it, like it hurt your knees and give them the clap.

I get plenty of those looks from high school football and basketball players when I do cleans and snatches. I am not very good at them, but these kids seem dead sure that they could never do a 135# clean, despite being bigger and (probably) more genetically gifted than I am.

[Kyle Aaron]

Thanks for passing on my little story, BryanM ;)

Today while I was training someone I saw an unusual exercise. The guy grabbed two dumbells and the step in front of the mirror, put one foot on the step, the other leg out behind him, and leant in and did an elbow flex with each arm. After several reps he changed leg.

It was a sort of combined bicep curl / hip flexor stretch. I'm not sure what he was hoping to achieve. I think perhaps he'd seen the pose in Men's Health or something, it's the sort of thing the models are always doing.

The person I was training was very annoyed, he was obscuring her view of herself while she was doing low rack pulls :)

[Mr.City]

Barbell loaded with 135 lbs on the traps with a foam cover. 10 reps of shitty high squat and then...wait for it...jump up and down like a goddamn fool. Fuck dem knee joints, fuck em' good.

[Cmanuel]

Haha, my current gym is renovating and a lot of people are coming in to check out. During one of the tours they happened to swing by my 425x9 deadlift work set, they all looked like scared cows. Priceless.

[Mr.City]

Please tell me that you hitched ever rep, bounced ever rep off the floor, pulled with a rounded back, took a super wide grip/stance, and let out primal rage screams upon lockout. Please.

[BryanM]

Thanks for passing on my little story, BryanM ;):)
Fair warning: from now on when I pass this on you're now a 12 year old girl with pigtails and the other guy is an eight foot tall giant. To better emphasize the absurdity / retardedness.

"And then the little girl looked up and said 'But mister giant, you're so big and strong, and I'm so small and weak. If I can do it, why can't you?'

The giant looked down sadly and shook his head. 'I don't know, little girl. I just can't.'

And then the giant wandered away, presumably to choke to death while eating some mashed potatoes."

It'll be like a fable centuries from now.

[simonsky]

can anyone help me? i am having a dilemma coz i bench alone in the new gym i workout at and when my bar speed gets slower though i can still push through, a stranger comes in and interrupts my set by aiding me to push the bar.

this pisses the fuck out of me! i'm just 17 and scared to tell their half-benching 30+ yr old asses that this is not the way to fucking spot . like i said i'm new to the gym and just establishing my rep, though i believed that I have a good base for i am known as the "powerlifter", constantly being talked about behind my back when i squat.

when they help me, this technically means that i missed a rep or two. fuck! what should i do. ?

Hilarious?...not!

[OITW]

I find screaming mad obscenities with my face grimaced under load usually keeps stray hands off my bar.

I don't get many offers to spot, either.

[JCavin]

Alright guys, I have a LOT to report on my latest gym session. In fact, I have 2 pages of handwritten notes in my workout journal. I'll be assigning these people a handle for easier reference.

I arrived at my gym around 4:30pm. I walk in and an old friend of mine that I worked with about 4 years ago is working the front desk. He's a super nice guy, just got his degree in exercise physiology, and is just a really cool guy. We did some catching up for about 10 minutes before I went to get dressed for my workout.

I come out of the dressing room with my gym bag(which they don't "allow" apparently. I said I don't care and I take it with me anyways...) and head to the squat rack in the back. I'm immediately pissed off.

Army Douchebags - There are 3 150lb army-shirt wearing douchebags doing partial barbell curls with 25# plates on each side. So, I set my bag right behind them and just stood and watched with my arms crossed. Apparently they got the point because they were done about 2 minutes later.

Gimp - As i'm loading the bar for squats, there's a fairly big guy in the Smith machine next to me. He's sitting on one of those back supported chairs that are usually in front of the dumbbell rack and mirrors. I counted up his weight and he did 4 sets of 10 with 140lbs of shoulder press. Then, he did 2 more sets with only 90lbs. This confused me as he was probably 240-250 and had shoulders twice my size and i'm willing to bet he couldn't do regular press with 1 45# plate on each side without the help of the Bitch machine. More on this guy later.

Real Deal Holyfield - While i'm doing my squats, a guy walks in wearing a t-shirt that has the name of his old town and under that it says "Wrestling" in bold letters. You could immediately tell this guy knew what the hell he was doing when he walked in.

He probably only weighed 165lbs or so. He loaded up the barbell behind me with 135 and proceeded to clean and press it with perfect form and ease. He eventually worked his way up to 225. The cool thing about it was he was pressing it without even splitting his feet.

Afterwards he loaded up 135 again and started doing sets of Snatch. He had perfect form and his feet never even moved while doing it. He was damn strong. I considered asking him to help me out with learning the PC, but I figured i'd wait to see if he kept showing up at similar times before I did.

Cougars - After I did my squats, I loaded up the barbell with my pressing weight. Normally I would allow someone else to do some squats in the rack, but most of the people were gone at this point.

As i'm doing them, these 2 cougars come over to the Smitch machine and begin their "squat" routine. I say they are cougars because one of them clearly had big fake boobs, they both had skin-tight workout pants(nice asses too...), and I could hear pieces of their conversation. Suffice it to say it was enough to make me blush...

Boob Lady - I moved over to the back extension area after this. This put me closer to the front desk, about midfloor of the gym. At the front desk I see the owner walk in, who is obviously very attractive. She's a brunette, probably 5'5 and around 140lbs, solid muscle. She teaches all the classes they do there.

But, the part that made her stand out was that the last time I had seen her(well over 2 years ago) she had noticeably smaller boobs. And she apparently enjoys her new ones. She was wearing one of the lowest cut shirts i've ever seen. I was halfway across the gym and I could see them bouncing up and down as she talked to some guy about something that didn't really interest me. What did interest me was that she kept doing reenacting something they thought was funny, which only gave me a better view. At this point i'm beginning to wonder if this gym is gonna have too many distractions...

Gimp Then I move on to my chins. Right after my first set, ol' Gimp WALKS over normally and just hops on there and starts doing some wide grip pullups. As I said earlier, this guy is quite a bit bigger than me. After he gets all 3 reps, he hops off and proceeds to LIMP, I shit you not, he LIMPS over to the water fountain. I guess he pulled his hamstring while jumping down or something.

The funniest thing was that when he was done getting his water, he must have forgotten that he had hurt himself because he didn't limp for the first 10 steps or so. After that he must have remembered though, because he resumed.

Metro Boy - For the last 30 minutes or so of my workout, there was a guy with tiny little bird legs repping out 225 on bench press. He never warmed up and he never changed the weight. He just put 2 plates on each side and started doing as many sets of as many reps as he could.

What made him a Metrosexual is that he was wearing a completely coordinated outfit. He was wearing a black Nike t-shirt with yellow rings on the sleeves and yellow writing that said "Livestrong" on the chest. He wore a black Nike hat with a yellow Nike check. He wore black athletic shorts with yellow trim. Black socks. And, black and yellow Nike shoes. Seriously. I can't make this shit up.

Yale Foosball - In the meantime, there is a real skinny guy walking around the gym with a t-shirt that says "Yale Football" on it. I'm thinking he bought it from Old Navy or something because this guy was too skinny to play basketball in high school. The highlight of his workout routine was when he went to work on "Teh Lats." He jumped up on the pullup bar with the hammer grip(you know, both hands facing inward toward each other.) and moved his body maybe 3 inches tops up and down. After he got all "15" reps in, he must have been spent because he sat down to catch his breath for about 10 minutes while he tried to figure out what else he could do.


So, here ends Chapter 2 of my GymRat Shennanigans. More to come, i'm sure.

[gzt]

On the other hand, it's Yale, man. Not exactly a football powerhouse.

[quadancer]

For some compelling and probably shallow reason, on occasion, even if it's not back day, I like to follow those 3" pullup guys with a big db to put behind the knees and proceed to rep out full ROM sets.
I know I should ignore them, but a couple of times, my superficiality took over. I feel like, if you're going to tie up the rack, at least do it properly.

[CJTX]

So I was at the squat rack on Friday, working up to a 3RM, when two regulars walked in. They're bodybuilder types, so of course fake tans, skimpy tank tops, and some "xtreme" energy drink in hand. Instead of the normal bench press/bicep curl workout they do 3 times a week, it seemed to be forearm day... which meant wrist curls... with a spotter... while grunting like they were deadlifting a Volkswagon. I usually try to mind my own business in the gym, but that level of douchebaggery couldn't be ignored. I guess that's what I get for belonging to one of the 24-hr big box commercial gyms.

[Dastardly]

Today I was calling a bunch of what I thought was gyms listed in my city. It turned out the list was not just gyms but a general health & fitness category.

I called up this one place which had the very discreet name of 'unit 2' a very friendly camp male voice answered the phone.

I was just about to ask if it was a real 'hardcore place' , ask if they were properly equipped and if the staff new what they were doing etc..

When the man on the phone explained they were not actually a gym but a "sauna" .

This Sauna happened to be in Gaytown. Also, in the UK, Sauna or Massage parlor are the names used for brothels.

[Rorschach]

Well their website makes it fairly clear, at least. ;)

There are legitimate saunas in the UK, but most of them are... "niche interest", yes.

[imnotbncre8ive]

can anyone help me? i am having a dilemma coz i bench alone in the new gym i workout at and when my bar speed gets slower though i can still push through, a stranger comes in and interrupts my set by aiding me to push the bar.

this pisses the fuck out of me! i'm just 17 and scared to tell their half-benching 30+ yr old asses that this is not the way to fucking spot . like i said i'm new to the gym and just establishing my rep, though i believed that I have a good base for i am known as the "powerlifter", constantly being talked about behind my back when i squat.

when they help me, this technically means that i missed a rep or two. fuck! what should i do. ?

Hilarious?...not!

thank him for caring enough to help you out. then let him kno in very certain terms that you will call for help *when it is needed*.

[simonsky]

yeah dude all i can do is say thanks with a straight face.

[BryanM]

Don't reward that crap. Growl, snarl, grunt "GO AWAY" in your best Zuul voice.

What's the worst that can happen? You fail and gently set the bar on your chest and ask for a hand. Maybe if you're ashamed at yourself, you decide to kill yourself by guillotine. But that's your prerogative.

[Dastardly]

If your squat rack is mounted against a wall, just use it backwards. It would be really difficult for someone to jump in and assist then.

It has happened to me a good few times.

I also hate the way when they 'spot' they just finger the bar in attempt to provide light assistance. But if the lifter was to actually collapse with the weight the spotter would be totally unable to stop it.

Spotting should be done with as much careful grip & positioning as a deadlift, when truly necessary.

[August West]

Gimp Then I move on to my chins. Right after my first set, ol' Gimp WALKS over normally and just hops on there and starts doing some wide grip pullups. As I said earlier, this guy is quite a bit bigger than me. After he gets all 3 reps, he hops off and proceeds to LIMP, I shit you not, he LIMPS over to the water fountain. I guess he pulled his hamstring while jumping down or something.

Haha this is classic. Maybe he was practicing his gangsta-pimp limp (see, e.g., http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=haJ9QjQk8GA)

I recently started using my university's main-campus gym instead of the smaller, lower-key satellite location. Fewer employees, more college boys. It's led to some bizarre scenes, like these from today:

- guy walks his friend over to the power rack next to me to show him how to do "stiff-leggeds." Proceeds to do what look like rack pulls off the spotter pins with the empty bar. Never put any weight on the bar. As I unload my bar after third work set of squats, broski tells his protege that he "could do some back squats, but they hurt my knees."

- guy doing seated behind-the-neck presses finishes a set of what looks like 125, then turns to his spotter and says "those last three were all me right?" Spotter tells him "yeah I was under you the first two and then I just helped on the negatives." "Yeah that's what I thought, thanks bro." All this broadcast at high decibels. No bro, none of your reps counted.

Fuck that, I'm bringing headphones next time. Doing that shit is one thing, but announcing it to the whole gym like it's a badge of honor is unforgivable.

[quadancer]

You would have LOVED seeing a guy "spotting" another doing deadlifts at our gym. I really, really wanted to see the guy fail, because I really, really wanted to see what his buddy was gonna DO!

[WildPegasus]

A couple of weeks ago I saw a guy doing squats on the smith machine with an exercise mat folded over the bar. He was pretty short so the mat covered his entire back. But to his credit he, and his folded over exercise mat, moved on to the squat rack when it became available.

[gordonrumble]

Oh god, the number of stories I have. I've got the full complement of morons at my gym.

Bicep curls in the squat rack? Check. Is someone spotting? Check. Are they both wearing sleeveless t-shirts and designer sunglasses? Check. (It's indoors, sunglasses not necessary, seriously).

I was squatting deep while a personal trainer showed a new staff member how to do back squats. Way above parallel.

It's really fun to watch them, it's like a carnival. Keeps me from being bored between sets.

[Kyle Aaron]

I like the sound of JCavin's gym. Just enough sensible people to learn from, and just enough freaks to be entertained by.

A strangely high number of plastic boobs, though. If he were in California it'd make sense, but silicone in Arkansas?

I do want to complain about the name "Gimp", though. I was expecting something different, which would have been really entertaining.

Fair warning: from now on when I pass this on you're now a 12 year old girl with pigtails and the other guy is an eight foot tall giant. To better emphasize the absurdity / retardedness.
Brilliant :D

[JV99]

Walked into a beautiful scene the other day.Two guys, student type, one fattish, one skinny are working out. The fattish one was doing incline bench presses in the smith machine. That in itself was comedy enough but there is moar. There was 10kg on one side of the bar and 20 on the other. And the skinny guy was spotting him by aiding the lifting on the double loaded side.........

Oh and of course there is the asian guy who does nothing but chest and bicep work, stares at himself in the mirror all the time continiously groping himself while flexing who brought a winter glove recently to do his one hand-cable curls.

And don't forget all those bad ass (semi-) skinny guys who wear gloves to their workout. Including the cardio parts......

It actually feels good to get this off my chest......

[imnotbncre8ive]

I absolutely love this thread. In the interest of keeping it alive, I will contribute my small part to it.

At my university gym, I see a skinny Indian guy deadlifting like this, working up a sweat (video courtesy of Dastardly, I believe):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pysbx0UF9yw

except he's doing 95lb deadlifts.

[Rorschach]

Yeah, there are several bicep boys who like to watch themselves in the mirror at my gym. One guy creeps me out, though. Doing curls on the cable machine next to the mirror, string vest, lips pursed, making come-to-bed eyes to himself.
That level of self-loving should really be kept to the bedroom. >_<

[JV99]

Yeah, there are several bicep boys who like to watch themselves in the mirror at my gym. One guy creeps me out, though. Doing curls on the cable machine next to the mirror, string vest, lips pursed, making come-to-bed eyes to himself.
That level of self-loving should really be kept to the bedroom. >_<

But they are just so damn sexy........

http://www.skool.us/files/new/NewJerseyDouchebags004.jpg

[Marotta]

And don't forget all those bad ass (semi-) skinny guys who wear gloves to their workout. Including the cardio parts......

Better then gloves for cardio, I've seen a guy wearing a belt for his entire workout, which consists of Cardio, Wrist Curls, and seated Bicep Curls

[mrRed]

Better then gloves for cardio, I've seen a guy wearing a belt for his entire workout, which consists of Cardio, Wrist Curls, and seated Bicep Curls

You haven't seen anything yet. I was visiting the gym to workout with my father (who I still can't convince to squat for some reason, but at least spends a lot of time doing kettlebell work and loves deadlifting), and there was a guy who probably weighed 135 soaking wet wearing leather boots, skin tight black jeans, a black tank-top tucked into the jeans, a giant studded leather belt, Gloves and spent his workout cycling through a small handful of machines all the while talking on his cell phone through his bluetooth hands free.

I have no idea what the fuck he was doing, but i suspect we was just talking to himself in order to look cooler.

[quadancer]

You must mean THIS guy...
http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb223/quadancer/Gym%20Squirrels/EasyCapture2.jpg
...I have a series of these I did over on Clutch. They're called "Gym Squirrels" - my moniker for the little guys who come
in to climb all over the equipment.

[pauld]

Just saw this one today:

A guy wearing gloves and chalking up.

[Platus]

Along with the resolutioners, I have seen an influx in angry dads dragging their scrawny, bewildered teenage sons into the "freeweight" section to get ready the spring sports season. The most common training methodology is:

1) load up the pec deck / leg press / leg extension
2) sit the kid down
3) have him do 4-5 sets to failure
4) yell at the kid for reaching failure
5) yell at the kid to hurry up and start set number 6 as punishment for reaching failure on the previous sets
6) yell at the kid for failing to make workout-to-workout progress

It is really hard to watch, but I don't think said dads are interested in the input of bystanders.

[ZKP]

Along with the resolutioners, I have seen an influx in angry dads dragging their scrawny, bewildered teenage sons into the "freeweight" section to get ready the spring sports season. The most common training methodology is:

1) load up the pec deck / leg press / leg extension
2) sit the kid down
3) have him do 4-5 sets to failure
4) yell at the kid for reaching failure
5) yell at the kid to hurry up and start set number 6 as punishment for reaching failure on the previous sets
6) yell at the kid for failing to make workout-to-workout progress

It is really hard to watch, but I don't think said dads are interested in the input of bystanders.

These assholes are a cancer. Bastard fathers yelling bad instruction at their son's.....The blind, stupid and aggressive leading the blind and unwitting. Nothing like watching shitheads act out their issues while spreading ignorance... I had a conversation with one of said fathers, and he told me all about how machines are best for children. He then talked some quazi-science about joints and safety. I explained to him about the balance and coordination aspect of barbell training being beneficial and it was speaking to a wall. His eyes seriously glazed over and he just didn't hear it. Getting mad about things like this is a waste of time, but it's easy to get frustrated. All you can do is help out those who ask, and they'll either get it or not. I pity their kids and would them too if they wherent such pricks about it.

[quadancer]

Bump to that. OTOH, I did successfully convert one to more sensible training. Kids (especially today) don't stick with negative incentives. Encouragement is far more productive, although I don't see allowing a kid to progress at his own rate either; he won't progress at all. Especially the Emo generation.
I love it when the college kids come back to me after adding something I've suggested and say "You were right, man, it worked!"

[DoS]

I think the type many of you describe can be categorized as "weenies". Bill Starr aptly defined the type long ago.

http://www.crainsmuscleworld.com/newsletters2/news080502.html

Scroll down about 1/3 of the way on the page. Take the quiz for yourself too.

[Polynomial]

We have two gyms on our campus: a big one and a small one. At some points during the winter break, only the small gym was open. The issue is: the small gym only has one squat rack. But that's OK, because most people don't squat anyway.

So here I am, doing squats with my belt and my chalk, when a personal trainer and his trainee walk up next to the squat rack because they're going to "do squats." Not in the squat rack, mind you, but next to it. The trainer brings out a 30 lb curling bar (you know, one of those fixed-weight ones with some curves in the handle) and proceeds to teach the trainee the most shallow, toes-pointed-straight quarter squats. After a set of 8, the trainee complains that he has a funny feeling in his back. The trainer's response, of course, is to lower the weight to a 20 lb curling bar, which seems to fix the mysterious back problem.

From now on I refuse to call people these "personal trainers." Maybe instead I'll call them "personal wellness consultants." Also, I have a secret dream that one of them will come up to me and ask me if I'm interested in "personal training." In which case I'll reply, "Sure, I charge $60 per session. But you'll need to get some squat shoes before we start."

[JCavin]

So I went to the gym again last night. I purposefully waited until 5:30 to go because I figured there would be a lot more people there at that time. I wasn't disappointed...

I wasn't really feelin' it last night so I wasn't able to take as many notes on people I saw. I'm sure there were a bunch I missed.

- First thing I noticed was an old man walking around the gym wearing his lifting belt over his t-shirt. That's fine, maybe he has a bad back. The real kicker was his "totally awesome and sweet" outfit. He was wearing dark blue sweatpants w/ pockets, old school Reebok's(Yeah, the kind with the velcro strap. And these aren't the new remakes, these are genuinely 80's), and a sleeveless hunter green t-shirt. To top it off(literally), he wore a blue and white bandana wrapped around his head Daniel-San style. He had a full beard and hair down to his shoulders, and all of it was snow white.

- While doing bench press I noticed that one of the elite Les Mills classes was about to end. There was already a large group of females gathering around the door waiting on their turn in the "exercise" room. Normally I wouldn't care which class is next, but judging from the instructor, I think it was pretty obvious. Especially the way she was eyeball fucking everyone with an expression on her face that I at first mistook for constipation pains. Her combat skills obviously made her a TOTALLY SWEET AWESOME NINJA!
This woman was wearing camoflauge capri pants and a skin-tight workout shirt w/ some weird ass designs on it. At this point it is probably obvious, but wait, there's more! I look up to see this woman fucking WRAPPING her hands w/ LES MILLS brand hand wraps. For those of you who don't know, wrist and hand wraps are used by boxers to prevent injuries and provide stability to your wrist while you are punching something solid such as a bag or person. Apparently, this fucking idiot woman thought that her punching power was so L337 that she might hurt her hands while LARPing in her Body Attack class. This is when the anger sharks began swimming in my head.

- As i'm warming up for DL, a "trainer" brings a woman over to the squat rack and she begins warming up with some Sumo DL. I will admit that her form was alright. She lifted 135 a couple times.
I get up to my last set on DL and i'm adjusting my belt, trying to make sure it's in the right place. I've got another 4 or 5 minutes left before I attempt 280x5(PR) so I start listening in on their moronic conversation. I catch her saying something to her "trainer" about wearing a WL belt when she does her DL. In his infinite wisdom, the fucktard next to her replies with, "Don't worry about wearing a belt. The only thing that will accomplish is to throw off your balance while you're lifting. You're better off without one." I almost pissed myself from trying to hold in my laughing at this idiot. How do these people survive? It is these kinds of people that make me wish for that impending zombie attack to come sooner. I'll be using those shitheads as bait and fodder.

- The last thing worth mentioning is just your regular 150lb "badass" hammer strength chest presser. He spent the entirety of his workout using nothing except that plate loaded chest press. And, every set was done with 2 45# plates on each side.

- After doing all 5 reps of my DL, I had to sit down and rest for a few minutes. I had nearly passed out from the effort and I needed to catch my breath. I look out across the gym to the bench press section to where 2 huge dudes are just watching me. Not the standard mesmerized, deer-in-headlights look that I get from most people. Just 2 guys that look interested.
So i'm getting my stuff in my bag and all the weight off the bar. As i'm walking by, I notice how much weight these guys are bench pressing. The one on the bench was probably 6'6 and had to have weighed at least 300lbs. He wasn't steroid big, just a real huge dude. Big gut, etc. He was doing 5 reps of the same weight I had just deadlifted. So, I gave the standard nod to some of the only guys i've seen worth showing respect and went to McDonalds for an evening snack of 3 cheeseburgers and a large vanilla shake.

[milo]

I think having a venue to rant about stupid people is cool too, but I think some of us on here are going a little bit over the top. I think we need to remember that there was a time when we too lifted like dummies, BSS, Before Starting Strength, as I like to think of it. Sure laughing at weirdos is a lot of fun, but maybe instead of our scorn they deserve our sympathy. Besides, I go to the gym to exercise, not to find people to make fun of later.

That being said, I fully enjoy this thread and hope it continues, I just hope we focus more on this person did something tremendously stupid or gross or this hiliarious event happened vs this person is a dork for being different or for using less effective methods of training then I am. Just my two cents.

Dan

[StLRPh]

My favorites are the 5 "air" board bench pressers :)

[Mr.City]

Upright Smith Machine Rows. Smith Machine calf raises. Smath Mochine Curls.

On a more serious note, my campus gym is missing a bar, another is bent, and one has a collar starting to come off. Fuck this.

[Bloodninja666]

He was wearing dark blue sweatpants w/ pockets, old school Reebok's(Yeah, the kind with the velcro strap. And these aren't the new remakes, these are genuinely 80's), and a sleeveless hunter green t-shirt. To top it off(literally), he wore a blue and white bandana wrapped around his head Daniel-San style. He had a full beard and hair down to his shoulders, and all of it was snow white.

This man sounds rather awesome...

[caseyd123]

This man sounds rather awesome...
This

[ZKP]

This man sounds rather awesome...

Right?! Who cares how God of the Old Testament cares to dress while he gets his swole on!

[SerusMournstar]

I can't resist posting here any longer. Stupidity is the norm at my small school gym. One guy that comes in particularly annoys me. He's about a buck fifty and always works out in the clothes he wears to school (jeans and tee shirt or whatever) and for some reason this is very annoying to me. Lately he has taken to wearing one of those red Fargo hats and he wears it throughout his whole workout. I saw him one time bring a girl into the gym, seemingly to show off to her, and then he proceeded to hang upside down from the chin up bars as though it were a great feat of athleticism. The dumbest thing I ever saw him do occurred while I was doing squats in the rack. I was the only person in the gym until he walked in and proceeded to pace back and forth through the gym playing his Iphone like it were a flute. This went on for at least 15 minutes. I seriously questioned my sanity at this point and considered whether or not I was suffering some sort of hallucination.

[mcsquared]

I've learned to question the folks that come into the gym wearing those wide-brimmed baseball hats with some baseball team logo embroidered on the front. I can understand a bandanna or something along those lines for badassnses (see "Old Testament God," above. By the way- best nickname ever) but a HAT? Whats the point, besides style?

[caseyd123]

I've learned to question the folks that come into the gym wearing those wide-brimmed baseball hats with some baseball team logo embroidered on the front. I can understand a bandanna or something along those lines for badassnses (see "Old Testament God," above. By the way- best nickname ever) but a HAT? Whats the point, besides style?
Its an MMA thing.

All the MMA fighters put their tapout hats on right after a fight so the idiots in college who "train MMA" have to walk around in the gym head to toe in tapout shit with the fighting shorts, gloves, tight shirts and of course the hat worn ever-so-slightly to the side

I seriously fucking hate MMA

[Marotta]

...all the while talking on his cell phone through his bluetooth hands free.

I cannot understand how it is possible to converse while training.

[OldMike]

I cannot understand how it is possible to converse while training.

You can't. He wasn't.

Signed up for a couple classes at the local community college a while back. Included use of the gym for free.

There was a power rack. Waited for the curling boys to finish (that shit's everywhere, isn't it?). Started warming up. I get up to 135 (still warming up) and this kid working there runs over and asks me if I need a spot. I'll refer to him as "Manorexic," because I doubt he weighed as much as my warmup set. I said, "No, thanks, I got the pins set up in case I need to dump the bar." He looked puzzled by that comment, but he simply warned me about going so deep (you know, the "knees" thing) and walked away.

Finished squats, walked over to the dumbbell racks to grab a flat bench, and there were two chicks sitting there. One was saying she used the seven pound dumbbells because the other colors looked bad with her outfit. She wasn't joking.

Back at the rack, started warming up. Manorexic runs over and tells me I can't bench without collars, and I "really shouldn't use the power rack for benches, anyway." He wasn't joking.

I tell him I get distracted by spotters, and use the rack and pins so I can bench alone. He allows it. Lucky me.

I get done benching, and a guy who was watching me asks if he can use the rack for squats. "Sure, thanks for waiting." I move my crap out of the way and set up for deadlifts over in the corner.

Glance back, and the squatter has put on gloves, a belt, some sort of slip-on knee things, and "the pad" on the bar. He does a couple sets with 135. I doubt he went below a 1/4 squat, and it looked more like a sort of quick bow, like when those guys in an old kung fu movie do the quick bow to the boss before they go get beat up by the star.

Oh, yeah, everyone else there was either on a treadmill, a bike, or one of those skiing things- and every one of them was watching television.

I'm glad I got my power rack at home. It was interesting, though.

[matclone]

Glance back, and the squatter has put on gloves, a belt, some sort of slip-on knee things, and "the pad" on the bar. He does a couple sets with 135. I doubt he went below a 1/4 squat, and it looked more like a sort of quick bow, like when those guys in an old kung fu movie do the quick bow to the boss before they go get beat up by the star.


That's a hilarious image.

[matclone]

24 Hour Fitness, that is--cousin to Bally's, Powerhouse, Fitness Planet et al.

Thought I would pay them a visit because I've been having trouble working in my workouts during the day. (24 hour is open all the time you see). I should have known better, but trying to remain positive about the experience, here's something things I observed:

Positives:
High ceiling (helps with noise and I like high ceilings anyway)
A water fountain that works
A sauna and steam bath

Negatives:
One power rack, one squat rack, both next to a smith machine (guess what seemed to be more popular?), 1000 or more cardio machines, oh, and a lot of people in the gym. They must be doing something right.

They have a platform with rack for deadlifting (what the salesman called it but actually not--it's elevated, and you can't set a barbell on it). What it can actually be used for is romanian deadlifts. So, I'm doing some romanians, and two guys working the smith machine a few feet away are yakking away, just obviously to the fact I'm dealing with a heavy weight.

Saw some guys earlier on same said platform doing some exercise I've never seen before--bar at the hang, curl grip, grunt and lift it a few inches toward the waist. I'm tempted to call them hang curls, although they weren't really curling the weight. Mebbe shrug curls?

Somebody had thrown their sweater on the T-Bar row machine--one of the few pieces of equipment I might be tempted to use in a place like that.

Mirrors in front of everything including the squat rack and no good way to avoid them. I really hate mirrors in the gym.

Leg lift/dip rack. Dude does his set, and instead of getting off the damn thing in case someone else might want to use it, just hangs slouching in the rack in anticipation of the day when he decides to do another set.

The sauna and pool made for a warm, humid environment. Bad for weightlifting. There was, in fact, rust on the power rack--something I've not see in Colorado before.

Dirty, wet locker room. I didn't even take a shower there. Just took my sweaty body home.

[PVC]

Today at the gym I was watching from the squat rack as this guy and his training partner, both wearing shirts with the sleeves cut off, loaded up the bench press with 275 lbs. Now, neither of these guys were "hyuuuge", but the one that was getting ready to press this weight was pretty decently sized. I suddenly felt this huge crushing disappointment, having been so proud of my 210 lb squat just minutes earlier - and now this guy was about to bench press more than I can deadlift. He starts his set. He brings the weight crashing down to his chest. His training partner is spotting him, and is holding the bar with his elbows bent at 90 degree angles, like in the middle of a bicep curl. He starts doing these deadlift-like hitches to help his partner bring the weight up, with his arms still in the bicep-curl position. This looked painful. They proceeded to do 6 more reps of this, with the weight crashing down onto the guy's chest and being raised very, very slowly. The guy on the bench gets up, puffs out his chest and starts to brag about how his chest muscles feel so sore and pumped from that set, while his training partner pats him on the back. Despicable.

[quadancer]

My first set of squats I did backwards to the pins, having to rack it behind me. I immediately felt the folly of my attempt, but I must have looked like a complete retard.
Once I had no collars on the bench - and had a plateslide, resulting in one side then the other unloading about 250 lbs. of plates. I jumped up, pumped my fists and yelled "YEAH!" and had everyone laughing. Of course I meant to do that. :o
Busted the ass out of my shorts squatting one day. Fortunately it was a PL gym, so I tied my shirt around my waist and finished the session, looking like a complete fag, but got 'er dun. Remove your shirt at any of these other gyms on the east coast and they'll be on you like white on rice.

We all screw up sooner or later, not thinking or not knowing something.

[OldMike]

oops-never mind (how the hell do you delete a post?)

[mcsquared]

Today at the gym I was watching from the squat rack as this guy and his training partner, both wearing shirts with the sleeves cut off, loaded up the bench press with 275 lbs. Now, neither of these guys were "hyuuuge", but the one that was getting ready to press this weight was pretty decently sized. I suddenly felt this huge crushing disappointment, having been so proud of my 210 lb squat just minutes earlier - and now this guy was about to bench press more than I can deadlift.

I feel you on that, brother. I guess the good thing about this "style" of training is the fact that we rarely ever use spotters, and when we do, they are utilized properly. I'm almost afraid to ask for a spot on bench (the only time I'll ask for a spot if i can help it) because I feel like most people don't the proper way to spot. Nevertheless, most of the gym population over-utilizes spotters, as Rip addresses in SS: BBT. I try not to compare myself/ my training to people like that anymore unless I'm trying to enrage myself right before a heavy set.

[Mr.City]

Today at the gym I was watching from the squat rack as this guy and his training partner, both wearing shirts with the sleeves cut off, loaded up the bench press with 275 lbs. Now, neither of these guys were "hyuuuge", but the one that was getting ready to press this weight was pretty decently sized. I suddenly felt this huge crushing disappointment, having been so proud of my 210 lb squat just minutes earlier - and now this guy was about to bench press more than I can deadlift. He starts his set. He brings the weight crashing down to his chest. His training partner is spotting him, and is holding the bar with his elbows bent at 90 degree angles, like in the middle of a bicep curl. He starts doing these deadlift-like hitches to help his partner bring the weight up, with his arms still in the bicep-curl position. This looked painful. They proceeded to do 6 more reps of this, with the weight crashing down onto the guy's chest and being raised very, very slowly. The guy on the bench gets up, puffs out his chest and starts to brag about how his chest muscles feel so sore and pumped from that set, while his training partner pats him on the back. Despicable.

Please tell me that there were Primal Rage Screams© during each rep and his ass was shooting off the bench while the second part of his two man lifting team screamed "One more" and "all you, man, all you."

[Marotta]

I feel you on that, brother. I guess the good thing about this "style" of training is the fact that we rarely ever use spotters, and when we do, they are utilized properly. I'm almost afraid to ask for a spot on bench (the only time I'll ask for a spot if i can help it) because I feel like most people don't the proper way to spot. Nevertheless, most of the gym population over-utilizes spotters, as Rip addresses in SS: BBT. I try not to compare myself/ my training to people like that anymore unless I'm trying to enrage myself right before a heavy set.

I taught a friend of mine how to spot so that I wouldn't have to have someone do upright rows for me. He doesn't touch the bar unless directed to, and I show the same courtesy to him. Good system.

[PVC]

Please tell me that there were Primal Rage Screams© during each rep and his ass was shooting off the bench while the second part of his two man lifting team screamed "One more" and "all you, man, all you."

Haha, unfortunately no. But I think that's only because they were both working so hard to move the weight that there was no way in hell they could have done these things without losing tightness and dropping the weight. Seriously - the guy spotting was basically doing an assisted powerclean/bicep curl combination with 275 lbs. He got more of a workout from spotting that one lift than from the rest of his training session.

[Mr.City]

Sounds like the kind of two man cocksucking team that actually wear a "300 lbs Bench Press" shirt. They exist, you know, but a 500 lbs deadlift shirt does not.

[IlPrincipeBrutto]

I think having a venue to rant about stupid people is cool too, but I think some of us on here are going a little bit over the top. I think we need to remember that there was a time when we too lifted like dummies, BSS, Before Starting Strength, as I like to think of it. Sure laughing at weirdos is a lot of fun, but maybe instead of our scorn they deserve our sympathy. Besides, I go to the gym to exercise, not to find people to make fun of later.

That being said, I fully enjoy this thread and hope it continues, I just hope we focus more on this person did something tremendously stupid or gross or this hiliarious event happened vs this person is a dork for being different or for using less effective methods of training then I am. Just my two cents.

Dan

Seconded

IPB

[simonsky]

lol no one can tell if we're just making up the stories coz they're so damn unbelievably funny, but hey, what the fuck, let's keep this thread alive till we can all squat 2 tons (errr... roughly 735 years on simple linear progression w/ 10xGOMAD).

let this thread be a full proof historical account of the time where garden glove wearing, half-benching, half-squatting, homo-face making, personal "trainer" availing, lotion putting, spot-repping, neck-crunching, squat padding, one side loaded smith machine where the friend helps lift the heavier side incline bench pressing, fixed weight curling bar squatting, upright smith machine rowing, smith machine calf raising, smith machine curling organisms roamed the weightlifting universe.

EDIT: oh yeah and props to the founder of this research study Sir JCavin Copernicus

[imnotbncre8ive]

EDIT: oh yeah and props to the founder of this research study Sir JCavin Copernicus

A ground-breaking step forward for the emerging scientific field of... commercial gym behavior? Where will we focus our efforts for subsequent studies? Howabout the efficacy of changing all the ridiculous stuff we see? I wonder if there's any hope in that... I realize how unsolicited advice can be really off-putting.

[spangler]

I've seen some silly things at the gym, but all in all it isn't that bad.

I'm working out at an "anytime fitness" with only one cage to squat and no squat stands. Of course, I almost never have to wait for the cage and everyone doing something in it that can be done outside of it has moved out when I have politely asked (explaining it was the only place I could squat)

There isn't a lot of room for cleans, and I usually have to wait a bit for the bench press but all in all it isn't a bad place to work.

That isn't to say I don't see a lot of the typical stuff, 2-man benches, wrist curls by 90lb kids, other things. I do wish I wasn't the only one doing a program even similar to mine, but hey.

The only three annoying things are: 1) lack of a platform. I've asked the owner for one and explained that there is no way to gently set my cleans down. 2) lack of bumper plates, the owner said he would get me a set after the money comes in from the resolution crowd however. 3) It is getting pretty crowded near the cage, there are always benches in my way and they moved some leg press machine that can't be loaded when I'm doing squats, I've almost brained a few people on accident like that. I was recently on a heavy work set for my bench and had someone walking by bump the bar due to the lack of space. That was not cool.

On the plus side, a lot of very attractive women use the leg press machine so I have something to look at besides video of myself between sets.

*shrug*

[Sgsolberg]

I've avoided this thread so far, primarily due to the fact that I pity most of the people who do these things. Tonight, that has to change.

I was setting up for a PR deadlift attempt, and had been warming up. Directly across from my location was a normal looking guy alternating between the weakest looking swiss ball crunches and hanging knee raises (you know, support yourself with your elbows and raise your knees platform thingy). The sheer faggotry of the situation infuriated me. Incidentally, this furor also fuelled my PR.

[quadancer]

For the most part, I'm just amused or a bit flabbergasted at the noob antics we see, but I'm always in MY zone and focusing on MY lifts (or pains...).
I'm allright as long as no one is invading MY zone. But that guy bumping your bar when you were benching is inexcusable. I would have had a few very LOUD words hurled before I even got up.

[imnotbncre8ive]

At my University gym, there are three power racks. I was using one alone for squat + press. In the adjacent rack, five tall skinny Indian guys were taking turns curling with the bar. I have nothing against Indian guys, I just mention their ethnicity so you can have a better mental image. It was pretty intense stuff.

[simonsky]

How about the efficacy of changing all the ridiculous stuff we see?

I believe that the chances of this happening is as slim as hoping that the bar will touch their chest when they bench.

If one of these strangers have the guts to go to you and tell you that squatting deep will hurt your knees, what would you do? :mad:

Then imagine you, a stranger to them, tells them to squat deeper for hip drive to happen, what would they do? :confused:

Both sides feel one is more knowledgeable, so, its up to them if they will listen or not for we know that we are the dominant species.

[BryanM]

What it would take to put a dent into the madness:

Airing Rip's dvd on tv on every station for an entire day every week or two for ten years straight.

If one of you happen to be king of a PBS station or something, maybe try chatting to the man about licensing. This is a moral imperative - slightly improving the world and making it less of a shithole, peoples.

Billy Blanks and Anti-pot ads devour us just as well as feebleness, fat-assedness, and meth..

[imnotbncre8ive]

I believe that the chances of this happening is as slim as hoping that the bar will touch their chest when they bench.

If one of these strangers have the guts to go to you and tell you that squatting deep will hurt your knees, what would you do? :mad:

Then imagine you, a stranger to them, tells them to squat deeper for hip drive to happen, what would they do? :confused:

Both sides feel one is more knowledgeable, so, its up to them if they will listen or not for we know that we are the dominant species.

Yes, this is certainly the deal-breaker. It's possible that some of us might be able to use our superior lifting numbers as 'street cred' like Bill Starr did in one of his articles. But that by itself obviously won't be enough.

[ChrisM]

The gym at my university is pretty decent. I mean, yeah half the floor space is dedicated to machines, but theres a few squat racks and ~200kg of bumper plates next to an empty patch of floor for cleans and stuff. And yeah there's plenty of people who are training chest or arms every time they're in there. But there's also a ton of people who are squatting (deep), pressing, doing cleans ect.

The stupidest thing I've seen is actually by a good friend of mine who was training with me at the time. He's the skinny guy who wants to get bigger but refuses to eat any decent amount of food for fear of losing his abs. Anyway, every now and then I'd convince him to venture into the power racks and squat with me.

The last time he did, he was watching me do my 3rd set of 5 and decided I was struggling with the weight on the last rep. So to "spot" me he thought the best thing he could do was lift the bar up on ONE side by grabbing it by the end of the collar and lifting up. Quickly. Imagine one side of the bar getting amazingly light all of a sudden and the other side staying heavy. My first thought as i panicked, stumbled and tried to balance myself is that a weight had fallen off, even though i didn't hear anything. Then I looked left and saw him lifting. With a grimace, he looked at me and said "I got it, dont worry" ...

Needless to say I "calmly" explained to him that no one asked for a spot and I'd set the pins on the rack to help me if I needed it (I didn't on that rep anyway, I was standing up just a bit too slow for his taste i guess). I've changed gyms since then, and he hasn't. Last time we talked about training i told him about the 15kg i'd put on my bench and press, 40ish on squat and dl ect. He described his current training to me (suprise suprise not including any squatting). He took the principles of the training I was trying to tell him about - 3 days a week squatting, alternating pulls and presses - and has just applied it to his upper body stuff, with "deadlifts for legs on wednesdays". He told me about all the isolation work he's doing and described how it was better than all the compound stuff for "sculpting and toning", and only mentioned when I directly asked him about his lifts that his bench is exactly the same as it was 4 months ago .... :rolleyes:

[quadancer]

I've found that as far as unsolicited advice, only two things seem to sink in:
One is if you are warning someone that he is about to injure bodypart X and explain the mechanics of the proper movement. But he may not get it yet.
The other is where you actually make it easier for them: like explaining that maxing out every set will lower their TUT and get less work done, destroy their CNS and kill recovery and repair, and that they'd progress more by stopping at the slow rep.
And even THIS doesn't sink in sometimes, so I've gotten to only answering direct questions. In the meantime, we continue to be amused by people in the same shape they were five years ago, lifting the same weights, giving each other tidbits of wisdom as they "Come on man, ONE MORE REP; you got it" and they assist the weakened lifts.
Hey, life is for laughing. :rolleyes:

[DoS]

I had to share this one. I was at a NYSC getting ready to front squat. There was a guy that must have been preparing for the either the disco or electric slide world championships. He was performing some sort of half-assed lunge with a 15# dumbbell (yes, one). At the bottom, he would reach across his body with the dumbbell. All of this was done directly in the way of the squat rack, which is sacrilege enough. It looked a lot like the second image here http://www.internetgoon.com/2009/11/crank-thatelectric-slide.html

[Dastardly]

I had to share this one. I was at a NYSC getting ready to front squat. There was a guy that must have been preparing for the either the disco or electric slide world championships. He was performing some sort of half-assed lunge with a 15# dumbbell (yes, one). At the bottom, he would reach across his body with the dumbbell. All of this was done directly in the way of the squat rack, which is sacrilege enough. It looked a lot like the second image here http://www.internetgoon.com/2009/11/crank-thatelectric-slide.html

He may have been trying to do a twisting deadlift. Not a terrible exercise if done properly. Obviously barbell version is far superior but if you are somewhere that doesnt allow deadlifts or if you do not have barbell it has its place.

[Bergie]

i saw a crazy one yesterday.

The guy was standing on one leg with the other extended back so that his leg and torso were parallel to the floor. With a dumbbell in each hand (light ones) one arm was extended forward and one backward, again parallel to the floor. Then he slowly swung his arms back and forth.

[jameson]

So I just returned from a big box retailer of exercise equipment. I asked about a cheap set of Olympic plates and bar (I'm convinced that the CAP plates are the same as York, etc. and would quicly replace the bar), and he began trying to sell me on BowFlex. He told me how this contraption would give me an athletic look. I, who am 5'10", 220lbs, 18%bf, with a blocky build, apparently need to slim down a bit...look more like a Nautilus model I suppose. So anyway, he begins backpedaling, telling me in the simplest terms how to gain muscle and achieve what is apparently the physique I should be aspiring to. Whatever.

My point here is that I had obviously forgotten how uneducated the masses are on exercise in general, and their, most likely, only source of information comes from people like I just encountered. Not only that, but it reminded me that I need to use simpler terms when discussing weight training to the general populace. I suppose that was at least a lesson learned.

Just ranting...

[twogun]

I don't mind the silly crap other folks do in the gym as long as it doesn't interfere with what I'm doing.

Local college gym has the smith machine directly behind the squat rack. I was doing good mornings when the girls basketball team invaded and camped out around the smith machine. Four of them sat on a bench about six feet from the rack. i wondered around aimlessly hoping they would move, but they didn't.

When I backed out of the rack, my ass was just a couple feet from their faces. I stepped back with the weight and again hoped they'd move. They didn't. On the third rep I felt a fart building.

It takes some damned intense concentration to keep everything tight and push against the belt without letting rip. I knew that at any second I'd be farting in some girls face. I finished the set with no fireworks.

If it happened now, I'd just let it go....

[nisora33]

So I just returned from a big box retailer of exercise equipment. I asked about a cheap set of Olympic plates and bar (I'm convinced that the CAP plates are the same as York, etc. and would quicly replace the bar), and he began trying to sell me on BowFlex. He told me how this contraption would give me an athletic look. I, who am 5'10", 220lbs, 18%bf, with a blocky build, apparently need to slim down a bit...look more like a Nautilus model I suppose. So anyway, he begins backpedaling, telling me in the simplest terms how to gain muscle and achieve what is apparently the physique I should be aspiring to. Whatever.

My point here is that I had obviously forgotten how uneducated the masses are on exercise in general, and their, most likely, only source of information comes from people like I just encountered. Not only that, but it reminded me that I need to use simpler terms when discussing weight training to the general populace. I suppose that was at least a lesson learned.

Just ranting...

FWIW, the Bowflex makes a good hat and coat rack...

[Sami]

Nothing too original yet, EZ-bar bicep curls, in front of mirror on upside down bosu ball. But that's normal now, isn't it?

[JCavin]

One of my good friends moved down to Austin, Texas a few months ago.

Normally this would be a +1 to his coolness factor. Unfortunately, i'm convinced he has turned into the biggest tool i've ever known.

-1 He immediately hired a "personal trainer" when he got down there.
-1 When I informed him that I was lifting again and doing nothing but compound movements while drinking my GOMAD, his first question was "Yeah, but how much bodyfat have you gained?"
-1 He constantly sends me texts while he's out drinking at the bar, no matter what time of the night it is. I've since learned to turn my phone to silent. Normally not a big deal, but he always tries to impress me with how much he drank the next day.
-1 After each workout, he attempts to impress me by sending me his new numbers on his "lifts."
-5 He once told me that he was squatting 315lbs for his max. I asked him what type of squats and he responded with "Hack squats. Why?"
-5 I then asked him if he did real squats because those don't count. "He said, yeah, I do parallel squats when i'm not doing the hack squats. But, why wouldn't they count? They're still hard as hell!"
-1 I tried to explain it to him and tell him that he wasn't doing real squats at all, but he didn't listen.
-10 He sent me a text that said, "I'm doing overhead tricep extensions w/ 100lb dumbbells now. It is pretty funny because I always get a large group of people gathered around me cheering me on to see if I can do it, lol". Faggot.


So, I think i'm just gonna stop talking to him. He makes me a sad panda.

I sent him a text the other day after one of his ridiculous drinking ones and asked him if he also did fist pumps all night. He just said, "lol...what do you mean?"

I think that's a yes.

[Sami]

One of my good friends moved down to Austin, Texas a few months ago.

Normally this would be a +1 to his coolness factor. Unfortunately, i'm convinced he has turned into the biggest tool i've ever known.

-1 He immediately hired a "personal trainer" when he got down there.
-1 When I informed him that I was lifting again and doing nothing but compound movements while drinking my GOMAD, his first question was "Yeah, but how much bodyfat have you gained?"
-1 He constantly sends me texts while he's out drinking at the bar, no matter what time of the night it is. I've since learned to turn my phone to silent. Normally not a big deal, but he always tries to impress me with how much he drank the next day.
-1 After each workout, he attempts to impress me by sending me his new numbers on his "lifts."
-5 He once told me that he was squatting 315lbs for his max. I asked him what type of squats and he responded with "Hack squats. Why?"
-5 I then asked him if he did real squats because those don't count. "He said, yeah, I do parallel squats when i'm not doing the hack squats. But, why wouldn't they count? They're still hard as hell!"
-1 I tried to explain it to him and tell him that he wasn't doing real squats at all, but he didn't listen.
-10 He sent me a text that said, "I'm doing overhead tricep extensions w/ 100lb dumbbells now. It is pretty funny because I always get a large group of people gathered around me cheering me on to see if I can do it, lol". Faggot.


So, I think i'm just gonna stop talking to him. He makes me a sad panda.

I sent him a text the other day after one of his ridiculous drinking ones and asked him if he also did fist pumps all night. He just said, "lol...what do you mean?"

I think that's a yes.

I call bullshit. Nobody get's that douched up when moving to Texas. He must have been MUCH worse before hand.

[spangler]

For the most part, I'm just amused or a bit flabbergasted at the noob antics we see, but I'm always in MY zone and focusing on MY lifts (or pains...).
I'm allright as long as no one is invading MY zone. But that guy bumping your bar when you were benching is inexcusable. I would have had a few very LOUD words hurled before I even got up.

There was a loud "what the fuck!" yelled out by me as I aborted my attempt, I had just started descending and did a 1/4 bench press to get it back onto the rack.

I was angry, but more angry at the owner and the way the gym was laid out, because that was the real cause. He had been walking down the narrow "aisle" and someone was doing skullcrushers that he hadn't seen, as the weight came toward him, he stepped back 1/2 step and into my bar.

Simply too crowded.

I'd love to change gyms, and have a really great gym in town I was invited to (not that it is invitation only, but a guy who is a trainer there heard about my routine and said "we want guys like you at our gym, and we are the only gym in town set up for guys like you") but, then I need to find somewhere for my wife and kids to go...

-andrew

[spangler]

I call bullshit. Nobody get's that douched up when moving to Texas. He must have been MUCH worse before hand.

he moved to Austin.

nuff said

[Sami]

he moved to Austin.

nuff said

Meh, you're probably right about that.

[imnotbncre8ive]

So I just returned from a big box retailer of exercise equipment. I asked about a cheap set of Olympic plates and bar (I'm convinced that the CAP plates are the same as York, etc. and would quicly replace the bar), and he began trying to sell me on BowFlex. He told me how this contraption would give me an athletic look. I, who am 5'10", 220lbs, 18%bf, with a blocky build, apparently need to slim down a bit...look more like a Nautilus model I suppose. So anyway, he begins backpedaling, telling me in the simplest terms how to gain muscle and achieve what is apparently the physique I should be aspiring to. Whatever.

My point here is that I had obviously forgotten how uneducated the masses are on exercise in general, and their, most likely, only source of information comes from people like I just encountered. Not only that, but it reminded me that I need to use simpler terms when discussing weight training to the general populace. I suppose that was at least a lesson learned.

Just ranting...

I'd be interested to hear how you responded, whether you tried to explain anything to him about why Bowflex is dumb, etc. This sounds interesting.


One of my good friends moved down to Austin, Texas a few months ago.

Normally this would be a +1 to his coolness factor. Unfortunately, i'm convinced he has turned into the biggest tool i've ever known.

-1 He immediately hired a "personal trainer" when he got down there.
-1 When I informed him that I was lifting again and doing nothing but compound movements while drinking my GOMAD, his first question was "Yeah, but how much bodyfat have you gained?"
-1 He constantly sends me texts while he's out drinking at the bar, no matter what time of the night it is. I've since learned to turn my phone to silent. Normally not a big deal, but he always tries to impress me with how much he drank the next day.
-1 After each workout, he attempts to impress me by sending me his new numbers on his "lifts."
-5 He once told me that he was squatting 315lbs for his max. I asked him what type of squats and he responded with "Hack squats. Why?"
-5 I then asked him if he did real squats because those don't count. "He said, yeah, I do parallel squats when i'm not doing the hack squats. But, why wouldn't they count? They're still hard as hell!"
-1 I tried to explain it to him and tell him that he wasn't doing real squats at all, but he didn't listen.
-10 He sent me a text that said, "I'm doing overhead tricep extensions w/ 100lb dumbbells now. It is pretty funny because I always get a large group of people gathered around me cheering me on to see if I can do it, lol". Faggot.


So, I think i'm just gonna stop talking to him. He makes me a sad panda.

I sent him a text the other day after one of his ridiculous drinking ones and asked him if he also did fist pumps all night. He just said, "lol...what do you mean?"

I think that's a yes.

I wonder if you went to train while he's working out, he'd be impressed by your superior lifts and consider a change of routine? Or you could just go and outlift him in whatever he's doing?

[quadancer]

Jameson: isn't that scary, that these salesmen, who are supposed to know their equipment and it's usage, only know about as much as a housewife who watches commercials.
Perhaps he has a Thighmaster in his closet too.

[Abraham Vandiver]

I would be pissed and confused if I went to use a bar and it was covered in Jergens.

LOL...I couldn't stop laughing at this comment. I can just imagine you going to grip the bar and bursting out in disbelief: "What the fuck is this shit right here?!" :confused:

[Abraham Vandiver]

Barbell loaded with 135 lbs on the traps with a foam cover. 10 reps of shitty high squat and then...wait for it...jump up and down like a goddamn fool. Fuck dem knee joints, fuck em' good.

I don't believe this stupidity is possible...

Footage is needed for verification.

[Abraham Vandiver]

Alright guys, I have a LOT to report on my latest gym session. In fact, I have 2 pages of handwritten notes in my workout journal. I'll be assigning these people a handle for easier reference.



Army Douchebags - There are 3 150lb army-shirt wearing douchebags doing partial barbell curls with 25# plates on each side. So, I set my bag right behind them and just stood and watched with my arms crossed. Apparently they got the point because they were done about 2 minutes later.



Real Deal Holyfield - While i'm doing my squats, a guy walks in wearing a t-shirt that has the name of his old town and under that it says "Wrestling" in bold letters. You could immediately tell this guy knew what the hell he was doing when he walked in.

He probably only weighed 165lbs or so. He loaded up the barbell behind me with 135 and proceeded to clean and press it with perfect form and ease. He eventually worked his way up to 225. The cool thing about it was he was pressing it without even splitting his feet.

Afterwards he loaded up 135 again and started doing sets of Snatch. He had perfect form and his feet never even moved while doing it. He was damn strong. I considered asking him to help me out with learning the PC, but I figured i'd wait to see if he kept showing up at similar times before I did.

Army Douchebags: Bros have to do their curls in a squat rack. You must've missed the memo.

Real Deal Holyfield: So, this gym isn't all bad?! There is hope...

[simonsky]

just got home from the gym, here are my notes:

1. there's only 1 squat rack and i am the only who "squats" in the gym so i was shocked when i saw someone squatting. didnt see his depth or whether he did high bar or low bar. so what's the fuss? he's the guy always working out near my area and looking at me in awe when i squat. he didnt squat before, so im glad i influenced one of their half benching species although i didnt know if he did it correctly.

2. i press in the squat rack and i forgot to unload the barbell after, then a guy who saw me squat earlier went in there and squatted my press weight of 88. to his defense it was for 20 reps... unfortunately he looked like a duck, half squatting , high bar, with closer than shoulder width stance leaning to the left. just imagine, thank you...

3. i would like to thank their species because they helped a lot in my cleans. on me warm ups they were already noticing me for the noise im making because i dont pin the weights on warm ups. when i got to my work set, i used the big plates for proper bar height( im using metal plates) and to also give that strong big plate user illusion.

i used two 50 lb plates plus the crappy 15lb 3rd world country bar on my work set of 115 for the clean. as i did them, they started crowding me. some were in awe, some were scared. all in all i like the attention and i thrived of it and helped pop the barbell onto my shoulders. boosted my pride also, although they are "false-praise" coming from their species

i would like to also give props to one guy who "seems" to know weightlifting and powerlifting, when i squatted a week ago he asked me if i am a powerlifter, and earlier he seemed to forgot that he met me last week and after my cleans he asked me if i am a weightlifter. lol what the fuck.e gym so i was shocked when i saw someone

[jameson]

FWIW, the Bowflex makes a good hat and coat rack...

That thing looked like it could eat me; I wasn't going anywhere near it.


I'd be interested to hear how you responded, whether you tried to explain anything to him about why Bowflex is dumb, etc. This sounds interesting.

I took the easy way out; it wasn't worth my time. Sorry to disappoint, but the salesman looked like the big kid in school that the football coach wanted but who instead joined the chess club.

[cms]

The gym I joined recently isn't all bad. It's $10/mo, and about a 5 min walk from my house. Since I have no car, it works out perfect.

However, it is full of Boston north end "Guidos" (not as bad as the Jersey shore kind, but pretty douchey). The kind with ridiculous fake tans in the middle of January, spiked greasy hair, who do nothing but curls while staring at themselves in the mirror.

There are 2 squat racks and a smith machine between them on the basement level. They're the slanted, step style racks (not sure what the proper name for those is), and the one on the left has the top pins missing. I'm too tall to use that one properly, but often it's the only one available. Also, I think the floor is uneven. When I put the bar down on the floor to deadlift or power clean, it always rolls on one side in some direction.

When the squat racks are in use it's always some kids doing bicep curls. There's a gang of 4 kids, high school aged, all with mohawks (when did these come back in style I see them everywhere now), who take turns doing bicep curls and barbell shrugs on the racks, and it makes me mental as I have to wait 20 minutes for these nudnicks to move on.

There are no platforms or bumper plates. So far this hasn't been an issue for cleans, but I'm the only guy at this gym who does them; never seen anyone else try. I'm still a fat weak guy, though, so with my low weights I'm able to clean then drop it down controlled with out loud noise.

Last week the janitor yelled at me for using chalk. I didn't see a "no chalk" rule anywhere, so I just shrugged and said "Sorry!" and continued to do my thing. I do my best to keep it off the floor but somehow it always seems to leave a small dusting. Whatever, guy has a mop, that's his job. I don't see why a little chalk is such a big deal but all the salt and mud and slush from the street outside that gets tracked in is ok.

There is one other guy there who squats proper, and he mixes up wide stance and narrow stance squats. He claims the narrow stance helps him strengthen his hip drive more than the wide stance. This guy has cannonball shoulders, is probably 5'8", and he said he weighs 185 and is a "hard gainer". The other day he asked me to spot him as he squatted 4 plates on each side, saying not to touch the bar unless he stops on the way up. So, guy knows what he's doing.

Lately this guy has sorta been encouraging me, I told him my short term goal was a 225 squat. He saw me last time trying 210, and said "Awesome man, once you get over 200 225 will be easy. Just gotta push them out." Unfortunately, it hasn't been easy!

[Rorschach]

Well today was a great session, despite not having much for breakfast and feeling shakey by the end.

Found out one of their trainers teaches olympic lifts, so asked for a bit of coaching on the powerclean, which has never felt right.
He asked me if I was doing any kind of system, and when I mentioned Starting Strength, he couldn't praise it enough. Told me to get Practical Programming which I haven't got round to getting yet, then we discussed the relative merits of my adistars with his chucks.
Good coaching too, I'm a lot happier with my powercleans now.

Then, when I carried on with the rest of my training, I asked to cut in with a guy doing OHPs. Got chatting, and he's also doing SS and loving it.
Oh, and the guy in the other rack was doing squats with great form.

There were still the standard bunch of guys doing various silly types of curls, but today has brought back my faith in humanity. ;)

[JCavin]

Well today was a great session, despite not having much for breakfast and feeling shakey by the end.

Found out one of their trainers teaches olympic lifts, so asked for a bit of coaching on the powerclean, which has never felt right.
He asked me if I was doing any kind of system, and when I mentioned Starting Strength, he couldn't praise it enough. Told me to get Practical Programming which I haven't got round to getting yet, then we discussed the relative merits of my adistars with his chucks.
Good coaching too, I'm a lot happier with my powercleans now.

Then, when I carried on with the rest of my training, I asked to cut in with a guy doing OHPs. Got chatting, and he's also doing SS and loving it.
Oh, and the guy in the other rack was doing squats with great form.

There were still the standard bunch of guys doing various silly types of curls, but today has brought back my faith in humanity. ;)


Buzzkillington...

[Tim Lofton]

@cms - Have you looked to see if the bar is bent?

cms sez, " When I put the bar down on the floor to deadlift or power clean, it always rolls on one side in some direction."

[Marotta]

This morning I was told I need protection for my balls when deadlifting. I just nodded and walked away.

[Gary Gibson]

This morning I was told I need protection for my balls when deadlifting.

This becomes more true as one gets older.

[Sami]

Little kid in a skin tight sleeveless body-armour shirt and huge baggy sweats says to me,

"Hey man, don't use a belt, it makes your c*re weak!"

I said, "Oh really, how much are you squatting and deadlifting?"

"Oh I don't do that stuff. It's bad for your back and you can do other stuff that does the same thing."

[JCavin]

Little kid in a skin tight sleeveless body-armour shirt and huge baggy sweats says to me,

"Hey man, don't use a belt, it makes your c*re weak!"

I said, "Oh really, how much are you squatting and deadlifting?"

"Oh I don't do that stuff. It's bad for your back and you can do other stuff that does the same thing."


You should have punched him in his bony little chest plate.

That would have shut him up...

[PVC]

c*re

Ha.

[Tim Lofton]

It's very tempting to have copies of relevant articles from this and other informative sites to hand out to folks. No preaching, just tell them to read this at their next leisure time. May just end up in the recycling bin, but if you can reach just one or two people every so often...

tim



Little kid in a skin tight sleeveless body-armour shirt and huge baggy sweats says to me,

"Hey man, don't use a belt, it makes your c*re weak!"

I said, "Oh really, how much are you squatting and deadlifting?"

"Oh I don't do that stuff. It's bad for your back and you can do other stuff that does the same thing."

[Mr.City]

So what were these other things? Leg extensions? Lunges? I like everyone becomes a master of physiology and human anatomy in the gym.

[anchor]

The dumbest thing I ever saw him do occurred while I was doing squats in the rack. I was the only person in the gym until he walked in and proceeded to pace back and forth through the gym playing his Iphone like it were a flute. This went on for at least 15 minutes. I seriously questioned my sanity at this point and considered whether or not I was suffering some sort of hallucination.

lmao! that's good shit right there.

and i know it's a repeat, but saw the chalked-up glove wearer the other day..

[imnotbncre8ive]

I suppose this thread got hijacked from OP's intention of updating us on *his* gym, to all of us contributing what we see at *our* gyms.

For your sick amusement, I added a little to my town's wiki entry on our university gym.

http://daviswiki.org/Arc_Weight_Room

[Dastardly]

university gym.

http://daviswiki.org/Arc_Weight_Room

That was good.

[Bloodninja666]

Nothing quite as crazy going on in my gym as some stories here, but here is some sillieness I saw yesterday:

-Man doing seated, behind-the-head presses in the Smith machine.

-While I'm donig powercleans an older lady of about 50 sets up shop about 4 feet to my left with a bosu ball. She procedes to balance on it and do curls with a foam bar! And when I say balance I mean that only in the most general way; she was tottering on top of that ball troughout. I really thought a broken hip was imminent, or worse she toples into my powerclean and gets brained. For some reason I dont see any potential lawsuit favoring the guy doing the 'dangerous moving' exercise.

But really, wtf was she thinking. The risk/reward payoff of an old woman even getting on a bosu ball just isnt there. I suppose she leaned this from some asshat trainer....

[Mr.City]

Wow, you really might of cleaned her clock

[StLRPh]

Lifting straps (not wraps) for OH Press. :confused:

[Mr.City]

Lifting straps (not wraps) for OH Press. :confused:

I like this. Should you fail the attempt, down you go. Let me guess, he wasn't really putting it over his head, more like in front of it, right? Although the best are straps for the bench because the person doing it is a dumbfuck and should they become pinned without spotter, they are mostly likely going to die.

[Guido]

Lifting straps (not wraps) for OH Press. :confused:I actually saw someone benching with straps the other day. I'm really confused as to the purpose of that.

[OITW]

Dumb shit happens in home gyms as well, fortunately there's a camera handy to catch this ridiculous lift and its immediate scoring by the judge.

http://failblog.org/2010/01/22/interruption-win/

[BryanM]

I actually saw someone benching with straps the other day. I'm really confused as to the purpose of that.

A professor on another forum offered this in response to a similar situation (except it was a SMITH MACHINE strapped bench press):


Clearly, it's so he doesn't throw the barbell straight through the ceiling..... Yes, I occasionally save posts I find hilarious.

[matclone]

Ha. Could the Smither have also been mentally-strapped?

This weekend at 24Hr Fitness, I saw a dude step out of the freestanding squat rack, with an empty bar at the hang behind his back. For a brief moment, very brief, it occurred to me that I might see some version of a behind the back deadlift, that I've read about in Louie Simmons articles but never actually seen anyone do. But no. He proceeded to wrist curl the bar--a behind the butt wrist curl. That was a new one on me.

[Locutus]

He proceeded to wrist curl the bar--a behind the butt wrist curl. That was a new one on me.

I've been seeing that one a LOT lately, whereas I don't think I've seen one ever prior to last month. :eek:

[coreJack]

I recently saw a guy squat with the usual crappy form. The thing is he unracked and re-racked the bar backwards. I watched with a mixture of apprehension and amusement as he stepped backwards with a weight he could barely handle standing upright (nevermind squat), turn his head to try to find the hooks and then go into lumbar flexion to lower the bar onto the hooks. I nearly shot a disc out of my own back just watching this scene.

[Marotta]

I recently saw a guy squat with the usual crappy form. The thing is he unracked and re-racked the bar backwards. I watched with a mixture of apprehension and amusement as he stepped backwards with a weight he could barely handle standing upright (nevermind squat), turn his head to try to find the hooks and then go into lumbar flexion to lower the bar onto the hooks. I nearly shot a disc out of my own back just watching this scene.

I use the rack backwards, There's a mirror directly in front of the rack at my gym.

[Sgsolberg]

Tonight's faggotry was excellent.

In walks a "guy" with two middle aged women. "Bench Pressing" while only doing about the top third of the bench (and the obligatory Bench/Spotter's curl combo). I was impressed... the guy got a whole 125 lbs using this method. They then proceeded to move a bosu ball (half ball thingy?) right next to me, place it upside down and practice "snowboarding" on it. They were so shakey, I was afraid to do my benching for fear that one of the fools would fall on top of me/the bar and fuck me up good.

I was truly struggling not to laugh as I tried to avoid watching while resting between sets.
They then proceeded to glare at me when I grunted on my last rep.

[dcurrin]

Here's a good one for you guys:

One Sunday shortly after New Years (typical emptiness of Sunday was somewhat countered by the New Years rush) my wife and I saw a new guy come sauntering into the free weights area. We could tell he looked like trouble. He strolled over to the smith machine, dragged over a flat bench, loaded a plate on each side of the bar, stepped back and looked at it, loaded another plate on each side of the bar, set the bar so it was hooked at full extension level, slid onto the bench, grabbed the bar and unhooked it.

It promptly *fell* onto his chest and landed with a thud. He held it there for a few seconds and then started pushing... needless to say it didn't go anywhere, he grunted and strained and I started to make my way over to help pull it off. At that point he coughed out a "hey bro, a little help please" and another guy that was right next to him the whole time finally turned around and picked it up off of his chest.

The guy took one plate off of each side, then got back into position, struggled out about three reps, then put his hoodie back on and left the gym.

[coreJack]

I use the rack backwards, There's a mirror directly in front of the rack at my gym.
I suppose that can be done safely if you have good technique. But if you're turning your head to look for the hooks, you will eventually wreck.

You could try wearing a baseball cap low, so you can't see the mirror, and just focus on the floor. Mine is in front of a mirror too, but there is some wall between the floor and mirror that I look at.

[matclone]

dcurrin, that story is pretty damn funny. You know, they think barbells are a safety hazard, but I'd hazard a guess this guy would not have been tempted to load a barbell the same way or, if he had, he would have instinctively held the bar at arm's length if got it off the rack, before lowering it (and by then would know that it was probably not a good idea to lower), and the whole dropping it on his chest wouldn't have happened.

[Mr.City]

Every goddamn barbell at my gym is bent or the collar is falling off. I can't press or squat with them because there's noticeable wobble. The ones with collars coming off put asymmetrical stress on my body, making for a sore right lower back with a fine left lower back. There's on 2.5 lb weight. There used to be 3, but one's missing and the other's broken.

None of these cocksuckers put the fucking weights away; it's just one big clusterfuck of plates and dumbbells. I saw one asshole finish a set of deadlifts, throw the collars in the corner, raise one side of the bar to dump the plates, and then just left all that shit there. He looked like the typical gym guide asshole. I psych myself up before lifts by imaging me bending the bar into a U shape and throwing it across the gym.

[TrackJunkie]

I saw the skinniest chick I've ever seen in my life in my uni gym a couple weeks ago. I now know EXACTLY what people mean when they say someone is "all skin and bones" because she had nothing on her body. Strangely, she was in the free weight area overhead pressing 30 lb dumbbells.

[simonsky]

@Track maybe she's a crossfit?

[williamN]

@Track maybe she's a crossfit?

no if she was a crossfit manotaur she wouldn't be an anorexic, that faggotish distinction falls to @fit men

[Heather]

I work out at a local university gym, and had a short, fat kid come up to me between squat sets to inform me that looking down (ie, a neutral cervical spine position) was going to cause the bar to roll forward over my head. Poor kid, it's got to be tough going around in the world with such a flawed understanding of basic physics...

[Sami]

I've been seeing that one a LOT lately, whereas I don't think I've seen one ever prior to last month. :eek:

Must have popped up in Men's Health or Muscle and Fiction.

[Dastardly]

I saw the skinniest chick I've ever seen in my life in my uni gym a couple weeks ago. I now know EXACTLY what people mean when they say someone is "all skin and bones" because she had nothing on her body. Strangely, she was in the free weight area overhead pressing 30 lb dumbbells.

I see frighteningly skinny people like this. I mean SERIOUSLY skinny, so much so that clothes made to be tight are baggy, the you can see the shape of their skeleton as the thigh is so much thinner than the hip.

Well girls like this go and sweat out 45 minutes on a exercise bike (elliptical walker would be far too dynamic!)

One of them comes with her mum, they both do the same thing.

There are similarly skinny boys who fight out to failure on every machine in the hope of becoming a bodybuilder. When they are so frail that they can bareley walk properly.

[amazhad]

I actually saw someone benching with straps the other day. I'm really confused as to the purpose of that.

If it was a strap that went under the bench and wrapped around each end of the bar, then I saw the same thing the other week. The stranger asked me to spot for him. He was benching 225 and about 5'10" tall. I asked him what was with the bands, and he told me he was weaker pushing weight near the chest, and stronger when a few inches from lockout (go figure). The bands added increasing tension so he could get a better workout.

I looked it up later, seems bands or hanging chains from the barbell (as you go down the chains rest on the floor lowering the weight) are methods some use to get a progressive weight load as they lift up.

I am only a few weeks into SS, so I won't comment on the pro's or con's, but that is what I found online.


Side note. The same guy mentioned he only does half squats because he is quad dominant and he has tight hamstrings. Now that I thought was funny as I have just spent 6 weeks getting my legs and hips to stretch out enough to do full squats (33 and a decade of sitting in a chair with little squat type physical activity).

[IlPrincipeBrutto]

If it was a strap that went under the bench and wrapped around each end of the bar, then I saw the same thing the other week.

Exact terminology is paramount here.
A strap is not a band. One is elastic, the other is not.
One wraps around the wrist/hand to secure grip, the other is applied to the bar to make parts of the movement harder.

IPB

[amazhad]

Exact terminology is paramount here.
A strap is not a band. One is elastic, the other is not.
One wraps around the wrist/hand to secure grip, the other is applied to the bar to make parts of the movement harder.

IPB

I see, thank you.

[Dastardly]

If it was a strap that went under the bench and wrapped around each end of the bar, then I saw the same thing the other week. The stranger asked me to spot for him. He was benching 225 and about 5'10" tall. I asked him what was with the bands, and he told me he was weaker pushing weight near the chest, and stronger when a few inches from lockout (go figure). The bands added increasing tension so he could get a better workout.

I looked it up later, seems bands or hanging chains from the barbell (as you go down the chains rest on the floor lowering the weight) are methods some use to get a progressive weight load as they lift up.

I am only a few weeks into SS, so I won't comment on the pro's or con's, but that is what I found online.


Side note. The same guy mentioned he only does half squats because he is quad dominant and he has tight hamstrings. Now that I thought was funny as I have just spent 6 weeks getting my legs and hips to stretch out enough to do full squats (33 and a decade of sitting in a chair with little squat type physical activity).


Band & chain training has been developed and popularised by louie simmons/westside barbell.

It is an advanced form of training for powerlifters but elements of it can benefit other lifters too.

Ive seen video's of Dan John recommending chains for front squats in olympic lifting training.

[Guido]

Correct. I'm well aware of the difference between bands and straps, as well. I sometimes use bands in my training.

I was referring to "straps" that go around your wrist and then wrap around the bar. Makes absolutely no sense for benching.

[Locutus]

I was referring to "straps" that go around your wrist and then wrap around the bar. Makes absolutely no sense for benching.

It's the mind muscle connection, bro.

[franklie]

I was referring to "straps" that go around your wrist and then wrap around the bar. Makes absolutely no sense for benching.

The only times I've seen it used for benching is when guys use the thumbless/suicide grip so the bar doesn't roll out of the hand.

But OTOH if the thumb were just wrapped around the bar as advocated by Starting Strength no straps would be needed.

BTW, I saw yesterday in the gym a burly dude on the incline bench drop 245lb on his throat just above the clavicles. He was doing partial reps and he lost his strength on the last one. He had problems breathing and talking afterwards.

[jdj]

I'm doing a set of deadlifts and a guy starts doing back extensions on a seated calf-raise machine near me. He was riding that thing like a bronco.

[Jon]

Today, I saw a guy throwing a kettlebell around while wearing swimming flippers. I shit you not. I had to pause for a moment and make sure I wasn't hallucnating.

[mcsquared]

Today, I saw a guy throwing a kettlebell around while wearing swimming flippers. I shit you not. I had to pause for a moment and make sure I wasn't hallucnating.

Well, was there a pool nearby? Could be someone training for US Special Forces...sounds like something my SOF buddies used to do. Did you seem him trying to drown himself in the pool later?

[Jon]

Well, was there a pool nearby? Could be someone training for US Special Forces...sounds like something my SOF buddies used to do. Did you seem him trying to drown himself in the pool later?

There was no pool anywhere near the gym. It's a university gym in Canada, the guy was 130# max, and was probably a freshman.

The only explanation I can think of is that he ran out of normal shoes... but that still wouldn't explain how he got to the gym in the first place when its snowing heavily outside.

[OldMike]

There was no pool anywhere near the gym. It's a university gym in Canada, the guy was 130# max, and was probably a freshman.

The only explanation I can think of is that he ran out of normal shoes... but that still wouldn't explain how he got to the gym in the first place when its snowing heavily outside.

Maybe his feet are just really fucking weird-shaped.:confused:

[OITW]

a short, fat kid come up to me... Poor kid
...

I think he likes you!

[toddmr]

I'm doing a set of deadlifts and a guy starts doing back extensions on a seated calf-raise machine near me. He was riding that thing like a bronco.

Sounds like a glute-ham raise done in a gym that doesn't have a glute-ham bench. I've seen them done on a lat-pull machine.

[PVC]

So I had just finished my work set of deadlifts at 280 lbs today, and the really hot trainer who was monitoring the weight room at the time came up to me and she asked me to not drop the weights so hard. Now, I was pretty surprised at this. At some other gym I might expect that sort of crap, but my gym has a deadlift platform and bumper plates, and people perform deadlifts and cleans. So I just kind of stared at her for a second, out of breath from my deadlifts, and all I could figure out to say was "But...but they're deadlifts. You have to drop the weight."

She said that there were offices below us and that dropping the weight that hard is disturbing to the people working there, and that maybe I could just drop the weight more slowly. Still reeling from my work set, I stumbled over my words, saying something about how the concentric portion of the lift was the important part. And she said, "Well if you have to drop it that hard then maybe the weight is too heavy for you".

Burn. That struck a nerve. This girl just dropped on the attractiveness scale from an 8 to a 3...and it would have been a 2, except she was wearing those black tights and she had a great ass. So 3 it is. I wanted to get into a huge argument with this chick, but I immediately realized that this was an argument I couldn't win. She wasn't going to be convinced, and standing there arguing with her would be a waste of both of our times. So I just said that I'd try harder next time to not make so much noise and I left. What a shitty end to a great workout.

[quadancer]

I TOTALLY feel ya there man; same thing here - I was "scaring" the customers.
Just where in the frick do they think they are, anyway?
But just because I'm helpful and nice all the time, they tend to overlook my controlled bangs and occasional last rep growls.
Whatthaheck, I'm the guy who puts away all the dang PLATES!

[Dastardly]

You hardly have to drop the weight in deadlifts. Lowering it under control will provide you with some training effect.

I expend a fair bit of effort always lowering weights under control just out of politeness. It is a small gym with cast iron plates which would make a big 'clang' if I dropped it.

If there really is an office underneath, it is a reasonable request out of courtesy . Unless you really were training true maxes for a powerlifting competition or something.

I wouldve used the opportunity to strike up a friendly conversation instead.

[PVC]

You hardly have to drop the weight in deadlifts. Lowering it under control will provide you with some training effect.

I expend a fair bit of effort always lowering weights under control just out of politeness. It is a small gym with cast iron plates which would make a big 'clang' if I dropped it.

If there really is an office underneath, it is a reasonable request out of courtesy . Unless you really were training true maxes for a powerlifting competition or something.

I wouldve used the opportunity to strike up a friendly conversation instead.

Dastardly...this was my WORK set. It was Heavy. I didn't literally "drop" the weight, of course I lowered it under control because that's how it's supposed to be done. But lowering a deadlift under control doesn't mean doing it slowly. And, in fact, if you reread the deadlift chapter of SS you will learn that lowering the weight slowly is a waste because the extra energy it takes to do so is more effectively used to pick up your next rep.

[Dastardly]

Dastardly...this was my WORK set. It was Heavy. I didn't literally "drop" the weight, of course I lowered it under control because that's how it's supposed to be done. But lowering a deadlift under control doesn't mean doing it slowly. And, in fact, if you reread the deadlift chapter of SS you will learn that lowering the weight slowly is a waste because the extra energy it takes to do so is more effectively used to pick up your next rep.

Sorry, I thought you were literally dropping it from the top. :)

[PVC]

Haha, nope. Maybe I should have been more clear.

[jdj]

Sounds like a glute-ham raise done in a gym that doesn't have a glute-ham bench. I've seen them done on a lat-pull machine.
No, these were definitely supposed to be calf raises. They were followed by a set of what I can only describe as 1/4-leg-press-plus-ankle-extension on the leg press machine.

[quadancer]

How about the extreme boat-rowing cable pull guy who leans all the way forward and pulls until he's almost laying down on his back?
Ya ever wonder just what in heck THAT is supposed to work?

[metermanja]

How about the extreme boat-rowing cable pull guy who leans all the way forward and pulls until he's almost laying down on his back?
Ya ever wonder just what in heck THAT is supposed to work?

everything.

[PVC]

Well you have to use full range of motion!!! Anything else is just masturbation. :D

[Smiler Grogan]

You should have punched him in his bony little chest plate.

That would have shut him up...

LOL. I think if you had come into the gym and stood behind me with your arms crossed while I lifted "until I got the point," I might have punched you in YOUR bony little chest.
Also, for the purposes of a thread making fun of people in the gym, you should keep it a secret that 280# is a deadlift PR for you. I'm just sayin'.

[Guido]

I actually have a positive story to tell. I was doing some front squats on Monday and the roughyl 19 year old guy in the rack next to me asks if I mind if he watched how I do front squats. I say okay, and explain proper technique (weight on heels, elbows high, etc.), then bust out several reps with 285. I also showed him where the bar should sit, etc.

I then see him attempt to do some back squats with 315. Let's just say they were piss poor reps. He was on his toes, way too forward, no back arch, and only going about 1/2 way down. I gave him some pointers on technique and had him do some reps with 225. Amazingly, his form was absolutely picture perfect the first time after I gave him the cues (except I had to make him hit depth by calling out "up!" when he actually hit parallel). He said he had never felt squats work his legs as much (suprise surprise!) and that he was going to to that from now on. I also referred him to this website and told him to read some of Rip's articles and he said he would check it out. There might be hope for him yet.

[grambo]

...she asked me to not drop the weights so hard. Now, I was pretty surprised at this...but my gym has a deadlift platform and bumper plates...She said that there were offices below us...

WTF. Does not compute. Who the hell builds a gym above office space with a platform and bumpers, and then gets surprised when people drop said bumpers and the tenant below complains about loud noises? Even dropping dumbbells, box jumps etc. are going to drive the tenants below insane.

Edit: saw a new exercise yesterday, dude pulls bench into squat rack, loads up 95# or so, take the bar in a semi-rack position, sits down to bench, does essentially a front squat into power jerk, holds it then sits down again. Looked kind of like a CrossFit thruster except he was getting back under the bar (quickly too). I just don't understand why the bench was there and why you would combine the two movements like that.

[StrongIslander,NY]

at my university gym, there are three power racks. I was using one alone for squat + press. In the adjacent rack, five tall skinny indian guys were taking turns curling with the bar. I have nothing against indian guys, i just mention their ethnicity so you can have a better mental image. It was pretty intense stuff.

were they wearing exploding underwear?--

[StrongIslander,NY]

jameson: Isn't that scary, that these salesmen, who are supposed to know their equipment and it's usage, only know about as much as a housewife who watches commercials.
Perhaps he has a thighmaster in his closet too.

id rather picture suzanne summers btwn my thighs.....

[StrongIslander,NY]

lol...i couldn't stop laughing at this comment. I can just imagine you going to grip the bar and bursting out in disbelief: "what the fuck is this shit right here?!" :confused:


i believe that goo is what u call a personal record!!! Wink wink!

[StrongIslander,NY]

this morning i was told i need protection for my balls when deadlifting. I just nodded and walked away.

was it paul sousa's gym?....lol

[StrongIslander,NY]

i use the rack backwards, there's a mirror directly in front of the rack at my gym.

mine too- i get alot of ppl telling me can i give u some free advice-you should be looking in the mirror to gage yourself and its safer u can see the hooks in the mirror without looking side to side.

I said i rather concentrate on form and depthness-looking in the mirror fucks me up as its 2 dimensional-also i get alot you gotta keep your back perpendicular or almost when u back squat and never look down in fact look up cause this keeps ur chest up.

Ok thanks for the manual leg press schematics.

[StrongIslander,NY]

i suppose that can be done safely if you have good technique. But if you're turning your head to look for the hooks, you will eventually wreck.

You could try wearing a baseball cap low, so you can't see the mirror, and just focus on the floor. Mine is in front of a mirror too, but there is some wall between the floor and mirror that i look at.

mine butts right up against the wall-i always end up using high bar as theres not enough room to get it to low bar position w/o crashing into the wall face first

[JayvH]

Burn. That struck a nerve. This girl just dropped on the attractiveness scale from an 8 to a 3...and it would have been a 2, except she was wearing those black tights and she had a great ass. So 3 it is. I wanted to get into a huge argument with this chick, but I immediately realized that this was an argument I couldn't win.
How about arguing not to win this thing but sit down with her for a protein drink (or take her to the shower) and than gently change subjects.

[PVC]

Why would I want to start anything with this chick? She was only a 3, after all.

[Chewie_jrc]

I actually met this cat at the gym who was squatting, benching, then deadlifting. He high bar squats, but it's pretty solid form, to good depth, and he's stronger than me. It was refreshing since I work at a 24 hour fitness and see all kindsa madness. I don't mind waiting my turn on the squat rack if you're ya know...squating. Mind you, this has been the exception by far...not the rule.

[dcurrin]

I don't mind waiting my turn on the squat rack if you're ya know...squating.
Yeah, tonight the three squat racks contained: a guy doing high bar quarter squats, a guy doing 85lb barbell curlz, and a guy with a personal trainer whose workout consisted of "hang from these straps and swing around like a monkey"

[PVC]

Guy doing behind-the-neck push presses.

[Benthic]

I actually have a positive story to tell.
<snip>

As do I. This morning in the gym, while I was finishing up my squat work sets, a kid I hadn't seen before decided to use the rack next to me (the only other one). He proceeded to do below parallel squats. Granted he was doing them in his socks, and with very light weight, but we all gotta start somewhere. He then went on to bench press and dead lift. I didn't watch closely as I was busy with my own workout, but it seems that he's doing the 'A Workout' from the basic SS program (A=Squat/Bench/Dead, B=Squat/Press/Pwr Clean). Other than one other power lifter, he's the only guy I've seen at my gym that squats correctly.

Brian

[quadancer]

Trainee yesterday was instructed to do tricep pushups from a bench behind the back - even with the feet on the FLOOR - dipping only about 1-2".
The instructor actually said "Good, that's it!"

"It" for what? Keeping her job? Tying up the bench?

[grambo]

Guy doing behind-the-neck push presses.

Hmm? These are a legit exercise used by weightlifters, sometimes in snatch grip as well.

[elVarouza]

I'm sorry, but this thread is pretty ridiculous. It seems like a lot of the comments here are "some guy was doing an exercise not endorsed by Rippetoe so he's an idiot!".

Some guy doing squats on an exercise ball while naked is something to notice in a gym. Some skinny guy, who doesn't know better, doing half bench presses isn't.

I also don't understand how people get upset by anything in a gym that doesn't directly affect them. E.g. I can understand getting upset if an unwanted spotter lifts the weight for you on your last rep. But shit like 'I saw some guy doing 405lb quarter squats thinking he was the man and it infuriated me'...who the fuck cares? There will always be people in the gym who don't know better and/or don't want to learn. Why does this matter to you?

[JayvH]

Why would I want to start anything with this chick? She was only a 3, after all.
Maybe you can rehot her to an 8 or even advance her to 9 or 10 by bringing her to deadlift.

[Mr.City]

I'm sorry, but this thread is pretty ridiculous. It seems like a lot of the comments here are "some guy was doing an exercise not endorsed by Rippetoe so he's an idiot!".

Some guy doing squats on an exercise ball while naked is something to notice in a gym. Some skinny guy, who doesn't know better, doing half bench presses isn't.

I also don't understand how people get upset by anything in a gym that doesn't directly affect them. E.g. I can understand getting upset if an unwanted spotter lifts the weight for you on your last rep. But shit like 'I saw some guy doing 405lb quarter squats thinking he was the man and it infuriated me'...who the fuck cares? There will always be people in the gym who don't know better and/or don't want to learn. Why does this matter to you?

Don't be a buzzkill. This thread is about documenting the silly bullshit, the real silly bullshit, not half squats and squat rack curlin'. For example, the feller who likes to load the cable machines up with weight, hold on to both handles, walk about 10 feet from the machines, do some strange punching moment for about 12-18 reps before he fatigues and the weight snaps him back into the machine.

Or the guy who does Randy "Macho Man" Savage "Oh yeahs" between heavy quarter squat reps. Or the two man faggot team tearing ass after each shitty power clean, which would be dropped immediately on the ground, no bumpers, no platform. Or the gym employee telling them that dropping their mighty 175 lb power clean would cause the bar go through the fucking floor.

Now I'm not upset (except for farting after each rep and giggling about it) I find it funny and amusing.

[PVC]

Hmm? These are a legit exercise used by weightlifters, sometimes in snatch grip as well.

Really? I would have thought it was dangerous...it sure scared the fuck out of me to watch this guy do them.

I stand corrected.

[Magnetotail]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OZc6J89b1-E

Marius Pudzianowksi does them. Personally I hate the idea of doing anything behind the neck.

[Platus]

These are a legit exercise used by weightlifters, sometimes in snatch grip as well.It's called a snatch balance; it's an assistance exercise for the snatch: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=idyhuDgmpuU

[Patrick]

I joined a gym last week... been a long time since I was in one of those places. I haven't had a chance to notice much, but I really don't like the sales people... so effing pushy.

[Mr.City]

I once had a brief membership at a gym where they offered assessments; body fat, cardiovascular, etc. Their strength assessment test consisted of how much you could curl. I shit you not.

[gzt]

there's a difference between a snatch-grip BTN push press and a snatch balance, at least hte way I learned. The snatch balance, you basically push up and drop under into the snatch receiving position - the bar doesn't go up much.

[Dastardly]

there's a difference between a snatch-grip BTN push press and a snatch balance, at least hte way I learned. The snatch balance, you basically push up and drop under into the snatch receiving position - the bar doesn't go up much.

The snatch balance is obviously to train stability in dropping into a overhead squat with maximal weight. (to aid in making succesful snatches)

Behind neck presses are for direct upper body strength.

Kind of a no-brainer.

[grambo]

there's a difference between a snatch-grip BTN push press and a snatch balance, at least hte way I learned. The snatch balance, you basically push up and drop under into the snatch receiving position - the bar doesn't go up much.

Correct. Snatch balance properly done you basically unload the barbell (you don't want to jerk/press it high up, you just want to unweight it) and drive yourself under it to the receiving position. I'm not familiar with why BTN push-press and jerk is used, other than you can do more weight with it and the bar path is easy (vertical), I guess to train those positions.

[quadancer]

I usually defer people from doing anything behind the head unless they're competing for wrestling. Nothing in life requires it and in incidences of shoulder injury there is high, so why risk? But you've added one more - snatches.
I never lost any muscle due to pressing or pulling in front.

[matclone]

In my USAW video from about ten years ago, they show jerks/push presses from behind the neck as part of their sequence in learning the lifts. It's part of the movement in the snatch balance (aka as the drop snatch). If you do the snatch balance (a common assistance exercise for weightlifters), you are going to have to learn to take the weight from overhead down to the back of your neck in a controlled manner if you want to rack it or do more than one rep.

I think the press behind the neck is the movement to avoid. At least Starr and Rippetoe have long recommended this.

I've never been injured doing snatches. Your evidence that this is a high-risk movement, quadancer?

[quadancer]

Some of us did research years ago on gym-related injuries, in regards to weightlifting. As I recall, it was those, BB front raise, hyperextending in the preacher curls, flat bench and I think smith machine squats that were the worst offenders. It seems that shoulder injuries were more common than anything. Bench was problematic with elbows-out position, BB'er style, not powerlift or strength style bench.
I suffered the preacher curl tendon injuries myself; took 2 years to heal. There was another one, but I can't recall what it was.
With the new "trainers" we have out there, I imagine there's a whole NEW crop of damaging exersizes.
But do what you will; you can have regrets later. Old lifters with dozens of pains are everywhere. Or lift smart and lift longer; your choice.
Oh, and I'm not the one who said snatches were problematic; I don't know much about oly lifting.

[Guido]

Some of us did research years ago on gym-related injuries, in regards to weightlifting. As I recall, it was those, BB front raise, hyperextending in the preacher curls, flat bench and I think smith machine squats that were the worst offenders. It seems that shoulder injuries were more common than anything. Bench was problematic with elbows-out position, BB'er style, not powerlift or strength style bench.
I suffered the preacher curl tendon injuries myself; took 2 years to heal. There was another one, but I can't recall what it was.
With the new "trainers" we have out there, I imagine there's a whole NEW crop of damaging exersizes.
But do what you will; you can have regrets later. Old lifters with dozens of pains are everywhere. Or lift smart and lift longer; your choice.
Oh, and I'm not the one who said snatches were problematic; I don't know much about oly lifting.I would imagine a majority of those injuries from snatches would be a result of people not knowing how to do them properly, and people not knowing how to bail properly when they miss the lift. I'll bet it's even more common now with crossfitters doing these lifts often with poor form.

[WaWa Bird]

First day with everyone back school and the weight room was swamped. I truly envy the bicep curlers. They can pretty much workout anywhere. Like today there were bicep curlers in the squat rack, bicep curlers on the bench presses, 3 kids standing in a circle passing a bar around for biceps, and some guys like to use the bench press as a bicep rack. I had to sit and do nothing for the first 20 minutes today just waiting for the good squat rack open up (the other one has nonadjustable pins that are too high for me). I know there is nothing wrong with certain people working the biceps, but none of these kids are being held back by small biceps.

Another thing that was ticking me off was that no one does a full bench press (except the one kid that benches 300). How does everyone think it's acceptable to lower the bar half way then drive up? I really don't want to become "that guy" that tries to correct everyone's form at the gym, but I'm going to have an ulcer when I see a kid half-way bench 175lbs then jump around cheering like he won some award for being a bad ass.

Lastly here is a golden conversation I heard at the gym. One kid is doing overhead presses. Another kid is bicep curling.

Bicep curler: "What muscles get worked when you do that?"
Press guy: Mainly the shoulders
BC: Eh, I don't need big shoulders.
PG: (feels the kid's shoulder) Yeah you do you have no muscle in the back here.
BC: Girls don't care about shoulders.

He's got a narrow back, tiny shoulders, stick legs, and small forearms. I hope he gets mauled by a bear while he's trying to curl the thing to death.

[Platus]

I would imagine a majority of those injuries from snatches would be a result of people not knowing how to do them properly, and people not knowing how to bail properly when they miss the lift. I'll bet it's even more common now with crossfitters doing these lifts often with poor form.My understanding is that elbow and wrist injuries are the most common for weightlifters. Some of this is probably due to improper form, but I think it is mostly just the unavoidable result of getting slightly out of position while throwing heavy weight over your head.

[Mr.City]

How many times has this happened to you?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2KMSRZtMEA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MRP_VvW6nB4

[IlPrincipeBrutto]

I really don't want to become "that guy" that tries to correct everyone's form at the gym,

Don't, I think it would just be a waste of your time.

IPB

[El Viejo]

Another thing that was ticking me off was that no one does a full bench press (except the one kid that benches 300). How does everyone think it's acceptable to lower the bar half way then drive up?

This is a fairly recent phenomenon. I posted several months ago that I'd noticed more and more people benching this way. I asked if there had been some recent articles in the muscle mags advocating this partial bench press movement, but never got any good replies. There has to be some reason people are doing this, because it's becoming the norm rather than the exception. At least they guys who used to bounce the bar off their chests were doing a full ROM. :D

[Sami]

This is a fairly recent phenomenon. I posted several months ago that I'd noticed more and more people benching this way. I asked if there had been some recent articles in the muscle mags advocating this partial bench press movement, but never got any good replies. There has to be some reason people are doing this, because it's becoming the norm rather than the exception. At least they guys who used to bounce the bar off their chests were doing a full ROM. :D

Invisible Board Bress.

[quadancer]

So they swap out a high sticking point to create a low one.

To the rack curler: "You gonna SQUAT?" - Simple enough.

[Paul Sousa]

This is a fairly recent phenomenon. I posted several months ago that I'd noticed more and more people benching this way. I asked if there had been some recent articles in the muscle mags advocating this partial bench press movement, but never got any good replies. There has to be some reason people are doing this, because it's becoming the norm rather than the exception. At least they guys who used to bounce the bar off their chests were doing a full ROM. :D

I used to bench somewhat like this many years ago before I knew better. I used a grip that was way too wide and would stop a couple inches above my chest. My reason was "touching my chest is bad for my shoulders". Little did I know at the time my wide grip and flared elbows was what was hurting them. Luckily I have seen the light and now bench correctly, with more weight and no pain.

[grambo]

Saw a new one last night. My gym has two squat racks facing each other in the back, in between them is a hack squat machine like this:

http://www.donoliver.co.nz/images/TB-1000%20Hack%20Squat%20Machine.jpg

I was finishing up doing some stretching and hip rehab when this dude came in, grabbed a barbell, stood in the hack squat machine and started curling it. I guess he was using it to keep his back straight? Why not just lean against the wall? I'd ask why not just use the fixed weight barbells that range from 20-110lbs but why bother.

I've also seen this dude front squat (with pretty good form to be fair) standing on a 2 inch box, still scratching my head on that one.

[coreJack]

To the rack curler: "You gonna SQUAT?" - Simple enough.
Fortunately, I've never seen anyone doing curls in the rack at my gym. But I think quad's question would be enough to shoo them away.

I also haven't seen all the celebrating after a partial bench or partial squat that everyone seems to talk about. Perhaps I'm not paying enough attention or perhaps the people at my gym are a bit more subdued, though there is no shortage of dumb shit being done (much of which I was also guilty of prior to discovering strength training).

[coreJack]

I was finishing up doing some stretching and hip rehab when this dude came in, grabbed a barbell, stood in the hack squat machine and started curling it. I guess he was using it to keep his back straight? Why not just lean against the wall? I'd ask why not just use the fixed weight barbells that range from 20-110lbs but why bother.
No idea why he was using the hack squat machine for curls, but dumbbells over barbells for curls is easy to explain - easier on the wrists.

[Tim Lofton]

http://www.donoliver.co.nz/images/TB-1000%20Hack%20Squat%20Machine.jpg

Looks like a Transformer.

[Jon]

Today some fucking idiot kicks me in the shin right when I was unracking the weight for a bench, asking "Hey man, you need a spot?" He was lucky it was my warm-up set.

Fucking morons in uni gyms need to be shot in the head to see if a brain comes out.

/endrant

[Dastardly]

Today some fucking idiot kicks me in the shin right when I was unracking the weight for a bench, asking "Hey man, you need a spot?" He was lucky it was my warm-up set.

Fucking morons in uni gyms need to be shot in the head to see if a brain comes out.

/endrant

you shoulve thrown the barbell at them and pretended it was a reflex.

[Paul Sousa]

Normally I don't see anything worth posting about, but tonight I saw a guy with a swiss ball on the ground next to a cable station. He got down and basically mounted it doggy style, leaned forward, and then did curls with his arms on the ball preacher curl style. Very odd.

[PVC]

Today there were two guys who started using the deadlifting platform at about the same time I finished my squats. I did my bench warmup sets and my three work sets, and they were still there. I asked them how many more sets they had left, and they said "we've got a few more of deadlifts, and then we're doing cleans". Okay. So I should probably warm up my deadlifts in one of the racks, since they had a few more sets to go. The problem was, there were three other groups of people who decided to do the same thing since these guys had been using the platform for a while. I had to work in with people to get my warmups in. First I worked in with the weaker people so I could start with a light weight, and then I worked in with the stronger people so I could use a heavier weight, and I did this for all of my warm up sets. Then I waited for the guys on the platform to finish.

They didn't.

Well, they did eventually. But they just kept doing sets, of about 5-10 reps, with three plates, over and over and over. And over. Then, finally, the big guy loads up a fourth plate and some change. "This is it", I thought. And it was. For deadlifts. Then they started doing cleans. And I had to keep waiting.

They spent a total of about 50 minutes using that platform, 30 minutes of which I had to wait through after I finished my bench. Fucking ridiculous.

[Polynomial]

They spent a total of about 50 minutes using that platform, 30 minutes of which I had to wait through after I finished my bench. Fucking ridiculous.

"Hey, can I work in with you guys?"

[simonsky]

there is a method to the madness after all of the madness of wide grip bench pressiing!!

"oh it hurts my shoulders when it touches my chest"

i'm glad that when i was doing wide grip bench press, i at least touch my chest... though it injured my scrawny pre-cleaning shoulders.

[Guido]

"Hey, can I work in with you guys?"

Yep. Very simple.

Most serious powerlifters are going to take a long time to get through a deadlift workout, especially if there are several working in. I'm sure they wouldn't have had a problem with you working in, though, if you'd just asked.

[Patrick]

I'm bucking the trend by saying nice things about a commercial "health club" but I did power cleans and deadlifts yesterday in front of the only non-Smith rack the place has and I got kudos from the employees. The plates are the octagonal ones, though... bruised the shins a little before I figured out how to deal with it. I'm sorta liking the whole enterprise so far.

[WaWa Bird]

I actually did have a good experience at my uni gym today. I was working on my squats and got 4 reps of 355 out. One of the strength training professors came up to me and congratulated me. I told him about my progress and he recommended that I look into Louie Simmons work. I don't plan on going Westside, but it's nice to know that at least one strength professors knows about the guy.

[mcsquared]

I just joined a local gym today, one that wasn't commercial before but looks like its gonna turn into one. When i went into the weight room area, they had torn up the walls and were marking where they were gonna put 5 60" LCD TVs for a new Cardio room. They then told me that the weight room was being moved into the basketball court area which was then gonna become a half-court. I was fine with this, as long as they keep at least one power-rack and squat rack. Hell, maybe they'll get smart and add bumper plates. I asked about chalk and their excuse was "people make a huge mess and then folks slip on it as they walk by." I was, at that moment, talking to some dude in management. Maybe I dont understand chalk, but wouldn't it be harder to slip on the stuff if it even got on the floor?

Regardless, I told them I'd be careful with my chalk and they said that'd be fine BUT they may change their policy once they're finished remodeling. Bah. I'll just clean up after myself and hopefully they won't make too much noise about it. Especially since i'm gonna be in this back room with other like-minded people who probably wont give a shit about chalk.

My quotes of the day come from someone who was like, "dude check out this guys squats" and the other guys' reply was, "No thanks, I like my knees the way they are."

Guess I wont have good knees for much longer.

Also, today while working out I saw an older guy, probably in his 30s, benching 225. Except he has this tiny kid spotting him. The kids hands never left the bar the entire time. After finishing his "set" the old guy congratulated the kid on a "good spot."

Hopefully I won't regret joining this gym.

[coreJack]

1. Bouncing deadlifts in a Smith machine.

2. Woman doing birddogs with hands and knees balancing on foam rollers. She must have learned this nonsense from a personal trainer. In the time she spent doing a few half-assed wobbly reps, she could have cranked out a lot of solid reps without the rollers and accomplished more of the activation that is the point of the exercise.

[Rorschach]

What the hell is a birddog? Some kind of yoga position?

[killyouintheface]

What the hell is a birddog? Some kind of yoga position?

It gives you elite abz!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L1kranTPgxI

[coreJack]

It gives you elite abz!
You do realize that not every movement not listed in SS:BBT is useless?

[Benthic]

<snip>
Also, today while working out I saw an older guy, probably in his 30s...
<snip>

Older? Man that's harsh... :)

Brian (who is, apparently, "older")

[Rorschach]

You do realize that not every movement not listed in SS:BBT is useless?

Unless you're in such poor health you can barely move, that looks pretty useless to me. Not because it's not in SS:BBT though. :P

Disclaimer: I'm not criticising people who do them, I just think there're better things to do with your time.

[Sami]

Hmmm, well I saw something ridiculous AND dangerous.

With the bosu ball behind him, and whilst standing on one leg, this guy jumps and spins around to land on the bosu ball on the same jumping leg and try to balance on there. I so wanted him to roll and crack his ankle just to teach him a lesson (ok, maybe not actually crack/break).

[coreJack]

Unless you're in such poor health you can barely move, that looks pretty useless to me. Not because it's not in SS:BBT though. :P

Disclaimer: I'm not criticising people who do them, I just think there're better things to do with your time.
Depends on who we're talking about. I'd bet a majority of the adult population couldn't do that exercise easily with correct form, so for them, it may be worthwhile - these are people who aren't going to be able to squat properly from day one. But if we're talking about people in their late-teens to early-20s, that's a different story, as that's a group that hasn't developed the dysfunction that accompanies years of desk jockeying or accumulation of injuries.

Anyway, I find it useful and include it in my warmup.

[Mr.City]

I love bench fetishists,even when they should know better.

Young guy in his late teens to early 20's with a long standing shoulder injury that doesn't allow him the full ROM of a bench. Maybe it's time to stop benching and sub pressing in instead, right? Nah. Load the bar up with a bunch of weigh and spot me as I do 1/4 ROM. The best part when he hit failure and the weigh of the bar forced him into an almost ROM. His face twisted in pain and he croaked, "Help me!".

He's not unique though. So many young un's with bad rotator cuffs insisting that they continue benching and doing no overhead work.

[coreJack]

He's not unique though. So many young un's with bad rotator cuffs insisting that they continue benching and doing no overhead work.
I can relate. Part of it is that many physical therapists will contraindicate overhead pressing for people with shoulder injuries, but they don't say anything about benching.

[matclone]

Overhead movments have been largely absent from gyms in the U.S. for many decades. Some reasons:
--the rise of bodybuilding in the 60s, and later powerlifting, with a corresponding demise in Olympic lifting.
--the elimination of the clean and press from weightlifting competition in 1972
--football announcers never tell us how much a player can press. Almost always, they cite the bench press
--overhead movements are generally harder to do than those lying down
--fewer racks and more machines in today's gyms--sends a certain message to the gym user
--typically performed with an anachronistic piece of equipment: the barbell
--personal trainers not taught how to do them, so they can't teach you
--doesn't isolate anything
--fewer appearances of such movements in muscle and "fitness" magazines
--one can never overhead press as much as he/she can bench press. The ego of numbers and large plates.
--doesn't develop the chest, and most don't know how it develops the arms. These, of course, are the only important muscles besides the abs;
--that thing called the jerk looks pretty complicated and what if I drop it?
--for that matter, they all look kind of dangerous
--no one else is doing them except that guy using the rack in the corner with a dog-eared copy of Starting Strength sticking out of his gym bag;