January fad exercises observations

[JustinTxDave]

Yes, the start of a new year and a chance to see faces in the gym I have not seen in about eleven months! Usually I take it easy in the first month of the year after taking the end of December off; prioritization if you like. This year my right wrist is torn up from a non gym incident so I can not do the full SS program which brings me closer in proximity to the those who have returned from the gym diaspora.

This year the big thing seems to be farmers walk with heavy dumbbells. The idea is to walk up and down the isle at the gym but the reality is that the heavy dumbbells litter the gym floor like dog turds in a park. Asking them to re-rack by me or gym management leads to confused looks, outbursts, and indifference.

The Flying Wallenda style of pull up made popular by CrossFitters is back this year. One gent actually went full Nadia Comaneci today and launched himself over the bar and into a face plant.

Trying to take flight dumb bell lateral raises have surpassed curling with 5 pound plates on an Olympic bar in the squat rack. But the two guys who were squatting with 225 on the Bosu ball seem to have not returned this year.

And finally reverse grip incline bench presses in the Smith Machine are back after a two year hiatus.

So what new fads are you seeing this year in your gym?

[Ivey]

The folks in charge of my facility just ordered some kettlebells. Should be something to watch once they come in.

[David Clark]

Heavy dumbbell lunges as they walk across the gym.

[Nockian]

Two guys walking up and down with some kind of weighted ball. They pick it off the floor, raise it as high as they can, then smack it down onto the floor with as much force as they can muster. Really, really, fucking annoying if I'm trying to do lifts as I don't wear headphones.

Then there was a guy stood by the side of the leg press. I think he was lifting the weights with his hands. The dude was making that much noise I thought I better check out he wasn't screaming for help.

Then there's the nutter who puts a ton of weight on the standing Lat pull machine and just lets it all drop like a pile driver-you can feel the bloody floor shake.

Finally another ball buster-throwing an normal common or garden round football at maximum intensity against the wall of the gym. Fuck, fuck, fuck that ones annoying as its right next to the racks. I seriously considered taking the bloody ball off him and kicking it out the door.

Kettlewell balancing acts and s....t....re.....t...c....h...i.......n.....g for hours on end is pretty much the normal situation.

[MarinePMI]

Sometimes I wonder, "How do these people have all this time for stretching?" I can barely fit a work out these days into 1 1/2 hrs between a few warm up sets, work sets and rest between sets...

[Nockian]

Sometimes I wonder, "How do these people have all this time for stretching?" I can barely fit a work out these days into 1 1/2 hrs between a few warm up sets, work sets and rest between sets...

They only do stretching. I've never seen them pick up a weight or even use a machine.

[Evelyn O'Donnell]

But at the end of the day, they can say to themselves, "I went to the gym". That's the important part.

If I feel the urge to do any stretching, I do it in my living room while watching TV, but "I watched TV doesn't sound as good as "I went to the gym".

[Nockian]

But at the end of the day, they can say to themselves, "I went to the gym". That's the important part.

If I feel the urge to do any stretching, I do it in my living room while watching TV, but "I watched TV doesn't sound as good as "I went to the gym".

I'm sure that's exactly what's going on. We are obviously all part of the Rippology movement so it appears completely weird that somebody should think that way. I've watched many people who look like they are supermarket shopping without a list. I have no idea if their approach is entirely random, or if they have a specific routine. I sometimes feel the need to preach-particularly when I watch people in my age group fucking around doing sit ups, swinging from the strap frame, or doing an isolation exercise on a machine. To me that's just wasting a lot of time and energy that could be used productively to improve.

I don't so much care about the youngsters. I've seen them doing the cardio, stretching and light dumbbell activities. Another waste of time, but they have plenty of it, and their bodies aren't wasting away like us older guys and gals. So, if it makes them feel good, who cares. It's the oldsters that really need the advice quickly before they end up in a straight backed chair waiting for somebody to come and feed them. I presume the older people are in the gym in order to extend/improve their lives, but just don't have the nounce to find a program which will maximise their limited time.

[Culican]

II sometimes feel the need to preach-particularly when I watch people in my age group fucking around doing sit ups, swinging from the strap frame, or doing an isolation exercise on a machine. To me that's just wasting a lot of time and energy that could be used productively to improve.

I feel the same way. I want to go over to them and say, "Hey, you don't have time to waste on this type of crap."

[Nockian]

I feel the same way. I want to go over to them and say, "Hey, you don't have time to waste on this type of crap."

If they just got to read a copy of the barbell prescription it would change their lives for ever. We are desperately in need of coaches in my area that aren't limited to Zumba classes and spinning. I've never yet seen one of the gym coaches come over to the lifting platform and show a client how to get under a barbell. It's always leg press, rowing, recumbent cycling and cable pulls. I'm champing at the bit to do something, though I'm still such an absolute novice myself. I have the time now I'm semi-retired and I know most of these people will have the cash to pay me. Win-win. I'm training my wife -and she asked me to train her and comes looking for me of a Friday evening. She even calls me coach !