Joined a new gym last night. Hilarious

[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.