Originally Posted by
Kundahli
Check out this bullshit that happened today (11/22/13):
So I finish up a set of LBBS, strip my bar, go to grab some water. Come back, some dude is in the cage. No big deal. My gym has two cages. Problem is someone else is in the other cage. I decide to start warming up for OHP's just on the ground, no cage, out of the way, as I wait for a cage to open up.
During my warm ups I'm watching the guys in the cages. Guy in Cage 1 is doing some lunges super-set'd with ab work inside the cage. Guy 2 has the bar loaded up but is just standing there doing warm up exercises, no bar, no weight, just active stretching in front of the cage. I keep doing my warm-ups and watching....
10-15 minutes goes by. Guy in cage 1 is still going. He's cool, he's actually using his cage, not a problem. Guy in cage 2 has not touched the bar since he loaded it. He's still warming up. I'm about to ask him if I can work in with him but I'm waiting to see what the fuck he is going to do.
Cage 2 guy now proceeds to load up the bench next to the cage. At this point I'm done with light press warm-ups and I need a cage to to continue (or I could clean the weight up but I prefer a cage). I'm losing my patience with this guy so I approach him.
I ask him "Are you using this cage" he says "yeah". I then point to the bench and ask him if he's using it too, he tells me he is. PATIENCE meter hits zero at this point, but I keep my cool.
I say, very calmly, "Look man, this gym is too small for super-setting" (Local YMCA, 2 cages 1 bench). "You have to pick one piece of equipment or another. You came in here, loaded up the bar, but haven't even used the cage in the last ten minutes. Meanwhile, I've been standing over there doing my warm-ups waiting for a cage to open up. What you're doing isnt very considerate of other YMCA members. If you're warming up, warm up, if you are using the cage, use the cage, same with the bench, but don't hog the equipment especially when you are not actually using it"
At this point the guy turns beat red and goes OFF, like testosterone rage off, on me. "LISTEN KID! I've been here for years, I super set all the time. You don't come in here and tell me what to do!." I tell him to calm down "I didn't mean to come off as rude or impolite". He gets about six inches from my face, I see all his muscles clench up "DONT YOU TELL ME TO FUCKING CALM DOWN!". At this point I'm seriously considering whether or not this situation is going to erupt into violence or diffuse calmly. I weigh the possibility that Im going to have to challenge this dude to Mortal Kombat. Decide thats not a very cool thing to do at a YMCA and should be actively avoided. I end up telling him "You're right, I shouldn't have told you what to do I was just frustrated that you were being inconsiderate with equipment". He gets under the bar and starts cursing as he's doing his reps. Gets out from under the bar, keeps bitching but is calming down. Eventually he runs out of juice, shakes my hand and I say "no hard feelings"
Crazy Friday morning.
I hate super-setters in small gyms. Was speaking up a good idea or should I have approached things differently?