Joined a new gym last night. Hilarious

[Nick Klemetson]

I think the way most people around here train is "inward-to-outward," meaning we start with our squat/bench/deadlift/press, and then progress outward and do ancillary shoulder/bicep/tricep/calf work if there's time or a desire to.

I saw a wonderful "outward-to-inward" circuit today. Just as I'm about to hop in the power rack, a guy beats me to it, loads up a 5 lb plate on each side, and does a set of 20 or so wrist curls. Still holding the bar, he does about 20 calf raises. Racking the bar and using a supine grip, he moves to half curls, bringing the forearm parallel to the floor. Racking the bar again, it's a quick dart over to the cable station for cable raises and cable back flys (I guess you can call them). I moved to benching instead so I lost track of exactly how many times he and his girlfriend did this, but I think it was 3 times. Then they went to the other rack and did some power jerks with a different empty bar.

The enjoyment of watching this almost canceled out the fact that I couldn't do my squats.

[Dastardly]

Guy in knee wraps on the leg press machine next to me.. that's a first for me!

Makes sense if its a serious weight. A young bodybuilder at my gym (actually competes and trains well) does rep work with 4 plates on squats, then does plate loaded leg press with ALL the weight, max stacked, but with knee wraps. Its mostly for safety when done with decent weights. Holds the knee together. Which is important if you squat on a block of wood like this guy.

[Corrie]

Guy in knee wraps on the leg press machine next to me.. that's a first for me!

I have a friend at work who does this for the hack squat machine. He's an older guy with some injuries and I gave him an old pair I didn't use to keep things tracking right. He said they feel great. He knows free weights would be better but he's scared to injure himself again. I figure it's at least better than doing leg curls/extensions so I just said keep it up.

[DaveHH]

This isn't necessarily 'hilarious' but there are certain women that get trained fairly hard by personal trainers at my 24H gym.
You can be across the other end of the gym and hear them panting, groaning and sometimes yelling.
If I'm resting, I wouldn't mind.
But imagine trying to focus on a hard squat only to hear what sounds like an orgasm 30 feet away. lol
Would that be a valid excuse to miss my 5RM?

[Kyle Schuant]

If I'm doing a 5RM I go deaf.

Like once when I was doing 20 rep squats, as I got under the bar Britney Spears came on, I thought, "fuck, I can't do 20 reps with her playing!" 3 reps in I've no idea what was playing.

[DaveHH]

If I'm doing a 5RM I go deaf.

Like once when I was doing 20 rep squats, as I got under the bar Britney Spears came on, I thought, "fuck, I can't do 20 reps with her playing!" 3 reps in I've no idea what was playing.

During the reps, for sure I go deaf too.
But that brief moment at the top, its just enough to hear it.
Perhaps its the male in me with selective hearing. I think my ability to tune out Britney Spears is greater than perceived sex sounds.
I'm weak I tell ya!

And BTW, I didn't actually miss the 5RM, just wondering if that would be a valid excuse.
Maybe scream back to compensate?

No, I don't think anyone wants to hear that.

[Rook]

I saw someone doing a low bar squat today at my gym! A first!

It was a 20-something pregnant lady, probably 6 or 7 months along.

Hip crease didn’t break patella, just an inch high or so, but she was squatting deeper than 90% of everyone else.
Even with a basketball poking out of her shirt.

[lwoodroff]

Makes sense if its a serious weight. A young bodybuilder at my gym (actually competes and trains well) does rep work with 4 plates on squats, then does plate loaded leg press with ALL the weight, max stacked, but with knee wraps. Its mostly for safety when done with decent weights. Holds the knee together. Which is important if you squat on a block of wood like this guy.

Yeah. This was a young guy with no more than two plates a side. Maybe he has dodgy knees or something...

[Kyle Schuant]

During the reps, for sure I go deaf too.
But that brief moment at the top, its just enough to hear it.
Perhaps its the male in me with selective hearing. I think my ability to tune out Britney Spears is greater than perceived sex sounds.
I'm weak I tell ya!

It's a weakness all men share. Our racks face the mirror. Even during my heaviest 20 rep squat I noticed the hot chick in booty shorts looking at herself sideways in the mirror as she did some light RDLs.

[DaveHH]

It's a weakness all men share. Our racks face the mirror. Even during my heaviest 20 rep squat I noticed the hot chick in booty shorts looking at herself sideways in the mirror as she did some light RDLs.

Ahh yes, hot girl in tight pants/shorts, doing RDLs.
The twerking of gym exercises.
Can't. Look. Away.