Joined a new gym last night. Hilarious

[Carlos Daniel]

dude looked like he had swallowed a tank.

lol

[David Clark]

Was thug life in the gym today...

Was using the shitty rack as the good rack was being used for pull-ups (wtf) and the guy wouldn't budge (even though there is a TRX rack with 5 pull-up stations 5 feet away). The hooks are 8 or 9 inches apart, so I was unracking the weight pretty low compared to what I'm used to, so the weights were sliding around on walkout. Well on the 225 warm up set, one slid right the fuck off, since my partner didn't collar his side.

That was an interesting experience. I didn't drop the bar or get injured, so all is good. It was funny as hell.

My standard response to people using equipment in strange ways is to use my sincerest voice, as if I truly want their wisdom, and ask something like, "What is the advantage of doing pullups on the squat rack instead of the pullup stations on the TRX rack?"

[Adam Skillin]

This guy was doing some "alternate 85lb thrusters and AMRAP pull-up for time" deal, so I honestly wasn't interested in talking with him further.

He was doing Fran, perhaps?

[hollismb]

Didn't see her around. Don't know.

But seriously though, there's plenty of good reasons to be doing pull-ups or chins in the power rack. Those pull-up stations often don't have straight bars, and sometimes have that annoying rubber coating on them. Then there's too-skinny bars, too-fat bars, too-low bars.... the list goes on. I used to always do chins in the squat rack at both an LA Fitness and the corporate gym I belong to because it's simply the best place to do them. If somebody was using the rack, I'd wait between sets and ask to hop in, or stand off to the side when I wasn't doing them in case they actually wanted to use it to squat. Now that corporate gym has remodeled, and replaced a perfectly functioning power cage with this piece of crap, a 32mm bolted end bar, and not enough weights to even warm up with (so thank goodness for my garage gym):

[hollismb]

Ironically, the gym I frequent has that same exact half-rack. It sucks horribly. It likes to try to destroy my hands while re-racking the bar.

Yeah, I've never even used the thing, and I could tell it was designed by someone who's never lifted any decent weight. Took one look after they re-opened from the remodel, and haven't been back. The pegs are too short to hold any serious weight, the pull-up bars make it impossible to do a chin-up and are covered with the rubber coating that makes your hands slip a little bit on every rep, the hooks are spaced pretty far apart and offer no protection for the bar while simultaneously threatening to cut off your fingers, and the lowest setting for the safeties is still too high if you happen to be a shorter person.

The power rack also has the same cambered handles as what you have shown. The TRX thing is 3 pillars, 5 straight bars, and a round steel circle, nothing more. The bars are reasonably close to the thickness of a standard Olympic bar.

Ah, so your gym bros just don't know any better. They see the crappy pull-up bars and think the should be doing pull-ups there, when the superior straight bar option is right next to them. The best pull-up bar is easily the 1.25 powder coated straight bar that holds chalk well.

[Bartman]

Overheard in the locker room:

"Bro, I just get on the treadmill and keep my heart rate between 130 and 140 and just keep going. I don't even sweat. After I'm done I feel all limber and shit. And it's that fat burning shit too bro, doesn't affect muscle."

I need a new gym.

[limace31]

Just back from the gym...
i was doing presses in the only squat rack (actually a barbell holder they converted into a squat rack) when a very skinny teenage guy asked me how many I had left. He wanted to do squats so I offered to work in.

He did what looks like low-bar squats but with his hands way out on the sides, knee caving and foot placed less than shoulder width, toes pointed straight. I offered to help and explained the difference between low-bar and high-bar, etc. and told him to pick the one that suited him best. Surprisingly, he chose low-bar and I felt nice about it.

Here comes the bro-employee:

"Man, you should never do that man...you gonna fuck your back."

He then went on to demonstrate a "real, safe squat" with a very vertical back and...on TIPTOES. He stressed the importance of the vertical back and made the young dude swear that he'll never do that again.

It made me suddenly realize that almost all the people at my gym must have a very poor opinion of me and see me as "this crazy fuck who works only his legs and is killing his back and knees".

It makes me real sad...

EDIT: He then put the guy on the leg extension machine and had him do walking lunges with 5kgs dumbbells.

[ithryn]

[mev20]

It made me suddenly realize that almost all the people at my gym must have a very poor opinion of me and see me as "this crazy fuck who works only his legs and is killing his back and knees".

Also, who starts with just a bar and does so many warm-up sets, hardly does any reps and takes ridiculously long rest breaks.

I pretty much assume everyone at the gym thinks what I'm doing is weird. I do get the sense that the constant progress is getting noticed, which is good. I've had a few people comment and/or ask questions.

[cutlet#]