Joined a new gym last night. Hilarious

[pertuset]

The aerobics craze, propelled by Jane Fonda, took off in the 1980s when the hedonism that distinguished the ’70s began to give way to a new urban ethic of busyness, long hours and the march toward more and more money. [whose experience of the 70s was a March towards more and more money? ...]

You're misreading this. It's not saying the "march toward more and more money" happened in the 70s. It's saying it took place in the 80s, displacing the hedonism of the 70s.

[Mark E. Hurling]

Mark,

I'd argue that the core readership of the Times was largely unconcerned with wages.

No doubt correct. I guess we share the dubious distinction of having been wage slaves.

[George Christiansen]

Mark,

I'd argue that the core readership of the Times was largely unconcerned with wages.

They are probably quite concerned with other peoples' wages. There are lots of other people making too much.

[olddognewtricks]

They are probably quite concerned with other peoples' wages. There are lots of other people making too much.

Which is why they can't get good help these days, I guess.

[Hydro]

This morning, two guys were using the only powerrack at the gym. I asked how long they had left and it was only one set so I just stuck around and waited. They were about 5'7" and had the safeties set at nipple height - that's right, mid-chest! There were 400lbs on the bar and they made sure everybody found out about that, hyping each other up, grunting, slapping the plates etc.
One of them then proceeded to get under the bar with his buddy right behind him, "spotting" him ass-on-crotch, back-on-chest, both arms under the other dude's armpits. Needless to say, as soon as they got the bar up and tried walking it out, they collapsed onto the safeties with a loud bang.

They then took half the plates off and did 6-10 reps of some of the most butchered quarter-squats ever (if they even went that low), banging the bar on the safeties every rep.

[Pluripotent]

You're misreading this. It's not saying the "march toward more and more money" happened in the 70s. It's saying it took place in the 80s, displacing the hedonism of the 70s.

You're probably right, but changing the decade doesn't change the phenomenal economic ignorance of the statement. Fact is, since WWII, the US has been cycling between (government created) boom/bust cycles that are increasing in frequency as time goes on...(and government power increases). They are referring to a bubble period without acknowledging cause, and without acknowledging the following bursting of the bubble.

[Les Hahn]

This morning, two guys were using the only powerrack at the gym. I asked how long they had left and it was only one set so I just stuck around and waited. They were about 5'7" and had the safeties set at nipple height - that's right, mid-chest! There were 400lbs on the bar and they made sure everybody found out about that, hyping each other up, grunting, slapping the plates etc.
One of them then proceeded to get under the bar with his buddy right behind him, "spotting" him ass-on-crotch, back-on-chest, both arms under the other dude's armpits. Needless to say, as soon as they got the bar up and tried walking it out, they collapsed onto the safeties with a loud bang.

They then took half the plates off and did 6-10 reps of some of the most butchered quarter-squats ever (if they even went that low), banging the bar on the safeties every rep.

Did they wreck the bar dropping it like that?

[Hydro]

Did they wreck the bar dropping it like that?

To my surprise, the bar seemed fine after that (used it for my whole workout). Usually, about every two weeks a bar get's messed up around here from bounce-deadlifts with steel plates.

[Charlocity2]

To my surprise, the bar seemed fine after that (used it for my whole workout). Usually, about every two weeks a bar get's messed up around here from bounce-deadlifts with steel plates.

Used to be you had to check if a house pool cue was straight by rolling it on the table first and looking for a wobble. Guess you could do that with an Olympic barbell on the safeties.

[Les Hahn]

Used to be you had to check if a house pool cue was straight by rolling it on the table first and looking for a wobble. Guess you could do that with an Olympic barbell on the safeties.

You can even just put them on the hooks of a power rack or bench and just roll it over a few times. You will see the wobble right away. This is why we lock up our good competition bars. People will see a deadlift bar and then do rack pulls with it.