I Was Feeling Soooo Grrrrrrr At the Gym
I’m not one to complain or grouse about little things, but lately I’ve been overwhelmed with this damned headache that hasn’t gone away since last Tuesday. Last night it all came to a head (hehe) when the little sliver of muscle leading from the base of my skull to my shoulder blade felt like a steel wire being twisted in a tourniquet. It would come and go like contractions last night. (As a matter of fact, it’s still going on as I write this. Advil helps for all of 20 minutes, then it’s right back at it again. Grrrrrr……)
And it was really pissing me off, causing me to hate the guts of the guy who took the 20# DB’s I was using for my bicep curls so that HE could use them for HIS bicep curls. WIMP.
I kept my eye on that guy just because next I noticed he was using the wimpiest weights I’ve ever seen a guy use.
He was average build and height, but DAMN.
I was at one of the stations working on my triceps trying not to wince everytime my neck tightened and I saw this guy at the preacher curl bench sneering and leering at himself in the mirror like he was going through the most grueling workout. He’d grip his bicep with his other hand to feel the pump baby.
It looked to me like he was using those 20# DB’s.
But when he walked past me, they were 15#’s. That made me seeth even more! He doesn’t deserve to be sneering and leering like that. In fact, he doesn’t deserve to have biceps at all! I just wanted to say "Gimme those! You’re not treating them right!"
And let’s talk about the guy who was walking around in Richard Simmons style shorty shorts. And he was straight.
Not only did he have nylon shorty shorts on, but he had a fanny pak that he would take off and put on a bench next to him while he did….aw damn I can’t remember the name of the move I did so often to my Jane Fonda workout video back in the 80’s. But it’s a butt firming exercise where you get down on all fours, and bend your leg, lifting your heel toward the ceiling…..
….in his shorty friggin shorts!!
And then he’d get up, clip his handy dandy fanny pak back around his waist and after that, I lost track of the guy.
Let me tell you, if a man is going to wear shorts, they MUST be lower than mid thigh. Especially if he’s going to do butt firming exercises!
Next up….was a man who WAS gay and he had a better ass than I did. He would sashay in his ass shaking swaggar and whip through some tricep presses on about 3 plates worth of weight.
Grrrrr……
Now today, my daughter is home sick from being sick since Sunday. And I’ll have another nighttime workout to do.
It’s leg day today and I’m going rip right through them, dammit!
Last week I did 3 sets of 6 negative reps of squats with 180 lbs.
Tonight I’m going to get through them at 190 lbs.
Okay, I think I’m feeling less Grrrrrr since I got all of this off my chest.
Weight Training: Legs
Cardio: 600
Breakfast: 2 whole eggs, 4 egg whites (24g prot)
oatmeal (5g prot)
blueberries
milk (4g prot)
coffee
Snack: protein shake with milk (32g prot)
Lunch: grilled chicken salad
1 cup angel hair (6g prot)
Snack: protein shake (24g prot)
banana
Dinner: Chicken (40g prot)
veggies
Snack: casein protein shake (24g prot)
March 25, 2009 at 6:10 am
Thanks for the smile your Grrrrr blog put on my face. I laughed about the guy w/the fannie pack becuse i have his cousin at my gym complete with hair style and makeup.
Are you sure you were at the gym and not the local comedy club.
March 25, 2009 at 6:12 am
This guy looked so clean cut too. He could’ve been a doctor or a lawyer.
March 25, 2009 at 6:21 am
I put blinders on when I go to the gym other wise I might snap and kill someone! LOL!
March 25, 2009 at 6:33 am
So you are making fun if the guy doing biceps with 20# db’s. I have had many men that used to train by themselves come to me to train with me. The first workou I ask them what weights they usually use. They tell me and especially on biceps I know to give them much lighter weights a=than what they are used to using. Rarely anyone in the gym, trainers included, works biceps properly…so if the guy with the 20’s had the right form you shouldn’t make fun of him.
I hope you have a great leg-workout tonight!:-)
March 25, 2009 at 6:50 am
I didn’t make fun of him in person. And no one knows him here. So no harm no foul.
March 25, 2009 at 7:23 am
I don’t know why some people seem to go crazy in the gym. It sometimes seems like some type of alternative reality. I know the feeling with having someone mess up your "gym-rythm". I hate it when I have my workout planned and have someone mess with that. One lady, about my age, always comes and takes the handle that I’m using on the cable machine when I walk away to get a cup of water. I leave my towell hanging on the machine as a signal that I’m using it. I guess I will have to start taking it with me to the water fountain. Have a good one.
March 25, 2009 at 7:25 am
I feel you about your neck pain, I get that from sleeping in a bad position. The best thing for it is ice and stretching.
March 25, 2009 at 7:44 am
Ouch on that neck/back muscle. Sounds like a Charlie Horse. Oh the the visual of Richard Simmons shorts. As bad as seeing overweight guys with low riding shorts bend over……..talk about crack of dawn workouts!
March 25, 2009 at 8:02 am
Shannon, I felt like I had split personalities as I was reading this!! I was cringing in empathy-pain listening to your description of your headache/neck/shoulder pain. I was laughing my ass off at your descriptions of the characters in your gym. And then I got all pissed off a protective feeling after reading ‘FreddyKin’s comment to you. Hey Freddy… yeah I’m talking to you… leave my friend alone ya big bully!
Oh boy, I can tell I’m going to be causing trouble down in the gym this morning!
March 25, 2009 at 9:06 am
Hey FREDDIEK, I’ll make fun of the sumbitch using 20 lb dumbells.Especially what he is so stupid that he takes them from some one that was already using them.
March 25, 2009 at 9:09 am
I guess I’m going to have to break out my blog pen again. I hate to do it, but I guess someone needs to do a blog on gym etiquette.
Do other people not realize that OTHER people live in this world too?
March 25, 2009 at 9:12 am
I love your blog. I hope you write it up.
March 25, 2009 at 10:39 am
i call that neck to in between shoulder blade burn a stinger but i know that’s not the right term for it. i used to get them all the time but since i cut out the heavy shrugs i don’t get them as often. i had a trainer tell me that my head position in various exercises causes it and to watch my form and head position and the stingers should cease. cessate finit.
March 25, 2009 at 10:50 am
Thanks for the laugh. We all criticize those at the gym, we just don’t talk about it. I’m sure i get some criticism too. lol I just don’t care.
I hope your day gets better. Keep smiling. The characters at the gym should help with that.
March 25, 2009 at 10:56 am
Makes me glad my gym is just about empty early in the mornings
March 25, 2009 at 10:59 am
Looking forward to your touring show and it’s cast of characters in ‘Gym - The Musical’ when it makes it north of the 49th.
March 25, 2009 at 11:23 am
I love the gay who was sashay-ing around the gym. I know you looked in awe, as I would too. They always have the best bods, God love em. I do! And tell that guy that fanny packs are not allowed…simply should be outlawed by everyone.
March 25, 2009 at 11:29 am
I want to visit your gym! My is not nearly as exciting. The fanny pack bit was great
March 25, 2009 at 12:38 pm
Ok I cracked up laughing because it reminded me of me. I’ll be thinking all those things and more, imagining grabbing the dumbbell and belting him with it if my headache is bad enough.
I’d been so jealous if the guy with the great ass, guys asses shape up so easy for them.
March 25, 2009 at 2:49 pm
Shan, sorry to hear of your neck. Pay attention, you may be not relaxing your neck muscles when lifting, if you can master this your lifting will dial in the muscle worked. I must be a wimp because I use 20’s for some bicep movements. I must admit you do have some "unique" people at your gym, but lets hear about some of the ladies at your gym. Like maybe the ones that wear spandex that shouldn’t or how about the ones that don’t want me to look at their ass but use it as a bulletin board, and my all time favorite is when I am facing the mirror doing my lifting and some girl or woman comes over in her friggin shorty shorts and starts doing crunches on the stability ball next to me. Am I to look away or close my eyes? I am not complaining at least I know what kind of mood there in or the day of the week. Ok I’m a male pig.
March 25, 2009 at 2:57 pm
You want to know what piece of equipment the gay guy used to get a better ass (which I doubt) than you?
The Butt Blaster!
March 25, 2009 at 3:17 pm
I have seen all these characters at my gym too!… I have had annoying neck knots and muscle pains too…what helps me I discovered is doing light exercises for that are of the neck, it seems to work out the muscle pain and release the knot…like lat pulldowns, or shoulder presses…I know it seems like the LAST thing you should do to it when you’re having muscle pain there, but it has worked for me more than once…I was having a bad knot incident one time that kept me out of the gym for a couple days afraid to hurt it more, but I couldn’t stay away, even tho the knot was still there, but I got rid of it 10 mins into my workout and it was GONE..
March 30, 2009 at 10:57 am
Ok, the fanny-pack one got me!…lol. I have this guy(sexual orientation unknown to me, I’ll let you have your guess) who is extremely overweight(hey, not making fun of that…good for him for being in the gym) but LOVES, LOVES, LOVES to wear spandex bicycle shorts with a wifebeater. Yeah, a wifebeater..and a short one at that. He goes up everyday to the aerobics room and blares techno and busts out some serious aerobics moves by himself. I occasionally just have to go up there when he is there because I am utterly amazed….he doesn’t seem to mind and likes the attention….LOL Ah, what an interesting world we live in…thanks for the chuckle!