jleffing’s BodyBlog

This is somewhat of a follow-up to my last post about pet peeves.  Of all of the pet peeves I have in the gym, this one probably chaps my derriere the most.

Basically, what I call "Monday warriors" are the people who swarm to the gym on Mondays to undo the damage they did to themselves over the last 2 - 4 days.  You’ll see them in there on Monday, hogging every machine or bench or rack that you need (and no doubt, at the moment you need them), as they wander aimlessly from one spot to the next.  They don’t have a routine.  They don’t log their results.  They probably talk as much as they lift.

Now I want to be totally clear on one point: I am not better than anyone, and that includes the Monday warriors!  While I have made fantastic gains with my fitness goals, the fact is that there are countless people in my own gym (much less across the country) who look better than I do, work harder than I do, and are more disciplined than I am.  So I’m not criticizing the "Monday warriors" out of some sense of superiority or any delusions of grandeur.

No, the reason they get on my nerves is that there are people in there (and I know I’m not alone here) who really, truly are trying to reach their fitness goals and are willing to put in a lot of hard work and sacrifice to get it…but these guys get in the way.  I don’t begrudge anyone who wants to take their health into their own hands…heck, that’s what I’m doing, right?  But I honestly don’t believe that’s what these folks are doing!  It seems to me that they’re in the gym to socialize, ogle women, and overall just "see and be seen"!  After all, you’ll see these guys on Monday through Wednesday (sometimes they’ll make it to Thursday), but you won’t see them on Friday through Sunday.  they’re too busy getting drunk, pigging out on pizza or wings, or both.  Then, they stagger in there on Monday to repeat the cycle.

(Sidebar: I give myself one day a week to eat and drink whatever I want, including pizza and beer, so I’m not knocking "Monday warriors" for that.  But I don’t make a whole three-day weekend out of it.  Plus, I have great results to show for my efforts, while a lot of these folks are the same size now as they were at the beginning of the year: no progress.)

Anyway, I hate to bellyache about it, but I feel like venting.  I hate working out on Monday worse than any day of the week, almost entirely because of the "Monday warriors"!  Am I alone in my sentiments and totally overreacting, or do others here feel the same way or close to it?  Your input is welcome. 

I’ve got a few pet peeves in the gym that I need to get off my chest here.  Afterwards, I’d like to hear some of your views on things that really irk you when you’re at the gym trying to get a good workout.  Maybe if you vent, like I’m about to, you’ll feel better.  "You’re welcome" in advance! 

1.  "Monday warriors".  You know, the people who you see Monday through Wednesday (or sometimes Thursday) who take the rest of the week off, junk out and booze up, then swarm the gym on Monday to try and undo the damage…only to repeat the cycle every week.  So why does that bother me?  Because come Monday, I won’t be able to get to the machine, bench, or rack that I need to due to these part-timers!

2.  "Aimless zombies".  These are the people (usually doubling as "Monday warriors") who have no workout plan whatsoever.  They just wander aimlessly from one machine or rack to the next, and Murphy’s law says it will always be the machine or rack that I need and when I need it.

3.  A dead iPod, after the workout’s been started.  If you don’t workout to music, this doesn’t apply to you, obviously.  But man, it sucks when you’re dialed in and then…….silence.  Charge that thing when you get home, but try and stay focused for the duration of your workout…in spite of the music that the gym is blaring through their speakers!

4.  Realizing that I left my pre-workout or post-workout drink at home.  D’oh!

5.  The old guy in the locker room that at the very moment you’re in there, he drops his towel, stands there nekkid as a jaybird, and just so happens to need to get in the locker right beside where you’re standing!  I mean, 300 lockers in the locker room, and Naked Old Dude needs to get into locker #3 at the instant that you’re getting your stuff out of locker #1!  Come on!

OK, I’ll admit it: I probably obsess a bit much! 

Anywho, any of you guys have any pet peeves at the gym?

Jonathan

"Describe", yes…but not define.

Today is not permanent, and yesterday is gone.  So don’t let what you’ve done, both good AND bad, define you permanently.  Yes, by all means let it describe you.  But do not let it be a permanent indicator of who you are.

Did you graduate first in your high school class?  Great!  But then you flunked out of college and are working a dead-end job that you hate.  So which defines you: valedictorian, or college drop-out?  Answer: Neither one defines you, but both describe you.

Were you arrested in your youth for a crime?  Bummer.  But then you learned your lesson and went on to stay out of trouble from that point forward.  So which defines you: criminal, or law-abiding citizen?  Answer: Neither one defines you, but both describe you.

Did you start a new diet or training regimen, only to give up and fall flat on your face?  Confession: I have, many times.  Today I’m on the right path.  But what if I stumble down the road?  Will I be a success or a failure?  Answer: I will not let my successes gloss over my failures, nor will I do vice versa.

So what is my point?  Simple: learn from your success and learn from your failure.  Do not dwell or rest on either one.  Forge ahead, full steam ahead, and do not look back.  You will be much better off! 

Jonathan

We all have obstacles to our fitness goals.  Sometimes, they are external: vacation, hectic day, family or friends visiting, family or friends not supportive of our fitness goals, etc.  Sometimes, the obstacles are internal: we’re tired, in a bad mood, sad, mentally spent, etc.  However, the true champion is a person who simply finds a way to overcome the obstacles to get the job done.

While some obstacles are valid and cannot be overcome immediately (such as a sickness, a death in the family, etc.), the fact is that the vast majority of obstacles can and must be overcome.  Tired?  Workout anyway!  You may have a crappy workout, sure.  But the champion doesn’t focus on the "crappy"; he/she focuses on the "workout"!

Too busy?  Get up earlier and do your workout first thing, or do it later in the day.  No time to cook?  Then bring a few bars or ready-to-drink shakes or other protein-packed (and carb-packed, if applicable) snacks with you until meal time.  Family in town?  Excuse yourself for a half-hour to hour to do your workout, or bring them with you.  Friends bringing you sugary, fat-filled goodies?  Put them in the freezer until you allow yourself your one indulgence for the week.

Whatever.  You get the idea.  95% of the time, there are ALWAYS methods to overcome your obstacles.  Overcome them, and you will already be a winner!

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