people without sense
Today is statehood day for Oklahoma. All state offices are closed down, but the federal and city are still running. So the place I workout at is closed too. This is a good thing. It gives me a day off, and a day to vent. I must admit, I don’t have a tv so I don’t know what’s going on half the time, I don’t know what movies are out, and I don’t know what people are talking about when referring to famous people. But that’s alright. I still respect those around me. What am I talking about?
Since the start of the Fall 2007 semester, there has been a greater number of people per day at the gym than normal in the previous years. Could it be a television show or a movie that has influenced this? I don’t know. Although it’s good to seem more people working out, it’s also bad. For example, more than half the people in there don’t have a clue how to perform an exercise with good form. Most of them will use the squat racks and cages for non-intended purposes. A lot of this boils down to the simple fact that these people have no clue the existance of gym etiquette.
There are three offences that frustrate me the most about lack of gym etiquette: people standing between me and the mirror; people racking weights on the station I am currently lifting on; and people taking the light dumbbells and using on the benches in front of the heavy dumbbells. Now the last abuse doesn’t seem all that bad. But if you like to use your workout energy for mainly lifting, then that could be a bad thing. Think about it: one must grab the weight, walk all the way across the gym to the benches in front of the light dumbbells and proceed with their workout. It’s nothing to wine about if you’re lifting light, but for most of us, we like to lift heavy and we are very easily agrivated over this issue. The second offence is simply bad action. It’s happened on more than one occasion. The most frustrating for me is when I’m benching and someone racks their weight while I’m lifting. The last guy was yelled at as I completed my 3rd set. Totally killed my concentration. I even warned my spotter to yell at him, but he wasnt uhh paying attention (smart guy). And of corse the first one: I’d rather watch myself curl or press than stare into someone’s butt. People have been yelled at for all three offences. Most of the time they don’t quite understand what the fuss is, but if they ever ask, they will sure find out.
I’m a nice guy almost everywhere. Even though I smile and joke in the gym, I’m very serious about personal performance, and thus take one’s lifting extremely seriously. I think the best solution for people lacking gym etiquette is to be yelled at over and over until they correct their mistakes or go somewhere else to accomplish their goals…perhaps
November 23, 2007 at 1:54 pm
Wow man, sounds hectic in the gym. Reminds me of the damn PFTs in the military. During the running portion you run at your own pace and some crazy dude would run up next to you gasping for air like he’s about to die lol. It sucks out my energy and fatigues me. Got my breathing just right and my pace set then someone just clouds your mind with the sound of suffocation.
I rarely go to the gym but I plan to soon, theres enough crap in the gym to try and mentally block out already. Especially when I’m giving it my all and I yell loud as hell to summon up the last of my strength while lifting and everyone stares at me like I’m supposed to put a limit to my effort or something. They go in there like they’re on a tv show and try to "look" good while lifting. I say looks don’t matter, this is the battlefield and the workout is the battle, not the way you look while your lifting.
I feel you on this one man, good post.
Maybe some of the people doing these things will read it, realize what they are doing, and stop.
-Tony
January 12, 2008 at 4:44 am
Different environments, different places. Where I go, I go because it is close to my office, AND that is where I train Karate, I respect and admire my teacher. The gym is OK, not the best place, or location (b.t.w. since last night I need to fix the lock of my car’s door) most of the people is fine people, but there is a club of a.h.s that like to leave the weights off the racks, machines loaded with what they just did, and so on.
What I do is that If I need to use something and I need to take it apart to lower the weight I do it, not make much noise about it, no faces, or nothing, then the rest of the people at the location starts doing all the noise and stuff, so these guys get don’t why, bothered an leave. So far they have not said a thing to me, but that is how I deal with this, agree, very annoying members of the gym.
I have talked to Rodolfo, the gym owner and suggested to limit the entrance of people. I told him once, how they leave the gym is a reflection of how they handle their lives.
I truly believe that what ever I do, by the time I leave it should be better than how I found it.
February 21, 2008 at 9:56 am
Totally agree with you. The lack, or plain non-existence, of gym etiquette used to drive me mad when I was at OSU. Those "social lifters" doing things the wrong way, taking up my time and space, made me wanna pull my hair out. My biggest peeves were sitting on machines/benches and talking, blocking my view of the mirror and throwing my focus off, or to me, the worst offense… improper racking of the weights. Having to sift through all the 5s, 10s and 25s just to get to the plate I want?? Ridiculous. Most of the people at my new gym in Tulsa though are pretty low maintenance and know what they’re doing.
Good blog topic.
May 31, 2008 at 8:09 am
I couldn’t agree more. I was quite annoyed that I had to carry some 70 pound dumbbells across the gym the other day for just this reason.