Another jackass-in-the-gym thread

[Madd Hatter]

There's been many threads, but I've been fortunate never to observe or have a run-in with one.... until today. The main annoying thing about my gym is that if you go after 10:30am, it's busy as fuck.

...as it was today. I finish up my shoulders and turn to go to a flat barbell bench. My gym has 3, and 3 mins ago there were two open. Now there's none. So I stand there like a schmuck for a couple mins deciding what to do, when one of the guys gets up and walks off. I think: is he going to the drinking fountain? no, he just walked the other way. did he leave anything behind? no. ok, i'm good. See, I sometimes will go get a drink inbetween sets, but I will leave something behind so people know I'm using it if it's busy as fuck in the gym.

So I take over some 25's and remove the 45's on the bar for my warmup set. 45's are off, 25's are going on, lo and behold, the guy comes back and says "I had a couple sets left". Motherfucker. I'm thinking: Oh, I thought it was open, since you walked away from it ....I didn't realize this bench was your personal property, being in a university gym and all. So I say "Fine", drop the 25's to the ground, walk over to him (not to give a thrust to his nose like I wanted to), bend down, resist the urge to knee him in the crotch, pick up my training log, and walk off.

This guy was the high school football player B-quality 'I'm not a big star by myself but I can hang out with this big group of players and now I'm cool.... oh shit, now I'm in college and I'm nothing special, but I better still pretend I am" type. Yes I could tell this in such a brief time, and it's a big reason I got a bit ticked. I hate the type. The correct thing to say would have been "Hey, I wanted to do a couple more sets, can I work in with you/How bout you work in with me?" Motherfucker. That ruined my whole workout as I couldn't do NG bench, and tried retardedly to do it with that rectangular thing with the handles in the middle of it. That didn't work, and everything went downhill from there. I didn't even fill out my training log I was so thrown off. Arrgh.

 

[frorider6]

Maybe I didn't read this close enough, but......

You stole his bench, which he still had weight on, and then got pissed when he came back (maybe he had to piss) and didn't ask you if he could work in.

 

[dasgh]

man, you handled it a lot differently than I would have. I woulda told him basically what you said you were thinking. Not like its HIS equipment and he didnt leave any indication that he was coming back. bastards...

 

[WODIN]

Woooooooo there...if you are going to go take a piss you forfiet any possible hold on the bench.

 

[frorider6]

He left his weight on right? How long was he gone, a minute? Are you telling me that I can't walk over and get a drink of water without forfeiting my bench.

Just so you know, the correct way to handle it would have been to apologize, explain you thought he was done, then reload his weight. If you've been cool enough and are using approximately the same weight as him, ask if you can work in with him.

 

[frorider6]

Woooooooo there...if you are going to go take a piss you forfiet any possible hold on the bench.

Just because your prostate is the size of a watermellon and you can't piss in less than a minute doesn't mean I can't.

 

[Lumberg]

Hey man after seeing a bunch of these jackass in the gym threads, and then seeing some comments somewhat censuring the originator of the thread for his not following the proper etiquette, I think we should come up with the Elite Fitness guide to gym etiquette. Kind of like the sticky that all the newbies should read. Rule #1 could be whenever asking for a spot, always specify how you want to be spotted and how many reps you hope to get. #2 could be "He who goes to take a piss forfeits his hold on any piece of equipment he was using prior to the piss-taking"

Any others?

JC

 

[WODIN]

Now water breaks are way different from piss stops! If it is a water break fine. But a piss break of 2 to 3 minutes no way.

 

[WODIN]

Just because your prostate is the size of a watermellon and you can't piss in less than a minute doesn't mean I can't.

Mines grapfruit size just like everyone elses nipple boy! I'm including time to even dash to the mens room and back. Your looking at a good 2 minutes.

 

[spongebob]

if you had come within an inch of me in any kind of intimidating fassion, i would have attempted to take the bar and wrap it around your neck.

1. he left weights on it.
2. all he said was i had a couple more sets left.
3. at that point, you should simply say, "can i work in with you?"
4. when i notice the bench's are full, i pick out the guy on one who looks like he just got started and ask if i can work in, its that simple.

 

[Y_lifter]

You move, You lose
Unless you leave an indication that you are just taking a drinkie break. Leaving a sweaty Towel on the equip. works best because no one want to touch that shit..

Gym Etiquette rule #x,
No shaving at the Locker room sink with your dick swinging against the counter.

Gym Etiquette rule #x,
Take your 45 plates off the equipment so Carla Cardio doesn't have to kill herself swapping them out with her 10 Lbs'ers

Gym Etiquette rule #x,
No "Boy Band" size workout groups allowed to hog a circuit machine for 4 sets each. I feel for those people that have to jump machines.

Gym Etiquette rule #x,
Showering and a change of clothes is required within a prior 24hr period before entering the Gym facilities.

Gym Etiquette rule #x,
No one shall wear the same Workout clothes for more than 2 days in a row.

Gym Etiquette rule #x,
Please use the Childcare facilities offered free by the facility or leave the 7 year old with a sitter. Crosstrainer are not toys

 

[c-sharp minor]

I hate morons in the gym so I spent about $1000 and built myself a home gym with a power rack. I never need a spot and can do anything I want, any time I want.

 

[cure]

Another thing. I wouldn't work my shoulders before my chest.

 

[spongebob]

Another thing. I wouldn't work my shoulders before my chest.

excellent observation.

 

[FreeballinDC]

I agree with Sponge.

Even when someone leaves weights (as they almost always do) on the equipment, I always wait a couple or three minutes to see if anybody shows up to reclaim that equipment.

If they do reappear, I ask if I can work in.

Usually, people are pretty cool about working in. I've even gotten some stares of disbelief that someone would be nice enough to ask to work in.

I ALWAYS take down the weights, because Lord only knows who's going to try to work in behind me, and then bitch because they have to unload the equipment.

 

[WODIN]

Why hasn't anyone busted on the swapping of the 45 for a 25?

 

[cure]

Why hasn't anyone busted on the swapping of the 45 for a 25?

He said he was "warming" up.

 

[Lumberg]

Yeah actually I have read that your warmup set should be at about 1/3 of your heaviest work set so that's not unreasonable. I warm up light, who care what people think?

JC

 

[frorider6]

I'll concede on the not pissing during sets rule. If I have to go, I'll wait until I switching equip. All the ones Y_Lifter stated are good ones.

 

[WODIN]

Am I the only guy here who thinks 225 is warm up weight?

 

[Lumberg]

Am I the only guy here who thinks 225 is warm up weight?

Ok OK!

WODIN IS THE BEST BENCH PRESSER EVER!

Sorry, not all of us have been benching since the stone ages.

JC

 

[frorider6]

Am I the only guy here who thinks 225 is warm up weight?

If I'm doing my "low rep" sets, I'll warm up with 185. Haven't done "high rep" sets on bench recent enough to know what to warm up with. Probably 135. I just know that if I warm up too light, I'm not ready for my working sets.

Personally, if I walked away for 1 minute and came back to find someone replacing my weight with 25s, THEN gave me attitude, I would have pancaked his head between 2 45 lb plates like they did in Tom & Jerry cartoons.

All this is a moot point without knowing how long the guy was actually gone.

Another gym etiquitte point. If you're using the squat rack, for whatever reason, try not to do supersets with something else on the other side of the gym. It only ties up a valuable piece of equipment. Last night I saw a guy doing stiff leg deadlifts, DB press (other side of the gym), and some other damn exercise that I didn't pay attention to. He had the only rack in the gym tied up for 30 minutes.

Another - If you want the piece of equipment I'm on, ask me very nicely how many more sets I have. That will let me determine if I can do my routine someplace else or if I want to let you work in. DO NOT STALK ME FROM 8 FEET AWAY CONSTANTLY WATCHING ME OUT OF THE CORNER OF YOUR EYE!! Case in point, last night I was doing barbell rows on the squat rack since it's the best place to do it in my gym. I could have done it with just a bar and some floor space but it would have made the gym a bit more crowded. Jackass stands 8 feets away just watching. If he would have asked how many more sets I had, I would have said 3 and asked if he wanted to work in. If he wanted to do squats, I simply would have put my bar on the floor and let him have the rack. So he just fucking mills around waiting for me to finish. Turns out, when I was done, he ended up doing barbell rows with about the same weight I was! JESUS CHRIST MAN!! If you had asked, you wouldn't have had to wait for me to finish.

 

[ladymacbeth]

Maybe I didn't read this close enough, but......

You stole his bench, which he still had weight on, and then got pissed when he came back (maybe he had to piss) and didn't ask you if he could work in.

I know for one at my college gym, people almost never rerack their weights. It's irritating as hell, and I think they all know better, but all of the students who work there are too busy flirting with one another to tell somebody not to do it...so if I go work out late, the gym looks like a tornado touched down. This has been an issue lately, involving me throwing an embarrassing tantrum, and kicking some plates...oh well, that's another story for another time...

 

[casavant]

I know for one at my college gym, people almost never rerack their weights. It's irritating as hell, and I think they all know better, but all of the students who work there are too busy flirting with one another to tell somebody not to do it...so if I go work out late, the gym looks like a tornado touched down. This has been an issue lately, involving me throwing an embarrassing tantrum, and kicking some plates...oh well, that's another story for another time...

A couple of times, I have been reracking the weights at the gym I work at and I'll get pissed and start chucking shit and looking really pissed. The big dumbbells have a nice effect (yeah, dont throw dumbbells, bla bla bla...do as I say, not as I do. Hehehe) Usually the weights will stay picked up for the rest of the night.

 

[ladymacbeth]

A couple of times, I have been reracking the weights at the gym I work at and I'll get pissed and start chucking shit and looking really pissed. The big dumbbells have a nice effect (yeah, dont throw dumbbells, bla bla bla...do as I say, not as I do. Hehehe) Usually the weights will stay picked up for the rest of the night.

I guess when a short italian girl does it, it doesn't have the same effect.

 

[Madd Hatter]

Amen Macbeth, and that's a big talking point of mine: NOBODY IN THIS FUCKING GYM RERACKS THEIR WEIGHT!!!! If they did, it'd be easier to know when they're done and this wouldn't have happened at all!!!!!!!!! But I'm one of a literal HANDFUL that do (well, except when I dropped the 25's).

I figured I'd get a lot more posts calling me a dick...those who did.... notice that I actually used a rational thought process and waited and observed him before deciding to move in. Nothing left behind, not heading to the drinking fountain, the pisser's not upstairs, am I supposed to frickin read his mind to know where he's going?!

Yes, I could have been nicer about it. I will admit I wasn't in a great mood to begin with, because of how fucking busy it was, getting dicked out of a bench in the first place, and the kind of assclowns that were around. If he wasn't one of them, the nicer way to handle it would have been to ask to work in with him. But I knew what the result of that would be (the kind of answer you'd expect from an assclown that thinks the bench is his personal property, it woulda been like asking him if I could wear his bandana).

My thought process turned irrational when he frickin came back and expected his property to be waiting unmolested. Wait 3 minutes?!? Please! Not only does that mess up a workout, but if you wait 3 SECONDS someone else will snag it from you, especially the bench press.

Yes, it was a warmup set, thanks. I'm pathetically weak, but not that much. And I was doing narrow-grip for triceps, not normal bench for chest. Chest is a different day.

 

[b fold the truth]

I think someone stole my bench once....ONCE.

B True

 

[George Spellwin]

<p><img src="http://www.elitefitness.com/images/gym-rules-etiquette/gym-etiquette.jpg" alt="Gym Etiquette" width="298" height="282" hspace="10" align="right" />We all know fellow gym members who have been labeled dumbasses by everyone at the gym.  </p> <p>These are the people who don’t follow the gym rules, have terrible gym etiquette and who others steer clear of for fear of being lumped into the same class.</p> <p> If you want to stay out of this category, then you’d better avoid doing the following stupid things in the gym and learn good <a href="http://bodybuilding.elitefitness.com/gym-etiquette-rules" target="_blank">gym etiquette</a>.  </p> <p>Also, pay attention to the advice we give on how to look cool by following the unspoken <a href="http://bodybuilding.elitefitness.com/gym-etiquette-rules" target="_blank">gym rules</a>! Here's the full story:</p> <p><a href="http://bodybuilding.elitefitness.com/gym-etiquette-rules" target="_blank">Gym Etiquette Unspoken Gym Rules Dumbasses Refuse to Follow</a></p>