Stupid Things You've Done While Training

[Obitim]

I had to do the roll last night. I refuse to call it the roll of shame though. I benched 97 pounds two times, tried a third, and just couldn't make it. I was pretty jazzed about the two reps though because it was the first I'd gotten about 92 pounds.

 

Back in high school I took weightlifting instead of regular gym class. It was me, one other girl, a fellow nerd, and then half of the hockey team. On the first day of class the gym teacher had us each bench press and our grade was going to be based on how we improved over the term. As we lined up to start, the teacher called my name out and said I was going first because he figured I would max out on the bar and then I could write down everybody else's results for him. And of course that was true. And embarrassing. Embarrassing enough that I avoided the bench press for the rest of the term, which meant that I didn't improve at all and instead got a C for the class. So now every time I try for a new PR while benching I think of that to motivate me.

 

Empathy fail or what!  

[Obitim]

Oh I've injured most parts of my body with a barbell - shins, knees, boobs, chin... Usually doing power cleans.

A lot of people it seems have problems with "over gripping" the bar, I do the opposite. I once actually let the bar slip completely out of my grasp.

It smacked me on the chin on the way up then landed on my collar bone. I managed to grab it at this point, unfortunately not all of my fingers went the same way around the bar so my injuries for that one were: one large bruise on the chin, matching one on the collarbone, and a "squashed" finger. Yay!

My trainers advice, accompanied by "that look" - don't do that again.

 

Isn't overgripping some sort of life preservation thing?

[Silo]

Sorry to hear that.  That's a pretty shitty thing for the teacher to do.     But at least now you have a memory to motivate you! 

 

It definitely motivates me. Interestingly, I got over it enough to take weightlifting again in college as one of my 3 required gym classes. Between the friends who I managed to convince to sign up with me and a different teacher (football coach) it was a much better experience.

[redimagination]

I did something silly at the gym today.

I went to do some warm up squats with an empty bar but forgot the safety bars were on so hit them on my way down. So instead of just going up like a normal squat my brain thought it was a good idea to lift the bar over my head (hitting it in the process as I misjudged where my head was) and then over in front of me to re-rack. Still no idea why I done that.

[Mark D]

The other day while warming up on barbell rows I forgot that it wouldn't be TOO heavy, and pulled WAY too hard, smacking myself in the chest with the barbell hard enough to smart.

 

During squat warm ups I have the hardest time setting up under the empty bar, I keep lifting it off the hooks trying to get into position.  I pretty much don't worry about form with the empty bar, I just use those reps to warm my knees and stretch my shoulders.  The actual form warm-up starts the second warm up set at 95 pounds, heavy enough that I can press against the bar to get myself into position without lifting the bar off the hooks.

[wildross]

well, I didnt' do it, but

 

Guy walked under the end of the bar as I was squatting...that's gonna hurt. I had 205 on the bar and was front squatting. He was turning a bench around and walked right under the end as I went down. Glad I had the safety bars in place as it knocked the bar out of my grip. Never apologized. Then he never used the bench at all. 

[SevenofSeven]

Using my gym to hang my tent out to dry, forgetting that the 40kg plates were under the tent and stubbing my toe, stepping back and treading on the pegs, which aren't nice and round but triangle shaped because they are those mighty all terrain one........great start to lifting day.

[Evicious]

I had a spectacular elliptical fail back in 2010. There I was, striding away - away - away - AY! And my one leg just sort of stopped entirely in the straight out position, like a stick of wood, and I was literally thrown off the damn thing. Well, halfway off, anyway. The opposite handle bar was in the way as I was heaved sideways, so I sort of folded up on my way over and ended up sitting on the floor with both my feet kicking uselessly at the nearest ski (which continued to cycle due to the momentum I had endowed it with and whack of my shins and calves until I realized I could drag myself away).

 

Haven't been on an elliptical since.

 

Oh, you're wondering what the stupidity part of my story is? Using an elliptical in the first place. I'm one of those people who can't walk a flat surface without falling over most days. The sad part is, I was only trying the elliptical because the day prior I'd gotten flung off the treadmill. Turns out, sprint work is best performed on the surface of the earth ONLY.

 

And now I take spin classes three days a week. Give it another month or so, and I'm sure I'll be back with a bucking bike story to round out my trilogy.

[Obitim]

Yesterday, in the sweltering heat in the UK, I decided to do a full on session, - which results in me feeling sick at the end of the set (but no vomiting!  Yay!)

 

However, I think my other one was not in the gym, but in the changing room after completing the Mens Health dirty 30, I go to the changing room to head back to work, half way through taking off my converse my entire left calf decided to cramp up...leading to me making noises like a strangled pig and the other users in the room looking round to see who let in said pig...

[Silo]

I just had to deload my bench press after getting stuck. Saturday was my first day at my new deload weight. I did my warm ups, first two sets, went for my third (heaviest) set and...could barely get one rep. Had a bit of a mental freakout over how I could possibly have deloaded 10% and could only get one rep. Decided to take it down 5 pounds. Got just 3 reps. Heavy gnashing of teeth. Looked at the bar again, and then a light bulb finally went off over my head as I realized that I had originally put 20% more weight on the bar than necessary.

[Tanktimus the Encourager]

I just had to deload my bench press after getting stuck. Saturday was my first day at my new deload weight. I did my warm ups, first two sets, went for my third (heaviest) set and...could barely get one rep. Had a bit of a mental freakout over how I could possibly have deloaded 10% and could only get one rep. Decided to take it down 5 pounds. Got just 3 reps. Heavy gnashing of teeth. Looked at the bar again, and then a light bulb finally went off over my head as I realized that I had originally put 20% more weight on the bar than necessary.

I think we've all been there.

[Mark D]

I once loaded my barbell with ten pounds more on one side than on the other (had a 35 on one side and 45 on the other, should've had 45 on both), didn't notice, and congratulated myself on the weight feeling so light.  Didn't notice until I put the plates back on the rack that they weren't the same size.

[Silo]

I have fortunately only done that with very slight differences (e.g., 1 lb. vs 1.25 lbs.)

 

After the workout the other day then I went through the "did I really need to deload" doubt. 

[Frost of the Gloaming]

As a trail runner I can't tell you how many times I have tripped on a root and have fallen face first into the mud and I have the innate ability to find brambles anywhere along the trail, normally to the dismay of anyone around me at the time.

[insanity]

As a trail runner I can't tell you how many times I have tripped on a root and have fallen face first into the mud and I have the innate ability to find brambles anywhere along the trail, normally to the dismay of anyone around me at the time.

My thing is rolling my ankles, I can roll my ankles on flat ground, standing still, was worse during track and X-Country. It think it's a benefit though since I've never sprained or broken my ankles.... *is now afraid to get up and walk*

[Obitim]

As a trail runner I can't tell you how many times I have tripped on a root and have fallen face first into the mud and I have the innate ability to find brambles anywhere along the trail, normally to the dismay of anyone around me at the time.

 

You could be some sort of scout!

[SevenofSeven]

My brother gave me his old phone, he was sick of seeing me try to use my old push button one with 50% of the buttons missing.

Last night I thought I would use the music on the phone instead of my iPod..............LOL, rave party mixes, Buffy the Vampire Slayer theme, Imperial March and all sorts of off beat and WTF is that noise?

I couldn't get into any kind of groove because of the mash up and have learned a valuable lesson, my brother and I don't share a taste in music!

[Obitim]

Managed my first near idiotic proper injury tonight!

 

Was loading up the bar for some squats, my usual is 75kg so I start to lad it with the following:

 

2 x 25 kg

2 x 10 kg

2 x 2.5 kg

 

I then proceed to get under the bar, lift it off the pins as usual when suddenly I have the following internal monologue:

 

'Bloody hell, this is pretty heavy, have I lost some strength?'

 

'Wait, you've got it balanced, just hold it there, let it settle then start squatting'

 

'Hang on, did I actually account for the bar?'

 

'Well, there's 2 x25 which is 50, plus the 2x10 which is 70, then the 2x2.5 which takes it to...hang on, add the bar...95...bollocks'

 

'Maybe I should have a go, after all I am standing here with it...'

 

'That's a fast track to injury, put it back'

 

I'm pretty sure anyone else in the gym must have thought I looked pretty damn weird

[Mark D]

This morning I got under the bar for my last set of squats. Lifted off and walked iut. Checked the mirror. That I was centered, bar in the right spot, etc. See a big green booger on the end of my nose.

Big. Green. Booger.

Thought about re-racking and cleaning my nose. Decided against. Made a mental not to clean it before I wipe my face with my towel.

[Rocker3722]

Due to lack of space my cat's litter box is next to my squat rack. I usually move the box across the room when I lift, but for some reason didn't a couple days ago.  I was adding weight to the bar and accidently stepped on the side of the litter box, tilting it over and dumping cat litter all over my foot, floor, and the stand.

[Finisterre]

I have been known to do the odd stupid thing on a trapeze...

 

There was the time I went to do my umpteenth forward roll off the bar of an evening and for some reason decided to put my hands on palms back instead of palms forward.  Then fell off head first.

 

Then there was the time I let go of my leg do a drop to single hocks and landed on my teacher (who luckily was spotting me).

 

I also have a habit of coming out of wrapped moves the wrong way and just kind of clinging to a rope until I figure out how to get onto the bar XD

[Estrix]

I got to the top of my heaviest set of OHP, look in the mirror...hmmm my grip doesn't look quiet right, let me try and adjust that a sec. Take one hand mostly away from the bar. I came within a hair of breaking my skull open I'm pretty sure!

[Oramac]

I ran 4 miles in the tail end of a Nor'easter on Saturday morning to make up for the run that I didn't do on the front end of a Nor'easter on Friday evening [which was actually a make-up run from Tuesday]

 

That's not stupid.  They call that "dedicated".   

[Dethrow]

I was squatting with two 45s and a 25 on each side, after I was done I took all the weight off of one side which off-centered it a little too much. The bar swung up, hit me in the chin, and the plates dropped off the other side. It made for a really loud sound in the gym, and instantly everyone looked over to see me bleeding from my chin.

[Zorch]

Stupid things I've done while training, in no particular order - some funny, some just... painful:

 

• Got a little too excited while doing cleans with lighter weights, and cleaned the bar straight into my chin
• Someone overloaded a weight rack, so that the outermost weight was facing flat side out, such that I couldn't get my fingers around it to grip it when I took it off the rack.  Said 45-lb plate ended up dropping onto my foot, resulting in my being unable to run for a month (didn't get X-rays, but probably was broken)
• When I was still new to riding with actual bike shoes, I finished a really great bike ride.  My enjoyment came to an abrupt end, as I forgot that I was still clipped in, and I proceeded to fall over sideways at 0 MPH.
• The time I was riding my bike after a rainstorm - the roads were mostly dry, and I was going down a hill >30 MPH and around a curve.  As I rounded the curve, I came across a small stream of water running across the roadway.  This did not end well, particularly given that I was 11 miles from home and in a foreign country.