Overheard in the gym - Share!

[Cat in the rack]

I've heard excerpts of the original article and the author admits to being insecure.  I think there was something about her not wanting a man with a ripped body because it makes her insecure at the beach and that women are insecure enough in bikinis that they don't need their partner's to have great bodies.

I get why someone might feel that way, you want your partner to be hot but you don't want them to be out of your league hot, it makes some sense. Personally I'd want someone whose as into fitness as I am, but to each their own.

Back to an actual "overheard in the gym..."

 

So last Friday I was in the gym a bit later in the morning than I usually am, but there were a ton of new faces that I had never seen lifting in the morning before. These two 18 or 19 year olds sign up and are walking around the gym giddy as fuck looking at the equipment.  I smile, cause I know that feeling of pure joy walking into a real strength or strongman gym, it's hard not to be giddy.

 

I help them set up chains and watch them bench between my sets. I'm in my own head doing leg extensions and hear a huge crash...then 5 seconds later another huge crash.  275lbs of plates came crashing to the ground. The bencher's spotter was bright red, apparently he misloaded one side of the bar.  They reloaded the bar (with the correct weight) and the kid proceeded to hit an ugly PR of about 300 or 305.

Ah the fucking up of plate math, I'm sure one time or another we've all been there.

[matty_mcfly]

Personally I'd want someone whose as into fitness as I am, but to each their own.

Iunno, I think there are a lucky few who find a partner as "obsessive" as we are when it comes to fitness. My SO is so far from being into fitness, that it is laughable. But she is into beer, GoT and The Walking Dead, so it works out nicely.

[Br0din]

Iunno, I think there are a lucky few who find a partner as "obsessive" as we are when it comes to fitness. My SO is so far from being into fitness, that it is laughable. But she is into beer, GoT and The Walking Dead, so it works out nicely.

 

yup, the Tyler Perry's 80% rule.  (He may not of come up with it, but he's the first place I saw it.)

[SpecialSundae]

Shoulders guy came up and talked to me today. He asked me how my competition went and then looked shocked/impressed when I told him I'd taken two records, first in my weight class and a very close third overall. 

 

Total turnaround from scowling at me and hogging the rack in the past!

[Silo]

One of the factors that got me on the road to getting in shape and losing weight was feeling like I wasn't up to my husband's level of attractiveness. Now he never indicated that. It was a judgement that I made on my own. I wanted to feel more equal in that respect. But I can't imagine feeling like I wanted to purposely surpass him somehow in order to feel superior. That's just...mean.

[matty_mcfly]

yup, the Tyler Perry's 80% rule.  (He may not of come up with it, but he's the first place I saw it.)

 

Tyler Perry reference....love it. I mean the rule is true, but I just love that there was a Tyler Perry reference.

 

One of the factors that got me on the road to getting in shape and losing weight was feeling like I wasn't up to my husband's level of attractiveness. Now he never indicated that. It was a judgement that I made on my own. I wanted to feel more equal in that respect. But I can't imagine feeling like I wanted to purposely surpass him somehow in order to feel superior. That's just...mean.

Haha I'm imagining you finishing a workout. HE's on the couch watching TV, you walk up to him...

Silo: Hey babe, so how many pushups can you do in a minute?

Husband: Errr...I don't really remember...why whats up?

Silo: Well I mean, just give me an approximate number or so. I'm just curious.

Husband: Errr...lets say 52. Sure 52 sounds right.

Silo: Hmmm...that's what I thought...I just did 53, you weak bitch! Now go make me a sandwich.

[Br0din]

I'm glad I'm getting hot for the 13-17yo crowd and the Cougars.

 

[Sylvaa]

I get why someone might feel that way, you want your partner to be hot but you don't want them to be out of your league hot, it makes some sense. Personally I'd want someone whose as into fitness as I am, but to each their own.

 

I don't know that I care so much about the hotness factor. For me, I want a balance between helping me to keep motivated to hit the gym and let's eat ALL the chicken wings.

 

And back to overheard in the gym:

 

On Saturday, there was a couple working out together. It was great, until I realized the guy was not spotting hit significant other, but rather LIFTING the weights for her. (Let it be known, I was totally watching. I was really impressed by her at first.) She would do two or three reps on her own, but then would struggle and he would take over. I'm still working my way into weights, so is this just some kind of thing that I don't know about yet?

[Sylvaa]

How YOU doin?

 

How YOU doin?

 

I had you at chicken wings. 

[insanity]

How YOU doin?

 

I had you at chicken wings. 

No... you had us at.. "I don't know that I care so much about the hotness factor."

[Cat in the rack]

I'm glad I'm getting hot for the 13-17yo crowd and the Cougars.

 

I'd like to know where they're getting their 0-12yo sample and how they explained the concept of dadbod to them.

I get the feeling after a couple of months dadbod will have turned into an insult for people who skip the gym, sort of like how saying someone skipped leg day is an insult.

On Saturday, there was a couple working out together. It was great, until I realized the guy was not spotting hit significant other, but rather LIFTING the weights for her. (Let it be known, I was totally watching. I was really impressed by her at first.) She would do two or three reps on her own, but then would struggle and he would take over. I'm still working my way into weights, so is this just some kind of thing that I don't know about yet?

That depends, did he utter the phrase "it's all you" at any point?

[Dradis]

I'm glad I'm getting hot for the 13-17yo crowd and the Cougars.

 

 

What are the region and gender results? Gotta make sure i have all bases covered.

[Tanuki]

My husband is a cardio bunny. Spin bikes, mostly. He watches me do weights but thinks 'it's stupid', which I find infuriating for a man who considers himself athletic and claims to want to be strong. He piddles about on a few weight machines once every couple of weeks. He then said he had taken on some of the things I'd said about bodyweight exercises and was going to start doing Shrimp Squats. I asked if he could even do a normal bodyweight squat. He declared 'sure' but I have never seen him do so. He 'works out' where I can't see him. Finally I see him doing these 'Shrimp Squats' - he is simply putting a bend in the knee, up and down four times. Nothing in the thighs at all, not remotely a squat - just a knee bend. A painful looking one too. 4 on each side.

 

Then he stops. He says 4 on each side is 'a full leg workout'.

 

No other moves.

 

He says he can only squat that way because he's 'tall'. So, just knee bends for 'tall' people then       *eyeroll*.  

 

I have honestly stopped talking about it. Everything I do is 'wrong' despite delightful and desired results, and everything he does is right despite no results at all. And anything he can't do is because of 'tall' and 'my body simply doesn't work that way'.

[Fearkiller]

Erm, if there is a thread detailing how to become attractive to women i'd like a link please

 

Only if the same can be said for a thread detailing how to become attractive to men (it is after all, only fair).

 

http://rebellion.nerdfitness.com/index.php?/topic/9916-what-men-love-about-women/

 

http://rebellion.nerdfitness.com/index.php?/topic/9906-what-women-love-about-men/

[Estrix]

Saw this earlier, and it seemed weird but maybe some one can explain it:

 

Two dudes in the squat rack. Squat (half rep)x5, OHP(half reps at the top)x5, BB curlx5. Immediately one after the other and all at the same weight. That seems...less than optimal surely. I think they only had like 30kg max. Very strange.

[Dradis]

Saw this earlier, and it seemed weird but maybe some one can explain it:

 

Two dudes in the squat rack. Squat (half rep)x5, OHP(half reps at the top)x5, BB curlx5. Immediately one after the other and all at the same weight. That seems...less than optimal surely. I think they only had like 30kg max. Very strange.

 

Can't explain the half reps but that sounds like a barbell complex. They're pretty good things to do i think, but full ROM

[Trewest]

At the gym yesterday, I got to try foam rolling for the first time.

 

I thought I was alone in the gym so I didn't bother censoring myself as I cussed and whined about rolling out the knots in my calves.

 

A head pops around the corner to see what is causing the ruckus shortly after I belted out a 'F*ck me sideways with a spiked mace!'

 

I think I made his day with that one.

[Buff Brogan]

At the gym yesterday, I got to try foam rolling for the first time.

 

I thought I was alone in the gym so I didn't bother censoring myself as I cussed and whined about rolling out the knots in my calves.

 

A head pops around the corner to see what is causing the ruckus shortly after I belted out a 'F*ck me sideways with a spiked mace!'

 

I think I made his day with that one.

it's definitely a phrase i don't think many people are accustomed to hearing. lol

[Cat in the rack]

Saw an odd fellow in the gym today. He was doing overhead presses with I think 30kg. I know that occasionally during OHP the momentum can easily result in standing slightly on your toes, and there's nothing wrong with a little controlled cheating per se. But this guy seemed to be doing it intentionally for every rep, he'd courtesy down to what I'd describe as "personal" "trainer" "squat" "depth" (and yes, from what I've seen at my gym each of those words requires quotation marks) then push up to a calf raise and use the momentum to lift the bar over his head. I don't know if this is some exercise I'm not familiar with, or maybe a piss poor overhead squat, but it looked odd to me.

Surprisingly the actual press wasn't too bad, he didn't make the common error of pressing it up in front of him but actually pressed it over his head. Were his legs a little more stationary I'd say it was pretty decent. Always look on the bright side I suppose.

[Cat in the rack]

Also a little side note, I got to be subjected to PT hypocrisy firsthand today. I was doing boring but big sets of 10 for overhead press today at 27.5kg after having done my main sets. One of the PTs says to me "if you're only going to be pressing that amount of weight you should use the preweighted barbells, there are people who want to squat". I'll get into why this got to me a little, but first I think I should point out that there is no 27.5kg barbell, if there was one and there was a line for the 6 racks I'd have been polite and clean and pressed instead.

But onto why it pissed me off a tid: 1) there were not "people who want to squat", there was one person who wanted to squat, his client, 2) there was another PT with a client using one of the racks for pull-ups at the time, and 4 other racks which could become free at any time, and 3) I've seen PTs at peak times using the racks so their clients can do exercises with empty barbells, heck, I've seen them, using them for exercises that don't require a rack or barbell (see: box jumps). Also bonus number 4) he said it with an incredibly condescending tone, as if to say you're not lifting enough weight to earn the privilege of using this equipment. Side note to the side note, his client curtsied about 50kg at the heaviest and did "lunges" with an empty barbell.

Anyway, I'd already done 2 of the sets, I just said that I wouldn't be longer than 5 minutes and carried on. If he'd simply asked how many sets I'd had left or something else politely then I'd have hurried my sets a little more, but out of principle I did one extra set before leaving, I say out of principle, I felt like I had an extra set in me so I went for it.

/rant, I hope my new gym starting July is decent enough that I can use it exclusively, with the PTs, crowded 24/7 and the harlequins, I find it a sometimes frustrating or inconvenient gym to use.

[Machete]

Saw an odd fellow in the gym today. He was doing overhead presses with I think 30kg. I know that occasionally during OHP the momentum can easily result in standing slightly on your toes, and there's nothing wrong with a little controlled cheating per se. But this guy seemed to be doing it intentionally for every rep, he'd courtesy down to what I'd describe as "personal" "trainer" "squat" "depth" (and yes, from what I've seen at my gym each of those words requires quotation marks) then push up to a calf raise and use the momentum to lift the bar over his head. I don't know if this is some exercise I'm not familiar with, or maybe a piss poor overhead squat, but it looked odd to me.

Surprisingly the actual press wasn't too bad, he didn't make the common error of pressing it up in front of him but actually pressed it over his head. Were his legs a little more stationary I'd say it was pretty decent. Always look on the bright side I suppose.

 

Sounds like a Push Jerk.

[Trewest]

it's definitely a phrase i don't think many people are accustomed to hearing. lol

 

What can I say, I have a creative cussing lexicon

[Dradis]

Sounds like a Push Jerk.

 

I like to push jerks at the gym. I'll get hurt one day.

[Cat in the rack]

Sounds like a Push Jerk.

I shall now venture to the land of Google and see if it was...

I think you may be right, though it's definitely not an exercise I "get".

[Gainsdalf the Whey]

My husband is a cardio bunny. Spin bikes, mostly. He watches me do weights but thinks 'it's stupid', which I find infuriating for a man who considers himself athletic and claims to want to be strong. He piddles about on a few weight machines once every couple of weeks. He then said he had taken on some of the things I'd said about bodyweight exercises and was going to start doing Shrimp Squats. I asked if he could even do a normal bodyweight squat. He declared 'sure' but I have never seen him do so. He 'works out' where I can't see him. Finally I see him doing these 'Shrimp Squats' - he is simply putting a bend in the knee, up and down four times. Nothing in the thighs at all, not remotely a squat - just a knee bend. A painful looking one too. 4 on each side.

 

Then he stops. He says 4 on each side is 'a full leg workout'.

 

No other moves.

 

He says he can only squat that way because he's 'tall'. So, just knee bends for 'tall' people then *eyeroll*.

 

I have honestly stopped talking about it. Everything I do is 'wrong' despite delightful and desired results, and everything he does is right despite no results at all. And anything he can't do is because of 'tall' and 'my body simply doesn't work that way'.

 

Bigm is like 6'4" or some shit and swuats in the 300s I think, as well as doing oly lifts. Tell him he's full of shit next time he brings it up and point to the results and lack thereof.

 

At the gym yesterday, I got to try foam rolling for the first time.

 

I thought I was alone in the gym so I didn't bother censoring myself as I cussed and whined about rolling out the knots in my calves.

 

A head pops around the corner to see what is causing the ruckus shortly after I belted out a 'F*ck me sideways with a spiked mace!'

 

I think I made his day with that one.

 

I would have done the same but asked "You play D&D?" all excitedly.

 

Saw an odd fellow in the gym today. He was doing overhead presses with I think 30kg. I know that occasionally during OHP the momentum can easily result in standing slightly on your toes, and there's nothing wrong with a little controlled cheating per se. But this guy seemed to be doing it intentionally for every rep, he'd courtesy down to what I'd describe as "personal" "trainer" "squat" "depth" (and yes, from what I've seen at my gym each of those words requires quotation marks) then push up to a calf raise and use the momentum to lift the bar over his head. I don't know if this is some exercise I'm not familiar with, or maybe a piss poor overhead squat, but it looked odd to me.

Surprisingly the actual press wasn't too bad, he didn't make the common error of pressing it up in front of him but actually pressed it over his head. Were his legs a little more stationary I'd say it was pretty decent. Always look on the bright side I suppose.

I shall now venture to the land of Google and see if it was...

I think you may be right, though it's definitely not an exercise I "get".

 

Called a push press, completely legit exercise to focus on the lockout portion as well as to handle more weight overall. If you go into a full jump and land in a squat or split squat at the end, it's a jerk, which is part of a clean & jerk (youtube clean & jerk), one of the olympic lifts. If taking a pressing set to failure, I like to push press a rep or two after I can't press anymore. I know knightwatch does the same and it's helped him develop a pretty impressive 200+ lb press.