Overheard in the gym - Share!

[bigm141414]

Had a gym staffer try to spot me on heavy squats. By himself. I looked at him like he was crazy. He was just trying to be helpful I know. I had to explain to him how that is a potentially bad idea for hte both of us. Not to mention a pretty bad breach of my personal space.  

[Gainsdalf the Whey]

Had a gym staffer try to spot me on heavy squats. By himself. I looked at him like he was crazy. He was just trying to be helpful I know. I had to explain to him how that is a potentially bad idea for hte both of us. Not to mention a pretty bad breach of my personal space.

 

had someone run over and do this before. It made me try even harder to complete the set.  Spotting the squat from the back should only ever be done if there's already someone on each end of the bar.  All you're going to do is knock the person off balance and provide very minimal upward help.

[Timmy M]

had someone run over and do this before. It made me try even harder to complete the set.  Spotting the squat from the back should only ever be done if there's already someone on each end of the bar.  All you're going to do is knock the person off balance and provide very minimal upward help.

 

i personally hate spots when squatting but i've got a couple of mates who'll do it on heavy singles-triples and the way they do it is to pretty much only help keep momentum and stop your torso collapsing forward

[Grayfang]

'a bit of background for this one- about a year ago I had a membership at the YMCA, and I was in their crossfire group. We had our own separate room so when we were doing Olympic lifts we didn't intrude on the rest of the weight room. Our instructors were fans of dropping weights. Not as in, ditch the dumbbells or slam your plates- as in don't be afraid to let your dead lifts make noise as they come down and if your overhead squat is not going to happen, abandon ship and throw the bar in front of you. We were always spaced safely so this wouldn't hurt the others crossfitters.

so one morning we are doing lifts (I forget which ones) and the instructor is also overseeing a separate lifter. This lifter was female and in training for a competition. This lifter had the most beautiful front squats I've ever seen- we're talk perfect back, her rear almost touching her heels, and if I remember correctly she was loaded up with more than I weigh (200+lbs). Her thighs could crush my skull like sparrow's egg. And when she completed a rep that weight went down hard and loud.

Well one of the menfolk in the adjacent weight room (not a meathead - just an asshole) got fed up with the noise (all of us were making noise with our lifts, combined with Lady Squat) and got up in our instructor's face (who is also a petite, female Olympic lifter) and told us to cut it out. The instructor tried to explain that the noise was un-avoidable, since we didn't have a squat rack and letting the weights make a controlled fall was the safest way for Lady Squat to put them down. Asshole then goes on a bit of a rage about how that's not how you should exercise. It took him several whole minutes to tell us that Olympic lifts were not good for you. Instructor eventually told him if he didn't like it he could leave. We pay extra money to be taught these lifts, we separate ourselves in a separate room with the door closed, and it was 5:30am - he could suck it.

My main thought through this was "dude- she is squatting more than you weigh- why would you think it's a)not how you should exercise and b)a good idea to yell at her. Obviously she could kill you..."

[terrormortus]

Not a one statement but pretty funny.

 

There are two women who go to my gym around the same time I do at 10pm. They have this habit of sitting on a couple of benches and just... talking... with only an occasional lift of a five pound weight.

 

I decided to time them last night. From when I got there, and they seemed to have been there for a while, they stayed doing that for an hour.

 

I get socializing at the gym, but using the gym for socializing?

[The Mouse]

This wasn't technically overheard so much as experienced while I was standing right there - but whenever I work out with a male friend/boyfriend, gay guys seem to pop out of the woodwork and flirt with them. 

 

Now, as a disclaimer, I love gay guys and totally have no problems with them - I just find it funny how, twice now, it's just so happened that my male workout partner gets hit on and they don't even know it.

 

First scenario, back in high school with my male friend (who was still unsure of his sexuality at the time) in our itty-bitty high school gym. He was on the leg press machine as I was waiting for him to finish his set and, as we were talking, this kid comes up and - legit - pulls one half of his shirt up so he's attempting to show off his abs (which aren't really popping out, but there was some definition to be fair). He puts his arm on the machine seat as he's holding his shirt up and just starts talking about the weather and stuff. My friend just kinda looked at me and I just shrugged - but the kid kept talking to him for a good few minutes. It was really really awkward. When my friend's admirer had finally moved on, he asked me if we both got the drift that he was being hit on. We left shortly afterwards, just out of pure awkwardness. We laugh about it today, though. :3

 

Second and most recent, I was at the Uni track with my boyfriend. We'd just finished a short run and bodyweight circuit and were stretching out when a guy walks past us in a brilliant yellow tank and worn bright pink short shorts. I notice him glance at my boyfriend before he goes for a jog around the track, but my boy didn't see him. He passes by us on the outer lane of the track closest to where we're stretching twice before he calls his run a quit and saunters over to us. He passes us once, then turns back around and asks my boyfriend "nice weather we're having today, don't you think?". Verbatim. He asks that. And so I'm barely holding myself together in disbelief and laughter as my boyfriend looks up all perplexed and just grunts a "yeah" before moving on to the next stretch - I think at this point, the pink shorts guy is oogling my boy and I'm staring in utter disbelief and surprise ('cause, y'know, I think we're obvious, but I guess not). This guy patiently tries to keep conversation going, but when it's clear my boyfriend isn't going to answer more than a few words, he wishes us a good day and moves along. After my boy's done a few more stretches, I break it to him that he'd been hit on. He looked up at me, reviewed the whole conversation for a minute then exclaimed "oh, god... How did I miss that?". XD

It was absolutely hilarious.

 

But yeah, guys who work out with me get hit on by gay guys - dunno what it is, but it makes for great memories to relive over coffee. 

[I-Jo]

That's hysterical.

 

One of these days I'm going to go in some quality spandex stuff for shits and giggles- head band and all- call on me style.

 

eff it why not- will be a great day at the gym on Sunday

[Timmy M]

That's hysterical.

 

One of these days I'm going to go in some quality spandex stuff for shits and giggles- head band and all- call on me style.

 

eff it why not- will be a great day at the gym on Sunday

 

you've made me think that'd be an awesome idea now... i'd do it when i can achieve some stupendous feat of strength (100kg ohp for reps or something silly like that... that'd take me a good few years though) and go to my old leisure centre gym at the busiest time and just rock everyones world

[I-Jo]

I feel like every gym should have a call on me moment- I'll be squatting and dead lifting that day!

 

feats of strength not required but totally welcomed

[SuperToga]

I go work out with my room mate some days. She and I help spot each other all the time. We were doing a lower back exercise and I needed to keep my hips square. She she grabbed my hips and held them square. We were suddenly real popular and lots of men wandered by to curl biceps at us. . Yes, guys. Thank you for impressing us with your manly grunts and stares. unf unf.  

[I-Jo]

Front desk girl : I need to work out I guess... but I"m not a fat cow yet- so when I get there I'll start working out again.

 

<sales guy> mumble mumble

 

Front desk girl: yeah I know- but I'm lazy and I won't do it till I get actually fat.  

 

(front desk girl is definitely skinny fat- she's roundish- and definitely pudgy but not overweight by any means- just that soft squishy I never work out look even though she is significantly smaller than me)

 

fast forward five minutes.

 

Our amature body building girl walks in- front desk girl scans the bar code and off goes the member.

 

Front desk girl: I'd do anything for her body

 

rest of the people: stare blankly at her and just look.

 

We all immediately being piling heaps of the cries of "BULLSHIT" you just said you will only work out when you get fat- you wouldn't do ANYTHING for that body- because currently you're doing NOTHING for your own body.

 

<facepalm>  she makes my head hurt sometimes.

[MariahSnow]

Front desk girl : I need to work out I guess... but I"m not a fat cow yet- so when I get there I'll start working out again.

 

<sales guy> mumble mumble

 

Front desk girl: yeah I know- but I'm lazy and I won't do it till I get actually fat.  

 

(front desk girl is definitely skinny fat- she's roundish- and definitely pudgy but not overweight by any means- just that soft squishy I never work out look even though she is significantly smaller than me)

 

fast forward five minutes.

 

Our amature body building girl walks in- front desk girl scans the bar code and off goes the member.

 

Front desk girl: I'd do anything for her body

 

rest of the people: stare blankly at her and just look.

 

We all immediately being piling heaps of the cries of "BULLSHIT" you just said you will only work out when you get fat- you wouldn't do ANYTHING for that body- because currently you're doing NOTHING for your own body.

 

<facepalm>  she makes my head hurt sometimes.

 

As a fat-skinny girl myself... what this girl doesn't realize is that she's already "fat", she just doesn't look it. 

 

Also, 'I'll work out when I get fat" is like running a sprint and saying, "I'm going to go REAL slow in the beginning, but I'll be able to catch up with those people by the end". Bullshit, bullshit, bullshit!

[I-Jo]

yeah- well she doesn't look skinny either- she's just small enough to pass for not being fat.  But you are absolutely right- she is.  She's kind of pudgy- I like to call it squishy. because that's what she is.  I feel bad for her- in that she doesn't understand- or just accepts things as is.  but I don't feel THAT bad LOL

 

but yes- totally agree.

[Timmy M]

Front desk girl : I need to work out I guess... but I"m not a fat cow yet- so when I get there I'll start working out again.

 

<sales guy> mumble mumble

 

Front desk girl: yeah I know- but I'm lazy and I won't do it till I get actually fat.  

 

(front desk girl is definitely skinny fat- she's roundish- and definitely pudgy but not overweight by any means- just that soft squishy I never work out look even though she is significantly smaller than me)

 

fast forward five minutes.

 

Our amature body building girl walks in- front desk girl scans the bar code and off goes the member.

 

Front desk girl: I'd do anything for her body

 

rest of the people: stare blankly at her and just look.

 

We all immediately being piling heaps of the cries of "BULLSHIT" you just said you will only work out when you get fat- you wouldn't do ANYTHING for that body- because currently you're doing NOTHING for your own body.

 

<facepalm>  she makes my head hurt sometimes.

 

aha i love people like that... because i used to be like that kinda, i broke my leg when i was 11 and got into runescape around the same time so instant laziness occurred i was also a big fan of DBZ so i'd spend all my time playing runescape/watching cartoons and then wish i had a body like Goku, i even got my mum to buy me some plastic weights for my birthday but they only got used for the odd curl every now and then (the 4.5kg's were pretty hard ) i wish i could go back now and beat myself silly for being such an idiot but we live and learn

[ScrabbleGirl]

I normally go to the gym before work, but today I went in the afternoon. Totally different vibe. 

 

I actually witnessed, for the first time ever, curling in the squat rack. 2 dudes, 10 reps per set, about a trillion sets. I wanted to cry. 

[Irish Oisin]

^^

God damn it. Those idiots give the rest of us a bad name, fools!!

[Bones]

I normally go to the gym before work, but today I went in the afternoon. Totally different vibe. 

 

I actually witnessed, for the first time ever, curling in the squat rack. 2 dudes, 10 reps per set, about a trillion sets. I wanted to cry. 

 

ME TOO. I've heard a million people mention this, but never saw it while I was in the gym in the mid-mornings. I went at 530 in the afternoon....MISTAKE. Good God, it is insanely packed and yet people INSIST on doing circuits on, like, 4 pieces of equipment....or curls in the power/squat rack. C'mon...

On another note...I never thought I'd be complaining about gym educate. One year ago I never would have stepped in a gym alone!

[wildross]

All the pretty folks go in the afternoon/evening to be seen. Lots of talking, not much sweating

Sent from my DROID4 using Tapatalk 2

[Irish Oisin]

My friend, who's pretty overweight, about 130kg, or 286lbs to my American friends, was in the gym the other day and he was on a bike really pushing himself and one of the gym workers, a guy, walked up to him as he was faltering and leans in and says "Come on you fat bastard, push it!!". Funny thing is, my friend said he used it as motivation, and he finished his session strong!

[Elder]

I would have punched her in the box for saying that!  But I am super happy your friend used it as motivation to push harder.  People need to stop and think about what they are going to say before they say it because someone else could have took it to heart and been very very hurt.

[Irish Oisin]

It was a guy who said it! I think that guys can take that kind of thing in a positive way, but only certain guys really, in the right mood. Nobody likes being called a fat bastard, but a few of us spoke about it and sometimes you have to hear that kind of thing, you need more than the "You're doing great!"

[Elder]

Weird...I read it as "walked up to him as she was flatering and leans in"...I must need new glasses.   I do agree about the needing some "tough love" encouragement sometimes.  I sometimes tell myself things like that (in my mind) when working out or running, but I wouldn't have the guts to try it on someone else.

[Irish Oisin]

I'd say that to my friend, but not a stranger. The guy working in the gym took a big chance...he might have been trying to get fired. I say a few things like that to myself, when running or lifting, it works!

[ScrabbleGirl]

Call me a 'fat bastard' at the gym and you're going to get a barbell to the face. Repeatedly. And I'm not going to be apologising. Or calling an ambulance. Or helping you retrieve your broken teeth from the floor. Sorry about that. 

[I-Jo]

fat bastard is an expression where I live. bimbo is to and I know I have to be careful of who I say certain things to because it isn't appropriate to walk up to peer-to-peer and be that familiar with others.

seriously especially as an employee.

add far as negative reinforcement vs good job... I much prefer negative over positive. positive doesn't get me anywhere. knowing my hard work isn't good enough makes me push harder.