Overheard in the gym - Share!

[sashi]

ETF, that was hilarious (and the guy who broke his fish tank was especially awesome).

This may be just me, but I was little unnerved at the gym a while back when I first started going to gym in the late afternoon. There are a number of teenagers who are there at that time of day. Usually the teenage boys do some bench presses and use the weight machines. The girls all go to the cardio room. This one teenage girl came out of the cardio room and followed this other teenage boy around the weight room, putting his plates on his bar and tidying up after him. I haven't seen her do it since that time, so I'm hoping it was a one-off thing and maybe she was just bored. (Note: I wanted to ask her why she didn't get under that bar herself, but I didn't.) I guess it's the feminist in me who grouses about behavior like that, especially in young women.

[nicknack]

It's primarily a safety measure, recommended when bench pressing alone without a spotter. Dump the weight and avoid getting stuck under the bar and asphyxiating to death. But, I feel badly for that one spotter who got hit in the face after the weight dumped off one of the bar.

This might be a dumb question, but in several of the videos the plates just slid off...was that a major fail on someone's part to not put the ends on (I have no idea what they're actually called!), or is that a safety measure...dump the plates and you're left with a bar?

[ZenGwen]

Ahahaha. I love the fishtank kid. And how he was obviously one of the numerous people there who were just videotaping themselves weightlifting... hopefully in order to analyze and improve their form rather than show off!

[spatzcat]

there are tons of hidden barbell cams in the tube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lu4POqS0JHc

jesus fuck that was funny.

I learned something from this video: spotters should require an interview/training before helping you figure out your 1 rep max.

[ETFnerd]

This might be a dumb question, but in several of the videos the plates just slid off...was that a major fail on someone's part to not put the ends on (I have no idea what they're actually called!), or is that a safety measure...dump the plates and you're left with a bar?

when i started lifting, no one put on the collar stays to hold the weight in place on the bar. that was supposed to teach you to balance the weight properly. and lifting to failure without a spotter was a no-no... but as time went on, people who didn't know what they were doing started lifting everywhere, and then it became the norm to put the collar stays on. Also, good spotting is a lost art...

[morethanjustamom]

It's primarily a safety measure, recommended when bench pressing alone without a spotter. Dump the weight and avoid getting stuck under the bar and asphyxiating to death. But, I feel badly for that one spotter who got hit in the face after the weight dumped off one of the bar.

Thanks, that makes total sense! Yeah, I cringed at that one. I bet that left a mark. However, the very last guy/girl? Hilarious! I bet he/she didn't even know they could get into that position!

[morethanjustamom]

This one teenage girl came out of the cardio room and followed this other teenage boy around the weight room, putting his plates on his bar and tidying up after him. I haven't seen her do it since that time, so I'm hoping it was a one-off thing and maybe she was just bored. (Note: I wanted to ask her why she didn't get under that bar herself, but I didn't.) I guess it's the feminist in me who grouses about behavior like that, especially in young women.

+1 to this. I have two daughters, one who lifts weights for track, with the encouragement of me and her father. I think schools should have more weight lifting for girls, but powerlifting teams are few and far between around here, and the only girls who lift for sports are track and softball players. I think it would benefit the cheerleaders, soccer players, etc. to lift as well.

[Morrigainz]

However, the very last guy/girl? Hilarious! I bet he/she didn't even know they could get into that position!

YES! OMG that one had me cracking up. That and fishtank guy and deadlift guy.

Also what was that one chick doing? That thing was weird.

@Sashi, I know what you mean...sometimes lil girls come into the gym and they follow their dudes around...sometimes they'll pick up 5 lb weights and do something half-assed...when I'm in the middle of my workout, listening to NIN and the testosterone and adrenaline are pumping, I just wanna get in their FACES! Haven't seen anyone cleaning up after their bf though..thank god.

[morethanjustamom]

when i started lifting, no one put on the collar stays to hold the weight in place on the bar. that was supposed to teach you to balance the weight properly. and lifting to failure without a spotter was a no-no... but as time went on, people who didn't know what they were doing started lifting everywhere, and then it became the norm to put the collar stays on. Also, good spotting is a lost art...

Ok. My husband is religious about putting the collar stays on, so I just assumed it was the norm.

[Timmy M]

i've become pretty proficient at 'the roll of shame' since benching on my own, simply lower the weight to your chest, roll to your thighs and deadlift it up. i can get pretty close to maximum (90%) with this

[andygates]

I had a barbell scare years ago - a fishtank-breaker if it wasn't on a patio - and I've been religious about collars ever since. Those buggers creep around otherwise.

[ebm1224]

i did the roll of shame for the first time last night. i figure it's a right of passage...or something

[ZenGwen]

This may be just me, but I was little unnerved at the gym a while back when I first started going to gym in the late afternoon. There are a number of teenagers who are there at that time of day. Usually the teenage boys do some bench presses and use the weight machines. The girls all go to the cardio room. This one teenage girl came out of the cardio room and followed this other teenage boy around the weight room, putting his plates on his bar and tidying up after him. I haven't seen her do it since that time, so I'm hoping it was a one-off thing and maybe she was just bored. (Note: I wanted to ask her why she didn't get under that bar herself, but I didn't.) I guess it's the feminist in me who grouses about behavior like that, especially in young women.

That would've bugged me too. Ah well, we can but set good examples!

[maegs]

some girl talking about her friend who goes to an Exclusively Women's (chain of women-only gyms): "They don't have as heavy weights there as here [university gym], but that's ok because girls don't lift as much weight as guys."

[Rmas]

A while ago when I was in high school, I had a class which was devoted to going to the gym and working out. It was called superfit. Anyway we were getting closer to the end of the year when we do the triathlon and I found out that most of my grade were bad mouthing me about it. they all thought I was going to be in the bottom 10, one of my Friends really ripped into me and told me that he was going to beat me. So the day came, 300 meter swim, 10 k bike, and then a 5k run. not only was I in the top 40(out of about 100) I beat my friend by 10 mins. Best part was my other friends ripped into him and I just smiled modestly, made it that much sweeter. I know this didn't have any quotes but I thought it fit the over hearing.

[Corbab]

there are tons of hidden barbell cams in the tube:

I'm pretty sure that guy at 1:48 was squatting in work boots...

Also, I think 5:40 provides some definitive evidence that Smith machines ARE in fact dangerous.

[chasely]

i did the roll of shame for the first time last night. i figure it's a right of passage...or something

Welcome to the fold, young shame roller.

My last one was a few years ago. I don't regularly do bench presses, but will do a set every now and then just to make sure I still can.

It's nice for me because the barbells are separate from the dumbbells at my gym. Most of the guys that come to the barbell room just want to bench press. More squat rack for me!

[wildross]

there are tons of hidden barbell cams in the tube:

The fish tank and dead lift guys were the only ones funny. The rest were just painful. And I don't think that counts as a deadlift. +10 for determination though.

[Arashi]

there are tons of hidden barbell cams in the tube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lu4POqS0JHc

OMG, the last one was ridiculous!!!!!!!

[andygates]

I'm pretty sure that guy at 1:48 was squatting in work boots...

Solid, stable platform. Ankle flexibility sucks, but leave 'em unlaced. #ghettoworkout

[PenelopeRevelry]

Only on my second ever weights workout, but today some guy was bench pressing (benching? What's the lingo here?) and after said to his spotter "The problem with this exercise is that you don't know what muscles it works"

Um?

Also the guy on the lat pull down who loaded it up, pulled himself to standing (on the bench so the bar was completely retracted) and hip thrusted mid air for about ten seconds. I have no idea what he was doing.

PS first deadlifts today! Yay me!

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[ZenGwen]

"The problem with this exercise is that you don't know what muscles it works"

Oh man. I lol'd.

Congrats on starting deadlifts! You'll be addicted in no time.

[wildross]

Watching the videos I was reminded of Riptoe's comments about spotting squats from behind (useless). What they heck do they think they are going to do with 400# from behind the guy? It is just going to be ugly....

[scott82962]

I'd wear my flat, hard-soled, leather "farm boots" at the gym if they'd let me. They're what I wear in my barn weight room. (At the gym I wear wrestling shoes. Flat, cheap, and no cushion.)

Last night I watched a guy approach the squat rack and he was pissed because someone else had left 2-45s and 1-25 on each end of the bar. I understand, to an extent, because this is annoying. But this guy starts pulling the weights off the bar and dropping them from waist height on the floor -a 25 followed by two 45s (thunk! clang!! clang!!!) - from each side. I couldn't believe it! He was so angry/indignant that he felt justified in leaving the piles of plates on the floor for someone else to deal with!

Well - I'd like to tell you I got in his face and said WFT asshole!! Pick those fuckers up!! But I didn't, being a pacifist and a peacekeeper. I just waited until he was between sets (he was doing what I can best describe as a grip exercise with a 5 on each end of the bar - didn't look very effective) and asked, "are you going to use these?" When he said "no" I just picked them up and put them on the rack while he watched me.

Some people's kids.

[JPanda]

What I can't stand is when people at my gym (gold's) DO CURLS IN THE SQUAT RACK. CURLS, IN THE SQUAT RACK>