so there was this guy in the gym . . .
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Ariadnula - amazing! I would have loved to of seen that.0
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Oh yeah, so last night as I was doing lower power, when I was doing the leg press part, a couple of guys came over. They took up both the deadlift area and the power cage as the one guy was trying to teach the other how to deadlift. Was interesting to watch and I almost turned off my headphones to catch more of the conversations but just settled for small glimpses into the approach taken.
The one first talked about it while standing by the bar. It still had 45s on it so he showed the guy where to stand, mentioned a couple things and the guy tried to get in position. He was talking about regular position but then the one doing the coaching did an example with 135, which is fine but he was teaching regular stance but then did sumo to show how he does the lift. He did later stack some plates so the guy in training could work on a lower weight. Then also he put the power cage in use for some rack pulls.
A little interesting to watch between sets.0 -
saw the banana woman from my previous contract in the gym recently. that was kind of awkward, and thank groke i was already finished with squatting by then.
she did her dumbbell stuff and then went off and spent half an hour or so doing her runner-specific yin yoga as well. i thought she'd forgotten all about me, until she showed up silently at my side while i was doing deadlift warmup. she made a Big Deal of the weight i was pulling. it's embarrassing when people do that, because you don't want to say 'it's only x' in case they really can't pull 105 pounds off the ground and by saying 'only' you're accidentally dissing them into next month.
on the other hand, i was using the big 10lb bumper plates so i'm still uneasy now about not having corrected a possible perception of hers that they were real plates and i was pulling 175. i almost feel obliged to get up that high now, just to keep things all accurate.
#trivialgymthingsyoufretabout.0 -
Okay, post one of two about the meeting with the trainer. I am kind of hesitant beyond the money factor is some of the things the different trainers talk about. I've had 2 so far that have been against knees tracking over toes with squats. Then there is some of the food talk. This time was a little awkward because he of course asked why I set up an appointment but the reason was just for the body fat caliper test cause last time I tried to do it at random the grumpy one at the counter said it was better to make an appointment for that. He had me fill out the goals and what not sheet they do for training sessions and when start up with the gym. I'll explain more in the other post but for the "guy in the gym" aspect, just a couple of points.
Whey protein - One of the things on the sheet was any allergies, so the dairy issue came up. When we moved over to the area for the caliper part, he was going to do a movement assessment too (kind of glad he didn't) but got distracted when he remembered what he wanted to say about whey protein. He went on about after workout, that studies are showing whey protein is causing insulin spikes and is processed more as carbs. Talked about how it doesn't help and might be undoing some of the work you just did in the gym.
I had to not comment back cause yeah... first off, the carb aspect. Also, it assumes that I follow the whole "need to have protein shake after lifting" thing. I lift weights at 11 pm so am getting home at midnight and just eat a tiny snack, not a whole shake. I actually only have shakes a few days a week max and during work cause it's easier to drink that when I'm doing my 8 hour shifts compared to trying to eat food and do stuff, being in retail.
He was nice and his point was in part to say no need to test whey cause I could stick to the other forms (vegetable, etc). I am considering testing out if I could do whey because I don't know what aspect in dairy I'm allergic to but it would mean no dairy but whey for a few weeks in order to see if I get an itchy reaction, which takes quite a bit of effort. Though there are far more options in whey protein flavor wise, for sure.
Also, he seemed to be more about timing of foods and similar aspects when he was bringing up nutrition. It threw him off a little that I was anti-breakfast. I just view "breakfast" as morning food and well, I sleep and don't eat much until before work, so that is my breaking of fast, but I'm not interested in must eat in the morning stuff because I eat at night. I find I have a hard time keeping to my calories when I have a super long day (get up earlier than usual but still go to bed midnight or later). It can be a long time to try and stick to 1500 calories. Though he tried to imply he has clients not cut calories but still lose weight, so another slightly questionable aspect. And he kept trying to talk about the slight injuries and pain issues I have, about how I should have any and wanting to know the exact placement of the problems (which I never thought about during time of aches but some are just going to be there). But he got distracted later then I went on my way to lift after the body fat test and mention of training sessions stuff.
Yep. That guy is the trainer for this ramble. Who knows what will be around tomorrow night after work.
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DawnEmbers wrote: »Yep. That guy is the trainer for this ramble. Who knows what will be around tomorrow night after work.
that sounds a bit disappointing. who needs a trainer who's not made out of listening dog?
i haven't had much people-watch to report from the gym, but today i got a doozy. this . . . vacuous-looking teenage girl with a pink towel and absolutely no notion of etiquette. i had actually been in the rack, with plates on the bar. then i had to go on a long walkabout to locate a few 10lb plates. i left my water bottle on the floor in the centre to 'mark' my place, but when i got back with my plates there she was, with her own water bottle next to mine (huh?) and her towel and hoodie slung over the safeties. she had taken my plates off and was mid-set so i had to wait for her to be done before i could even address her.
here's the thing, though. she was WAY out of the rack - like out on the open floor. and she did 10 squats about 3/4 of the way to parallel. so okay. but then she comes back to the start position and starts lifting one leg straight out to the side. 10 reps like that, then 10 on the other side. then 10 3/4 squats, then 10 more side-lifts each side. and repeat the whole thing. i thought i'd seen everything but i have never seen that. that one routine took her about 10 minutes to do. i will say that her stability was impressive, though.
when she finally did re-rack it, i stepped up and told her she'd taken the rack away from me. she looked vacuous . i said fine, go ahead and finish your stuff and i'll deadlift in the meantime - but give it back to me when you're done. well, she didn't. she handed it happily over to somebody else and left me with a really really low opinion of her manners and her iq. after that what she moved on to was super-sets between dumbbells and cable pulldown that monopolized something else for another 30 minutes. she wasn't malevolent, just completely oblivious. it really REALLY annoyed me. i found myself thinking all these mean-spirited beady-eyed thoughts about her parents.0 -
DawnEmbers wrote: »Yep. That guy is the trainer for this ramble. Who knows what will be around tomorrow night after work.
I have been working with a trainer since the summer and he hasn't tried to tell me what or when to eat once. It was one of the reasons I started and continue to give him my money. That would be a total dealbreaker for me. If I don't ask for diet advice, don't give it to me. Especially if you are going to tell me unscientific nonsense about eating 6 times a day like another trainer told me. The same trainer who looked me up and down and said, "So you haven't worked out for a while." God he was an absolute *kitten*!canadianlbs wrote: »i haven't had much people-watch to report from the gym, but today i got a doozy. this . . . vacuous-looking teenage girl with a pink towel and absolutely no notion of etiquette. i had actually been in the rack, with plates on the bar. then i had to go on a long walkabout to locate a few 10lb plates. i left my water bottle on the floor in the centre to 'mark' my place, but when i got back with my plates there she was, with her own water bottle next to mine (huh?) and her towel and hoodie slung over the safeties. she had taken my plates off and was mid-set so i had to wait for her to be done before i could even address her.
I use my water bottle to mark my place too and I don't know how I'd react if that happened. So not cool!
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There was a woman at the gym that when I saw her I couldn't help but smile. She was all decked out in colorful workout gear, hair and makeup...and in between sets she was dancing - as in full on dancing like she was at a club. With a huge smile on her face. I kinda shook my head because if I had the energy to dance like that in between sets, it would mean that I wasn't lifting heavy/hard enough. But she looked like she was having a blast0
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@sucampbeN - wow, that other one was a tool. The guy I met was at least nice and he mentioned the progress I have made, which I don't see trainers around much cause I lift at 11 pm and tend to not be all that noticeable in general (or feel that way often). But yeah, I've heard a few give some off advice where it's like, eh..
@klrenn - she sound awesome. I wish I could do that at times, even if you look weird to others. I miss zumba but don't like the super full classes so never go, but dancing is fun though between sets does seem odd.
I have a before gym and brief at gym. I needed to get gas in my car and the annoying part of living in this state is they don't let you get it yourself. I have to sit in my car and that drives me crazy cause I've done it on my own since I was 15. It was later, after 10:30 pm but the attendant that I've seen before cause he comes across the street to where I work before his shift starts on occasion to get something, he was a little chatty. Even after it was done, he talked for a bit. Random things then focused on his weight. Talked a little on how he is almost at a healthy range for his height and it's kind of a weird feeling but good too. That was fine until he started in on about getting stronger (from work, no need to weight lift) and how it feels great but also scary cause he can't judge his own strength. Should have stopped there cause then mentioned his sister won't let him hug her cause he accidentally hurt her a little... Yeah. Awkward.
Then the funny one at the gym. Near end when I was doing leg curls, a guy went over to the empty cage and did curls. Full on just curls and nothing else. Had his sweater hanging from the top to mark the territory, did some reps with the bar then worked up to the weight he wanted. But that's all he did in the power cage. I couldn't help but chuckle a little.0 -
Wha? There is a state where you can't pump your own gas... that is just so foolish. And that guy sounds like a tool who was hitting on you. "I am like, so strong lady, like just so darn strong even I don't know how strong I am "
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So there was this guy at the gym....who is a complete doppleganger to my ex-boyfriend and it was freaking me out!! I should preface by saying that my ex is Chinese and his doppleganger is the same and wears his hat low down on his brow and rarely looks up for me to absolutely confirm but unless my ex dropped some weight and got a tattoo and moved to my town from Vancouver, I'm sure its not him...well pretty sure.0
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Yeah. It is weird. They claim part that the gas thing is a safety issue (eh) but the other part, which is kind of nice though they aren't paid all that great, is job opportunities. My roommate actually works at a gas station so ends up being the attendant often along with doing some of the stuff inside. Still don't like just sitting there. When I first moved out here, no one came over so I just started doing it myself. The guy who did come part way through looked very confused. I didn't find out until later that they technically had to do it. Though, I think most of them will assist for diesel but that requires some work from the driver as well for some reason or another.0
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I can't stop laughing0
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There's a bunch of teenage boys have taken to going to the gym at the same time as me, and they're always milling about and drifting between the two squat racks when I turn up,though they usually end up moving on fast.
Tonight when I arrived one rack looked free, but had weights on the bar, so I was unsure. But one of the boys looked up, recognised me and said "oh, sorry! Hang on..." And ran over, took the weights off, and nodded politely then went off to his pals! Wow. I feel bad for thinking of them as pesky kids.
Another oddity is that my sister was there! My sister is not a gym girl. She's into cycling, and does yoga, but has always hated the gym. But... I think I'm starting to win her over - and I know she hates having weak arms. So tonight her partner was showing her round, showing a few machines. Yeah, I know ... But she has had bad issues with her back and she's really scared to hurt it, and is convinced the mahcines are safer. Which ... who knows. I'm just glad to see her there.
And! She arrived quite late, after I'd done my squats and deadlift. My OHP is not very impressive! But then I went over and did some pull ups. Managed five, free form, then got down, turned round, and she was watching with her mouth hanging open. "Wow! That's amazing. I think you've just inspired me..."
I won't pretend I wasn't showing off with those pull ups! It was gratifying to get a good reaction.
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I was actually acknowledged by the gym guys today...
Usually, they kinda look me over like I'm an alien, do their own thing and grunt among themselves.
Today, however, I was told I have a cool t-shirt (which I do
) ).
AND
I got a nod of approval with my deadlift by the big hairy scary guy (my lift was his warm up weight).
Next time, I might even get grunted at. 0 -
But then I went over and did some pull ups. Managed five, free form, then got down, turned round, and she was watching with her mouth hanging open. "Wow! That's amazing. I think you've just inspired me..."
I won't pretend I wasn't showing off with those pull ups! It was gratifying to get a good reaction.
Pull-ups are a kind of Holy Grail to me. Color me inspired!Vetticus_3 wrote: »I was actually acknowledged by the gym guys today...
Usually, they kinda look me over like I'm an alien, do their own thing and grunt among themselves.
Today, however, I was told I have a cool t-shirt (which I do ) ).
AND
I got a nod of approval with my deadlift by the big hairy scary guy (my lift was his warm up weight).
Next time, I might even get grunted at.
I like it, too. Every time a regular gives me a "nod", I stand a little taller. Not very many are there for "strength" per se, but there are several hard workers. They recognize the dedication to keep going.
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They recognize the dedication to keep going.
it's a nice feeling. and when i remember how scared i was just walking past the door of the weight room a year ago, i like it even more. slightly strange conversation at my friday club this week:
mr squats must weigh 300 pounds, but he's been doing the Handstand Challenge. so he tells us all about the aftermath from the first day he did them.
mr squats: so we wake up the next day and [boyfriend] goes, dude, what did you DO yesterday? i go, what, he goes dude, your eyes! i go what about my eyes? he takes a picture. and all around my eyes . . .
someone else: blood vessels.
mr squats: i looked like a freaking raccoon. just from being upside down for 20 seconds a couple of times.
someone else: huh. body just not used to it.
me: doesn't count unless you bleed from the ears though.
trainer guy: is that still happening?
mr squats: well, i don't know . . . i've been away, right?
mr trainer guy: oh right. [city name]
mr squats: so i couldn't do them.
me: oh come on. don't tell me you couldn't find a wall in [city name]
mr squats: but i was dancing, right? i didn't wanna risk it.
me: huh. whut?
mr squats: if people had seen my eyes like that. i mean, it could have affected my tips.
me: buddy, they're probably none of them watching your eyes.
still don't know exactly what we were talking about but if tips were involved, it seemed like a pretty safe bet
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hehehe He gets more interesting with each post.
I forgot one a bit ago. So, I've heard of and seen on rare occasion the mobility work with holding a broom or the very light bar/stick across shoulders around high bar squat position then twisting and moving with it to catch certain angles to stretch, etc. Well, guy over in the deadlift spot did those moves but with the regular bar, then he added weight to the bar and did them. From a distance it made you wander if he was going to hit the mirror when he twisted. Between his sets of anything over there (he also did deadlifts), he would hold a big plate, lunge then twist.
Tonight, a guy actually put his weights away after benching then misjudged his walking distanced and hit the bar with his hip when he was trying to walk away. ow
I haven't done that but I've hit things with bars and dumbbells so at least I'm not the only one. I'm close to hitting my head with the tricep extension often when I do it as I'm not used to it yet so never know what will happen next.0 -
DawnEmbers wrote: »
Tonight, a guy actually put his weights away after benching then misjudged his walking distanced and hit the bar with his hip when he was trying to walk away. ow
That reminds me of the time back in June of this year when I was in the gym on a Friday and dropped a 15kg plate on my foot. I was taking it off the rack and I kind of misjudged the length of the spindle it was on - I didn't have a good enough grip on it and it bounced off my toe. I tried to pretend it didn't happen but I reckon one or two people noticed. I spent my evening laying on the sofa watching Wimbledon with an ice pack on it! I still have a black bruise line across my big toenail 6 months later.0 -
Wow icemaiden, that must have hurt like a son of gun!! I would have been a sobbing mess on the floor, so kudos to you for keeping it together!
I'm still getting my bearings in the free weight/cage area of my gym. Last week I set up the bench at the squat cage in order to do bench presses (they don't have a bench press bench) after I finished my squats, but forgot to move the bar to the outside of the cage first. I had to try to finesse it around the inside of the cage, and tripped on the bench I JUST put there, thankfully not dropping the bar on myself. And also thankfully I think only 5 people saw that happen 0 -
icemaiden37 wrote: »DawnEmbers wrote: »
Tonight, a guy actually put his weights away after benching then misjudged his walking distanced and hit the bar with his hip when he was trying to walk away. ow
That reminds me of the time back in June of this year when I was in the gym on a Friday and dropped a 15kg plate on my foot. I was taking it off the rack and I kind of misjudged the length of the spindle it was on - I didn't have a good enough grip on it and it bounced off my toe. I tried to pretend it didn't happen but I reckon one or two people noticed. I spent my evening laying on the sofa watching Wimbledon with an ice pack on it! I still have a black bruise line across my big toenail 6 months later.
I have dropped the 25lbs (11kg?) bumper plate on my foot from the height of the bar when I squat (which thankfully isn't very high). I was hopping around the room on one foot for a good minute after that trying to shake it off. I finished my workout for the day but i had to take a few days off/modify some stuff because I could barely walk on it! Hit right on the midfoot, left a bruise that took almost a month to fully disappear. Ugh! I've also done it with the small 5lbs plate and that tiny thing STINGS!
I also like that thing about the guy reracking his plates, like that's normally foreign lol. Perhaps my having to hunt for the 2.5lbs plates isn't so bad after all xD0
