Staring and Competing at the gym

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2

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  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,575 Member
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    No. No dudes trying to compete with my 90 pound bench.
  • epido
    epido Posts: 353 Member
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    arditarose wrote: »
    No. No dudes trying to compete with my 90 pound bench.

    This made me literally LOL! You go girl!
  • Willbenchforcupcakes
    Willbenchforcupcakes Posts: 4,955 Member
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    Stares at my commercial gym, frequently. Doesn't bother me. I'm either moving a lot of weight or doing something you typically don't see in a commercial gym.
  • tomatoey
    tomatoey Posts: 5,446 Member
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    I think it's human nature and mostly unconscious. It's the same for driving - people seem to want to speed up when you indicate that you want to change lanes.

    I know I seem to push myself to go a little faster when the person next to me is going for it. Or if I'm trying to stay at a slower pace, I have to fight the impulse to want to catch up. Actually, I also find myself trying to keep up with the beat of any music that's playing.

    Unless you're talking about lifting? That's different, you have to walk over and choose a weight. That is something different.
  • epido
    epido Posts: 353 Member
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    tomatoey wrote: »
    Actually, I also find myself trying to keep up with the beat of any music that's playing.

    I totally do this too! I just assumed it was due to all the years I spent dancing and playing music when I was younger. To not move with the beat of the music is just not natural to me!

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  • itzjulz
    itzjulz Posts: 57 Member
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    arditarose wrote: »
    No. No dudes trying to compete with my 90 pound bench.

    This actually happened to me this weekend. I was waiting for a bench that was about to open and a thinner guy who was also waiting asked if I needed a spotter. I said no, not to start, warmed up with the bar and then jumped up to 85. I swapped out the weights and was loading on 25's for my 95lb set and he said "Are you sure you don't need a spotter? That's a lot of weight." Another bench opened up and he jumped on it and progressed from the bar to about 65lbs. After I witnessed that, I tracked down my boyfriend who was elsewhere in the gym to spot my 100lb set. I typically couldn't care less about what other people are doing, but the fact that he thought he'd be an effective spotter AND felt the need to comment on the weight I was lifting makes me laugh a little bit.
  • azulvioleta6
    azulvioleta6 Posts: 4,195 Member
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    All.the.time.

    I especially get competition in the pool. Usually it is muscley guys half my age. I trounce them, every time. I recently had a guy try to race me every other lap--he was resting while I continued swimming. I still beat him.

    It amuses me. :)
  • dbmata
    dbmata Posts: 12,951 Member
    edited January 2015
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    lol. How do people have such a hard time at normal gyms?
  • dbmata
    dbmata Posts: 12,951 Member
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    ndj1979 wrote: »
    nope, or I just don't notice …

    sounds like you have too much time on your hands OP ….

    More like he's not taking his training seriously.
  • exlibrissilvio
    exlibrissilvio Posts: 69 Member
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    Everyone always stares in the gym. I hate it. People have always made me feel like I need to lose weight before going to the gym! Ridiculous! But, listen, men are naturally competitive. It's an evolutionary trait. And honestly, it's also a particular trait of a lot of d-bags. You know, the kind of guy that only lives for the gym and for the bar.
  • exlibrissilvio
    exlibrissilvio Posts: 69 Member
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    And, I don't compete because I've lost the ability to give a fu--
  • JeffseekingV
    JeffseekingV Posts: 3,165 Member
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    I guess you just too much for everyone BRO
  • tomatoey
    tomatoey Posts: 5,446 Member
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    epido wrote: »
    tomatoey wrote: »
    Actually, I also find myself trying to keep up with the beat of any music that's playing.

    I totally do this too! I just assumed it was due to all the years I spent dancing and playing music when I was younger. To not move with the beat of the music is just not natural to me!

    52347977.png

    I kind of figured everyone was like this, to a greater or lesser degree, but you might be right - I did that stuff too & am the same :)
  • DavPul
    DavPul Posts: 61,406 Member
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    dbmata wrote: »
    lol. How do people have such a hard time at normal gyms?

    duuuuuude. i wish i knew. i've been in gyms all my life of all manner and type and i've never had a single problem, but you read the forums and gyms be like life on the Serengeti or sumpthin

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  • alyhuggan
    alyhuggan Posts: 717 Member
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    dbmata wrote: »
    More like he's not taking his training seriously.

    Dang you got me, because I notice people staring at me in my peripheral vision and my training partner telling me I must not take training seriously! Thanks for your input!
  • DanniB423
    DanniB423 Posts: 776 Member
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    OdesAngel wrote: »
    To the person who hops on the treadmill next to me.....it's on like donkey kong.
    LoL!
  • JeffseekingV
    JeffseekingV Posts: 3,165 Member
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    alyhuggan wrote: »
    Should clarify when I mean they try an compete with me:

    I've actually had someone part way through a leg workout drop doing squats, load up a barbell for deadlifts and try lift more than me, he failed on his first set, unloaded the bar and went back to squatting! I was absolutely astounded!

    There's been several times where someone will try and copy my exercises but use more weight and they just look silly!

    Today as an example, I was pause benching, then went for incline dumbell bench, then did cable crossovers. Some guy copied those three movements doing about half the weight on the first two, then seemed determined to beat me on something so went heavier on the cables. Looked like he was about to tear his rotator cuff! This happening isn't a rare occurrence either :open_mouth:

    Planet Fitness can get so catty
  • DanniB423
    DanniB423 Posts: 776 Member
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    Okay I see this everywhere.. What's with the comments with the jail cell type door over them?? lol what gives ?
  • AllanMisner
    AllanMisner Posts: 4,140 Member
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    In 35 years of working out at all manner of gym, I’ve never seen people compete with strangers. I’ve seen buddies compete. I’ve seen people talk for over an hour while sitting on a piece of equipment. I’ve seen people text between every set (and look down at their phone for a reply during a set). I’ve seen people do crazy things that I knew would either do nothing for them or eventually hurt them (bringing your shoulders down to the dumbbell during a standing dumbbell curl isn’t curling the thing).

    But most of the time, because I’m doing my thing with intensity, I don’t notice anything. Because I’m not in the gym for them, I’m in there for me. Unless they walk over and challenge you, they’re not competing against you. Hell, maybe they’re just trying to learn something from you.
  • little_simon
    little_simon Posts: 37 Member
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    Such is life in a commercial gym.

    Don't get that crap in a barbell club or spit n sawdust gym.

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