The Gym is great for people watching!!
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I was considering a gym membership for the winter: this thread has totally convinced me not to go. I was already feeling self conscious, but was trusting the other threads that were filled with "no one's looking, everyone's doing their own thing." And, now I'm convinced that's just hot air.
Enjoying your own people watching is one thing. Making it a public mockery seems just a little creepy to me. I get enough public mockery as a school teacher, so I guess I'm thankful to be warned off the gym.0 -
Please stop it. We aren't being malicious. We are just telling what we observe at the gym. I felt the same as you at first, and you can even see my comment on it earlier in this thread. Some of the things seen at the gym are unavoidable and sometimes you can't help but laugh. It's not like the people on here are pointing and laughing at them when they come in. Some of the things are cooky, and some of them are completely normal. Like abnormal or weird would be walking ALL OVER the gym changing room naked while other are in there. Normal, which was just mentioned before, is the treadmill couple that run together.0
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I very much understand your post, there have been some things shared that have put me off some as well. But it won't stop me from going to the gym everyday, I started out very large and not one person ever said or behaved badly toward me in all the time I've put in my workout times. I've had nothing but wonderful experience at the gym.I was considering a gym membership for the winter: this thread has totally convinced me not to go. I was already feeling self conscious, but was trusting the other threads that were filled with "no one's looking, everyone's doing their own thing." And, now I'm convinced that's just hot air.
Enjoying your own people watching is one thing. Making it a public mockery seems just a little creepy to me. I get enough public mockery as a school teacher, so I guess I'm thankful to be warned off the gym.
Don't give up your Winter plans... find a place that you find comfy and you will see that not everyone has someone they poke fun at. I don't fully agree with this thread being around but for some it's become an outlet and I think for the most part many don't mean it hurtfully, some I think don't fully understand the impact it has on others though.0 -
There are somethings that you just can't avoid...
For example:
6am TV yelling lady.
I walk into the gym on Tuesday morning and hear someone yelling heatedly about politics. I thought, "that's weird." I look around for this person but don't see anyone. I drop my stuff in the locker roon and walk upstairs to the cardio area. I choose a treadmill between a tall bald guy with head phones who's minding his own and a late forties woman running with the flight crew head phones. This seems like a safe place where no one's going to try and talk to me and I can plug in to some crappy 80's music and run. I start running and that's when it happens. The lady starts hollering. She screaming (seriously it drowned out the flash dance theme song) "That's why you suck this year!!" "You're terrible..." blah blah blah. Took me about 2 seconds to realize she was hollering at the TV. I come from a family of TV talkers- I get that behavior but... She was in public and YELLING. When the TV switched to the news she started going off about the president and the recent elections and OMG she wouldn't shut up. :noway:
It was funny at first and then it was a little annoying, then it was offensive and then I was just pissed that she was ruining my Zen time. :explode: I ended up tapping her treadmill and asking her to keep it down. She shot me a diry look and kept yelling at the TV. I finally looked over and told her to shut the eff up. That worked. I got to enjoy the rest of my run and she went and pedaled quietly on a bike.
She tried to start *kitten* with me in the locker room afterward which I just found amusing. (called me a b*tch and was talking a gang a crap) To which I replied "Hi, Pot. I'm Kettle. If you choose not to show respect to your fellow gym patrons, expect the same in return." I smiled and walked away. Shut her up twice.
That story relayed there are some CRAZIES that go to the gym & when you go regularly it's hard to miss. I also find though, there are plenty of us there that are on the same mission that support eachother. There is another girl that started about the same time I did, I had to stop her the other day to tell her she looked AMAZING. Because she's made HUGE progress. There's a bigger guy that works out with the meat heads he killed me with some comment when I first started about the "donut division" at a triathalon. He stopped me the other day to tell me that I was making huge progress.
Yes, people notice each other when they're working out, the thing is if you're there and you're doing your thing you get mad props for trying to make yourself healthier. I'm at the gym easily 10+ hours a week and I've NEVER heard anyone say anything about anyone there to do work and get fit.0 -
I was considering a gym membership for the winter: this thread has totally convinced me not to go. I was already feeling self conscious, but was trusting the other threads that were filled with "no one's looking, everyone's doing their own thing." And, now I'm convinced that's just hot air.
Enjoying your own people watching is one thing. Making it a public mockery seems just a little creepy to me. I get enough public mockery as a school teacher, so I guess I'm thankful to be warned off the gym.
I totally understand where you're coming from. At my highest weight I went to the gym with a friend and got stares and whispers. At first I just ignored it but it kept happening every time I went. Finally I just stopped going. I know seeing a nearly 400 pound woman on a treadmill might be "funny" for some people, but stares, snickers, and dirty looks are just despicable. It pisses me off that people are so insensitive. I deal with it enough when I am out in public, I don't need to be assaulted with that behavior when I'm sweating, out of breath, in my workout clothes and at my most vulnerable.0 -
At my old gym, we had a guy in the weight room that would occasionally walk over to the garbage can, put a finger over one nostril, and basically blow his nose hard directly into the trash can.
The first time I saw this, I was visibly repulsed. He seemed to think there was nothing to it.
Somebody asked him about it once and he called it a "farmer blow" as if this explains everything.
--Carter
Around here, this is known as a "snot rocket" and REALLY should only be done when nobody is looking or when you have NO other option, like hiking at the top of a mountain with no tissues, and even then I tried to use leaves! My BF has done it in the shower and grossed me right the hell out!0 -
I was considering a gym membership for the winter: this thread has totally convinced me not to go. I was already feeling self conscious, but was trusting the other threads that were filled with "no one's looking, everyone's doing their own thing." And, now I'm convinced that's just hot air.
Enjoying your own people watching is one thing. Making it a public mockery seems just a little creepy to me. I get enough public mockery as a school teacher, so I guess I'm thankful to be warned off the gym.
I totally understand where you're coming from. At my highest weight I went to the gym with a friend and got stares and whispers. At first I just ignored it but it kept happening every time I went. Finally I just stopped going. I know seeing a nearly 400 pound woman on a treadmill might be "funny" for some people, but stares, snickers, and dirty looks are just despicable. It pisses me off that people are so insensitive. I deal with it enough when I am out in public, I don't need to be assaulted with that behavior when I'm sweating, out of breath, in my workout clothes and at my most vulnerable.
Wow you picked the wrong gym! I always do a free 7 days trail membership before joining a gym. You can totally get a feel for the gym and how accepting they are to other people in that time. The gym I go to now rocks. I have never heard anyone talking about anyone else at my gyms and they also had a cardio cinema which is in the dark and was great for when I first started out as no one is looking at you everyone is watching the movie.0 -
AWESOME...a movie while working out, now how great is that idea!!! I went to a gym for 3 years and though they did call their cardio area a 'cardio theater', I'm not sure what the theater word meant, there were some TV's in the room but no movie:brokenheart:I was considering a gym membership for the winter: this thread has totally convinced me not to go. I was already feeling self conscious, but was trusting the other threads that were filled with "no one's looking, everyone's doing their own thing." And, now I'm convinced that's just hot air.
Enjoying your own people watching is one thing. Making it a public mockery seems just a little creepy to me. I get enough public mockery as a school teacher, so I guess I'm thankful to be warned off the gym.
I totally understand where you're coming from. At my highest weight I went to the gym with a friend and got stares and whispers. At first I just ignored it but it kept happening every time I went. Finally I just stopped going. I know seeing a nearly 400 pound woman on a treadmill might be "funny" for some people, but stares, snickers, and dirty looks are just despicable. It pisses me off that people are so insensitive. I deal with it enough when I am out in public, I don't need to be assaulted with that behavior when I'm sweating, out of breath, in my workout clothes and at my most vulnerable.
Wow you picked the wrong gym! I always do a free 7 days trail membership before joining a gym. You can totally get a feel for the gym and how accepting they are to other people in that time. The gym I go to now rocks. I have never heard anyone talking about anyone else at my gyms and they also had a cardio cinema which is in the dark and was great for when I first started out as no one is looking at you everyone is watching the movie.
I agree there are so many types of gyms and when I started out I was quite large and I have to say that's the friendliest gym I've ever been too, but I'm outgoing and friendly as well so might have had something to do with it? I do understand the level of discomfort that would make to have a gym like that to attend. EEK....I took alot of gym tours/free passes/monthly passes (free) checking out a new one and I like where I go now fine. Still nothing zany happening yet.but I am in the Midwest perhaps the animated ppl reside elsewhere in the Country?
:laugh: 0 -
Yesterday at the gym I was doing part of my workout in the stretching area of the gym. A quite attractive blond comes next to me and she starts to "limber up" As an understatement she was in some VERY provocative positions... to where I had to purposefully turn my head.
Then some guy comes up and says I want to get in that stretch... she is on the floor with her legs spread out and her head flat infront of her. He gets behind her and gets right up on her putting his hand on her back... I swear we were two pairs of gym pants short of a porno.
I hope they are back next week
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Yesterday at the gym I was doing part of my workout in the stretching area of the gym. A quite attractive blond comes next to me and she starts to "limber up" As an understatement she was in some VERY provocative positions... to where I had to purposefully turn my head.
Then some guy comes up and says I want to get in that stretch... she is on the floor with her legs spread out and her head flat infront of her. He gets behind her and gets right up on her putting his hand on her back... I swear we were two pairs of gym pants short of a porno.
I hope they are back next week
haha I can just see some big jock guy with goofy, curly hair coming up to a busty blonde with her shorts too short and her shirt too small and doing that. lol Though, if he was a jock, I'm sure he would be a steroid user, so his "equipment" would be small. haha0 -
Yesterday at the gym I was doing part of my workout in the stretching area of the gym. A quite attractive blond comes next to me and she starts to "limber up" As an understatement she was in some VERY provocative positions... to where I had to purposefully turn my head.
Then some guy comes up and says I want to get in that stretch... she is on the floor with her legs spread out and her head flat infront of her. He gets behind her and gets right up on her putting his hand on her back... I swear we were two pairs of gym pants short of a porno.
I hope they are back next week
haha I can just see some big jock guy with goofy, curly hair coming up to a busty blonde with her shorts too short and her shirt too small and doing that. lol Though, if he was a jock, I'm sure he would be a steroid user, so his "equipment" would be small. haha
Actually he was not in all that great of shape or what most would consider attractive... so I figure he was rich.0 -
or... he knew her from school or college -_-0
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Bumping for later, these stories are hilarious!!0
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Like abnormal or weird would be walking ALL OVER the gym changing room naked while other are in there.
:laugh: Funny cos that's totall normal in my gym. Most of the changing facilities are just benches and lockers. There are only a few cublicles. I think it's more normal to walk around in various states of undress than to do this crazy dive from the shower to the cublicle whilst trying to hide under a 10ft towel!! :laugh:0 -
Naked people in the locker room..I had one of those too. We had a wall of mirrors and chairs set up with blow dryers and this woman would shower then stand on her towel naked and do her hair for a good 15-20min.. Why she couldn't get dressed first is beyond me.
We also had a woman would would come in wearing Daisy Duke jean shorts, a tank top, her hair done and a complete face of make-up. She was in great shape though!0 -
Where I used to work out at in NC there was a guy that would come in the evenings that was a Bodybuilder.. He'd see you do something weight wise, he'd come over triple the weights and double the reps you just done. I usually ignored him. One day this girl walked in, and I'll be the first to admit, she's a very attractive lady, and well he wanted to show off.. He done the same thing he done to others in the gym.. Finally he took his tanktop off and starting just flexing.. She put down the weight she was doing and said to him, "Look I'm happy that you got muscles and want to show them off, but frankly, that don't do it for me, so you can stop now."
He didn't come back for a week.0 -
hahaha... I find it hillarious that nakedness in the changing rooms is somehow an outrage... Surely that's what changing rooms are there for...? Must be a cultural thing...
Word of advice... Don't go to Sweden!! :laugh:
Must recent fun from my club.....
A woman who lost one of her hair extentions in body pump... :noway:
And the usual "alpha male" behaviour in the free weights area this morning and some dude curling way more than he was capable of.0 -
hahaha... I find it hillarious that nakedness in the changing rooms is somehow an outrage... Surely that's what changing rooms are there for...? Must be a cultural thing...
Word of advice... Don't go to Sweden!! :laugh:
Must recent fun from my club.....
A woman who lost one of her hair extentions in body pump... :noway:
And the usual "alpha male" behaviour in the free weights area this morning and some dude curling way more than he was capable of.
Mental note... Go to Sweeden0 -
Mental note... Go to Sweeden
Yes and make sure you visit the saunas while you're there!!! :bigsmile:0 -
bump for entertainment0
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New story.
So I have a YMCA membership and it grants me access to several in the area. On Mondays I go to the bigger one for the indoor track. Usually you can go into the locker room change, and go into the workout area and stretch with little or no problems. The rest of the time I go to the one closest to home where it's just easier to stretch in the locker room.
Well last night I was stretching in the locker room and a guy came in and started changing close to where I was.. I was sitting on the ground doing hurdler stretches and then did my back stretch. My back stretch consists of sitting on the ground, putting one leg over the other and twisting. Well when I twisted the way towards the guy, I got a face full of weiner. The guy seeing this decided to turn around, which gave me a face full of butt.. Then realizing he was naked, he at least put a towel on. I got to find a new place to stretch.0 -
Like abnormal or weird would be walking ALL OVER the gym changing room naked while other are in there.
:laugh: Funny cos that's totall normal in my gym. Most of the changing facilities are just benches and lockers. There are only a few cublicles. I think it's more normal to walk around in various states of undress than to do this crazy dive from the shower to the cublicle whilst trying to hide under a 10ft towel!! :laugh:
The difficult part is to not stare. LOL...not sure why it seems so strange to some of us to see naked people.0 -
It takes all kinds to run a gym. I enjoy these folks:
1) Lady mountain climbers. There are two ladies who use the treadmills and set the elevation to it's upper extreme then spend their entier workout hanging on for dear life. Seriously, are they trying to work their arms at the same time?
2) Working off hangovers. I'm in a college town tucked between two military bases. Saturday and Sunday mornings, the gym is full of bleary-eyed young adults who act like zombies. Whatever you do on those mornings, DON'T DROP THE WEIGHT STACK!
3) The fireman. There's a handsome young firefighter who uses the stair climber while wearing his oxygen tanks. I've seen him regularly since I joined the gym in '04, doing a full hour each time. I try not to stare, but I'm a total groupie. He inspires me in my own workout and reminds me of all the heroes out there who stay in shape not to look good in the mirror, but for a cause. To me, that's just drop dead sexy, no matter what person looks like. I just pray he doesn't pop on here and post about the middle-aged, chunky woman who he thinks has a crush on him.0 -
3) The fireman. There's a handsome young firefighter who uses the stair climber while wearing his oxygen tanks. I've seen him regularly since I joined the gym in '04, doing a full hour each time. I try not to stare, but I'm a total groupie. He inspires me in my own workout and reminds me of all the heroes out there who stay in shape not to look good in the mirror, but for a cause. To me, that's just drop dead sexy, no matter what person looks like. I just pray he doesn't pop on here and post about the middle-aged, chunky woman who he thinks has a crush on him.
:laugh:
That's pretty cool. 0 -
I also enjoy it.
Some of the methods on the rowing machine make me laugh. It has to hurt!
There was this older gentleman yesterday on the treadmill running on low speed but taking really tiny steps.
I almost fell off the cross trainer. LOL
There is a trainer there who shows off by balancing on a ball. I'm waiting for the day he falls off. He so deserves it - he makes sure there are loads of people there and just balances.
I think I am cruel but it would be funny.0 -
]My last gym trip was pretty embarrassing. While I was on the treadmill I see this girl jump roping, and she makes it look so cool and easy with all her little tricks, double jumps, triple jumps, swinging the rope from side to side etc. etc.
So I decided I was gonna go be cool, there I was with my earphones in ready to jump rope, I went to throw the rope back to start, apparently someone was standing behind me and when I tried to throw the rope forward it was stuck, so as the poor guy is being strangled to death by me, I'm tugging away at it, until I turned around and noticed what it was caught on.
Oh and it doesn't stop there, after that little episode I continued complete with red embarrassed face, as I tried to swing the rope from side to side I not only hit myself in the face but I let go of the rope because it hurt so bad and it flew off and hit someone else in the back.
It was then they took the jump rope from me.
I only wish I knew what other people who were watching me were thinking
That had to be the funniest out of all the stories. I was laughing soooo hard. I would have been mortified lol.0 -
I'm the weird super sweaty lady who's always adjusting her bra straps and picking wedgies.
The worst I've seen was a guy in front of my treadmill doing some pulldown weight thingie (I have no idea what any of the weight machines are called) with a solid six inches of hairy butt crack showing. :noway:0 -
BUMP for the LOLs0
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I run, so I'm not in a gym, but occasionally I'll run by man. . . who is probably in his 60's who does these. . . lemme see how do I explain it? Well, he's always on the same street and he extends is arms out to his side and twirls around while running backwards and zigg-zaging across the street.
I have no clue what he's doing, but I've seen him on the same street, early in the morning for years. It's like cardo Tai Chi?
Meh. . . I live in Seattle so it's no biggy. . . it's kinda neat.
On the same route, same neighborhood, one morning I turned the corner and I ran into 22 goats placed along the street by the home owners on that block to remove vegetation on a sloped bank next to the street. They seemed more surprised to see me.
Big ears + big eyes + quiet "bah-ha-ha's" = cool.0 -
The worst I've seen was a guy in front of my treadmill doing some pulldown weight thingie (I have no idea what any of the weight machines are called) with a solid six inches of hairy butt crack showing. :noway:
We have an old man in our gym who likes to use the hip abductor... He wears very loose shorts and when his legs are out wide you really don't want to look.... :sick: :noway: :grumble:0
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