The Gym is great for people watching!!

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  • CalorieNinja
    CalorieNinja Posts: 645 Member
    bump
  • izobel
    izobel Posts: 116 Member
    5. Me, Myself, and I: When I used to work out at the YMCA with individuals of older age, I found myself becoming quite competitive if I noticed they were going harder and longer than me. I was the crazy girl that waited for the elderly man or woman on the machine next to me to set their rate and time, and then I'd set my machine on more resistance and go 10 minutes longer. I got sick satisfaction out of this.

    There is an old guy at my climbing gym and one day I was thinking rather smugly to myself "You come here a lot more than me, but I'm sure I climb better". He later asked me how old I thought he was. I'd have guessed 60's somewhere (some amazing 60+ climbers), but he was 82!
  • Elle408
    Elle408 Posts: 500 Member
    My friend brought me to her Yoga class and everyone kept farting. I wanted to die.

    This is why I don't Yoga! lol I really really want to start up Yoga, I think it's exactly what I need. But I wouldn't be able to cope if people started letting rip around me.

    All these stories have made me miss the gym! lol I love all the sneaky competition, people checking out your stats on the treadmill and ellipticals and then trying to do a little better than you and the glee in their faces when they do! Luckily I don't fall in to this, i'm quite happy doing what I do!
  • MissingMinnesota
    MissingMinnesota Posts: 7,486 Member
    My friend brought me to her Yoga class and everyone kept farting. I wanted to die.

    This is why I don't Yoga! lol I really really want to start up Yoga, I think it's exactly what I need. But I wouldn't be able to cope if people started letting rip around me.

    All these stories have made me miss the gym! lol I love all the sneaky competition, people checking out your stats on the treadmill and ellipticals and then trying to do a little better than you and the glee in their faces when they do! Luckily I don't fall in to this, i'm quite happy doing what I do!

    I have been to many yoga classes and never noticed anyone farting in them. I know you relax your muscles and one might slip out but come on beano or gasx before works wonders.
  • bump x
  • GorillaNJ
    GorillaNJ Posts: 4,024 Member
    I think my gym must have ran a special at the local highschool because over the past couple of weeks the new years resolutioners have been replaced by chatty 16 year old girls or a bunch of goofy looking guys always standing around the benches or curl machines.
  • Daisygurl7
    Daisygurl7 Posts: 129 Member
    BUMP! Great Topic!
  • backinthenines
    backinthenines Posts: 1,083 Member
    5. Me, Myself, and I: When I used to work out at the YMCA with individuals of older age, I found myself becoming quite competitive if I noticed they were going harder and longer than me. I was the crazy girl that waited for the elderly man or woman on the machine next to me to set their rate and time, and then I'd set my machine on more resistance and go 10 minutes longer. I got sick satisfaction out of this.

    Now imagine the sick satisfaction you get when some birdie twenty years younger does this next to your treadmill, then DIES on her @rse half an hour later, when you just stroll off (having finished your warm up) and walk into spin... :devil:
  • believetoachieve
    believetoachieve Posts: 675 Member
    To all those people stating that this thread is the reason they don't go to a gym - COME ON! Seriously?? Don't blame your lack of willpower or confidence on this (hilarious!) thread. :angry: Now that drives me nuts, lol.
  • dr1981
    dr1981 Posts: 76 Member
    While stretching I've seen others who have some very weird and awkward stretching routines! I thought one guy was going to pop his testicle!
  • To all those people stating that this thread is the reason they don't go to a gym - COME ON! Seriously?? Don't blame your lack of willpower or confidence on this (hilarious!) thread. :angry: Now that drives me nuts, lol.

    Thank you for saying what I was thinking. I go to the gym for myself. I do like to watch people, and many times I want to slap someone just because they are inconsiderate, but otherwise, I admire everyone for taking the time to work out. I have no idea about what they've been through, so I have no right to come to public forum and make fun of them. Don't bother replying to this, as I won't be checking the thread.
  • zandhmom75
    zandhmom75 Posts: 58 Member
    I no longer have access to a gym, but I love reading about everyone's experiences! Thanks for the laughs!
  • believetoachieve
    believetoachieve Posts: 675 Member
    To all those people stating that this thread is the reason they don't go to a gym - COME ON! Seriously?? Don't blame your lack of willpower or confidence on this (hilarious!) thread. :angry: Now that drives me nuts, lol.

    I have no idea about what they've been through, so I have no right to come to public forum and make fun of them.

    I'm not sure there's any life situation crazy/bad enough to justify some of the things these people do though! lol! (ie, ill-dressed individuals, those with less-than-appropriate blowdrier habits, etc). :happy:
  • mideon_696
    mideon_696 Posts: 770 Member
    lol @ this thread...and some of the posts on it too...all experts, love it.

    I see heaps of guys wity no idea at my gym, makes me ill, but what can i do, lol.

    -I see the "curls get the girls" guys...I LOL everytime, actually got caught laughing out load yesterday...coulda got ugly...so i did some more pullups, with full range of motion...they shut up quick. WHO the fark spends 30 minutes doing bicep work...who isnt a bodybuilder, these guys are a waste of air, but in saying that, they dont do anything else heavy, or anything "crazy" like deadlifts or sqauts, so they are not in the way...these are the same guys who generally dont make any real gains, in anything, and who also think thier "programs" or whatever are the most important part of thier training....far out. as you can tell, these guys piss me off. they also have chiken legs...im surprised they are able to walk using them.

    -There are a small few of serious intermediate lifters (i'm still a novice IMO.). These guys often asked for a spot, and i too ask them on occasion, these guys are cool. Usually focussed on olympic lifting. Alot of them use straps and belts (which is dissapointing, lol) but damn they put in the effort.

    - there is one properly serious bodybuilder (that i know of). He never speaks, has no respect for anyone else. I dont like him much. But whatever, also never in the way.

    - You got the crazy cardio girls. They SMASH the cardio, are awesome at it!!! Just wish they'd lift something heavy!!! and eat something. waaaay to skinny. :p Cardio isnt everything...

    - and we got a few older guys, probably 60-63 or so. years of experiance. Most of them do full body workouts, 2 - 3 times a weeks. Generally ONE set, reasonably heavy! YES, it works...I sensed in the comment above that this wasnt a good routine??
    Also a wealth of information on form etc. Great guys.
  • MissTomGettingThin
    MissTomGettingThin Posts: 776 Member
    Glad to know I'm not the only people watcher!! I've got a few characters of my own..

    1. The Cryer: No matter what time of day you enter the gym, you will find The Cryer doing her thing on any number of machines. She'll be stumbling on the treadmill...crying. She'll be hunched over, red in face, climbing the Stair Master...crying. She'll be on the elliptical...crying (this machine seems to really make her let it all out and WAIL). She might be on the bike...crying. I asked her once if she was okay and she yelled at me to mind my own business because she really needed to finish. I've left it alone and just watch while pondering.

    2. Bionic Woman: this girl will run at high speed for an hour without sweating or being short of breath, jump on the Stair Master less than 30 seconds afterward and climb 345039854 flights of stairs, do a 30 minute round of circuit training with 100+ pounds, and then she leaves with non-soaked through clothing, pristine hair, and a smile on her face. It's bizarre.


    5. Me, Myself, and I: When I used to work out at the YMCA with individuals of older age, I found myself becoming quite competitive if I noticed they were going harder and longer than me. I was the crazy girl that waited for the elderly man or woman on the machine next to me to set their rate and time, and then I'd set my machine on more resistance and go 10 minutes longer. I got sick satisfaction out of this.

    1 - That's just weird LOL

    2 - I hate this woman! LOL

    5 - I'm the same.
    I love it.
  • PamDW
    PamDW Posts: 246
    I love to people watch.... We have some interesting array of folks at our gym...
    We have the
    I am staying fit at 70 guy who hits every piece of equipment at 5am after walking around the gym for an hour. He puts little effort in his exercises. But I have to admire him. (I think he works the overnite shift there we have a 24 hour gym)

    I am definitely an oddball I am probably called the circuit lady fanatic because that is what I usually go do 2 of the times I go in the am. I hit cardio for short time and then weight training in between cardio.

    The Leaping Lady might also be trying to change her perception of her lead foot on the treadmill... Sounds weird but I know someone else that does that.

    It also gives me great ideas of exercises I can add to my program. There is one other woman that I have only seen once, but she had the strangest weight training - toning exercises, but as I watched, I thought, wow those make sense. So now I have incorporated some of them into my program.
  • mideon_696
    mideon_696 Posts: 770 Member
    tone, muscle sculpting, shaping...

    lol.

    all complete myths...getting annoying heearing those words...thrown around so much these days.
    You cant "tone" or "shape" your muscles...our genetics have already determined what they look and grow like.
    Want more "tone"? shred more fat and add more muscle.

    :wink:
    felt like pot stirring.
    :tongue:
  • PamDW
    PamDW Posts: 246
    tone, muscle sculpting, shaping...

    lol.

    all complete myths...getting annoying heearing those words...thrown around so much these days.
    You cant "tone" or "shape" your muscles...our genetics have already determined what they look and grow like.
    Want more "tone"? shred more fat and add more muscle.

    :wink:
    felt like pot stirring.
    :tongue:

    ok pot stirrer.... In my case, that is what I mean by toning.... To get the shape back that genetics have mapped for me. BUT some people without doing strengthening and toning exercises will not see the potential if they didnt do them. You add muscle by doing strengthening exercises... and toning does it in a way that you don't add bulk. I have simplified this explanation but tried to get the major point across.
  • There is one lady at my gym that we call "Gorgeous". She is in her 60's and ALWAYS has something bedazzled on her. Usually, it is the velour pants that have "Gorgeous" bedazzled across her behind. She is always walking on the treadmill and drinking her diet coke or her iced coffee. No joke - on the treadmill with Diet Coke or Iced Coffee.

    But hey, she's having a good time!

    HEY!! Where do you live?! Im thinking every gym has one of these because every gym I go to I see one. My current gym the "bedazzled woman" wears 80's style clothes with perfect accompaniment of big poofy hair and large plastic earrings. And when she is on the elliptical she looks as though she is doing some sort of MMA practice. One day I walked on the treadmill behind her just so I could record her with my phone. (I had been trying for days to explain this woman to my husband) so I was able to get some footage. THEN, if I didnt think it could get any worse. One day I saw her in the group cardio room twirling a baton... hmmmm... not quite sure...
    Im thinking I need to hook her up with the "random whistling" dude (you know the guy that walks around whistling his own tune to gravitate attention) Yeahhhhh.... good times...
  • Tamishumate
    Tamishumate Posts: 1,171 Member
    I am a gym junkie, anyone who knows me knows that, I am there at least 6 hours a week, anyway, we have out people that we have nicknamed too,

    One man " Crazy dude " ( our nick names are NOT original) he , while on any machine, goes to town , like he is running for the law, or a mass murderer , and he has a look on his face like he , in fact, is the mass murderer. Crazy DUDE!!

    then we have the @#tch ... she thinks she is hot stuff, and shows off all she can, and she lets her kid run all over the place after she picks him up from daycare, she thinks its funny that he runs all around the gym, I want to strangle the little bugger. But the thing that bugs me the most is that she will do one rep of something, anything, then go to the water fountain. Seriously lady, bring a water bottle. and she grunts and groans. and acts like she is dying ... all for attention. I cant stand her the most. lol

    then the ladies that do the same thing ALL THE TIME!!! I Want to YELL at them to get off the bike, put the friggin book down, and sweat some!!!!

    that is all
  • mideon_696
    mideon_696 Posts: 770 Member
    geez i think your right!! we have both the ***** and the crazy dude just thinking about it!

    yeah if you can read a book, your not working hard enough (unless of course your doing low intensity fasted cardio :P )
  • mideon_696
    mideon_696 Posts: 770 Member
    tone, muscle sculpting, shaping...

    lol.

    all complete myths...getting annoying heearing those words...thrown around so much these days.
    You cant "tone" or "shape" your muscles...our genetics have already determined what they look and grow like.
    Want more "tone"? shred more fat and add more muscle.

    :wink:
    felt like pot stirring.
    :tongue:

    ok pot stirrer.... In my case, that is what I mean by toning.... To get the shape back that genetics have mapped for me. BUT some people without doing strengthening and toning exercises will not see the potential if they didnt do them. You add muscle by doing strengthening exercises... and toning does it in a way that you don't add bulk. I have simplified this explanation but tried to get the major point across.

    sorry, hehehehe.

    just not a fan of all the made up marketing terms in the fitness industry. drives me crazy!

    they include:
    toning,
    diet with names,
    shaping,
    hell even weight loss!!! ( i prefer fat loss, haha).

    and my personal favourite i love to hate:
    cellulite. (term penned by Vogue? magazine in the 70's) - its just fat, lol, and not any different to any other.

    Dont mind me though! I'm just frustrated that i cant make it to gym tonight (without trainging at 2200, gym closes @ 2200 :(...)
    Though i am contemplating going for a run when i do get home, haha
  • msbanana
    msbanana Posts: 793 Member
    OMG I was in the free weights area today with no iPod... WE HAVE A GORILLA GRUNTER!!! I get grunting- I do it. Generally the grunt happens on that last rep that you have to force to finish... But this gent was doing shrugs and with each lift he let out a fair gorilla style grunt- funny part the speed at which he was doing the shrugs sounded like he was calling for his silver back mate. :noway: I couldn't help but stare in the mirror waiting for him to beat his chest and fling poo, It was VERY entertaining. :laugh:
  • backinthenines
    backinthenines Posts: 1,083 Member
    Dear old lady at my gym,

    Bad enough you have to blow dry your pubes and under your boobs with a hairdryer... that's experience enough before 8am to be putting me off my breakfast...

    :huh:

    But PLEASE....!!! When you liberally apply your talcum powder with the hairdryer still on, I would be grateful if you could aim it away from my protein!

    :sick:
  • eatrunstretch
    eatrunstretch Posts: 233 Member
    Love this thread!

    I am probably one of the oddballs at my gym! Each machine has its own little tv attached to the front that you plug your earphones to, and I usually catch an episode of 'Everybody Loves Raymond' or 'King of Queens', and sometimes even an Adam Sandler movie, and I end up laughing out loud, or worse, trying to hold in the laugh and snorting instead!

    One of the other oddballs at my gym is this woman who lifts weights like her life was hanging in the balance. The quirky thing is that she sounds like a tennis player when she's doing it - I always know when she's there as I hear her before I see her! It makes it hard to keep ones concentration so I know I won't be doing weights while she's in!
  • GorillaNJ
    GorillaNJ Posts: 4,024 Member
    Well I had a good laugh yesterday... one of the new 16 year old kids had a personal training session with a very attractive trainer. I could see him checking her out with every move she was showing him.

    Thinking about signing up for a consultation myself! :laugh:
  • JoyousRen
    JoyousRen Posts: 3,823 Member
    There is a guy at my gym that always smiles at me and makes a "tck" sound. All he needs is the finger guns and it would be perfect!
  • OOOO, OO!! I have a great one! There is a boy... and although he stays at the gym for atleast 3 hours most days (thats how long i am there) he only actually works out for Maybe 5 mins..

    Its like he just stares off trying to get pumped, and 45 mins later does 3 pull ups, sits for an obnoxious amount of time and then goes and sits on a different machine.

    (Very annoying for those of us who want to USE that machine, not just sit one it... )
  • laura4410
    laura4410 Posts: 44 Member
    When I go to the Y during the day, I am the only person under the age of 70 I swear!! Night time is a much younger crowd, but during the day I am eye balling the nearest defibrillator the whole time just waiting for when I am going to need to snatch it. Now dont get me wrong, I am proud of them for keeping fitness on the top of their priority list, plus it makes for some pretty great stories!!

    1. The guy who STANDS on the treadmill with his oxygen tank by his side. If he was moving that would be one thing, and I should be applauding him. But, no. He literally just stands there, feet on the edge while the treadmill runs. The first time I noticed this, I thought...hmmm, maybe he isnt sure how to work it. Or maybe its like jump rope where he is just waiting for the "right moment" to hop on. I ran 3 miles, all the while he is still standing. Then he finished, wiped down the machine, and moved on. I thought maybe it was a fluke or maybe he just finished his workout but wanted to finish his tv show...but nope. I have seen him half a dozen times, same treadmill, same time, still standing.

    2. The coffee/donut/jean gang. There is a little mezzanine area, with tables and coffeepot/snack machines, etc. And I always see the same little old men there drinking their coffee and enjoying their donuts. No big deal, until a few minutes later I see them hop on a treadmill or a bike...in their jeans...right after their pre-workout donut. lol
  • hroush
    hroush Posts: 2,073 Member
    I am trying to think of any weird people in the gym, but I can't, so it must be me :laugh: . Some people probably did think I was weird when I was doing my run intervals on the track. I sprint 3/4 of the track and then fast walk the last 1/4. The last time I did this there were multiple groups of 2-3 people that love to walk side-by-side on a three wide track :noway: .
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