The Gym is great for people watching!!

allyson223

Oh wow too funny! Thanks for posting! :laugh:
I too enjoy people watching at the gym. There is always the lady that is there and is power walking on a mission! full speed ahead like she is hunting someone down. Arms full speed pumping as high as they go. But here's the kicker: the butt is going left to right as fast as possible as well!

Then there is the guy in the corner so he can check himself out in both mirrors as he does his curls that will body scan himself casually to see how good looking he is.

Just funny what people do at the gym especially when they think no one is watching! I only wonder what other people have caught me doing???

mommamills

I go to step class on Mondays and here recently we had a new participant. It's a woman probably mid to late 40's....NO rhythm but thinks she's groving out! Only thing is that's not the funny part.....she's one of those top heavy folks that are built like *kitten* brick houses...you know, broad shoulders, big boobs, big belly, no booty and small legs. She does, however, have flabby thighs....but none of this stops her from wearing the shortest, tightest shorts ever and still rolling them up (or down, however you want to look at it) where you can almost see her hip bone and at the same time see her "tramp stamp" (no judgement there....I have one too) and the smallest tank top with her belly hanging out and top rolled down under her bra where you can see the tattoo on her breast! She struts through the entire class and makes up her own steps because she can't quite catch on. It's absolutely hilarious! then when class is done she'll go do the "bend and snap" routine from Legally Blonde to get her water bottle and go strutting back out into the gym constantly looking around to see if anyone is watching! Too funny!

Redkoala

I'm the first to admit i have to watch some people at the gym...mainly to think to myself i'll be like that one day. I expect people to look at me.

cln714

Thank you everyone. Loving the stories! Keep 'em coming! I'm sitting at my desk cracking up and wiping the tears away.

It's so boring at work today... I needed some entertainment!

heathercrist1

My favorite place to people watch is the airport...but the gym is definitely a close second!

1. The "50-something racketball man": This is the guy with the sweatband, socks pulled up to the knee, shorts that were absolutely way too small for him back in 1970, and tank top with his hairy back exposed (ick!). He is always sweaty even before he gets a chance to get into the racketball court. His goggles and enthusiasm for racketball complete the look.

Makes me laugh every time!

2. The "I'm only here to be seen woman": Her love of fitness is overshadowed by her lack of clothing or self respect. She waltzes into the gym wearing her sports bra and spandex shorts (matching with her water bottle and gym bag of course). She moseys around the weight lifting area (where all the young, athletic men are of course) and picks a machine. She sits and takes all the weight off, does a few reps, and moves to the next. She tells all her friends about her intense workouts.

3. (My personal fav) The "young athletic man, in the mirror": This guy spends all of his time in eyes view of the mirror to make sure his "form" looks good. He watches his muscles flex with each bicep curl, his intensity on his mirror image so entranced he can't be bothered by the young woman in her sports bra and spandex shorts next to him. He spends hours in the gym and even more time staring at his perfectly created body that he built all by himself. Too bad he is so busy watching every move he makes in the mirror...I think him and "I'm only here to be seen woman" might have hit it off....

I've spent years at the gym and it never ceases to amaze me. I know human nature is a funny thing, so I shouldn't be amazed, and yet, I still am!

bubbie

The trainer kicked my butt today, but from now on it might help me thru my work out to kinda glance around. Humor always make the work out easier and more fun!

jusniq

At my gym, theres this guy who comes in smelling...I personally think he comes right from work because he always smells before he works out. Anyhoo......when he gets really into his work out, he starts singing whatever is on his ipod. Its really interesting to hear him sing as he's running really fast on the treadmill. On top of that, he's one heavy sweater. I mean, his sweat somehow ends up on 3-4 other treadmills.

MissingMinnesota

Yesterday I noticed a the creepy old man who isn't really old. This guy is so super tanned that his skin was so wrinkle he looked to be about 70 years old but was probably around 45. He was wearing jean shorts with a tank top with cut out sides and a backwards baseball cap to work out in. What makes him creepy is how he looks at the girls it doesn't matter what the girl looks like but its like his eyes bug out.

00trayn

I only go to my small office gym, and there are a few regulars in there. But two amusing ones are these:

1. Hiccup Guy: There's a guy who often lifts weights and does lunges with weights in hand quite a bit. Every single time he lunges, he makes a hiccup noise. And it's LOUD! It cracks me up while I'm churning away on the elliptical.

2. Towel Head: When I get into the gym around 5pm, there's usually a guy on the left elliptical that does a solid hour elliptical-ing backwards. That must hurt.. Anyway, 90% of the time, he has a TOWEL OVER HIS HEAD! Like it's a little sweat towel and it's draped over his head. It looks ridiculous!

I'm definitely the elliptical girl. Same machine, same settings, 45-55 minutes tuesdays and thursdays at 5pm... hehe. Altho I just started interval running today so that plus 10-15 minutes on the elliptical is my new thing.

MFPfriend

1. The Leaping Lady: There’s one lady who gets on the treadmill starts walking and then does a little leap every once in awhile. There’s no rhyme or reason to it either. I watched her for a while to see if I could pick up on the pattern and, I’m telling ya, there was none. Also, she’s quite overweight so it can’t be good for her knees to be doing that.

Hmm... I do that when I run on the treadmill, but it's because my thighs are huge, which makes my shorts ride up on my inner thighs. When I go a little jump, it makes them go back down.
... That would be really creepy if you were seeing me at the gym. =O Just kidding...

*gasp* I think that might explain it!!! Thank you... I was going crazy trying to figure out what was going on!!!

Haha, well, glad to help you!

Samoa_Moni

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

Tibbers

I never used to be able to people watch at the gym until I recently got contacts...oh the amazing things I was missing!
There is this one tiny lady who is always on the treadmill with the incline ratcheted ALL the way up. I mean, I don't know how she stays on the thing. She hangs onto the top of the treadmill for dear life and books it as fast as she can. She somehow does this for an hour at a time. Its amazing. I spend the whole time with my jaw open just staring at her.
Then there is the lady that I always think is a man...she just wanders around glaring at people. Never actually seen what she does to work out...scary.
And best of all are the two high school age girls that come in together...both of them must weigh about 100lbs. One of them really wants to work out and the other spends the whole time on the treadmill next to her saying "I hate this...I am getting sweaty!...Can we go yet?" They usually give up and leave after about 10 minutes. LOL :laugh:

Samoa_Moni

omg i'm so glad that u and I weren't in the same class because if i even saw a smirk on your face I would have lost it completely

BR1986FB

I haven't actually trained at a gym (built my own) in about 9 years but when I did, there was this one guy who REALLY annoyed me. He would whine & complain about how he couldn't put on any muscle size even when he was training 6 days a week. To pack on mass, sometimes LESS is MORE but this guy was doing the SAME workout EVERY day 6 days a week. Chest press machine, pec dec,lat pulls, curls, etc. Overtraining the same muscles big time. We tried to explain but he wouldn't listen.

antiadipose

2.The Treadmill Addict: I have gone to the gym on different evenings at different times, for weeks now. This one lady is always there, always on the same treadmill, and she’s on it the entire time. Judging from the clothes drenched in sweat, one would think she’s been there all day. The woman needs an intervention!

i know this lady!!!!!!!!!!!!! lol
ok... its not the same lady but some1 JUST like her i tried keeping up a couple of times.... she doesnt even stop and jog or walk! just RUN FOREST RUN!!!!!

she wears sunglasses and a hat?!
and runs like 12 miles lol

... thats my envious rant :happy:

maccabeth

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

:laugh: I can totally picture this story. I like how you said they took the rope from you! I'm laughing *with* you btw.

mspraul

I teach step classes several times a week, so I have plenty of chances to see folks in and around the gym.

1) After one of my classes, there is a man that comes in and does he own unique brand of karate before the yoga class starts. He is kicking and chopping the air -- he will even roll on the floor and jump back up into a ready position. Then he hangs a milk bottle from a string and practices kicking it. Hey, maybe he's a black belt and I'm an idiot, but I've never seen a workout quite like his. And he likes to get very annoyed with my co-teacher and I if we go over the class time by five minutes -- even though there's no class after ours. He doesn't like it cutting into his training time.

2) I've had people move to the front of the room -- during my class -- and start texting folks. And I had one woman -- who looked like Donna Summer with the full head of hair and fancy workout outfit going on -- get on the phone in the middle of step class. She was actually taking a call while doing the workout.

3) I did have someone at one of my gyms a while back that was clearly a man, even though she dressed as a woman and wore a woman's wig. She was actually a very nice person, but she dressed in halter tops and skimpy shorts and was VERY buff in a masculine way -- so it was a bit disconcerting to folks sometimes.

4) I'm all for changing in the locker room and have no problem with it, but what's with people that get naked in the locker room and just hang out. I swear I've walk in to see stark naked people just hanging out chatting with folks, having a snack, reading a book, etc. I understand there are moments of nakedness while you're getting showered and cleaned up. But if you're going to turn the locker room experience into a social hour, perhaps a nice cover up or long t-shirt would be a good investment. I'm just saying.

And the jump rope story told on this board previously.... absolutely awesome. I'm sorry, but that was a funny picture you painted.

Melissa

spicy618

Great stories!

There is a lady that will come into step-class late and place her step - front and center- no matter how close to someone she is :ohwell: .

The old man in step class who you should avoid being in back of cause - Whoa - he will let some out some stink bombs :laugh:

The "weight lifter" who's been there for years- and still looks the same - no definition with some tiny legs... :laugh: Just saying Guys, please work your legs just as much as your upperbody.... a lollipop isn't a good look :laugh:

The lady with the "bad body" wearing the shortest shorts possible - where you can see some of her butt cheeks come out the bottom :indifferent: :laugh: I often wonder if these women have the highest self-esteem and confidence.

The lady throwing punches while on the elliptical... just saying :laugh:

Bad breath you can smell from three machines away :noway: :sick:

Keep'em coming :flowerforyou:

katapple

d) the housewives of nyc - there are a few ladies who come in with their kids, drop them in babysitting, and do the lunchtime aerobics class plus some cardio machines afterwards. I have never seen the "housewives" show but these women seem to be enjoying their daytime ritual of dumping off their kids for 2+ hours while they workout

This might be their only break from their kids during the day, as a stay at home mom I would love to have a gym with drop-in child care! And I bet the kids love it too, cause they get to run wild for 2 hours without mom around with their friends But nope, instead I get to workout out at 8pm when the kids go to bed, or have them crawl all over me as I attempt a workout video, fun times! ;-P

etarre

Great thread! I think every gym has a few funny people.

There was one guy who always parked himself on the elliptical, and sang along to his ipod-- but somehow it was always the same song-- "Hot Stuff" and he would just sing along to the chorus in this little falsetto voice.

There's another large, muscular guy who always uses the elliptical right in front of the TV to watch ESPN. During basketball season, he watches pretty much every game, and yells at the TV throughout just like he's watching at the bar with his friends and a beer....