Are you friendly to others while working out?

wheird

I am generally always friendly and polite.

SoLongAndThanksForAllTheFish

Nobody seemed to pay attention to : I don't talk to people. Lol.
AND I don't go to a gym.

BUT if I am riding past someone and they are riding/running past me it seems rude to not nod or smile.

Maybe its just me.

SO...if someone smiles at you or nods you don't have to do the same back but you also don't have to give them a rude look.

Maybe it is just the south. lol. We wave at anyone who passes the house if we are outside. (Hand gesture of acknowledgement, not a full on wave."

Well, I think you need to just do what you do and not judge others, let no acknowledgement slide off your back, it doesn't mean they are a jerk. Yes outside is different than in a gym, but, still similar reasons.

Maybe they are focused, or they are thinking of something/lost in thought and acknowledging you would disrupt the concentration/break the chain of thought.

Maybe they are not very socially adept and they try to be friendly, but react based on what reactions they get and the last girls he smiled at, one looked at him strangely for smiling at her and maybe assumed he was coming on to her and the next one started talking to him even though he had headphones in and wouldn't quit talking so he's decided to say "screw being social" on this hike...you would be one of the next ones I passed and ignored...

But I usually start out friendly outside, until someone makes me feel like an idiot for smiling at them, looks at me funny for it, or I get lost in thought or the lecture I'm listening to on my headphones.

Galatea_Stone

I am generally always friendly and polite.

^this. Obviously, I'm not going to talk to everyone if the gym is crowded or the trail is crowded. But if it's me and I'm all alone and some guy runs by, sure I nod and say hello. 90% of the time the other person says hello first or back. Sometimes they say "whhooo! It's hot today!"

In the gym, I don't generally initiate conversation, but I smile at regulars, generally say hello and am cheerful if someone wants to talk to me. I don't do indoor cardio, so I'm usually in the weights area and a lot of the gym bros seem to chat with each other and with me. It's not long conversations. Just trash talk and spots and "You need the 5 pound dumbbells, Leroy?" kind of stuff.

wheird

I am generally always friendly and polite.

^this. Obviously, I'm not going to talk to everyone if the gym is crowded or the trail is crowded. But if it's me and I'm all alone and some guy runs by, sure I nod and say hello. 90% of the time the other person says hello first or back. Sometimes they say "whhooo! It's hot today!"

In the gym, I don't generally initiate conversation, but I smile at regulars, generally say hello and am cheerful if someone wants to talk to me. I don't do indoor cardio, so I'm usually in the weights area and a lot of the gym bros seem to chat with each other and with me. It's not long conversations. Just trash talk and spots and "You need the 5 pound dumbbells, Leroy?" kind of stuff.

Yeah, it doesnt take much effort or time to humor someone who wants to be friendly. I even had one guy talk to me for 20 minutes when I asked him to spot my bench. He talked throughout my sets and it was a bit distracting, but he seemed to be really happy to have connected with someone at the gym.

skullshank

i am.

there are several other regulars that i now speak to on a pretty normal basis. we've introduced ourselves, so greeting them and shooting the **** is a normal occurrence.

if i need to interact with someone to ask if they are using something i am always polite and outgoing.

my mom always said 'you get more flies with honey than with vinegar'.
and while my younger self had no idea wtf she was talking about (why would i want flies anyway?), it's true.

DavPul

I am generally always friendly and polite.

^this. Obviously, I'm not going to talk to everyone if the gym is crowded or the trail is crowded. But if it's me and I'm all alone and some guy runs by, sure I nod and say hello. 90% of the time the other person says hello first or back. Sometimes they say "whhooo! It's hot today!"

In the gym, I don't generally initiate conversation, but I smile at regulars, generally say hello and am cheerful if someone wants to talk to me. I don't do indoor cardio, so I'm usually in the weights area and a lot of the gym bros seem to chat with each other and with me. It's not long conversations. Just trash talk and spots and "You need the 5 pound dumbbells, Leroy?" kind of stuff.

Yeah, it doesnt take much effort or time to humor someone who wants to be friendly. I even had one guy talk to me for 20 minutes when I asked him to spot my bench. He talked throughout my sets and it was a bit distracting, but he seemed to be really happy to have connected with someone at the gym.

so....how was the sex?

maidentl

SO...if someone smiles at you or nods you don't have to do the same back but you also don't have to give them a rude look.

OR you could just accept that some people are focused/struggling/in pain/in a bad mood/have *****y resting face or anything else that has nothing to do with you and not assume they're "rude."

SpeSHul_SnoflEHk

no. I taunt and jeer. Fatties.

But, seriously, my FL can attest. I tell stories on a regular basis about my gym community. It's one of the few places where we all geet along, and I have made some great friends and acquaintances at my gym. We chat. We smile. We joke. We enjoy each other.

Willbenchforcupcakes

As long as you don't interrupt me mid set or try and chat for hours, yes

dbmata

I think the paintings of Thomas Kinkade are awful and trite.

God- I thought I was the only one!

It's always amazed me just how prolific that "art" was/is.

ILiftHeavyAcrylics

I think the paintings of Thomas Kinkade are awful and trite.

God- I thought I was the only one!

It's always amazed me just how prolific that "art" was/is.

Especially considering that most of it was painted by his apprentices.

Legs_McGee

I'm always friendly - whether working out or otherwise. I've been going to the same gym for several years so I say hello to those I know and smile at anyone I make eye contact with. The same with running ... and most people say hello back. But I don't go into cheerleader mode for anyone and I wouldn't interrupt a workout to get chatty.

4mricandy

Still you gotta wonder... What would Scooby Doo?

artickb22

I dont mind a nod or smile but anything more and I feel obligated to take my headphones out and respond which annoys the **** out of me when I'm in 'the zone'. So long as the music keeps playing and I dont' have to speak it's all good!

Happymelz

HAHAHA! I figured out what it is.

I've been wearing my hubbys old rock tee shirts. Apparently the old ladies in my town don't like his In Utero T-Shirt. lololol.

I got several dirty looks AGAIN last night while wearing it.

Happymelz

SO...if someone smiles at you or nods you don't have to do the same back but you also don't have to give them a rude look.

OR you could just accept that some people are focused/struggling/in pain/in a bad mood/have *****y resting face or anything else that has nothing to do with you and not assume they're "rude."

as someone who has a ****y resting face I get this.

MegE_N

When I work out, I am alone. No other creature exists in the world.

It's the only way I can do it. I'm very pro minding my own business. I don't like the idea of someone watching me or smiling at me during my workout. Granted, I won't take offense. But I'm pretending you're not there so I can find my zone and I'm trusting others to do the same.

DeadliftAddict

I will give a nod and a smile as well. I don't like talking to much while in the gym. There are a few guys that I may exchange a few good mornings with. One of which is an older guy who I swear only comes to the gym to train his jawbone because it is the only thing moving while he is there.

tedrickp

i am.

there are several other regulars that i now speak to on a pretty normal basis. we've introduced ourselves, so greeting them and shooting the **** is a normal occurrence.

if i need to interact with someone to ask if they are using something i am always polite and outgoing.

my mom always said 'you get more flies with honey than with vinegar'.
and while my younger self had no idea wtf she was talking about (why would i want flies anyway?), it's true.

This.

I work out at home now - but I enjoyed the community aspect of the gym. I would never engage someone in a chat in the middle of a set. And I don't think anyone ever did that to me.

One dude at my gym was an ex-pro basketball player (not NBA, played in Italy) and if I am being totally honest, knowing I was going to hear one of his epic stories was motivation to go to the gym.

ValGogo

If someone talks to me I will talk to them. I mean, I won't go and start a conversation with someone who is there to work out. But I will say "sure, go ahead and take that dumbbell, I'm done" or I will ask "is this bench yours?"

I'm all politeness and smiles when necessary. But generally, I mind my own business. If I see a bimbo or a meat head acting the fool, I will secretly roll my eyes and keep it moving. But that's as far as I will go on douchy-ness.

DWBalboa

I don’t work out at a public gym, so it’s rather a moot point for me. However, from time to time I do use base gyms and I am somewhat of an extravert so I don’t shy away from at least acknowledging others in the gym or on the beach when I’m working out there. Of course if I’m running and I cross paths with another runner I always ack them. Otherwise, I have a rather simple rule of thumb for me that I apply this to others as well; if I have my ear buds in and I’m not making any eye contact then I’m deep in concentration so please hold off on all forms of comms. But if I’m taking a water break or finished with my workout please feel free to approach, I promise I won’t bite (unless request to do so).
The only other time I may open comms with someone else while they are working out is if they are using something that I need as well and only to ask how many more sets they have so I know if I need to move on to something else, if I have something else left that is to say. And as etiquette I wait until they are done with their current set before engaging them.
But if someone does ask me a question, if there’s no quick answer and I’m in the middle of my W/O I politely tell them that if they can wait until my W/O is over I would gladly talk with them and answer any questions at that time. No matter what I’m always polite (or try to be), that’s just how I was raised.

fauxpunker

I think the paintings of Thomas Kinkade are awful and trite.

God- I thought I was the only one!

It's always amazed me just how prolific that "art" was/is.

Especially considering that most of it was painted by his apprentices.

But if it weren't for Kinkade, how would mall-based "art stores" stay open. Think of the malls!