Phone Usage in the gym

shadyj26

What do you think about the people that spend more time messing with their phone instead of working out? It really drives me crazy whenever I need to use that piece of equipment that they are on or I would just ask if I can work in with them. I hate wasting my time in the gym. I'm there to workout not to send text message for a hour or longer.

NinaSharp

As someone who uses their phone in the gym, I have gotten the glares before. The reason I use my phone, is that I'm tracking my reps and weights. Not everyone is dilly-dallying.

mrfreestyle

I'm with you there. It's the most irritating thing. I use my phone solely to track my workout and that's it.There's nothing wrong with that. Texting or playing on the phone is another thing altogether.

kumitejs

If they are holding up the machine, you can certainly ask. Otherwise, live and let live I say.

L4manski

I am one of those people as well. I do track my workout but I also text my girlfriend because the time I am at the gym is the only time before work we can "talk"...Still, I never hold anyone up from working out...

MyOwnSunshine

I agree that it's irritating. I'd walk up and set my stuff down and say, "Is it okay if I work in?" Although most people don't like working in with others (or maybe that's only me), they will either agree to do it or they'll pick up their stuff and move on to text at another machine.

shadyj26

As someone who uses their phone in the gym, I have gotten the glares before. The reason I use my phone, is that I'm tracking my reps and weights. Not everyone is dilly-dallying.

I have no problems with that at all. It's the ones thats always sitting there waiting on a reply back.

jmc0806

I use my phone to log my reps in my Stronglifts app and control music between sets. Otherwise I'm just standing around for 90 seconds anyways. I'd never start a call while there though

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yellowsnowdrop

I have a group of girls who regularly use their mobiles to ring home, somewhere abroad, whilst working out (or not as the case may be!!!) Just drives me insane especially as my gym is fairly small and the equipment is limited. Happens ALL the time. I go to the gym to work not to listen in on other peoples conversations or watch them texting. GLAD this annoys others coz I thought it was maybe just me being grumpy.

WeepingAngel81

I am one who uses my phone to track progress. I also listen to music on my phone, so I may skip over a song I don't like. I am the type of person who likes to go into the weight room with a planned workout, so I use my phone to look to see what I'm doing that day. I have been known from time to time to watch a youtube video if I am curious about form when wanting to try something new. The only thing that irritates me is when I see someone using equipment while texting/facebooking. For example, I saw a lady using a machine for leg curls. While she was on there, she had both hands on her phone texting. However, if I am using a bench and free weights, I will log between sets so I remember what weight I lifted, how many reps, etc.

cwolfman13

I use my phone to track my workout as well as use the timer. Depending on what kind of cycle I'm in, my rest between sets can be anywhere from 1 - 3 minutes. Generally if I'm in a "heavy" cycle and only doing 3-5 reps with heavy weight, my rest is 2-3 minutes...I can easily shoot my wife a text message in that time to tell her we're out of eggs or whatever.

I don't know...I've never really experienced anyone doing this outside of a regular and reasonable rest between sets...not everyone is circuit training and just bouncing around between pieces of equipment without rest...that doesn't mean they're wasting their time.

jbee27

If they are holding up the machine, you can certainly ask. Otherwise, live and let live I say.

Yup. There are a lot of people on MFP who get very bent out of shape about other people's habits/activities. Why invest so much emotion in something like that?

That person's gym time is their time, they can do whatever they want with it. Unless they are actively interfering with your ability to use they gym, why do you care?

shadyj26

There's no problem at all when someone is tracking their workout b/w each set. It's the ones that sit there for 5 or 10 minutes doing nothing.

wolverine66

If they are holding up the machine, you can certainly ask. Otherwise, live and let live I say.

i agree. it's not my money they are wasting, so if they aren't effecting me, then i don't care what they do

oregonzoo

There's no problem at all when someone is tracking their workout b/w each set. It's the ones that sit there for 5 or 10 minutes doing nothing.

And you are better for wasting 5-10 minutes notating the fact they are doing nothing?


Move on to something else then come back.

shadyj26

There's no problem at all when someone is tracking their workout b/w each set. It's the ones that sit there for 5 or 10 minutes doing nothing.

And you are better for wasting 5-10 minutes notating the fact they are doing nothing?


Move on to something else then come back.

I never wait and don't have time to wait. I always move on to something esle. I also like to get in there and get out so I can spend time with my family each day.

cwolfman13

There's no problem at all when someone is tracking their workout b/w each set. It's the ones that sit there for 5 or 10 minutes doing nothing.

IMO, 5-10 minutes is not a reasonable rest between sets and is excessive. At that point I would ask to work in or move on to something else or do a variation of the exercise I intended to do with that particular piece of equipment.

Rage_Phish

how does me using my phone (for anything other than phone calls) in between my sets have any effect on anyone?

littlebutlean

If I decide to stick my finger in my ear, stick my finger in my nose or even my !@$ in between my sets, that's my prerogative. If I decide to change the station on my phone since I use it for music during my workouts and I don't enjoy the station or if I decide to check if a text is important, or if I decide to sit there and google "idiots who post stupid stuff on mfp forums" in between my sets, that's entirely my business. If I'm on call for work, and I decide to check my phone to make sure I haven't had any tickets submitted in off hours, again, *MY* business. I have a full minute to a minute and half in between my sets to do whatever the $#!$ I want to do.

You should focus less on what other people are doing and focus more on what you're there to do. The entire time I'm at the gym, I have my ear buds in, and I'm focused on what I'm there to do. Consider doing the same.

MizTerry

hbrittingham

As someone who uses their phone in the gym, I have gotten the glares before. The reason I use my phone, is that I'm tracking my reps and weights. Not everyone is dilly-dallying.

I've heard a lot of people say this. I don't get it. You can't track your reps and weights after you are done working out on that specific machine? Maybe I'm doing it wrong, but I can remember how many reps at what weight I just did long enough to wait to log it when I'm done.

randomtai

As someone who uses their phone in the gym, I have gotten the glares before. The reason I use my phone, is that I'm tracking my reps and weights. Not everyone is dilly-dallying.

I've heard a lot of people say this. I don't get it. You can't track your reps and weights after you are done working out on that specific machine? Maybe I'm doing it wrong, but I can remember how many reps at what weight I just did long enough to wait to log it when I'm done.

If you are resting between sets, it only makes since to log what you are doing at the time. Why for the life of me do people care what other people do at the gym?
Ask to work in or wait and stfu.

jmc0806

As someone who uses their phone in the gym, I have gotten the glares before. The reason I use my phone, is that I'm tracking my reps and weights. Not everyone is dilly-dallying.

I've heard a lot of people say this. I don't get it. You can't track your reps and weights after you are done working out on that specific machine? Maybe I'm doing it wrong, but I can remember how many reps at what weight I just did long enough to wait to log it when I'm done.

Its more for convince. Depending on the app (stronglifts for example) you just hit the button and it enters how many reps and starts and automatic rest timer for you with one press of a button, then tells you when 90 seconds have passed. It would be the same thing if I sat there staring at my watch.

ew_david

I log my lifting stats on my phone.

Not everyone you see is texting.

shadyj26

Once again this is not about people logging there workouts. It's those ones that like to do all that texting instead of working out. Sometimes you do not have a choice but to notice them. I don't have to time to be watching other people in the gym.

ew_david

Once again this is not about people logging there workouts. It's those ones that like to do all that texting instead of working out. Sometimes you do not have a choice but to notice them. I don't have to time to be watching other people in the gym.

How do you know what they're doing? You should be worried about one person...YOU

SaintGiff

I have my phone in the gym. I'm not calling anyone. I'm not texting anyone. I'm not listening to music. I'm not tracking anything. I just periodically take it out and stare at it just to piss off the controlling **** heads.

RabbitLost

I have my phone in the gym. I'm not calling anyone. I'm not texting anyone. I'm not listening to music. I'm not tracking anything. I just periodically take it out and stare at it just to piss off the controlling **** heads.

I like you. A lot. :drinker:

sc003ro

god I hate it.....says right ont he wall no phones and people are on them talking all the time

GradatimFerociter

Couldn't care less. How someone spends the time they are not actively using a piece of equipment bothers me a lot less than the length of time they are doing it.