The Treadmill Lurkers

JennaM222

The Treadmill Lurker

You all know what I am talking about. Lurkers. It is that Oh so lovely time of the year when the Gym is packed. No matter what time of the day, morning or night, packed. Cardio Queens, couch potatoes, grandmas in their spandex, New Year’s resoloutioners, soon to be spring breakers, etc.etc.

So I am at my gym last night ( LA FITNESS ) and I hop on the elliptical to do my usual 30 minute pre-work out before I hope on the treadmill. As I am bouncing along lip singing to the dirty rap blasting from my iPod ( it gets me motivated and has great beats for the elliptical lol ) I notice every cardio machine in use. I then notice the lurkers. People walking up and down, trying to act natural, as they check out peoples work outs/times to see if they may be finished soon. I notice one lurker in particular who was literally walking around the cardio machines for 10 minutes.

Soooo as I hit my goal burn of 300 cals I notice a girl cleaning of her treadmill….Horray! Perfect timing. I hope off my machine and place my Ipod and water on the treadmill that just opened up and head over to get some towels and spray to clean off the elliptical I was on. While I was by the paper towels I notice the lurker got on the treadmill where my stuff was and proceeded with his work out. I cleaned my machine off and walked over to the treadmill.

ME: Hi, sorry, But I was using that machine.

LURKER: No you weren’t, you were on the elliptical.

ME: Yes, I was on the elliptical, and I put my stuff here to use this treadmill.

LURKER: (points to sign on wall that says 20 minute limit to cardio machines when busy) “see!?!?!?!?”

Long story short, he got off, found another, and I finished my work out. What a tool. I don’t like this time at the gym, at all.

dinacav

Personally, I think people should stick to the time limits. My gym is always overcrowded and it's frustrating when people don't follow the rules and you have to become a "lurker" just to work out.

♥_Ellybean_♥

The gym is always packed during the frist two months of the year... it sucks! I love my normal workout routine, but I always have an extra routins incase it's busy....

No worries, come March things will calm down and be back to normal...

sallyLunn

This is a no fun time of year at the gym, I agree. In 6 weeks it will be back to normal or better anyway.

Yesterday I was telling my daughter that I could point to the people who would still be coming to the gym in March because they were the ones coming in November and December.

To all you happy new people reading this. No flaming me.

I congratulate everyone who has made a decision to take control of their physical well being and applaud their efforts.

lynzyn

that is why i have my own home gym equipped with a small stepping machine, weights an exercise ball and exercise bands...I used to go to the gym like 4 days a week for several years, always after the holidays it gets packed and i hated it....Now it is just getting a little expensive for my liking, so for xmas i asked for weights, a ball and exercise band and was given a stepping machine, so i am on my way to a mini gym at home....Good luck with the newbies at the gym u can do itttttttttttttt

faithjobes

Personally, I think people should stick to the time limits. My gym is always overcrowded and it's frustrating when people don't follow the rules and you have to become a "lurker" just to work out.

Only a 20 minute time limit??? That is dumb! I need at least 30! My gyms time limit is 30 per machine

RoadDog

I built a gym in my home. No lurkers. No jockeying for next in line. Free Weights, Cable machines, elliptical, recumbent bike, big screen tv/dvd player for musical motivation. Which reminds me, I better go in there and dust tonight.

faithjobes

20 minutes is not enough and you had your stuff there!!! I would have done the same thing!

megteg

Sounds like a problem of just being considerate to your fellow gym-mates and having some backup routines to do while you wait. If all the machines are taken, warm up and stretch on your own for a while, or if someone has left their stuff on a machine, wait till they come back to ask if they are finished using it. When gyms are packed it just makes it worse to be inconsiderate.

Unless of course that frustration gives you the motivation to work out harder

angelapuckett

HAHAHA I joined the gym about six months ago but once the holidays hit, I didn't have time (or motivation) to go. Now that the holidays are passed, I started back today and yes it was crowded. I felt like such a loser too. No, my weight loss plan has nothing to do with New Years Resolutions and next time I'm going to get a tshirt that says that. lol

That guy sounds like a total douche but try to have patience with the rest of us newbies! and yeah, I consider myself a newbie because I'm definitely not a 'regular' yet. ;-)

Have A Good Day!:flowerforyou:

ginnyroxx

I work out at LA Fitness, too. This past week has sucked mucho w/ all the new peeps (although i'm glad people are trying to be healthy). I use the treadmill 3 times a week and of course, they've all been full.

in every local LA Fitness I've been to this week, we've created a line. first one in line gets the next available.

If i saw someone jump from one machine onto another just bc it was open...especially when i know they've seen me waiting forever (10 min is forever in ferret time) i'd be hella pissed.

runningneo122

Definitely prefer treadmill at home. My run and walk/cooldown right now is 70 minutes. And that's a 4.4 mile run @ 6.0. Once I reach 7 miles it'll be close to two hours total w/ cooldown. The convenience as well as ability to run at 5AM is awesome. Make a protein powder drink, shower and eat b/fast for a great energy boost for the day. Great mood lifter also... I love endorphins. Next is a bowflex revolution.

RoadDog

There's an argument to be made for both sides, but rules are rules. Unfortunately, when you don't write the rules to the game, you have only two options..Play or Not Play.

JennaM222

I work out at LA Fitness, too. This past week has sucked mucho w/ all the new peeps (although i'm glad people are trying to be healthy). I use the treadmill 3 times a week and of course, they've all been full.

in every local LA Fitness I've been to this week, we've created a line. first one in line gets the next available.

If i saw someone jump from one machine onto another just bc it was open...especially when i know they've seen me waiting forever (10 min is forever in ferret time) i'd be hella pissed.

I should have been more spcific. There were ( apparently to this guy ) Less desirable treadmills to use, he was waiting for a certain one. Sorry pal, the gym right now is a dog eat dog eat world!

chatal36

i thought i was the only on who lip sings to dirty rap songs on the elliptical.. Sometimes i dance too !!

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ginnyroxx

I work out at LA Fitness, too. This past week has sucked mucho w/ all the new peeps (although i'm glad people are trying to be healthy). I use the treadmill 3 times a week and of course, they've all been full.

in every local LA Fitness I've been to this week, we've created a line. first one in line gets the next available.

If i saw someone jump from one machine onto another just bc it was open...especially when i know they've seen me waiting forever (10 min is forever in ferret time) i'd be hella pissed.

I should have been more spcific. There were ( apparently to this guy ) Less desirable treadmills to use, he was waiting for a certain one. Sorry pal, the gym right now is a dog eat dog eat world!

oh yeah...then he's just assed out :laugh:
at the gyms around here...even the sucky ones are taken.

binary_jester

i thought i was the only on who lip sings to dirty rap songs on the elliptical.. Sometimes i dance too !!

Aww crap. I thought the cute girl on the treadmill mouthing she wanted to do me was serious.

ginnyroxx

i thought i was the only on who lip sings to dirty rap songs on the elliptical.. Sometimes i dance too !!

Aww crap. I thought the cute girl on the treadmill mouthing she wanted to do me was serious.

*SMACK*

TaraMaria

I've been TOTALLY avoiding the evening at my gym and heading over in the afternoon or using my treadmill at home. Also, for some reason no one really takes advantage of the pool and we love it! Sometimes we are the only ones in there and that hasn't changed since the new year!!!

Sparksfly

I agree that everyone should stick to the time limit rules for cardio equipment (if it's busy).

My friend actually got really pissed at a girl who had been running for over an hour on the treadmill during primetime. They had a few words, it was quite funny. The girl running had been on the machine for more than double the time allowed and she was looking at my friend like she was the one with the problem.

toots99

I work out at LA Fitness, too. This past week has sucked mucho w/ all the new peeps (although i'm glad people are trying to be healthy). I use the treadmill 3 times a week and of course, they've all been full.

in every local LA Fitness I've been to this week, we've created a line. first one in line gets the next available.

If i saw someone jump from one machine onto another just bc it was open...especially when i know they've seen me waiting forever (10 min is forever in ferret time) i'd be hella pissed.

I go to LA Fitness too and it's been crazy there any time after 4:00.

I used to live in Los Angeles and no matter what time of day it was, it was ALWAYS packed. Always a line for the treadmills...and if someone cut in front of me, you bet your *kitten* I'd say something to them. And when there's four people in line, you'd also better be sticking to the 30 minute cadio rule. Good thing most machines were set to 30 minute maximums.

JennaM222

I agree that everyone should stick to the time limit rules for cardio equipment (if it's busy).

My friend actually got really pissed at a girl who had been running for over an hour on the treadmill during primetime. They had a few words, it was quite funny. The girl running had been on the machine for more than double the time allowed and she was looking at my friend like she was the one with the problem.

I am definately not one of those people who think the rules dont apply to me, I even talked to the manager about it. 20 minutes on on any cardio machine doesnt burn mch more than 250 cals, and that is at top speeds. At national gyms ( la fitness, life time, etc. ) there should not be time limits. Or, thats just what I think.

mr_ashley

I belonged to a gym for a long, long time, either through University affiliation or when i started having to pay for it on my own when I graduated. I was the only one in my household that used it, and the fees went to over 80.00 per month. We had to kill the membership. I do miss the variety of machines that are available, but now I have some dumbells at home (not referring to family), and I'm on my bike trainer several times per week, so the home gym is a nice refuge now.

Not sure I'll ever belong to a gym again for the reasons you all mentioned: fees, crowds in different times of the year, weird rules like 20 minutes on cardio, and nothing but a bunch of meatheads working out trying to impress each other. Why oh why did the rest of my gender have to harrass women so much that they won't work out with us anymore? Women are so much better to DISCRETELY look at than men. Just my opinion....

ginnyroxx

I work out at LA Fitness, too. This past week has sucked mucho w/ all the new peeps (although i'm glad people are trying to be healthy). I use the treadmill 3 times a week and of course, they've all been full.

in every local LA Fitness I've been to this week, we've created a line. first one in line gets the next available.

If i saw someone jump from one machine onto another just bc it was open...especially when i know they've seen me waiting forever (10 min is forever in ferret time) i'd be hella pissed.

I go to LA Fitness too and it's been crazy there any time after 4:00.

I used to live in Los Angeles and no matter what time of day it was, it was ALWAYS packed. Always a line for the treadmills...and if someone cut in front of me, you bet your *kitten* I'd say something to them. And when there's four people in line, you'd also better be sticking to the 30 minute cadio rule. Good thing most machines were set to 30 minute maximums.

yeah...i'm in Orange County and it's no better here

juliebrc1

i thought i was the only on who lip sings to dirty rap songs on the elliptical.. Sometimes i dance too !!

Aww crap. I thought the cute girl on the treadmill mouthing she wanted to do me was serious.

You made me LOL right now RJ!

darkrider42

I agree that everyone should stick to the time limit rules for cardio equipment (if it's busy).

My friend actually got really pissed at a girl who had been running for over an hour on the treadmill during primetime. They had a few words, it was quite funny. The girl running had been on the machine for more than double the time allowed and she was looking at my friend like she was the one with the problem.

Usually people that habitually skirt the time limit rules throw a towel over the display so it's harder to call them out. :-/

jmathews

I go to my local Y and there are no time limits on the machines. Thank GOD! It's a little busier right now b/c of the resolutioners but like everyone else is saying, they'll be gone by the end of February.

teetee1281

I agree and disagree. Most gyms have a 30 min rule and I always read it to mean 30 on one machine, so if you switch from one cardio machine to another your time starts over. So, I don't see how the 30 mins rule is enforcable. Though, this time of the year causing even the regulars to become lurkers. It is really frustrating because we know that we will be there 2 months from now. But like all the other post, this crazy time will come to an end really soon and then it will be back to the point when you can tie up 3 machine if you like. Which is said, because a lot of people pay a monthly membership at gyms and don't even go back. Are they that rich? I'd take the donation and promise to spend it wisely. :laugh:

Ellem86

I still haven't hit the gym this year and I am seriously dreading it, especially spinning classes. I'll have to be careful about giving the resolutioners that take my bike filthy looks as this time last year I was a resolutioner too

JoyousRen

I agree that everyone should stick to the time limit rules for cardio equipment (if it's busy).

My friend actually got really pissed at a girl who had been running for over an hour on the treadmill during primetime. They had a few words, it was quite funny. The girl running had been on the machine for more than double the time allowed and she was looking at my friend like she was the one with the problem.

I am definately not one of those people who think the rules dont apply to me, I even talked to the manager about it. 20 minutes on on any cardio machine doesnt burn mch more than 250 cals, and that is at top speeds. At national gyms ( la fitness, life time, etc. ) there should not be time limits. Or, thats just what I think.

But why? So the people who get there earlier can use the machine as long as they want and every one else is assed out? I'm taking the other guy's side on this. You knew he was waiting and you cut. I would of told you "Sorry. I was USING it first"