What bothers you at the gym?

LeCitron

I go to a women's college and we have a small gym/weight room in the main gym area. I'm one of those people who gets truly annoyed by girls who come to the gym to socialize instead of working out. If I can hear your entire conversation over my iPod then you're talking too loudly, leave me to do my reps in peace.

Also, while I don't normally like to criticize anyone's clothing choices with regards to gym-wear (heaven knows I've committed enough of them myself) I do have one rule: if you come into the gym wearing a string of pearls then you're obviously in the wrong place.

TinaDay1114

Large dudes looking roided up doing their reps like this:

UUUUNNNNHHHHHHHHHHHHHA!
UUUUUUNNNNHHHHHHAAAAAAAA!
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHNNN!

How about average sized dudes doing that , and then dropping the weights on the floor each time (kaboom, boom, boom) and carrying around a gallon jug of water to drink from (because everything HAS to be bigger than everyone else). All at 5:30 AM. *rolling the eyes and groaning LOUDLY* :huh:

amymeenieminymo

So I was at the gym this morning. I started off with C25K and then headed to circuit training. I'm sure most of us know what circuit training is, but if you don't, it's basically a few workout machines (certain weight machines, certain cardio machines) to give you a full body workout in less time. You move around from station to station according to the timer posted at your gym.

Well, when I went to circuit training, I got on one of the machines and began to lift. There was a man across from me on a bike (about 30 years old, average fitness from what I could see), doing his part of the circuit training. When the timer beeped and we were supposed to switch, I moved on, but the guy didn't. I thought "Alright, he's just doing one extra round on the bike before switching. Whatever." But then it was time to switch again, and he didn't move, just kept going and going on his bike.

Figuring he was new or something (hey, we were all new at once- there was a time when I didn't know what the circuit was, haha), I decided to approach him and explain to him. I said, "Sir, this is circuit training. That light over there flashes, and then we get on, when it flashes again after 45 seconds, we switch machines. We're not supposed to stay on one machine the whole time."
All he said was, "I know."
Then I said, "Well, sir, could you please start switching machines? I'd like to use the bike so I can finish my circuit training properly.
And then he told me, "I can use this d*mn bike however I'd like! You think you know what you're doing, fat b*itch?"

I just sort of stared at him for awhile like "Did he really say that?"
And then I ignored him- when the time for the bike came, I ran up and down the staires (thank God the circuit training is located right next to the stairs!).

But man, some things/people at the gym really irk me?

Have you had any experiences like that?

I get so mad at the people that don't use the circuit training room right either, but holy crap, that was just beyond mean! At my gym (planet fitness) there is a sign outside stating the rules of the circuit and people misusing it will have their privileges revoked (not sure if its their membership entirely or just the day or what), so I would definitely look in to reporting him. There is being rude, and then there is treating other human beings in a way that is totally unacceptable.

sarah307

what i don't like at the gym is when people come in cause they have to come X times a month for their work to pay for their free membership.. and they just read the paper! I'm like, if you are getting a free membership and have to come sign in here at least 8 times a month... are here anyways, why don't you just spend that time working out!?! LOL crazy! but I love how the gyms that I work at all have the rule of no talking on the cell phones in the fitness center! plus!!

What if I'm sitting on the bike for 2 hours watching "House" on my phone? lol

haha that is fine because I LOVE HOUSE!! lol but i just hate when people yak on the phone all day long when they are working out because i don't need to hear who you threw up on at the party last night pahaha

amymeenieminymo

I hate the people that are there clearly just to see and be seen. There is this one guy I see there a lot, he just walks back and forth through out the gym, I never see him actually using anything. And if he is, then he needs to plan his work out better so he doesn't have to keep walking from one end to the other, lol.

I also hate the women that are obviously all "prettied" up....please, I am a sweaty mess at the gym, if you're not a sweaty mess, you're not working hard enough.

kr3851

I just hate the guys who throw their too heavy weights down. It scares the living daylights out of me - I nearly fell off the treadmill the other day!!

I turn the volume up to block out their grunting and squealing... but I don't need a shock every few minutes!

00trayn

I also dislike the guy who hops on the elliptical behind me and proceeds to stare at my bum while I run. Yes, I can see you in the mirrors... hahahaha

Haha this made me giggle. I hate that too! I've shot guys dirty glances in the mirrors as they watched my jiggly butt while on the treadmill.

Sorry about that, Amanda.

It makes me happy that my bum no longer jiggles, its actually one of the few places where I'm legit getting toned. Guys seems to have a thing for girls in tight yoga pants. At least i know they're looking at me for good reasons now! Not necessarily the right ones... hehe

kingskunk45

Whoa ! That man was completely out of line . I think id have gone to a gym employee to discuss the situation.
As for what bothers me at the gym its the people, mostly senior citizens, that use the gym as a social hall rather than a place to work out..... And for some reason, even thought it's none of my business and doesn't effect me in any way, shape , or form, it bothers me when people do there workout in regular clothing , jeans, or long pants ( aside from actual workout attire like yoga pants or sweats) . I just do t see how someone can get a good workout in jeans and a button-down shirt. ........ But to each their own. I'm sure I do stuff that annoys others too.

ChristyP0303

I just hate the guys who throw their too heavy weights down. It scares the living daylights out of me - I nearly fell off the treadmill the other day!!

I turn the volume up to block out their grunting and squealing... but I don't need a shock every few minutes!

This this this! Scares me to death! You should be able to gently lay it down or its too heavy! Geez

getupandmoveit

Sometimes I feel like playing basketball instead of doing my run on the treadmill, but a lot of times there will be loads of girls just standing around on the courts, talking and watching guys play pick up. I mean, can you move? You can watch them from the damn sidelines...

AAANDD when girls (more typically than guys) run on the treadmill too fast, too soon. They can barely keep up with it, yet they refuse to adjust. It hurts me to watch...

kingskunk45

I go to a women's college and we have a small gym/weight room in the main gym area. I'm one of those people who gets truly annoyed by girls who come to the gym to socialize instead of working out. If I can hear your entire conversation over my iPod then you're talking too loudly, leave me to do my reps in peace.

Also, while I don't normally like to criticize anyone's clothing choices with regards to gym-wear (heaven knows I've committed enough of them myself) I do have one rule: if you come into the gym wearing a string of pearls then you're obviously in the wrong place.

Great minds think alike...... Our 2 gripes were almost exactly the same !

lozf85

Oh my god, I am utterly dumbfounded. I can not believe someone would be so unbelievably rude and plain immature.

I totally agree that you need to speak to management. 9 times out of 10, people that work in the gym truly want people to be happy and healthy and are there to support you in your goals. It is unacceptable to be spoken to like this.

I’m so proud of you for not letting this *kitten* get you down. You're a stronger woman than me! If someone called me fat at the gym I would probably cry… or throw something at them... depending on what time of the month it was.

I go to a unisex gym but luckily got me (especially in regard to the weight machines) there is a ‘ladies only’ section which has everything you could need, and you don’t have to worry about sharing with sweaty meat heads

I My Gym haha.

stylelush646

honey, i wouldve have said something back to him. How dare he disrespect you and a woman at that! i would have immediately reported him after giving him a piece of my mind. the gym i go to is pretty good about people who dont follow rules they immediately attend the situation. however, i hate it when its crowded after work hours it is open 24hrs but i cant make it at 10pm at night! There also is a lunk alarm for those meatheads who basically throw their weights really loud so an really loud alarm sounds to make them stop doing that. it actually works!

nokittyno

I would report him FOR SURE.

As for the gym stuff, I work out at home, ... But I have been considering paying for a day and witnessing all this. LOL. Worst I have is when my dogs start barking upstairs as I am working out, or when my mom walks up beside me, climbs partially on the treadmill side(AS I'M RUNNING) to water the plants on the ledge next to me. Lmao.

That's about it.

MisterDubs303

Oh no he didn't!!!

My very biggest pet peeve at the gym is when someone is just sitting on a machine not using it... or taking like a 5 minute break in between sets. I rotate throughout my entire workout just like circuit training, so I'm not there to "guard" the machine or anything. Also, when people are just not aware in general. I always check to see if someone else is using any of the machines that are in that day's workout, and pay attention between my sets. If I see someone using the machines I'm using, I'll even return the weight to what they had it on when I finish. It's not hard, and only takes 3 seconds.

mandeiko

I also dislike the guy who hops on the elliptical behind me and proceeds to stare at my bum while I run. Yes, I can see you in the mirrors... hahahaha

Haha this made me giggle. I hate that too! I've shot guys dirty glances in the mirrors as they watched my jiggly butt while on the treadmill.

Sorry about that, Amanda.

>:o

mandeiko

It makes me happy that my bum no longer jiggles, its actually one of the few places where I'm legit getting toned. Guys seems to have a thing for girls in tight yoga pants. At least i know they're looking at me for good reasons now! Not necessarily the right ones... hehe

What's your trick!!

AmberYZ

Wow, way out of line. At the very LEAST, he deserves to be banned from your gym.

TBH reading a lot of the comments here bothers me. Does it really matter what someone else is wearing? How someone else is working out? Unless its directly affecting you and your workout, just look the other way and keep doing what you're doing. Everyone likes to do their own things and what works for them. No one deserves to get judged for it.

mandeiko

Girls with caked on makeup at the gym!! Are you not planning on sweating? Or what?? idk.

Kohadre

For the the biggest annoyance at the gym (Which is why I now workout at my own HOME gym), is the people who stand next to you the entire time you are using a particular piece of equipment, or hog it up by taking a good 30 minutes to do what should be done in 10 (A.K.A they sit there and do nothing while resting instead of moving on). It drives me insane to the point that I leave the gym and go to another one on a guest pass, or a 1 day membership (EXPENSIVE).

Home gyms are highly underrated IMO.

MFPfriend

Don't worry, I reported him to management, just before I left. He was sitting on a machine near the entrance, doing absolutely NOTHING. So I told management what happened earlier, and as I was telling one trainer, another came up, heard the story, and said, "Haha, that's the third time this week he's done something like that. Unfortunately for him, three strikes and he's out. You won't see him again here."
One less jerkwad in the gym! Haha.

Oh, and I absolutely HATE when people get off the machines and don't wipe it down. Today when I got off the treadmill, I was fetching the sanitizer and rag from the other side of the room, and this lady immediately hopped onto my treadmill. I came back with the rag, like, "Uh... do you want me to clean it?" And she was like "Nah, don't worry about."
And I mean, I was a sweaty horrible mess so she could definitely tell I had sweat all over that machine, haha.

I wore pajama pants for a LONG time to the gym, but that was because they were a light cotton and easier to work out in than sweats (they were also a size to big, allowing me to hide myself in them and run better, haha), and I had no money to buy real workout clothes.

taso42_DELETED

Don't worry, I reported him to management, just before I left. He was sitting on a machine near the entrance, doing absolutely NOTHING. So I told management what happened earlier, and as I was telling one trainer, another came up, heard the story, and said, "Haha, that's the third time this week he's done something like that. Unfortunately for him, three strikes and he's out. You won't see him again here."
One less jerkwad in the gym! Haha.

YES!!!!! I'm so glad to hear this!

pinkgigi

Aside from people hogging machines, most of the other things that annoy people make it interesting for me to go to the gym. I particularly like trying to see the one person (there is almost always one at least) who will be wearing normal clothes, I find it hilarious. I am a total people-watcher, and I thought I wasn't obvious until recently my daughter informed me that I am not at all, so I may have to curb my enthusiasm for staring at the interesting passing parade.

GG

kgagnon7779

I would report him FOR SURE.

As for the gym stuff, I work out at home, ... But I have been considering paying for a day and witnessing all this. LOL. Worst I have is when my dogs start barking upstairs as I am working out, or when my mom walks up beside me, climbs partially on the treadmill side(AS I'M RUNNING) to water the plants on the ledge next to me. Lmao.

That's about it.

This made me laugh out loud!! It's like a scene from a funny comedy. "Mom, how many times do I have to tell you to GET OFF my treadmill while I'm running?!" Thanks for the laugh.

I had a friend (she's not a runner) come up behind me while I was running on the treadmill at the gym and she pinched my butt! I run pretty fast and I almost flew off the back of it. Scared the living daylights out of me - especially because "creepy staring guy" was there too and I thought he was trying to cop a feel.

DorkothyParker

Glad to heat that jack-off won't be harassing you or your fellow gym mates again. It's not even about gym etiquette, it's being a decent human being.

I don't go to a gym, but I like to go jogging at the nearby HS track at night. Last Thursday, there were no less than 3 people walking the track with their little yappy dogs unleashed. Now mind you, there are plenty of parks in the area. What if the dog has to go? Are you going to let them go on the track? Or the soccer field in the middle of the track? That's just rude! To top it off, there was a couple hand in hand strolling (taking up both lanes, mind you) and SMOKING. I can get over people sitting on the side smoking; it's a cultural thing. But DURING their supposed work-out? Please!

weightofyourskin

What bothers me at my gym is how ignorant some of the trainers are! The gym doesn't require its trainers to have any certification/training in fitness or nutrition or any related field, so they're VERY hit and miss. Some of them are knowledgeable and experienced and some are complete morons. It's like they just pick these women off the streets because they're thin and pretty.

One of the trainers gave me a "free health assessment" when I joined, which was code for "pressure you into signing up for personal training." Except she was dumb as a rock. Every single question I asked her about the equipment or training plans or whatever she answered with "Uh, I dunno." And then she went in for the hard sell of personal training is the only way to go! It's three times more efficient than working out by yourself! It's an investment in yourself! Yeah, a 600$ a month investment... and that money would be going to someone who doesn't know anything more than I do about health and fitness.

See_Jenn_Run

Don't worry, I reported him to management, just before I left. He was sitting on a machine near the entrance, doing absolutely NOTHING. So I told management what happened earlier, and as I was telling one trainer, another came up, heard the story, and said, "Haha, that's the third time this week he's done something like that. Unfortunately for him, three strikes and he's out. You won't see him again here."
One less jerkwad in the gym! Haha.

Oh, and I absolutely HATE when people get off the machines and don't wipe it down. Today when I got off the treadmill, I was fetching the sanitizer and rag from the other side of the room, and this lady immediately hopped onto my treadmill. I came back with the rag, like, "Uh... do you want me to clean it?" And she was like "Nah, don't worry about."
And I mean, I was a sweaty horrible mess so she could definitely tell I had sweat all over that machine, haha.

Good for you and the sweat thing has totally happened to me! It always weirds me out when you go to wipe the machine down and somebody's stewing in your sweat...

dingoes

Oh my god, the OP makes me raaaage.

Haven't run into many people at the gym yet, as my boyfriend and I usually go at midnight or so. So far, the only people to "bother" me are the 60-year-old women sprinting the treadmill for hours, haha. Jealoussss.

nokittyno

I had a friend (she's not a runner) come up behind me while I was running on the treadmill at the gym and she pinched my butt! I run pretty fast and I almost flew off the back of it. Scared the living daylights out of me - especially because "creepy staring guy" was there too and I thought he was trying to cop a feel.

Lol. I think I would be the friend there and attempt something like that, but wouldn't want to be on that end, Haha. Karma always kicks in though.

nokittyno

What bothers me at my gym is how ignorant some of the trainers are! The gym doesn't require its trainers to have any certification/training in fitness or nutrition or any related field, so they're VERY hit and miss. Some of them are knowledgeable and experienced and some are complete morons. It's like they just pick these women off the streets because they're thin and pretty.

One of the trainers gave me a "free health assessment" when I joined, which was code for "pressure you into signing up for personal training." Except she was dumb as a rock. Every single question I asked her about the equipment or training plans or whatever she answered with "Uh, I dunno." And then she went in for the hard sell of personal training is the only way to go! It's three times more efficient than working out by yourself! It's an investment in yourself! Yeah, a 600$ a month investment... and that money would be going to someone who doesn't know anything more than I do about health and fitness.

Wow. That's insane. I read ALOT online, everyday I check forums, and YouTube videos but that doesn't mean that *I* am qualified to give out advice in a gym, or charge for it. I think GYM's should seriously consider cracking down on legitimate Degrees and such. If people are given wrong/poor advice in the beginning, they have no leg to stand on if they're in it for the long haul. Shame.