AWESOME stuff you see at the gym

tameko2

(ok try to keep this thread not TOO unkind.....)

I got to watch a hilarious routine the other day where this guy was curling (preacher curls) a RIDICULOUS amount except it was WAY too much for him so his buddy was "spotting" him by pushing up while he pulled. And not full ROM on the curls either but I can pretty much count on one hand the number of people I see curling with full ROM (they'd have to admit to curling way less if they did that).

I could not convince my husband to do this with me but I was dying to know how much the 2 of us could curl together.

mandasimba

I will love this thread! Unfortunatly so many things I see just can't be described in words... so many, oh so many.

My all time favorite isn't exercise related, but still happened at the gym - a man walked out into the pool area, while a water aerobics class was going on, totally nude. He made it a fair distance out before he apperantly realized he forgot his shorts, and a towel.

I haven't seen him in a while, but there used to be a fellow who did an endless amount of crunches, but only his neck moved.

Sometimes I go to the gym just to watch people :drinker:

ishtar13

Awesome!

3 guys standing around the Smith machine. I think they may have done some squats and some presses in between talking. I would think that if there are three of them, ONE of them could be working?

tameko2

Oh yeah I totally saw a guy come in and work out in a suit and alligator loafers once. And it was NOT lunch time on a weekday. In fact it was lateish at night.

STurbs33

We have two squat racks side by side at my gym. Last week, I was on the treadmill waiting for one of them to open up when I witnessed this. Two guys were using the one rack and they had two 45lb plates stacked on either side of the bar plus two 10lb plates. So they had nearly 250lbs including the bar. I noticed how much weight was on it and immediately decided I had to watch. The first guy gets under the bar, steps back, goes about 6 inches down and comes back up. He does this for a few reps and then reracks the bar. Of course, he was pretty impressed with himself and his friend proceeded to do the exact same thing (though I think with slightly less weight). I was so disappointed.

What was actually awesome though was the guy in the squat rack next to them. He probably weighed 50lbs less than those guys and was squatting about 100lbs less, but he went all the way down and all the way up. I think he was the first person I've seen to do a squat more than a 1/4 of the way down. It's funny how much you notice poor form once you learn what proper form actually is.

I've seen some other gems too, like guys busting out 20+ reps of bicep curls at mach speed until they're (almost literally) blue in the face, just so they can "feel the burn". This is all I can think of right now though. The gym can be very entertaining.

a_stronger_steph

We have two squat racks side by side at my gym. Last week, I was on the treadmill waiting for one of them to open up when I witnessed this. Two guys were using the one rack and they had two 45lb plates stacked on either side of the bar plus two 10lb plates. So they had nearly 250lbs including the bar. I noticed how much weight was on it and immediately decided I had to watch. The first guy gets under the bar, steps back, goes about 6 inches down and comes back up. He does this for a few reps and then reracks the bar. Of course, he was pretty impressed with himself and his friend proceeded to do the exact same thing (though I think with slightly less weight). I was so disappointed.

What was actually awesome though was the guy in the squat rack next to them. He probably weighed 50lbs less than those guys and was squatting about 100lbs less, but he went all the way down and all the way up. I think he was the first person I've seen to do a squat more than a 1/4 of the way down. It's funny how much you notice poor form once you learn what proper form actually is.

I've seen some other gems too, like guys busting out 20+ reps of bicep curls at mach speed until they're (almost literally) blue in the face, just so they can "feel the burn". This is all I can think of right now though. The gym can be very entertaining.

Yeah, I see this a lot in my gym, too. I had an almost identical experience to yours - I saw a lady loading up the bar with 45 lb plates on each side, plus 10 lbs on each side, so 145 lbs total, and was peeking from my squat rack next to her, excited to see her in action. Same thing: she bent her knees slightly then came back up. I had high hopes, because she did actually look really lean (I know, I know, not the same as being strong & muscular).

I've never seen anything quite so absurd as a two-person preacher curl though. I would be struggling to contain my giggles, I think.

Qarol

Just like sarabear, just yesterday, I saw a guy squatting QUITE a bit of weight (at least 250) but only going down to about quarter squat level. Gee, if it were that easy to squat, I wouldn't be having all the struggles I'm having. I'm working on going ALL the way down and doing that correctly.

Another was a guy bench pressing 5 lb weights (one in each hand). I kept a poker face, but I was laughing on the inside.

Yanicka1

Bump

Rae6503

I saw a guy bring a barbell loaded with 45lbs plates (so 135 total) over to the empty area next to the cardio machines. Then he had to go ask some stranger to spot him. He laid down, had the spotter help him get the barbell up like at the top of a bench press, then he pulled his legs up in some kind of ab move, all while holding 135lbs over his head. Surely there has to be safer, less ridiculous looking ways to train your abs?

mamamudbug

Smh, I'm missing all the fun...

badgerbadger1

My favorite is when guys get into the smith, lean backward at a significant degree onto the bar, and then "squat". It's just so damn weird.

I'm also a fan of watching people do that weird squat in the corner with the bar standing on one end and plates on the other. Why can't you just do a squat ffs?

Also the jersey shore wannabe's who travel in packs or at least two bros, and chatter non stop about their latest conquest at the bar or facebook. They also sing the gym music out loud. To add insult to injury, these douchecanoodles interrupt me on the exertional phase of my 4th squat in a set to ask if I'm using those clips over there, which breaks my concentration and my load becomes unbalanced. And then they ***** loudly that I wasn't friendly when they asked. Rinse and repeat the next time I was at the gym.

_GlaDOS_

These are hilarious! They make me glad I work out at home.

tameko2

There was this bro at the gym the other day that kept saying "NOT gonna have a good time" to his buddy, like "You drink 5 shots of jaeger then eat mac and cheese, NOT gonna have a good time" (I don't remember the specific examples because I wasn't eaves dropping on purpose but by the third time he said "NOT gonna have a good time" I kind of tuned into it - his voice went up really loud for those).

I don't know if this comes across in text well but it was hilarious - my husband and I can use the phrase at any given moment and we'll both crack up. Its best if you can do it in the bro-ccent though.

ishtar13

My favorite is when guys get into the smith, lean backward at a significant degree onto the bar, and then "squat". It's just so damn weird.

OMG, YES!

The other day this guy, who I think may actually be a trainer, busted out 10 of those really, really fast, then went and did overhead press and curls and then back to the smith a couple of times for more of those squats.

It was funny, since I was in the power rack squatting the whole time he was doing that.

irridia

Its funny how the amazing success we see w/SL makes us scoff and giggle at the BroTards and PinkDumbell set.

Sadly, the BroTards will continue to be impressed with their "lifts" until their knees are blown and then they'll warn others (especially ladies) off of squats because "Squats ruined my knees".

However, if they are observant, they will see you progress, have good knees and recompose your body swiftly without 'roids and start asking you questions. Maybe even start SL themselves.. one can hope, right?

JaimeBrown5

I saw a guy bring a barbell loaded with 45lbs plates (so 135 total) over to the empty area next to the cardio machines. Then he had to go ask some stranger to spot him. He laid down, had the spotter help him get the barbell up like at the top of a bench press, then he pulled his legs up in some kind of ab move, all while holding 135lbs over his head. Surely there has to be safer, less ridiculous looking ways to train your abs?

A guy at my gym does these too, but he does them on the benchpress rack, alone - he holds his legs up with bent knees and does bench presses like that - so he has to hold himself ON the bench, press the weights AND keep his legs still, all without a spotter. Last time I watched him do it he had 45s loaded on the bar. Stupid, absolutely.. but the guy is in stupidly amazing shape. And has the ironman logo tattooed on his calf, and I believe it.

tameko2

I saw a guy bring a barbell loaded with 45lbs plates (so 135 total) over to the empty area next to the cardio machines. Then he had to go ask some stranger to spot him. He laid down, had the spotter help him get the barbell up like at the top of a bench press, then he pulled his legs up in some kind of ab move, all while holding 135lbs over his head. Surely there has to be safer, less ridiculous looking ways to train your abs?

A guy at my gym does these too, but he does them on the benchpress rack, alone - he holds his legs up with bent knees and does bench presses like that - so he has to hold himself ON the bench, press the weights AND keep his legs still, all without a spotter. Last time I watched him do it he had 45s loaded on the bar. Stupid, absolutely.. but the guy is in stupidly amazing shape. And has the ironman logo tattooed on his calf, and I believe it.

He probably is doing them with a much lower amount of weight than he can actually bench. Since he actually knows how to manage it himself.

ishtar13

Two different (adorable) old guys in the gym today:

1. In the free weight area, Old Guy 1 got mad that people had put away weight plates willy-nilly and just started ripping them off the stands and throwing them noisily on the floor. Then he did quarter-squats. Then he quietly put all the weight plates away neatly. It made me giggle.


2. Old guy 2 - wearing dockers, Vans, a belt, and a button down shirt while riding a recumbent bike.

tameko2

Two different (adorable) old guys in the gym today:

1. In the free weight area, Old Guy 1 got mad that people had put away weight plates willy-nilly and just started ripping them off the stands and throwing them noisily on the floor. Then he did quarter-squats. Then he quietly put all the weight plates away neatly. It made me giggle.


2. Old guy 2 - wearing dockers, Vans, a belt, and a button down shirt while riding a recumbent bike.

I have seriously thought about number 2 - I mean not that EXACT outfit but my office is moving to a building across the street from a gym and I was like "i could go at lunch and do something slowly so I don't get too sweaty in my work clothes!" and then I realized how INSANE that would make me look, but I might do it anyway.

irridia

I would totally do that, but if you are comfy in such wear what you could do is get one of those tanks with built in bra, or just wear a sportsbra instead and wear shorts under your skirt and then you can just work out and re dress. Do a quick cat bath in the sink to wash your pits and face and use sample size deoderant if you don't want to carry the full size.

tameko2

I've seen this guy before but I blocked him out until I saw him again today (possibly because I think he's one of the smelly ones, there was certainly someone smelly at the gym today, effing deodorant guys, PLEASE).

He does this awesome thing where he has a suepr thick hooded sweatshirt that he folds in half and hangs over his shoulders. It looks like a wierd fashion choice until you see him squat. He uses it to pad the bar (its a pretty thick one and its folded so the hood adds an extra 2 layers) so he doesn't TECHNICALLY use the pad but he might as well be.

And then of course he does quarter squats. But its pretty funny and clever - he's not using the pad, he's just, you know, got cold shoulders. All the time.