Gym "guys"

jcstanton

To the O.P. I like how Race is only mentioned when they are Black. :laugh: :noway:

Can I get some clarification on this? Are you saying that the people who AREN'T mentioning race are ONLY talking about white people? Not trying to pick a fight here. I'm genuinely confused as to what point you're trying to make.

robharlan

To the O.P. I like how Race is only mentioned when they are Black. :laugh: :noway:

Can I get some clarification on this? Are you saying that the people who AREN'T mentioning race are ONLY talking about white people? Not trying to pick a fight here. I'm genuinely confused as to what point you're trying to make.

Some people just look for an argument.

Roadie2000

To the O.P. I like how Race is only mentioned when they are Black. :laugh: :noway:

Why are you automatically assuming the other people weren't black?

jcstanton

To the O.P. I like how Race is only mentioned when they are Black. :laugh: :noway:

Why are you automatically assuming the other people weren't black?

I'm glad I'm not the only one who is thinking that's what he meant.

kristinegift

The "what are you doing?" guy. There's a guy who comes to the gym at my college who gets on an elliptical wearing sweats and a hoodie (hood pulled way up and tightened around his face) and for about 15 seconds every 1-2 minutes goes so hard that it sounds like the elliptical is going to break and then goes a moderate pace. And given that our gym is kept at a balmy 70+ degrees on any given day... I do not understand. He could run outside and still sweat his *** off since it's 80+ degrees outside.

Also since I work out a college gym, sometimes it's over run with sorority girls who come in as a pack and work out on all the ellipticals/treadmills around my bike (I usually go hard on a bike or run outside) and chat and talk and watch Food Network. And don't break a sweat. And stay for 15 minutes. And are still skinny and I don't understand how that is possible.

ki4yxo

My version of the treamill master: Super-skinny older guy who cranks the incline up to max, then hangs on to the front of the machine for dear life while leaning waaay back. I see him every time I'm at the gym. He stays on thing thing for hours!

A-hahaha!

I've noticed that as well!

We also have the ones that crank it up to 1.5 MPH,
and watch TV while in jeans and heels! If that's too
much, they sit on the bike, and pedal like a turtle.
All this to watch Wheel of Fortune???

Speed and incline are dictated by my BPM.

I guess I'm the sweaty guy, but at least I bring my
own towel to wipe the sweat off of me. Plus I have
the common courtesy to wipe down the machine
with those antibacterial wipes once I'm done.

DavPul

The "what are you doing?" guy. There's a guy who comes to the gym at my college who gets on an elliptical wearing sweats and a hoodie (hood pulled way up and tightened around his face) and for about 15 seconds every 1-2 minutes goes so hard that it sounds like the elliptical is going to break and then goes a moderate pace. And given that our gym is kept at a balmy 70+ degrees on any given day... I do not understand. He could run outside and still sweat his *** off since it's 80+ degrees outside.

He's doing High Intensity Interval Training. There are many ways to do it, but I'd be willing to bet money that if you ask him, he'll tell you he'd doing the Sprint 8. He'll do 90 seconds of light/moderate work followed 30 secs of all out sprinting, and repeat that for 8 sprints.

As for his clothing, sweating off weight was a big thing in like the 80s. Wrestlers or fighters still do it now to make weight for a match. But I remember as a kid I would see people wearing what looked like aluminum foil sweatsuits. I didn't think this was still a thing but I googled it just now and I see GoFit is still selling a "thermal suit" that looks like the woman is wearing two trashbags. Not sure if she's about to workout or rake my leaves. I'm not saying your guy is wearing one of these getups, but he's probably from the "I'm gonna sweat this weight off" school.

DavPul

To the O.P. I like how Race is only mentioned when they are Black. :laugh: :noway:

Can I get some clarification on this? Are you saying that the people who AREN'T mentioning race are ONLY talking about white people? Not trying to pick a fight here. I'm genuinely confused as to what point you're trying to make.

Some people just look for an argument.

I tried so hard to stay away from this one but I just can't help myself, I guess.

It stuck out to me the first time I read the OP as well. He most definitely did what I call "othered" the Somali guys. Whatever. I just let that stuff slide off me. Better that that get labeled as the Angry Black Guy.

The young man just pointed out that about the original post. He wasn't referring to any of the other posts. So to answer your questions, Yes, it's fairly clear that people (in the OP) who's ethnicity wasn't pointed out were probably white. No, he wasn't saying that every other post in this thread was about white people, No, he's not trying to start an argument, just pointing out a conversational gaffe that a million people make a million times a day without being aware that they are "othering" and it might be offensive.

Why are you automatically assuming the other people weren't black?

The last question is really a question for another thread, on some other site. But whatever, I'm neck deep now. The answer is because the weren't. I read about one book (fiction) per week, and as a rule of thumb if no race is mentioned, all of the characters are white. When the occasional character of race shows up, the author will make you keenly aware (violent Somalis!) by some combination of name, description of skin or hair, or maybe even go Full Mark Twain and have them speak in a ridiculous accent. There are some books where none of that happens and I'm free to imagine the characters in my head as various races, but the second they do that labeling thing, I realize that every character up until that point was supposed to be white. Sometimes I don't care, sometimes it makes me sad. Depends on how stupid the accent is. As always, YMMV.

Hopefully that didn't come off as angry or like I'm trying to start and argument, because that's definitely not the spirit I typed this in. Just wanted it noted that he didn't just pull that thought out of his *kitten*. Or even if he did, he wasn't the only one

Bronx_Montgomery

To the O.P. I like how Race is only mentioned when they are Black. :laugh: :noway:

Why are you automatically assuming the other people weren't black?

I'm glad I'm not the only one who is thinking that's what he meant.

Because they weren't mentioned as such. Im not trying to pick a fight. I just think its funny when we describe other people we always mention Black or hispanic to describe someone of such culture but we do not do that when it comes to Caucasians. We just say oh that person and we just assume they are white. Its just a funny thing about our culture lately

monty619

i ignore other people at the gym... im just there to do what i do, only way i get annoyed is if it impedes with what im trying to accomplish.. curls in the squat rack? sure i get annoyed but il just do something else until hes done, probably hit a different exercise i havent done in a while like step ups or squat jumps... just dont get mad if you ask to work in and i simply say "no" because u are doing different weight than I am, or im trying to have reduced rest periods.

Capt_Apollo

anyone that does bicep curls on the squat rack should be tared and feathered and dragged through the streets to be pointed and laughed at and little children can throw rotten fruits and vegtables at them.

other then that, i don't care what you do at the gym.

i do laugh at the guys with those solidly built arms and stick figure legs though.

g3322

There were two guys at the gym I used to go who were huge meatheads and obsessed with themselves. I heard them talking one time about a girl the one of them liked, but she kind of wasn't giving him the time of day. The other guy goes "I don't know why she doesn't like you dude. You're huge."

I was laughing so hard, I had to move to another spot in the gym. Cause that's the only thing girls are looking for: huge muscles. hahahahahahhahahahha I love telling that story!

SylentZee

lol @ the screamer, thats normally the one that is throwing the weights on the floor.

Loko_Ino

At least they are in the gym.....

KCoolBeanz

We have a Dumbell Dropper at my gym, except it's a group of 4 guys - one lifts, 3 spot, and then the guy lifting drops the weights from at least a foot up. Really? Can you not ask your friends to help you?

Also, on Sunday mornings, I get to watch "Air Drum Guy" rock out to whatever is on his iPod in between sets. Who knows, maybe next week I'll join in with some Leg Guitar. :P

cici418

The Clubbers: :laugh: The girls that show up....as if they are going to the club, in work out clothes....My work out partner and I always laugh at these girls. SERIOUSLY...who wears a full face of makeup AND huge HOOP EARRINGS to work out in? And to top that off, while I may be a bit of a HATER because I am still a work in progress, those booty shorts and only a sports bra is not appropriate. Believe me, I have considered if I will dress like that when I hit my goal weight....survey says...NOPE. Not only do guys get annoyed by these girls (I am thankful to find out)...but I sneer at them the entire time I work out and then giggle with a sense of superiority when they do 10 minutes on a cardio machine and act exhausted.
Good luck everyone!! Keep up the hard work.

LeeciesLosingIt

Yeah living in Vegas I often see the "club girls" the "gym rats" and so many more terms for these people. What annoys me most is that people care so much about other people at the gym. Quite honestly, I go to the gym to work out. 95% of the time I don't notice other people around me, the other 5% of the time that I do notice is when I am either (A) with my trainer, so I have to pay attention, (B) someone is on a machine I need to use next so I am waiting for it but dont want to seem pushy (C) your dropping weights, grunting or doing the "look at me" noises. I go to the gym in workout clothes, some cute some not so cute. All depends on what I got a good deal on when I was shopping for workout clothes. Sometimes I go in afterwork and I walk in in a pair of heels with a full face of makeup, but that isn't what I work out in (other than the makeup); I am there to workout none-the-less. I understand peoples pet peeves with the people who "have good bodies" and come to the gym as a fashion show or to show off their bodies more then to work out to improve or keep their bodies.

I can honestly say that some of the people I have ran into at my gym were more motivation for me; There is a woman who has a prosthetic leg who runs 5+ miles a day at the gym (again I live in Vegas and running outside at 110* can suck) she runs with determination and strength. AMAZES me!
Then there is this woman who comes in and has been for quite sometime now, she is an older (40+) mother of four. She is very overweight when she started; She was over 400 LBS when I first saw her coming in. She now is down to 250'ish, and still working hard. One day in the locker room she made a comment about how often we run into one another at the gym she felt like she knew me we had seen one another so much. She asked why if I was there all the time my body wasn't changing. She had after all lost 150'ish LBS and I still looked about the same. I explained that I have a thyroid condition so its basically like fighting an uphill battle just to maintain my body let alone lose weight, but I still keep going toward a healthier me. One day about a week or so after our conversation as I was changing and leaving she hands me a card and rushes out of the locker room. I threw the card in my bag and left as I was in a hurry. Later when I opened it and read it, it simply said Thank you for your honesty. You inspire me. Which brought me to tears. How could I inspire anyone? I wasn't losing weight hardly at all; So next time I saw her, I thanked her for her kind words and asked her how on earth I was an inspiration. She told me, cause even though your not seeing instant results you don't give up. Apparently she had platued at a weight block and was thinking that was the best she would ever be, which made her unhappy and want to give up her goals and go back to pre-gym life. She said I made her realize it wasn't completely about the weight loss as much as it was about getting healthy for her family to be around longer. We now work out 5 days a week together, and while our workouts aren't strenuous as some peoples, they make us sweat and burn calories and more importantly they make us healthier.

So while all gyms have those annoying "Look At Me" types, all gyms also have those inspirational types as well. Although I must admit the club girls and the gym rats are kind of hilarious at times and annoying at other times.

dane11235813

anyone that does bicep curls on the squat rack should be tared and feathered and dragged through the streets to be pointed and laughed at and little children can throw rotten fruits and vegtables at them.

other then that, i don't care what you do at the gym.

i do laugh at the guys with those solidly built arms and stick figure legs though.

there was a monster dude curling 185 lbs in the squat rack about a month or so ago. i didn't say a thing. i just stared in awe. i'd consider him the exception.

Capt_Apollo

anyone that does bicep curls on the squat rack should be tared and feathered and dragged through the streets to be pointed and laughed at and little children can throw rotten fruits and vegtables at them.

other then that, i don't care what you do at the gym.

i do laugh at the guys with those solidly built arms and stick figure legs though.

there was a monster dude curling 185 lbs in the squat rack about a month or so ago. i didn't say a thing. i just stared in awe. i'd consider him the exception.

totally the exception. was he taking a break from the village he normally terrorizes???

ishax24

Ms. "All Business" -

This one I like. She comes to the gym in a beat up t-shirt or tank top and some generic workout pants. She doesn't have her makeup done. She doesn't bother with machines. She goes straight to the free weights after her warmup and spends the next hour or so going through a series of resistance workouts you typically don't see women doing, moving poundages that could give a lot of the guys a run for their money. Half the guys in the gym have massive crushes on her but nobody will approach her because the intensity with which she goes at her workouts gives off an air that says "OFF LIMITS! I'M HERE TO GET STUFF DONE!"

I think I'm borderline this since I really couldn't care less what I look like at the gym and who is there but I use both weight machines and free weights.

The most annoying guys at my gym are the skinny pretty boys who walk in wearing the exact same overly tight tank tops and 3/4 length joggers, walk straight up to the mirrors by the free weights and just stand there taking photos of themselves, then walk over to the treadmill and try and 'race' each other!!