Working out at the Gym / how to tell someone they smell
Replies
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If you want to exercise in the gym where people don't smell you could take your weights and do your squats in the showers.0
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I believe this kind of judgement is why people are intimidated by gyms. At least that person is there, doing their thing, trying to improve their life. If it really is disrupting your workout, move.
Honest;ly thats 1 reason i dont go to a gym. planet fitness says judgment free zone but u cant stop someone from judging u in there head. All i can think about is if people are starting at me. Or thinking things about me in there head. lol im very intimidated to go to a gym.0 -
Unless you're training for an endurance sport, cardio should be limited up to 45 minutes only. Too much cardio will put your body in a catabolic state (muscle burning) which isn't good. Also the elliptical machine doesn't really give much of a calorie burn contrary to what people believe. The problem is that many people overrate it very much. It is all about intensity & according to the law of physics, it takes more energy to move a heavier object but elliptical is a low impact workout because you don't use a lot of gravity with it as compared to running so how can that machine burns calories much the same as running or doing circuits?Uh isn't it that an hour on the elliptical machine is way too much? You should have moved out of that machine instead.
I'm curious as to why an hour on the elliptical is too much? (and I agree with what you say about moving from that machine, that's what I would do) I'm sure some gyms have time limits on the equipment, but I've never been to one that has, so it isn't hard to imagine the OP's gym is the same way... spending an hour on one machine doesn't seem outrageous to me.
Do you really think you're getting the same workout groove when you do 30 minutes of elliptical vs 30 minutes of running or circuit training? I don't think so.0 -
an hour on a machine is fine. In my gym, people are on longer!0
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I workout out at very high intensity, gyms are made to sweat, otherwise stay home. When I start to go past an hour I can smell my sweat from my drenched shirt and if someone comes up next to me I might move to another machine if I'm smelling myself. I usually do 30 bike, 30 versaclimber, then 30 on the treadmill, the versaclimber drenches me bad but its all good, keeps me fit.
I could never get away with using the same clothes for two days, I can't even throw mine in the laundry, I wash everything in the sink before it goes to the laundry because sweat bacteria starts to smell real bad after a few hours or less.
Bottom line, fellow gym go'ers need to recognize and acknowledge their body odor and move to allow others a decent environment just as they expect a decent environment.0 -
everyone at the gym smells..the gym itself smells.
stop being a ***** and get over it or move to a different machine...theres really no need to tell her she smells bad, i'm sure she knows.
I may agree with you to a point but what abt when the gym first opens up...fyi I shower everytime b4 I go to the gym...everytime!
there is a guy in my gym (bless his heart) but my god he smells of GARLIC so badd!!! One morning as we got to be one of the first ppl there...he got beside me on treadmill...(he was killing me...that stench)...I thought it was just my me that thought this but it was brought to my attention by other patrons abt him as well0 -
Hahahahaha! :laugh: Thank you for that.Here's what I'd like you to do. This is guaranteed to solve the problem.
Next time you're on your machine and stinkypants comes in and gets on the elliptical next door, act like everything is normal. Then, when she's not looking, you need to remove a $5 spot from your bra. Keep them tucked in your bra cause that's hot btw.
Drop the 5 spot so that it lands right underneath her feet. Temporarily remove your home-made gas mask long enough to gesture to this stank of a lady.
"Excuse me miss? I think you dropped that five dollar bill down there".
Now when she bends down to pick up the five spot, you need to quick get off of your machine, and pull your pants down. Slide your butt crack all up and down her back, sort of like how a dog wipes his butt on a carpet.
When she gets up, slightly irritated, stare intently at the 5 dollar bill and then rip it out of her hands.
"OH SNAP! I guess this was MY five. My bad"
Then slap her across the face, pull your pants up, and head over to the squat cage for some barbell curls.0 -
lol I think it's sad that so many people are telling the OP to 'get over it' and are taking the side of the nasty chick.
Seriously? Wow. lol If someone smells like crap, they should use the showers available. If it's their clothes that reek to the point where another person can smell it and gags, then they should have common courtesy to skip the gym that day. It's their own fault they didn't bring something clean to wear in the first place. Why should it be everyone else's problem to have to smell musty disgusting clothes just because they don't want to miss a workout?
Gross. People need some self respect & respect for others.0 -
Seriously, it's a gym. People sweat and at times people smell bad. If it was bothering you that much you should have moved to another machine. I'm certain that after an hour on the elliptical you weren't smelling like a bag of roses either...0
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I can't believe she didn't move. She had to know you were doing all that because of her. Sounds like she is just as hard headed as you. If I was her and you started all that, I for sure wouldn't have moved.0
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Some people would not be able to handle even a gentle tactful confrontation. "Would you mind terribly starting your work out somewhere else until I finish here? I have a condition and I think that maybe something your are wearing is flaring it up? I will be done in ??? minutes. I'd really appreciate it." Most people know we need to work with one another in a gym. Once I was working out on the eliptical. I was hot in my shorts and tank top. The fans were on or I might have passed out. A tiny little woman came in and turned off all the fans saying she was cold. She'd just slipped out of a pair of sweat pants and jacket. I asked if she could put her her clothes back on to stay warm, because I was possitive that I'd faint if no air was moving. She refused because she was a jerk. I felt like being a jerk right back..but then I remembered thats not who I want to be. I left and went to the swimming pool.0
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Maybe they should all eat garlic, then they would be much healthier and would not smell each other.:bigsmile:0
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Here's what I'd like you to do. This is guaranteed to solve the problem.
Next time you're on your machine and stinkypants comes in and gets on the elliptical next door, act like everything is normal. Then, when she's not looking, you need to remove a $5 spot from your bra. Keep them tucked in your bra cause that's hot btw.
Drop the 5 spot so that it lands right underneath her feet. Temporarily remove your home-made gas mask long enough to gesture to this stank of a lady.
"Excuse me miss? I think you dropped that five dollar bill down there".
Now when she bends down to pick up the five spot, you need to quick get off of your machine, and pull your pants down. Slide your butt crack all up and down her back, sort of like how a dog wipes his butt on a carpet.
When she gets up, slightly irritated, stare intently at the 5 dollar bill and then rip it out of her hands.
"OH SNAP! I guess this was MY five. My bad"
Then slap her across the face, pull your pants up, and head over to the squat cage for some barbell curls.
That is so wrong in so many ways. I'm disturbed anyone even has those thoughts.
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we all smell differently and at the gym...nobody is going to smell like flowers even if they got anitpersprent on... infact that stuff stinks really bad to me... would rather smell fresh sweat than that crap... it stinks already then it mixes with sweat..and gives me a headache... so if u need to move or stop and then come back later then do it... but if it smelled like nasty old cloths..then say something to the staff or let it go... it could have been a fluke ... forgot to get clean cloths...cldnt get home...not a big deal...now if she came back in again and same issue..then tell the staff..
last week..i did have to leave the area..this older lady got on a treadmill next to me smelled like she bathed in bug spray and was making me sick..so i just left to do something else..0 -
There used to be a woman at my gym named Onion Vagina. Okay. Maybe that wasn't her real name, but that's what we called her, because she smelled like she washed her vagina with an onion.
Anyway, some people smell. I just move away. Maybe you could have a stink-off with this woman and teach her a lesson?
OMMMFGGGGG DEAD!0 -
Seriously, it's a gym. People sweat and at times people smell bad. If it was bothering you that much you should have moved to another machine. I'm certain that after an hour on the elliptical you weren't smelling like a bag of roses either...
The point is she smelt like that BEFORE she got on the elliptical . BEFORE. It's obvious that people smell AFTER a work out but BEFORE is just reckless. Change your gym clothes and wash them.Not that hard to do and obtain your hygiene. not rocket science.0 -
lol I think it's sad that so many people are telling the OP to 'get over it' and are taking the side of the nasty chick.
Seriously? Wow. lol If someone smells like crap, they should use the showers available. If it's their clothes that reek to the point where another person can smell it and gags, then they should have common courtesy to skip the gym that day. It's their own fault they didn't bring something clean to wear in the first place. Why should it be everyone else's problem to have to smell musty disgusting clothes just because they don't want to miss a workout?
Gross. People need some self respect & respect for others.
THANK YOU.0 -
agree totally...so rudeThis^ honestly I find the fact that you put something over your mouth and nose kinda ridiculous and rude. It's a gym, people sweat and sometimes smell bad, get over it. If it bothered you so much you should have moved, not degraded her because chances are she already knew she smelled and you acted like a child about it.0 -
This^ honestly I find the fact that you put something over your mouth and nose kinda ridiculous and rude. It's a gym, people sweat and sometimes smell bad, get over it. If it bothered you so much you should have moved, not degraded her because chances are she already knew she smelled and you acted like a child about it.
Honestly its ridiculous and rude that I had to endure that horrendous stench! NOBODY should smell like that BEFORE they even work out! It's disgusting. WASH YOUR GYM CLOTHES0 -
Here's what I'd like you to do. This is guaranteed to solve the problem.
Next time you're on your machine and stinkypants comes in and gets on the elliptical next door, act like everything is normal. Then, when she's not looking, you need to remove a $5 spot from your bra. Keep them tucked in your bra cause that's hot btw.
Drop the 5 spot so that it lands right underneath her feet. Temporarily remove your home-made gas mask long enough to gesture to this stank of a lady.
"Excuse me miss? I think you dropped that five dollar bill down there".
Now when she bends down to pick up the five spot, you need to quick get off of your machine, and pull your pants down. Slide your butt crack all up and down her back, sort of like how a dog wipes his butt on a carpet.
When she gets up, slightly irritated, stare intently at the 5 dollar bill and then rip it out of her hands.
"OH SNAP! I guess this was MY five. My bad"
Then slap her across the face, pull your pants up, and head over to the squat cage for some barbell curls.
please do this... and video it, and post it on here for us....0 -
As someone else said, the girl could have forgotten to take her old gym clothes out her bag and then thought that she didn't want to miss her workout and would wear them or whatever.
To best honest, musty old sweat smells don't really bother me. Pungent BO smells bother me more but in a gym I just put up with it. I guess people have different tolerances to things....I'm pretty laid back when it comes to smells (I've worked in care part-time when at Uni for years so I've had to change dirty bums and so forth plenty of times which isn't nice but I'm used to it). So yeah, for me, BO isn't half as bad as the smells I have to smell at work. I'm also one of those people, though, who doesn't get upset if the user before me doesn't clean their machine after they use it. Unless the machine is actually dripping in their sweat, then the way I see it, who cares if I get a little of their sweat on me. After all, I'll be going in a shower and my clothes will be going in the wash when I leave so it isn't a biggie.
If I were you, and I really couldn't take the smell, I'd have just moved. To put your shirt over your nose is going to make the girl feel awkward, is going to make you look kinda strange at best or rude at worst and is also going to make it more difficult for you to work out properly. Things happen in the gym that interrupt our workout, you just have to accept that and move on, really.0 -
Show some class, respect and some sensitivity....don't take it upon yourself to "enlighten" them. Trust me, there IS no "nice way" to tell someone that they smell. The real motivation behind your wanting to tell them is not to help them: it is to make them suffer as you perceived you have suffered.
It is not your job to inform the individual of this: tell the gym staff and they will deal with it. In my opinion, unless the individual asked you for your opinion about it outright *or* if you are a doctor and there may be an underlying medical issue, it is never acceptable to tell another individual such a thing, not matter how unpleasant it may be for you.
Again, let the gym staff handle it.
PS: Yes, one would think that everyone would shower first and show up in clean clothes, smelling naturally deodorized etc, however, this is not life. Changing other people's behavior is not the point: changing OUR behavior and mindset is.0 -
That would be an occasion where I might just go ahead and say something.
That is not rude, especially if you are discreet to tell only her.
If she reacts badly, you could let the staff/manager know about the problem
They don't want that atmosphere in the gym, either.
I agree.0 -
Just change mahines
Do you work out at the same time everyday with this person?0 -
Hope its not me :sad:0
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agree totally...so rudeThis^ honestly I find the fact that you put something over your mouth and nose kinda ridiculous and rude. It's a gym, people sweat and sometimes smell bad, get over it. If it bothered you so much you should have moved, not degraded her because chances are she already knew she smelled and you acted like a child about it.
I would agree. You don;t own the gym, not up to you to enforce the rules that you see fit.0 -
its a gym....people are there to sweat. So, ignore it. Or, if this person just had poor personal hygiene (which I have no idea if that's the case if you've never seen them before) just know to move. Maybe next time you see them it will be different. There could be a good reason, like they just got out of work or forgot to swap clothes in their gym bag. If I smelled bad and knew it, but wanted to get my workout anyway I would be very offended by someone covering their mouth....my logic is why shower before sweating more and needing another shower anyways? That's just me though...0
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Here's what I'd like you to do. This is guaranteed to solve the problem.
Next time you're on your machine and stinkypants comes in and gets on the elliptical next door, act like everything is normal. Then, when she's not looking, you need to remove a $5 spot from your bra. Keep them tucked in your bra cause that's hot btw.
Drop the 5 spot so that it lands right underneath her feet. Temporarily remove your home-made gas mask long enough to gesture to this stank of a lady.
"Excuse me miss? I think you dropped that five dollar bill down there".
Now when she bends down to pick up the five spot, you need to quick get off of your machine, and pull your pants down. Slide your butt crack all up and down her back, sort of like how a dog wipes his butt on a carpet.
When she gets up, slightly irritated, stare intently at the 5 dollar bill and then rip it out of her hands.
"OH SNAP! I guess this was MY five. My bad"
Then slap her across the face, pull your pants up, and head over to the squat cage for some barbell curls.There used to be a woman at my gym named Onion Vagina. Okay. Maybe that wasn't her real name, but that's what we called her, because she smelled like she washed her vagina with an onion.
WTF did I just read?0 -
You could have moved and messed up that perfect calorie burn of yours.. nothing says that you had to stay there and continue.
Also, that chick was prob. really embarrassed by what you did, and that you had to resort to a tactic like that. Unless you are in high school(because that is what my high school students do) act like an adult, and freaking move! You're on the elliptical for an hour... and it takes what? 2 minutes to move? I think you can handle an extra 2 minutes.0
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