What Gripes You in the Gym

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theshow4jsu
theshow4jsu Posts: 380 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I wanted to hear what bugs you guys in the gym, so I know not to do them. I have a few peeves that I'll share:

1. Chatters: I'm generally a nice guy, but when I'm in the gym, I don't want to make small talk. I'm in there to accomplish a goal and get out. I have a wife and daughter that I'm madly in love with and miss them when I'm not around. Plus I have to amp myself up and get in an explosive mental state to lift, so don't take it personally when I ignore your attempt to discuss the presidential debates with you.

2. Chatters on equipment: Even worse than #1. If you're going to talk, get off the machines to do so. The rest of us there are working out not socializing.

3. Cell Phone Users: Get off the treadmill doing 1.0 and talking with your VBFFAE about your boyfriend issues. Everyone knows you're just there to tell people you go to the gym. Let someone who will put it to good use get on. Thanks. Buh-bye.

4. Dumbbell Rackus-Standus too closeus- This creature can be seen at gyms all over the country. This species can be identified as the one that grabs the dumbbells and stands right in front of the racks and does its curls with its shins pretty much in contact with the dumbbell rack. And then gets angry when you step in front of it to get your dumbbells. Step back bro, them weights ain't attached.

Curious to see what other pet peeves are out there...
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Replies

  • Lisamb757
    Lisamb757 Posts: 35 Member
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    The girls who wear makeup, like a full face, and the little tiny shorts and tank tops. Like come on, if you we're serious about the gym, you'd have washed that makeup off!!!

    I know I have no intentions of trying to have nice hair or look pretty while working out. I want to sweat and feel(and show) that I got something done in there!

    And those who don't wipe their machines down with cleaner, it's there for a reason.
  • jebreject
    jebreject Posts: 46 Member
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    I used to get really annoyed by people who would sit at the strength machines for a really long time between sets, because I always wanted to just go go go and get it done with, but then I realized, oh, you actually need to rest between sets, and it doesn't bother me anymore.
  • mustgetmuscles1
    mustgetmuscles1 Posts: 3,346 Member
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    Being weak.
  • karenmi
    karenmi Posts: 242 Member
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    People who do not wipe down the equipment....yuck!

    People who use mats, BOSU's, etc. and don't put them back. Annoying.

    There's a gal at my ladies-only gym who does both of these and it pisses me off! She never puts anything away, and I've seen her go from treadmill to recumbent bike to regular bike and not wipe down any of them.

    Oh, and people who think the "30-minutes max on cardio equipment during peak times rule" applies to everyone BUT them. Last week a chick at my gym was on the treadmill next to me for over an hour (she was already on it for over 30 minutes when I got on mine and was still running away when I got off 30 minutes later). It's a small gym, there are only 5 treadmills and they are all busy during the lunch hour. I wanted to rat her out to the staff but my mom always told me not to tattle.......
  • bethygirlie
    bethygirlie Posts: 311 Member
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    People who choose the machine right by me when there's a whole row of machines to choose from. I mean, do you want to hear me panting that bad?
  • kimothy38
    kimothy38 Posts: 840 Member
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    I go to a really small gym and the other users are brilliant. Today was the first gripe I've ever had. This guy was using chalk/powder stuff and it went all over the bar, floor, weights etc. What a mess. Not only did he not clean it up but he didn't bother to put the weights away either. The staff member had a word to him about it.
  • karenmi
    karenmi Posts: 242 Member
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    People who choose the machine right by me when there's a whole row of machines to choose from. I mean, do you want to hear me panting that bad?

    Wow, 225 lbs lost, that's incredible!!!!
  • agleckle
    agleckle Posts: 235 Member
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    Dudes who CURL in the squat rack - pretty sure everyone has this pet peeve.

    Dudes who will be spotting each other in a pair and both be at one power rack but still "claim" the power rack next to them so they can go back and forth between the two racks every 10 minutes... if the gym is busy, let other people use the one of the power racks!

    People who don't wipe down their machines.

    Like the OP said, the dude who always stands right next to the dumbbell rack and then gives you dirty looks when you have to get around them to grab your own dumbbells.

    Girls with makeup don't bother me... I will go to the gym straight after school wearing the makeup I put on that day without bothering to wash it off.

    Cardio bunnies bother me, but only in the sense that I want to tell them "LIFT HEAVY, YOU WON'T GET BULKY".
  • aproc
    aproc Posts: 1,033 Member
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    The trainers in my gym annoy the heck out of me. All they do is talk about themselves the whole time while letting their clients use horrible form, only doing light weights, and quater bodyweight squats. Yes....QUARTER squats. not even weighted.... It's amazing their clients stay with them...They can't be getting any results except from the diet the trainers tell them.

    People who slam the weights down unnessesarily.

    The guys in my gym that for some reason think it's a great place to talk very loudly about their sexual life... For some reason we have a lot of those...

    Sitting on the equipment if your not using it.

    Asking me if I need help with moving something. I know they are trying to be nice but it really ticks me off when I go to unload the 45's off the bench and a guy comes up quickly to offer to help because i'm a girl...

    When people watch you or get too close..

    and last...people who don't pick up after themselves. If you load some weights, then unrack them when your done. Same goes for the barbells, dumbbells, and benches.
  • Cathcandoo
    Cathcandoo Posts: 107 Member
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    People who do not wipe down the equipment....yuck!

    People who use mats, BOSU's, etc. and don't put them back. Annoying.

    ^^ Sooooo THIS!!! ^^

    What I want to say to the uber sweaty guy at our gym who thinks that it is ok to leave puddles on the equipment...
    "It is natural to sweat when you work out - I GET THAT! But don't make me have to sit on your nasty butt sweat because you are too important to wipe off the machinery...ewwww, it is NOT OK!!!"

    Sorry.....it got away on me there....
  • Salazoj21
    Salazoj21 Posts: 2 Member
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    People that drag a bench right in front of a Smith Machine, and do their entire workout right there, even if they were done with the Smith machine 40 minutes ago and all they are doing afterwards is dumbells and bodyweight training.

    This mostly applies only at peak hours though. I just want to do my 3-4 sets of squats and move on :(
  • katie190177
    katie190177 Posts: 38 Member
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    Ha... great forum!

    - People who check out your stats on your machines screen.
    - People who judge how much I sweat at the gym, those who stare at the sweat pouring off my arms and forehead as I dig deep at the highest incline and highest resistance on the arc trainer and they gallop next to me on the lowest settings like a gazelle. (Some also judge how much I can be sweating that much for how slow my legs are moving. I HATE THAT.)
    - Obnoxious grunters
    - Boyfriends taking their girlfriends to the gym: 1) PDA... 2) teaching your girlfriend how to work out when you don't know how to workout yourself.
  • RumpusP
    RumpusP Posts: 163 Member
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    Not a gym-specific thing, just something that happens regularly at my gym:

    Line jumpers

    For a particular couple classes the room can be a hassle to get into and set up in due to the number of people who show up. A rough line forms near the door.

    You would think that the people who got there first would be, give or take some, the first ones in the room... So not the case. I can't tell you how many times I've been within the first 5 people in line only to have people behind us step around the group and squeeze their way in as the rest of us are trying to politely go in order.
  • DavPul
    DavPul Posts: 61,406 Member
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    My gripe is people that gripe about other people at the gym.

    That is all
  • lostresistance
    lostresistance Posts: 9 Member
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    UNNECESSARY SMELLS. There's no reason to pour on perfume/cologne for the GYM. And please, PLEASE remember your deodorant (I carry one in my gym bag and the glove box of my car, just in case). Several times smells mixed with my routine have had me running to the restroom thinking I'm going to be sick. I realize my nose is sensitive but I can't be the only one with this problem.
  • wiltl
    wiltl Posts: 188 Member
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    Going when you're sick. I don't mean just getting over a cold or something, but active nose running, throat clearing, wheezing coughing fit sick.

    I just got over that, and I stayed home until I could go more than 20 minutes without a coughing fit. I have no desire to pick it back up again.

    *added this to the list tonight when I had to listen to two different guys snotting and hacking all over. :sick:
  • Prisme
    Prisme Posts: 65 Member
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    When I'm working out with my trainer and the cute girl interrupts us to ask him for help with the weights (he's young and cute). When he politely tells them he's doing a session with me and after we are finished he can help them, they look at me and then look at him and say "but I just need some help with the weights". Sorry this is my time.
  • bradphil87
    bradphil87 Posts: 617 Member
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    Unsolicited advice is #1 for me. I have a trainer, he taught me how to lift. You look like you just came from a party and drank most the keg, hmm...which guy do I want giving me advice?
  • mommanurse33
    mommanurse33 Posts: 189 Member
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    I was going to use a weight machine a couple days ago. Nobody was there, so I was switching out the handle-bar-thingies (I know, such technical terms) when this rude guy yells at me, saying he was there first. For the record, he was standing on the other side of the gym, yapping at some other dude.
    Also, people who sit at the weight machines for 10 years, doing nothing. Get a chair, please.
  • nsoffe
    nsoffe Posts: 1
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    The girls who wear makeup, like a full face, and the little tiny shorts and tank tops. Like come on, if you we're serious about the gym, you'd have washed that makeup off!!!

    I know I have no intentions of trying to have nice hair or look pretty while working out. I want to sweat and feel(and show) that I got something done in there!

    And those who don't wipe their machines down with cleaner, it's there for a reason.

    I don't bother so much about those wearing make-up; i work out at lunchtime so I'm usually made-up just because I don't want to bother taking it all off when I'm in a rush. What bugs me - and I've seen this happen - is girls who put ON make-up to go to the gym. This is mainly the pretty young things attending classes where they want to stand and the front and be admired ;-)

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