Top 10 Things I Hate About the Gym!

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  • toots99
    toots99 Posts: 3,794 Member
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    Sorry if any of the posts here hurt your feelings. I don't hate the skinny girls at the gym. Who am I to judge? I don't know them, maybe they were heavy before and worked their butt off to get thin. Good for them. I see everyone at the gym as inspiration no matter what size they are.

    :flowerforyou:
  • toots99
    toots99 Posts: 3,794 Member
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    I don't mind anyone at the gym due to size skinny or larger as long as they are there to work out. I just look at the skinny girls that are working out and it motivates me since I would like to fit into those cute booty shorts too.

    Same here!
  • stratdl
    stratdl Posts: 303 Member
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    Here's something to add to the pet peeves:

    When lifting weights and watching for proper form in the mirror (not 'cause I'm checking myself out), people constantly walk in front of me (and anyone else watching their form, too). There's usually a walkway behind those of us who are lifting weights, but these people don't use it. I can only assume they've not been properly instructed in etiquette. It'd be better if the gym designers hadn't put the bathrooms on the end of the weight area (so that all the people in the group fitness classes and the cardio machines have to walk through the weight lifting area to use the restroom). Thankfully, most people heading to the bathroom at the gym get to where they're going in a hurry and don't dawdle, so it's not like I'm totally blocked for a long time, but it's still irritating...

    :flowerforyou:
  • VictorianJade
    VictorianJade Posts: 705 Member
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    In no particular order:

    1) The smell of sweat
    2) The cost
    3) The meatheads who have veins bulging in their neck and head because they're lifting too much
    4) the obvious lack of INCORRECT WEIGHT LIFTING! AUGH! I used to train people on this before the car accidents, and it KILLS me.
    5) People who dress up to go to the gym.
    6) The nasty look that people give me when I climb on a machine. Dude. At least I'm here, numbnuts.
    7) The rampant talk of laxatives and bowel movements in my gym's change room. NOT HEALTHY, dingbat.
    8) The smell of chlorine (my gym is part of a swimming pool complex, and it reeks)
    9) People who don't clean off their machines. Just ew.
    10) People who fart during their workout. Seriously.
  • sonjavon
    sonjavon Posts: 1,019 Member
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    I had one foray into a gym membership... We joined and bought into the whole "time with a personal trainer" concept. We were told that there were always several trainers available so to come at any time. I arrived at 6AM on a Saturday morning for my first visit to the gym and asked at the front desk if there was a trainer who could walk me through some of the machines (since it had been about 10 years since I'd set foot in a gym and wasn't really all that familiar back then).

    The guy returned with 2 women who were.... much larger than me and told me that these women were two of the best trainers that he had and that they'd be glad to show me around. They walked me through the machines and talked to me about my goals... and encouraged me to lift more and more and more and MORE weights... once they discovered how strong my legs are.

    What they never asked me was... how active I am, any health issues I had and how long I had carried around my excess weight (a LONG time). After they were done - they left me to work on the bike for awhile. I noticed several other more "fit" trainers working with ummm... more "fit" clients. I sat there and thought and finally walked up to the front desk and asked the guy I had orginially talked to why he had placed me with the 2 women he did... he told me that he thought that I would be more comfortable working with someone of the same body type as I was. Now... I can't fault his logic completely... but honestly, I was TICKED! The whole time I worked with those women all I could think was.... "so if they're 2 of the best... WHY am I here? I don't want to look like that...." I left the gym completely deflated.

    I was sore for several weeks after that and umm... lost some bladder control. Eventually the pain went away and my control came back. but when I talked to my doctor about it at my next visit he told me that I had probably strained or pulled a muscle and that I need to concentrate on lifting lighter weights and doing more reps.

    That was the first and last visit I made to our gym... I have a treadmill in my house, a wii fit and some handweights... for now, they suit my fitness level. We are talking about getting a home gym in the future... and who knows - maybe we'll find another gym to join at some point in the future - but I'll be asking a lot more questions from the start then.

    VictorianJade - I'm one of those that passes gas when I work out... it's not something that I can help... though I'm glad to be in my own house when it happens. I've actually often wondered how people manage in a gym setting! LOL!
  • questionablemethods
    questionablemethods Posts: 2,174 Member
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    Now... I can't fault his logic completely... but honestly, I was TICKED! The whole time I worked with those women all I could think was.... "so if they're 2 of the best... WHY am I here? I don't want to look like that...." I left the gym completely deflated.

    That reminds me of one of the trainers at the rec center on my campus. There is this one trainer who is, um, very very large. And not "bodybuilder in a bulking phase" large, either. When I first started grad school many moons ago I saw him and thought "I'm sure he knows what he is doing and is making a life change". Well, now several years later, he is still working there and still the exact same size.

    Clearly, I have no idea what his story is, but I do wonder. And i wonder if he has a lot of repeat clients. I'm certainly not saying that someone can't be overweight and knowledgeable about fitness, but he isn't a very convincing advertisement for his services.
  • missmalibu
    missmalibu Posts: 12
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    We can be at the gym sweaty with no makeup and we are STILL eyecandy to men, its disgusting.

    While I don't appreciate open letcherous looks from guys I don't think it's a bad thing if I am still attractive with my sports gear, no slap and sheen of sweat. I think it's quite heartening to catch the odd sly glance from a bloke, ha ha ha! It makes me feel pretty without my trimmings :wink:
  • toots99
    toots99 Posts: 3,794 Member
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    We can be at the gym sweaty with no makeup and we are STILL eyecandy to men, its disgusting.

    While I don't appreciate open letcherous looks from guys I don't think it's a bad thing if I am still attractive with my sports gear, no slap and sheen of sweat. I think it's quite heartening to catch the odd sly glance from a bloke, ha ha ha! It makes me feel pretty without my trimmings :wink:

    I have to say, I love the way you speak and the words you use! I can almost imagine the accent that goes along with it. :smile:

    I was at the gym yesterday and the maintenance guy was there fixing a weigh machine. Right next to him was a huge guy doing pull downs, using every single weight on the stack. He'd SLAM the weights down with every rep, then let them SLAM down when he was done. The maintenance guy was getting pissed! I said to him, "You can call that 'job security', since he's going to keep you working!"
  • acakeforawife
    acakeforawife Posts: 207
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    Ha ha! Love these lists!

    Some things I hate:

    - When someone chooses the machine right next to you even though there's a whole row of available ones

    - People who sing along with their iPods (usually. I have one exception which is this lady who sings gospel and flails her arms around a lot while on the stationary bike. Love her!)

    - The not wiping off the sweat thing. Seriously. Gross.

    - The naked locker room stuff. Seriously, people at my gym do the craziest stuff in the locker rooms, like one lady I saw TRIMMING HER PUBES right near my locker. YUCK. There are also a few people who like to do NAKED STRETCHING in the locker room. That is one downward dog I never needed to see!! :noway:
  • halzuzu
    halzuzu Posts: 60 Member
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    1. people on their cell phones
    2. the girls that look like theyre going out to a club rather than the gym
    3. having all heads turn when I walk into the free weight room..what? you've never seen a girl lift weights????
    4. the people that are there to "pick-up"
    5. the workout buddies that are having a very inappropriate conversation that everyone can hear..i really don't need to know that you were so sick that green fluid was coming out of your nose.
    6. my trainer telling me "5 more!" then when i've done the 5 she says "Ok, I want 5 more and then I want 5 more after that". I love her for pushing me past my comfort zone but at that moment i want to punch her :)
    7. really sweaty people that are dripping all over the place. towel please!
    8. Smelly people. I know its the gym and we're all gonna sweat and smell, but some people smell like they havent showered in days. It can be unbearable.
    9. the techno/house/club music or the class that is so loud I can hardly hear my iPod
    10. pushy people at the front desk wanting you to take this class or that class or add to your membership, etc.
  • toots99
    toots99 Posts: 3,794 Member
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    - When someone chooses the machine right next to you even though there's a whole row of available ones

    Yes! That drives me crazy! I like my personal space when I can get it.
  • missmalibu
    missmalibu Posts: 12
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    We can be at the gym sweaty with no makeup and we are STILL eyecandy to men, its disgusting.

    While I don't appreciate open letcherous looks from guys I don't think it's a bad thing if I am still attractive with my sports gear, no slap and sheen of sweat. I think it's quite heartening to catch the odd sly glance from a bloke, ha ha ha! It makes me feel pretty without my trimmings :wink:

    I have to say, I love the way you speak and the words you use! I can almost imagine the accent that goes along with it. :smile:

    Thanks very much, though I am curious which accent you imagine me with based on my phrasing :wink: Since you're new to Texas I'm guessing you don't have the Texan drawl?

    I got a new one this morning! Some grubby git had picked their toenails in the free weights area and then been inconsiderate enough not to take his/her toenail clippings with them! (I'm saying toenail because it was large and grotty looking but since most folks keep the toes covered in the gym it could have been a big grotty thumb nail).

    Anyway, yeuch! :sick:
  • toots99
    toots99 Posts: 3,794 Member
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    Thanks very much, though I am curious which accent you imagine me with based on my phrasing :wink: Since you're new to Texas I'm guessing you don't have the Texan drawl?

    Well from your phrases, it sounds like you'd have an English accent...though your profile says you're in WA! :laugh:

    And I'm from New Jersey...I'm more of a "yous guys" than a "y'all"! :laugh:
  • missmalibu
    missmalibu Posts: 12
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    Thanks very much, though I am curious which accent you imagine me with based on my phrasing :wink: Since you're new to Texas I'm guessing you don't have the Texan drawl?

    Well from your phrases, it sounds like you'd have an English accent...though your profile says you're in WA! :laugh:

    And I'm from New Jersey...I'm more of a "yous guys" than a "y'all"! :laugh:

    Woops, not sure how that happened, my location has been amended! Yes, I am English, but you'd be amazed how many different accents that encompasses. I'm from Yorkshire but I am also a little bit posh with it, ha ha

    I say y'all some times just for fun :laugh:
  • MissingMinnesota
    MissingMinnesota Posts: 7,486 Member
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    Ugh!!! Today in the cardio cinema where there was 4 treadmills open in the middle of the row these two women had to pick the two right next to me (on my otherside there was someone running) and talked the whole time and not quietly. On top of that the one that was standing next to me (yes standing since she was going 0.5mph) stunk to high heaven of cigarette smoke. This is the 2nd day in a row they had to pick the new machines right next to me. Why oh why!?!?!
    Okay I feel a little bit better after *****ing.
  • nataliebrown
    nataliebrown Posts: 2
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    10. Seeing the yoga class in motion and looking in at the instructor knowing "that used to be me"
    9. Seeing someone wearing workout clothes they bought at your garage sale because you OUTGREW them *blush*
    8. People who get naked in the locker room (seriously, people?)
    7. The perky 80 year old monitor in the cardio room.
    6. The SODA machine in the lobby outside the cardio room (are you KIDDING me?)
    5. The hateful hag at the front desk at 5 am (hey, you signed up to work the morning hours.... be peppy, it would be inspirational)
    4. That you have to descend stairs to get to the locker room (if I've done my 30 min of cardio, i don't want one SECOND more, hahaha)
    3. People who ask "how much longer are you going to be using that machine?" when you've been on for 5 minutes.
    2. The perfect 10's who stay 2 hours longer than me :P

    And the thing I hate the WORST about the gym? Drumroll please......

    1. The 'bathing suit only' policy for the pool area (no bathing suit going on this old girl, lol)
  • sassydot
    sassydot Posts: 141
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    The gym I used to belong to was supposed to be open til at least 8pm (i.e no one in after 8, but you could stay til 8.30ish).
    They used to start turning out the lights and shutting down all but the one machine I was on at 7.30pm

    Needless to say, i didn't renew my membership when it expired!
  • weidner
    weidner Posts: 127
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    The women who fluff and puff to exercise - hello, I am red in the face, my hair looks lovely and I am huffing and puffing; but oh yeah, I have a hubby and three kids at home. Go to a BAR if you are looking for a man. Hello - McFly!!!!! That really bothers me.

    By the way - Loved this post!
  • SarahNicole317
    SarahNicole317 Posts: 302 Member
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    My pet peeve is all of the people who keep saying 'the people who are lifting too much' or 'working too hard'.... If you do 1 rep...4 reps...10 reps... or 15 reps... the last rep of each of those sets had better be damned difficult or you aren't going to see any changes in your body.
  • lynmayo
    lynmayo Posts: 14 Member
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    CELL PHONES! Seriously, if you are yapping, you can't be working out that hard.

    Oh yeah, and the heavy stuff and the moving around. I hate that, too.

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