Respect in the gym

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  • cmcollins001
    cmcollins001 Posts: 3,472 Member
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    I asked him if he wanted to take turns and offered to take off my weights for him. You guys are all super aggressive. Yikes. I am going to keep circuit training because its good for my body, and continue to think it is rude for people to be on one machine for 30 minutes. Sharing is caring ya'll.

    yeah people get pretty snippy on here, but that was rude of him. I once got done with the leg machine, and had all of my stuff (water bottle, headphones) there and i was just going to grab a paper towel to CLEAN the machine after i used it, and some b!tch just threw my stuff to the side and started using it, so i looked at her and said fine i hope you enjoy soaking in my sweat nasty *kitten* ....lol yeah i can be vulgar, but i don't have a tolerance for people who are rude like that and i myself am a very understanding person.

    Yup...you seem to be a very understanding person...very understanding, indeed.
  • abbylg1983
    abbylg1983 Posts: 177 Member
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    Not exactly what this post is about...and, having said that...the majority of women who say that men "look down on them in the gym" are speaking from their own personal sense of inadequacy, and not basing it on actual fact. While there may be one or two meatheads who act like morons in the gym, it has been my personal experience to both help out women in the gym and watch other guys helping women who want to lift in the gym or with any program really. There are threads and threads and threads on MFP where men are congratulating, encouraging, lifting up and helping out women who want to lift...there's even a group dedicated to that very thing.

    If a man or woman has an issue with hitting the free weights or machines or trying ANYTHING different at the gym or elsewhere, but they don't have the intestinal fortitude to just do it, at least admit it and stop projecting your fears onto other people who, most likely, barely realize you're alive.

    While I do find a lot of the guys at my gym intimidating, I have to admit, the few times I have asked for help (either in removing very heavy plates or with a quick demonstration of how a particular piece of equipment works) the guys in the gym have been very helpful. And as I usually look like a hot mess at the gym, I can only assume they are doing it out of the goodness of their hearts.

    Not really the point of this OP, but after reading the above quote, I just wanted to post that I appreciate all those who do help out their fellow gym patrons.
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,139 Member
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    OP is long gone, she is too busy setting up a 15 machine and 5 free weight circuit to repost...
  • Juniper3411
    Juniper3411 Posts: 167 Member
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    I ventured into the free weight area for the first time this morning at the gym. It is kinda scary, mostly because I don't want to look like an idiot who can't figure out what to do :) Then again I haven't worked out at a gym in 10+ years and just started last week. Oddly this thread has been very enlightening as far as free weight room etiquette is concerned! I really want to do more, but maybe I'll get one session with a personal trainer so they can show me how to do everything so then I won't be so worried!
  • dondimitri
    dondimitri Posts: 245 Member
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    A session with a trainer would probably be a good idea. I say probably because there is a broad spectrum of expertise out there. Hopefully you can get hooked up with a good one.

    Whether you get a session or not you're going to be fine. By the time you've had 4 or 5 visits you'll be chuckling at yourself for being so anxious. But don't feel bad, we've all had to take the first step. I think most people find out it wasn't as big a step as they anticipated.
  • MsEndomorph
    MsEndomorph Posts: 604 Member
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    I ventured into the free weight area for the first time this morning at the gym. It is kinda scary, mostly because I don't want to look like an idiot who can't figure out what to do :) Then again I haven't worked out at a gym in 10+ years and just started last week. Oddly this thread has been very enlightening as far as free weight room etiquette is concerned! I really want to do more, but maybe I'll get one session with a personal trainer so they can show me how to do everything so then I won't be so worried!

    Do it!
    I'm the type of person that needs to be fully prepared and informed about every aspect of everything I do...or I feel so completely uncomfortable.
    Having a trainer has made given me confidence in the weight room that I never would have on my own. Plus I get to learn new stuff all the time!
  • JNick77
    JNick77 Posts: 3,783 Member
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    If you want to train just to break a good sweat then join a CrossFit gym. You can't train like that in a regular gym and tie-up a power rack on top of it. The racks are usually in short supply and it makes it hard when people have them tied-up like that doing circuits or curling in the rack of all things.
  • SPNLuver83
    SPNLuver83 Posts: 2,050 Member
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    Well honestly you can't claim machines. That's rude. When you are not using them they are fair game to anyone else, regardless of your routine. The same applies to everyone. Standing next to the machine while on the phone and not allowing anyone else to use it is rude as well.

    Basically, if your butt ain't on it, anyone can use it.
  • OnionMomma
    OnionMomma Posts: 938 Member
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    Actions like this by women who are lifting is exactly why men groan when they see us heading to the free weight station.

    *sigh*
  • MyOwnSunshine
    MyOwnSunshine Posts: 1,312 Member
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    I agree with everyone who stated that YOU were the problem in the situation.

    There is only one power rack in my gym. It is frequently used by power lifters who will squat or deadlift for more than 30 minutes at a time. As long as they are actually using it and resting between sets in the vicinity, I consider that fair use. If someone was to do a single set, leave the rack and go across the gym to do something else, I would consider it fair game and move right in to do my workout, which might consist of 20 minutes of squats and deadlifts, depending on the day.

    I also super set at least part of every workout (NROL), which means I alternate between 2 exercises. While I hope that when I leave one set of equipment (usually the cable station) to do the alternate exercise, no one will take it, I wouldn't be upset if they did. I just work around it. Sometimes I switch up the exercise and do something else, sometimes I skip it and come back to it at the end.

    As far as making this a "female respect" issue, you couldn't be further from the truth. I have received nothing but respect in my mostly-male weight room. In fact, because many of the guys in the weight room know that I use the power rack at the beginning of my workout, they will often ask me if I need it before they head over and work on big lifts in a pair or in a group. I get plenty of respect in the weight room, most likely because I have always been courteous to other lifters.
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,139 Member
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    OP set woman in the free weight section back about ten years...bahahahahaha
  • ncahill77
    ncahill77 Posts: 501 Member
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    Circuit training belongs somewhere other than a free weight room. I don't know where and I honestly don't care, but just not there. People are there to lift heavy weights and you don't do that jumping from station to station and interfering with other lifters.

    I circuit train from time to time with free weights and typically with more than the average bro so your argument is irrelevant. To the OP it iswas extremely rude of him to do so at least you were doing squats not setting up bands and straps a total waste of squat cage realestate.
  • FearAnLoathingJ
    FearAnLoathingJ Posts: 337 Member
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    I asked him if he wanted to take turns and offered to take off my weights for him. You guys are all super aggressive. Yikes. I am going to keep circuit training because its good for my body, and continue to think it is rude for people to be on one machine for 30 minutes. Sharing is caring ya'll.

    No one here is being aggressive, they are just giving their opinion.

    Why is circuit training better for your body than doing all 3 sets of a particular exercise before moving on to the next? I can see some benefit of alternating upper/lower/push/pull exercises as it allows a set of muscles to recover while working a different set and keeping your heart rate up, but you were doing all lower body, right?

    Because in Mfp land if you dont agree with the op you are automatically being aggressive , rude, or a general meanie poopy head.
  • suv_hater
    suv_hater Posts: 374 Member
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  • davideickelmann
    davideickelmann Posts: 87 Member
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    Doing eight exercises in a circuit when there are other people wanting to use equipment is a little selfish. Also, if he was lifting Heavy, he probably didn't want to rack and unrack his plates for you.

    Maybe do 2 four exercise circuits instead of
  • davideickelmann
    davideickelmann Posts: 87 Member
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    Hey ladies (and gents)!

    I went to my college gym today to do a leg circuit. My circuit is squats, deadlifts, lunges, leg extensions, abductor, adductor, leg press, and calf raises. Every move 10-12 reps, 3 sets total. Since I do circuits, sometimes I have trouble getting back onto the power rack for my second set of squats. Today a man walked up to me after my first set of squats, while I was dead lifting (as in, he interrupted me completely) and asked if I was still using the power rack. Yes I was and my weights were still on there to show that. I kindly explained my routine and that I would be coming back to it 2 more times every 10-15 minutes or so. I offered to let him work in a set while I worked on the rest of my first circuit but he shook his head and proceeded to say how he had bands and things to set up. I looked at him with a "what do you want me to do" face and he just kept staring back. Ok....I told him "let me finish my deadlifts and I will do all my squats now, then."

    I assumed he screwed up my workout routine because he was in a hurry. No. Once he got on the power rack he stayed there for at least 30 minutes, wandering on his phone and talking to people.

    Seriously?

    I was doing fast circuits, straight through, no stops. And this guy felt like his workout was more important than mine and even told me that "you can't really do circuit training at gyms." BS!!! Also I can bet you he would have never done that to a guy. Ever.

    Ladies, do you ever feel like guys don't take you seriously at the gym?

    Eight exercises in a circuit is inconsiderate. Doing more than four is guaranteed to cause issues unless the gym is deserted.
  • BeachIron
    BeachIron Posts: 6,490 Member
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    Circuit training belongs somewhere other than a free weight room. I don't know where and I honestly don't care, but just not there. People are there to lift heavy weights and you don't do that jumping from station to station and interfering with other lifters.

    I circuit train from time to time with free weights and typically with more than the average bro so your argument is irrelevant. To the OP it iswas extremely rude of him to do so at least you were doing squats not setting up bands and straps a total waste of squat cage realestate.

    Thanks for the lolz.

    If you look at upper-end power cages you will notice that they have pins for bands. It's a perfectly legitimate use of the equipment. Hogging several pieces of equipment while you jump from one to the other is not. No matter how big and strong you think you are it's still rude and you'd get corrected or thrown out of any legit weight room for doing so. Like other posters have pointed out, if you want to "circuit train" with free weights, then do more than one exercise at a single station.
  • JNick77
    JNick77 Posts: 3,783 Member
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    Circuit training belongs somewhere other than a free weight room. I don't know where and I honestly don't care, but just not there. People are there to lift heavy weights and you don't do that jumping from station to station and interfering with other lifters.

    I circuit train from time to time with free weights and typically with more than the average bro so your argument is irrelevant. To the OP it iswas extremely rude of him to do so at least you were doing squats not setting up bands and straps a total waste of squat cage realestate.

    Thanks for the lolz.

    If you look at upper-end power cages you will notice that they have pins for bands. It's a perfectly legitimate use of the equipment. Hogging several pieces of equipment while you jump from one to the other is not. No matter how big and strong you think you are it's still rude and you'd get corrected or thrown out of any legit weight room for doing so. Like other posters have pointed out, if you want to "circuit train" with free weights, then do more than one exercise at a single station.

    He's exactly right. Anybody who says that setting up bands or chains in a power rack is a waste of real-estate CLEARLY has no idea what the hell they're talking about. Go back to your JM videos...
  • TR0berts
    TR0berts Posts: 7,739 Member
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    You left the power cage to do another lift.

    You're lucky he asked at all. In fact, it was probably more of "you know you're supposed to unload and wipe down the equipment after every use, right?"
  • TR0berts
    TR0berts Posts: 7,739 Member
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    there is one guy in my gym who is always doing like 2o different exercises..I dont know if he is doing circuits or just has a bad case of Farounditus...but once he was waiting on a station I was in so I hurried up to accommodate him and moved to next work out..he does one freaking set and moves on to something else..I was like really bro? You could not do something else while you stood behind me like a wounded puppy...

    OP sounds like this guy IMO

    I have one of those at my gym, too. Always moving from one thing to the next, with virtually no break (other than to get to the next machine), but he never sweats - and he's always wearing a sweatshirt and track pants. No idea what his deal is.

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