Why do men make noises at the gym?

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Replies

  • tuckerrj
    tuckerrj Posts: 1,453 Member
    Been in the gym for 40 years. What other people do, as long as it doesn't endanger you or physically prevent you from working, is basically none of your business.
  • Jewlz280
    Jewlz280 Posts: 547 Member
    Look....with all the pressure exerted on my torso during my average lifting session, the sound is going to come out one end or the other....your choice, lady.

    HA! I almost spilled my beer. BAD POSTER. BAD! But funny.
  • Sbrn_
    Sbrn_ Posts: 351 Member
    I often scream internally.
  • taytothebeach
    taytothebeach Posts: 9 Member
    ^
  • holothuroidea
    holothuroidea Posts: 772 Member
    I'm sure the noise is annoying, but going to a gym and complaining about grunting is like going to zoo and complaining that you saw some poop.

    It's par for the course.

    And how sad is it that the grunting is attributed only to men? Shows how far we have to go to get rid of the idea that intense exercise and heavy lifting are just for men.
  • gilmore606
    gilmore606 Posts: 45 Member
    Hey I have a related question, why do women get on a machine and set it to 10 lbs and do 6 gentle reps while watching a TV show on their iPad then sit there texting their girlfriends for 20 minutes?

    Did that offend you?
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  • brandiesel27
    brandiesel27 Posts: 12 Member
    It goes back far. Grunting, yelling, *other noises* is known to release energy during the lift, usually on the last rep. The reason for this is the body sometimes produces more adrenaline, so I've been told, and helps the lifter or athlete become more focused in the movement they are performing. and if your more focused on your lift, you can concentrate more of your energy into your movement. A lot of people over do it or do it just to make noise or out of habit. I rarely do it, but there have been a handful of times where ive been benchin or curling and the grunt on the last rep or two really help me through it.
  • mulecanter
    mulecanter Posts: 1,792 Member
    With a few exceptions for very serious folks in training, it is a pathetic signal for attention by adolescents (whatever age they may be). They are to be ignored for noise and chastised for dropping weights as that is dangerous and destructive.
  • Springfield1970
    Springfield1970 Posts: 1,945 Member
    I used to get annoyed at dropping weights, but I've since found out it's acceptable and since lifting heavy I've realised it's a way to avoid injury.

    Same with grunting. Don't knock it til you've tried it. Once those weights get challenging you can't control what comes out ya mouth!

    C'est normale....
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  • FromFlabToFurious
    FromFlabToFurious Posts: 355 Member
    I used to think exactly the same thing: "Why do people grunt and moan and shout in the gym when doing weights and stuff? That weight ain't even heavy!"....until yesterday...when I, for the first time ever, started grunting.

    My friend is a personal trainer and he's helping me lose weight and he's introduced me to weightlifting. Bear in mind I haven't done any weightlifting properly before. He taught me how to do a proper clean and press and I had to do 10 sets of 10 on a light weight with only 60 seconds rest in between. The weight totalled to 25kg in the end. The first five sets were pretty easy but then I started struggling after five. I noticed it was getting harder and harder to lift. Anyway, I noticed on around my seventh or eighth set that I started grunting quite a bit with every rep because I swear to you now, it took every bit of me to just even lift it from my chest into the air. It flattened me out.

    After the first set where I started grunting, I actually said "Oh no, I'm now the thing I don't like in the gym!" haha. I have a bit more tolerance for the people who lift weights that grunt and I can understand the people who do it even on a light weight if they did what I did yesterday, however doing it on cardio machines such as the treadmill, the stationary bike or the rower is just plain ridiculous!
  • astronomicals
    astronomicals Posts: 1,537 Member
    this just makes me want to get ammonia inhalants and slap myself in the face before doing a PR attempt and then yell after dropping it...

    im usually pretty quiet... its hard to grunt and hold a vasalva
  • Shawshankcan
    Shawshankcan Posts: 900 Member
    this just makes me want to get ammonia inhalants and slap myself in the face before doing a PR attempt and then yell after dropping it...

    im usually pretty quiet... its hard to grunt and hold a vasalva

    Nose torque for the win.


    The worst grunter I came across in the gym was a female.
  • lLionMindl
    lLionMindl Posts: 76 Member
    sometimes its necessary when its very heavy weight and its the last few reps
    I dont even mean to do it.. It just comes out naturally.

    however i think doing it on purpose is just retarded & annoying.
  • lizzyclatworthy
    lizzyclatworthy Posts: 296 Member
    Could be medical. You never know. I am pretty sure I make some unpleasantly noises at the gym. I once swore loudly at the swimming pool after trying to beat my pr and then realised I had said the f-word at an elderly lady... She laughed luckily.

    My music is on so loud I am oblivious to other people. They could evacuate the gym in a fire drill and I would assume that 'modern dance music sound more and more like a fire alarm every day'
  • eating4me
    eating4me Posts: 239 Member
    I lift heavy. I grunt. Sometimes, I sound like I'm in heavy labor. I'm a woman. Noises help some people concentrate & complete what they set out to do. Heavy exhalation can turn into loud noises on exertion, when you're lifting heavy. You do whatever it takes to finish the task at hand. I would say to either use headphones to tune the guy out, if he's that distracting to you, or learn to tune him out. (Use it as an opportunity in self-discipline) If you're totally absorbed in your own workout, you can learn to be completely oblivious to other people around you. The guy may have some issues that irritate you; just let it go, & concentrate on your own goals. (Or work out at home like I do, and you won't have to deal with any of this! LOL) I used to work out in a gym, though, and can relate to what you're saying....but it's unfair to say it's only men who make the noises. :)
  • neandermagnon
    neandermagnon Posts: 7,436 Member
    Maybe he's deaf and doesn't realise he's making so much noise. I mean that as a serious answer, because this really happens. It's easy to look from the outside and judge someone to be an attention seeker or whatever, but quite often there's an explanation that you didn't even think of.
  • lizzyclatworthy
    lizzyclatworthy Posts: 296 Member
    Maybe he's deaf and doesn't realise he's making so much noise. I mean that as a serious answer, because this really happens. It's easy to look from the outside and judge someone to be an attention seeker or whatever, but quite often there's an explanation that you didn't even think of.
    ^this
  • darrensurrey
    darrensurrey Posts: 3,942 Member
    Jessica Ennis-Hill (British Olympic winner) reckons it's because men are showing off. Which is just silly because I make as much noise lifting on my own at home. Who am I trying to impress? My sofa?

    I prefer training at home because I can swear without having to apologise. :laugh:

    Some people make more noise than others when they're focused and pushing hard. I play a fair bit of dodgeball and have seen women scream as panic sets in if they're the last person standing. I often shout "Time to panic!" which I'm sure they find reassuring. :bigsmile:
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  • SingingSingleTracker
    SingingSingleTracker Posts: 1,866 Member
    When you watch professional tennis, they grunt. Are they just showing off?

    This!!!

    Every single backhand, forehand, serve, volley - "UHHHH!", "UHHHHH!", "UHHHHHHH!".....

    Women's tennis has become a major grunt fest in the past decade.

    It all pales in comparison to the screams and cries young ladies make when a pop/rock icon walks on stage.

    13922298013_f5bb575fd7.jpgConcertScream

    Guys, why do they do that? Are we offended for the screams disturbing our ability to enjoy the music? ;-)
  • jlapey
    jlapey Posts: 1,850 Member
    Look....with all the pressure exerted on my torso during my average lifting session, the sound is going to come out one end or the other....your choice, lady.

    I totally laughed at this .
  • taytothebeach
    taytothebeach Posts: 9 Member
    you both pay the same dues, you could grunt too ya know
  • Super_Amy
    Super_Amy Posts: 97 Member
    you both pay the same dues, you could grunt too ya know

    tee-hee
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,990 Member
    Guys that make noise ALL the time and have no changes going on physically, are just guys who want people to look at them.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • Fullsterkur_woman
    Fullsterkur_woman Posts: 2,712 Member
    I find it much more uncomfortable when women 'grunt' and sound like they are having an orgasm.
    I still don't get why this is a thing.

    Only because you are probably a heterosexual male.

    Just for this, I am eagerly anticipating going to the gym in a little while where I am purposely going to grunt multiple times to test this out. I really doubt any of the guys will perceive it as sexual-sounding. But then, I'm kinda butch, so I probably won't push those buttons in them.

    And for the OP, I just wanna reinforce the message that women make noises at the gym too. It's called maximal exertion.
  • Jonesingmucho
    Jonesingmucho Posts: 4,902 Member
    True grunts are the natural byproduct of breathing out on exertion. The more exertion the greater the possibility for the breathing to amplify to grunting.

    To me, strenuous exertion causing grunting is amazing and motivating! *grunts*
  • SingingSingleTracker
    SingingSingleTracker Posts: 1,866 Member
    True grunts are the natural byproduct of breathing out on exertion. The more exertion the greater the possibility for the breathing to amplify to grunting.

    To me, strenuous exertion causing grunting is amazing and motivating! *grunts*

    True. The vocal folds traditionally close together tightly to build up our deep abdominal breath, and when the "lift" is over - the expulsion of the air that we have been holding in releases as the vocal folds open. Hence, the noise that the OP is referring to as it is very natural.

    We did the same breathing, vocal fold release as babies to cry. And we do the same pressurized build up when we lift heavy things, make a #2, sing, shout, yell, grunt, etc... .