Why do some people at the gym always look the same?

I've been going to my gym for 18months and dont think I've changed much, I certainly haven't lost any weight (but I am honest and know that this is because I dont control my eating well enough but I enjoy working out and getting sweaty!). However a few people have commented in the last few months that I've changed shape/slimmed down/increased muscle definition but these people haven't seen me for a few weeks.

Maybe if youre seeing the same people every day you wont notice a gradual change!

gotolam wrote: »

Curious to know how many people on this thread will tell the newbies that they shouldn't feel self-conscious in the gym because everyone is too busy concentrating on their own workout to notice them.

I have seen and heard how the locals in my own area talk and see what they say about people who frequent a gym they share their thoughts on facebook, it's not nice new or old gym members it's sad. Our Local gym is clich'e and I didn't like it. I wasn't going their to impress anyone but it seems they were all there to hang out it wasn't for me.

I don't think I pay close enough attention to what other people are doing at the gym to notice whether or not their bodies have undergone change over the course of a the year. I guess if one of the regulars made HUGE changes, I'd notice, but otherwise, I have no idea what's going on under their shirts (nor their pants).

3laine75 wrote: »

Maybe they have fitness goals, not aesthetic ones?

Nailed it on the first response.


I don't look much different. A little, but not much. That said, I had one of the regulars (a guy I've had spot me on bench a couple of times) come up to me a few weeks back and ask me about my programming, because he noticed that I've put quite a bit on my lifts over the last year or so. I train for strength - not aesthetics. Apparently, my time in the gym hasn't been wasted. Also, I wear shorts and a t-shirt - so it's not going to be obvious, if my body changes a little.

gotolam wrote: »

Curious to know how many people on this thread will tell the newbies that they shouldn't feel self-conscious in the gym because everyone is too busy concentrating on their own workout to notice them.

Does not compute.

If someone is new....how would one notice a trend in weight loss?

Day in and day out over long periods of time you notice the ppl who are there all the time...you notice if they have lost remained the same or gained.

Personally I just stay to myself and concentrate on my own workouts...everyone's fighting their own battles.

sarahlifts wrote: »

gotolam wrote: »

Curious to know how many people on this thread will tell the newbies that they shouldn't feel self-conscious in the gym because everyone is too busy concentrating on their own workout to notice them.

Does not compute.

If someone is new....how would one notice a trend in weight loss?

Day in and day out over long periods of time you notice the ppl who are there all the time...you notice if they have lost remained the same or gained.

She's saying that so many people tell new people "Don't be self-conscious. No one at the gym is looking at you. Just do your thing," when this entire post is about someone coming in to a gym and judging the s*** out of people who are working out. It's hypocritical. "No one is looking at you...except we definitely notice if you've been working out and still look the same."

I side eye this post so much.

sarahlifts wrote: »

They have a poor diet. I see the same ppl in the gym every morning not a single pound lost. They put in work and then go home and eat away all their progress.

I think that is called maintaining, and may be their intent.

I kind of had to wonder this same thing about the Zumba instructor last night, she told us all it was the 1 year anniversary since she started teaching the class. I thought, so maybe this is the smaller her? Not that she was huge but I'd not encountered an overweight fitness instructor. I liked her though, I felt very comfortable with her.

When I first started at the gym and did the boot camp classes there were women in the class complaining about the program saying it hadn't helped them lose a pound or they had actually gained... So I asked them about their diet, if they did answer it was a very astonished look on their face, like "OMG you mean I have to change my eating to lose weight?" Yeah... I didn't fit in very well with that group...

I have a friend who's an avid tennis player. He also looks like about 50lb overweight. So, I do worry that he's in line for a heart attack. I know he doesn't play a lot though, which is probably why he's still overweight.

I don't know what his motivation is, although I do know he's struggled with his weight his whole life and his wife is very fit. So, they must have worked whatever issues there are.

Not that this answers OP's post.

It's been mentioned, but some people train for performance rather than aesthetics.

It's hard to know what a random and diverse collection of people the OP has seen twice in a year are actually up to. More data would be needed.

Dunno.

Have you tried asking them rather than random punters on the internet?

I stand corrected. As Jim pointed out, all the facts weren't given and some people have different reasons for going to the gym which might not be aesthetic.

I know guys at work that go to the gym every day. They are not looking to lose weight or get big. But they do drink heavily and smoke so want to couterbalance these things as best they can. I suppose this helps them 'maintain'

And there are plenty of guys in the gym who have not progressed in years, but then they do very little work but a lot of texting and playing on their phones whilst hogging the equipment or they spend most of the session looking in the mirror at their chicken legged frames with pumped biceps. And that's just the trainers!

ClubSilencio wrote: »

I went to my old gym that I hadn't been to in over a year and a lot of the regulars are still there and look the same. Now I know you're not supposed to think these thoughts and you are a very terrible person if you do but I am just curious to find out the science of why this happens? I don't wanna hit that wall when my time comes.

Can diet and genetics really offset all those hours spent in the gym?

I'm assuming you're talking about people who work hard, but really don't look like they're in shape...A lot of people have the exercise/fitness part down, but not the diet. You can't out-exercise a crap diet.

Beyond that, if they look pretty fit but they're not changing...getting bigger, etc...probably because they are just maintaining their fitness...not a whole lot is going to change.