etiquette rant

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Wanted to use the bench (only one true bench at the gym), and it looked like the guy was about midway through his set, so I decided to just do a couple laps on the track while I waited and kept my eye on him as I went around. He started unloading the bar so I finished my lap and started heading over there. I've heard or/seen some people curling in the squat rack, but this morning was a first for me. He turned around, straddled the bench and started curling the 45lb bar. Then goes and grab's 2.5lb weights and curls two more sets. REALLY! The gym wasn't that crowded and there were plenty of other preloaded bars, preacher curl stations etc...

So...NO CURLING AT THE BENCH PRESS PEOPLE!!!!
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Replies

  • usmcmp
    usmcmp Posts: 21,220 Member
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    Did you ask him to move? Sometimes people are oblivious and need to be reminded that they are taking up the only bench/cage/deadlift area. He may have figured it was busy and staying in one spot would prevent him from being in someone else's way, not knowing you needed the bench.
  • juggernaut1974
    juggernaut1974 Posts: 6,212 Member
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    And it's not even New Year's yet! :)

    Is he a guy you've seen at the gym a lot? Or perhaps he's been working out at home and is new to the whole gym setting and just needs a gentle (emphasis on gentle) pointer on the poor etiquette.

    (Or just find another gym that has more than one rack!)
  • Larissa_NY
    Larissa_NY Posts: 495 Member
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    Do you go to my gym? Because I have seen that guy and I wanted to wrap a curl bar around his head.
  • boomshakalaka911
    boomshakalaka911 Posts: 655 Member
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    Call him out man.... Just walk up and say

    "Hey bro I need to bench. Can you find a different bar to curl?"

    Man up
  • McCloud33
    McCloud33 Posts: 959 Member
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    @usmcmp if he would have gone for another set, I would have asked him to move.

    @juggernaut1974 It's not someone that I have seen before and don't know his routine, so that's partly why I waited as long as I did and didn't say anything.
  • Curtruns
    Curtruns Posts: 510 Member
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    just sit on the bench right behind him....no words just sit down right behind him and wait.
  • ash_law
    ash_law Posts: 70 Member
    edited December 2015
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    Call him out man.... Just walk up and say

    "Hey bro I need to bench. Can you find a different bar to curl?"

    Man up

    This. Although there are more appropriate places to curl, if you don't clue someone in that you're waiting for a piece of equipment, I don't think you can get mad when that person doesn't immediately exit the equipment after doing their sets. Besides, you did say that the gym wasn't really that crowded so he probably didn't think anyone was waiting on him. All you would have had to do after one of his bench sets was say "hey man, how many sets do you have left?" and then he would have been aware someone was waiting and it would have given him the opportunity to even let you work in. If he had done the curls even though you made him aware you were waiting to bench, then you could be upset.
  • McCloud33
    McCloud33 Posts: 959 Member
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    Curtruns wrote: »
    just sit on the bench right behind him....no words just sit down right behind him and wait.

    I like this idea :D
  • DavPul
    DavPul Posts: 61,406 Member
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    McCloud33 wrote: »
    Wanted to use the bench (only one true bench at the gym), and it looked like the guy was about midway through his set, so I decided to just do a couple laps on the track while I waited and kept my eye on him as I went around. He started unloading the bar so I finished my lap and started heading over there. I've heard or/seen some people curling in the squat rack, but this morning was a first for me. He turned around, straddled the bench and started curling the 45lb bar. Then goes and grab's 2.5lb weights and curls two more sets. REALLY! The gym wasn't that crowded and there were plenty of other preloaded bars, preacher curl stations etc...

    So...NO CURLING AT THE BENCH PRESS PEOPLE!!!!

    Sounds like we got another one that didn't use his words.

    I propose a new MFP etiquette policy for 2016. No complaining about the gym behavior of others if your didn't engage them with language. Didn't ask when he'd be done? Nope. Didn't ask to work in? Nope. Didn't ask to bench as soon as dude started curling? Nope. Dude ain't do nothing wrong, since no one asked him to do anything differently.




    And I'm going out on a limb here and saying that a poorly equipped gym that only has one place to bench prolly has limited places to curl.
  • McCloud33
    McCloud33 Posts: 959 Member
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    DavPul wrote: »
    McCloud33 wrote: »
    Wanted to use the bench (only one true bench at the gym), and it looked like the guy was about midway through his set, so I decided to just do a couple laps on the track while I waited and kept my eye on him as I went around. He started unloading the bar so I finished my lap and started heading over there. I've heard or/seen some people curling in the squat rack, but this morning was a first for me. He turned around, straddled the bench and started curling the 45lb bar. Then goes and grab's 2.5lb weights and curls two more sets. REALLY! The gym wasn't that crowded and there were plenty of other preloaded bars, preacher curl stations etc...

    So...NO CURLING AT THE BENCH PRESS PEOPLE!!!!

    Sounds like we got another one that didn't use his words.

    I propose a new MFP etiquette policy for 2016. No complaining about the gym behavior of others if your didn't engage them with language. Didn't ask when he'd be done? Nope. Didn't ask to work in? Nope. Didn't ask to bench as soon as dude started curling? Nope. Dude ain't do nothing wrong, since no one asked him to do anything differently.




    And I'm going out on a limb here and saying that a poorly equipped gym that only has one place to bench prolly has limited places to curl.

    Point taken about speaking up, and like I said, I would have if he had started another set. I generally just like to let people do their thing and I do mine and all is right with the world. It's actually a decent size gym (four squat racks, lots of extra bars and weights, but just one dedicated BB flat bench and one dedicated BB incline) and they have other "benches" for doing dumbbell work and whatever, but just the one that has the built in rests and is intended for the barbell bench press. He was standing to curl though...so not sure how that space is limited.
  • usmcmp
    usmcmp Posts: 21,220 Member
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    McCloud33 wrote: »
    DavPul wrote: »
    McCloud33 wrote: »
    Wanted to use the bench (only one true bench at the gym), and it looked like the guy was about midway through his set, so I decided to just do a couple laps on the track while I waited and kept my eye on him as I went around. He started unloading the bar so I finished my lap and started heading over there. I've heard or/seen some people curling in the squat rack, but this morning was a first for me. He turned around, straddled the bench and started curling the 45lb bar. Then goes and grab's 2.5lb weights and curls two more sets. REALLY! The gym wasn't that crowded and there were plenty of other preloaded bars, preacher curl stations etc...

    So...NO CURLING AT THE BENCH PRESS PEOPLE!!!!

    Sounds like we got another one that didn't use his words.

    I propose a new MFP etiquette policy for 2016. No complaining about the gym behavior of others if your didn't engage them with language. Didn't ask when he'd be done? Nope. Didn't ask to work in? Nope. Didn't ask to bench as soon as dude started curling? Nope. Dude ain't do nothing wrong, since no one asked him to do anything differently.




    And I'm going out on a limb here and saying that a poorly equipped gym that only has one place to bench prolly has limited places to curl.

    Point taken about speaking up, and like I said, I would have if he had started another set. I generally just like to let people do their thing and I do mine and all is right with the world. It's actually a decent size gym (four squat racks, lots of extra bars and weights, but just one dedicated BB flat bench and one dedicated BB incline) and they have other "benches" for doing dumbbell work and whatever, but just the one that has the built in rests and is intended for the barbell bench press. He was standing to curl though...so not sure how that space is limited.

    You could always put one of the free benches in the squat rack if there are free ones. Even better is if all the parts are there and working, it can eliminate your need for a spotter.

    hqdefault.jpg
    df820_bench_press_large.jpg
  • giantrobot_powerlifting
    giantrobot_powerlifting Posts: 2,598 Member
    edited December 2015
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    McCloud33 wrote: »
    So...NO CURLING AT THE BENCH PRESS PEOPLE!!!!
    You know all that "don't skip leg day" shaming? Since every gym now has racks and cages, people used to curl on the benches back in the day because gyms rarely had them and the same complaints always followed.

    The "never skipped leg day" crowd is a victim of their own success.
  • _incogNEATo_
    _incogNEATo_ Posts: 4,543 Member
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    I really like this idea of speaking up. No harm in it at all.
  • McCloud33
    McCloud33 Posts: 959 Member
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    usmcmp wrote: »
    McCloud33 wrote: »
    DavPul wrote: »
    McCloud33 wrote: »
    Wanted to use the bench (only one true bench at the gym), and it looked like the guy was about midway through his set, so I decided to just do a couple laps on the track while I waited and kept my eye on him as I went around. He started unloading the bar so I finished my lap and started heading over there. I've heard or/seen some people curling in the squat rack, but this morning was a first for me. He turned around, straddled the bench and started curling the 45lb bar. Then goes and grab's 2.5lb weights and curls two more sets. REALLY! The gym wasn't that crowded and there were plenty of other preloaded bars, preacher curl stations etc...

    So...NO CURLING AT THE BENCH PRESS PEOPLE!!!!

    Sounds like we got another one that didn't use his words.

    I propose a new MFP etiquette policy for 2016. No complaining about the gym behavior of others if your didn't engage them with language. Didn't ask when he'd be done? Nope. Didn't ask to work in? Nope. Didn't ask to bench as soon as dude started curling? Nope. Dude ain't do nothing wrong, since no one asked him to do anything differently.




    And I'm going out on a limb here and saying that a poorly equipped gym that only has one place to bench prolly has limited places to curl.

    Point taken about speaking up, and like I said, I would have if he had started another set. I generally just like to let people do their thing and I do mine and all is right with the world. It's actually a decent size gym (four squat racks, lots of extra bars and weights, but just one dedicated BB flat bench and one dedicated BB incline) and they have other "benches" for doing dumbbell work and whatever, but just the one that has the built in rests and is intended for the barbell bench press. He was standing to curl though...so not sure how that space is limited.

    You could always put one of the free benches in the squat rack if there are free ones. Even better is if all the parts are there and working, it can eliminate your need for a spotter.

    hqdefault.jpg
    df820_bench_press_large.jpg

    I've done that in the past, but it always works out that the pins for the safety are either 2" too low or 2" too high so it either gives me no safety, or limits my range of motion. I guess that's not so different from not having a safety bar on the regular bench though. They do have multiple rack positions though, so if you can't get it quite all the way up, you can still slam it back into the lowest one.
  • Larissa_NY
    Larissa_NY Posts: 495 Member
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    I just feel like someone should point out that the rudeness or inappropriateness of one person's behavior is in no way dependent on whether or not another person could have asked them to stop. Dick moves are dick moves; it's okay to be annoyed by them and it's unreasonable to pass the responsibility for that behavior off on the person who just wants to bench without having to educate every noob in the gym about something that should be pretty obvious.
  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
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    Larissa_NY wrote: »
    I just feel like someone should point out that the rudeness or inappropriateness of one person's behavior is in no way dependent on whether or not another person could have asked them to stop. Dick moves are dick moves; it's okay to be annoyed by them and it's unreasonable to pass the responsibility for that behavior off on the person who just wants to bench without having to educate every noob in the gym about something that should be pretty obvious.

    I don't know how obvious it is. I think that depends on whether the guy has been going to the gym or using the weight room very long, whether he knows there are preloaded bars, etc. I've never used the main weight room at my gym (do most lifting at home) and can see how a person may do this without knowing it's "wrong." Obviously there's a chance that the guy is just a jerk but it's not a sure thing.
  • AnvilHead
    AnvilHead Posts: 18,344 Member
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    I walked into the gym this afternoon and headed for the hack squat machine after my warmup. There were plates loaded on it and a woman was deadlifting in the cage next to it. I figured somebody just hadn't unloaded the plates, so as I went to change them the woman asked if I minded working in with her because she was supersetting. I said no problem - I worked in for my sets, alternating with her, and we both got our workout done. No problem.
  • usmcmp
    usmcmp Posts: 21,220 Member
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    Larissa_NY wrote: »
    I just feel like someone should point out that the rudeness or inappropriateness of one person's behavior is in no way dependent on whether or not another person could have asked them to stop. Dick moves are dick moves; it's okay to be annoyed by them and it's unreasonable to pass the responsibility for that behavior off on the person who just wants to bench without having to educate every noob in the gym about something that should be pretty obvious.

    If you don't educate the noobs on gym etiquette you'll end up in a self-fulfilling cycle of them not following gym etiquette.
  • tillerstouch
    tillerstouch Posts: 608 Member
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    Curtruns wrote: »
    just sit on the bench right behind him....no words just sit down right behind him and wait.

    This is great!
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,575 Member
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    I don't know why, but that doesn't bother me. I think because my gym has a lot of benches and people only do it when the place is empty.