When I see this in the GYM it ticks me off ??? lol

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  • time2cutnow
    time2cutnow Posts: 150 Member
    edited January 2016
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    ZoeLifts wrote: »
    thorsmom01 wrote: »
    Threads like this are not at all helpful to newcomers.

    Actually it can be helpful in teaching them not to be that person at the gym. I was glad to have run into one of these threads on bodybuilding.com before my first visit to the gym. If someone as a newcomer were to ask advice for their first gym visit, my advice would be similar to many peoples complaints on here.

    - Get your form correct before lifting heavy
    - Unrack your weights
    - Don't hit on anyone
    - Don't wear perfume
    - etc. etc.


    Don't sweat too much
    Don't just stand around and not sweat
    Sweat, but don't let it be smelly
    Don't wear make up
    Don't wear matching clothes
    Don't take rest breaks
    Everyone is giving you side eye waiting for you to mess up
    Don't make noises
    Don't look like you're not working hard
    Don't look like you might want to hit on someone
    Don't look in the mirror at any point in time
    Don't go slower than the person next to you on the treadmill/elliptical/bike etc no matter your physical limitations, medical issues or handicaps
    etc
    etc
    etc

    Yes, all of these are very helpful. I can see where new people at the gym can find the information in these sorts of threads useful.

    I didn't see like 90% of those on here. Obviously those are dumb complaints. If you can't differentiate between a valid complaint and someone just being stuck up, that's a personal problem.

    I'm speaking from personal experience. I have bad anxiety and was literally terrified to go into the weight section of my gym for years. I didn't know gym etiquette. How would I? I didn't know if i was supposed to wipe down the machine after I used it or if fairies came along behind me and did it. I felt more confident after reading peoples personal experiences with bad gym etiquette.
  • MondayJune22nd2015
    MondayJune22nd2015 Posts: 876 Member
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    ZoeLifts wrote: »
    jlc102980 wrote: »
    Basically poor gym etiquette. A lot of them have been covered but there's a few I didn't see yet. People who try to save/reserve treadmills by leaving their stuff on them while they are off taking a class or lifting. Also, there is one lady at my gym who uses the time to catch up on personal calls. I could care less what she does with her time on the machines, but her personal calls are very distracting to me for some reason. I can only listen to my headphones to loud.

    The only time I've ever felt really annoyed at the gym I was on the elliptical and the lady next to me got a phone call. Directly in front of us there is a sign that says NO CELL ZONE! Now, it probably wouldn't bother me still, except she kept going

    "OOOHHHH GOODYGOODYGOODYGOODY!!!!! *gossips* OOOO MMYYYYY GOOOOOOOSSSSSHHHHHHH *gossips* GOODYGOODYGOODY!"

    for 20 minutes until I wanted to reach over and smack her on the mouth. If the phone call was important, take it and go off. IF you're not even working hard enough to be winded while gossiping about your dear friend, then you're really not multi-tasking anyway. Though I did use my irritation to work a little harder. *shrug*

    Mostly, when I see girls who look like it took them an hour to get ready for the gym and they seem like they're lollygagging around, I just assume that they would like to get fit, but are too insecure to jump in and possibly look bad in any way and are trying to get over it. Grunters just make me laugh. My gym is pretty decent and I love going. I usually wipe machines down before and after I use them anyway.

    Note to self: Don't go to the gym, unless I sweat an ocean, need an oxygen tank, have an ambulance waiting & the hospital is next door because otherwise I obviously don't work hard enough, since my intensity level matters; to some other gym goers!

    But don't work so hard that you actually grunt, or anything, because then someone will want to laugh at you. So you have to hit that sweet spot where you work with enough intensity to sweat, but not so much that you make "unpleasant" sounds.

    So basically, just stay home then!
  • Bry_Fitness70
    Bry_Fitness70 Posts: 2,480 Member
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    ZoeLifts wrote: »
    thorsmom01 wrote: »
    Threads like this are not at all helpful to newcomers.

    Actually it can be helpful in teaching them not to be that person at the gym. I was glad to have run into one of these threads on bodybuilding.com before my first visit to the gym. If someone as a newcomer were to ask advice for their first gym visit, my advice would be similar to many peoples complaints on here.

    - Get your form correct before lifting heavy
    - Unrack your weights
    - Don't hit on anyone
    - Don't wear perfume
    - etc. etc.


    Don't sweat too much
    Don't just stand around and not sweat
    Sweat, but don't let it be smelly
    Don't wear make up
    Don't wear matching clothes
    Don't take rest breaks
    Everyone is giving you side eye waiting for you to mess up
    Don't make noises
    Don't look like you're not working hard
    Don't look like you might want to hit on someone
    Don't look in the mirror at any point in time
    Don't go slower than the person next to you on the treadmill/elliptical/bike etc no matter your physical limitations, medical issues or handicaps
    etc
    etc
    etc

    Yes, all of these are very helpful. I can see where new people at the gym can find the information in these sorts of threads useful.

    I didn't see like 90% of those on here. Obviously those are dumb complaints. If you can't differentiate between a valid complaint and someone just being stuck up, that's a personal problem.

    I'm speaking from personal experience. I have bad anxiety and was literally terrified to go into the weight section of my gym for years. I didn't know gym etiquette. How would I? I didn't know if i was supposed to wipe down the machine after I used it or if fairies came along behind me and did it. I felt more confident after reading peoples personal experiences with bad gym etiquette.

    I never understood this, maybe because I have been going to gyms since high school and I have a comfort zone there. However, due to a foot injury, I recently decided to take up swimming. I showed up there on a weekday morning at 5am, to find the lanes filled with experienced swimmers executing perfect form, churning out the laps without any visible effort. I got in the water, and while I'm an adequate swimmer, flailed around like a moron in comparison. The lifeguard came over and offered me advice, one tip being to take one of the little blue styrofoam paddle boards and use it to improve my kicking form. Lol, right, why not give me water wings and a rubber ducky inflatable donut to paddle around in?

    Anyway, I have kept at it and improved (marginally), but I got a good dose of intimidation, which was entirely in my head, because none of the swimmers even paid attention to what I was doing. So i can now relate to gym fear.
  • time2cutnow
    time2cutnow Posts: 150 Member
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    bw_conway wrote: »
    ZoeLifts wrote: »
    thorsmom01 wrote: »
    Threads like this are not at all helpful to newcomers.

    Actually it can be helpful in teaching them not to be that person at the gym. I was glad to have run into one of these threads on bodybuilding.com before my first visit to the gym. If someone as a newcomer were to ask advice for their first gym visit, my advice would be similar to many peoples complaints on here.

    - Get your form correct before lifting heavy
    - Unrack your weights
    - Don't hit on anyone
    - Don't wear perfume
    - etc. etc.


    Don't sweat too much
    Don't just stand around and not sweat
    Sweat, but don't let it be smelly
    Don't wear make up
    Don't wear matching clothes
    Don't take rest breaks
    Everyone is giving you side eye waiting for you to mess up
    Don't make noises
    Don't look like you're not working hard
    Don't look like you might want to hit on someone
    Don't look in the mirror at any point in time
    Don't go slower than the person next to you on the treadmill/elliptical/bike etc no matter your physical limitations, medical issues or handicaps
    etc
    etc
    etc

    Yes, all of these are very helpful. I can see where new people at the gym can find the information in these sorts of threads useful.

    I didn't see like 90% of those on here. Obviously those are dumb complaints. If you can't differentiate between a valid complaint and someone just being stuck up, that's a personal problem.

    I'm speaking from personal experience. I have bad anxiety and was literally terrified to go into the weight section of my gym for years. I didn't know gym etiquette. How would I? I didn't know if i was supposed to wipe down the machine after I used it or if fairies came along behind me and did it. I felt more confident after reading peoples personal experiences with bad gym etiquette.

    I never understood this, maybe because I have been going to gyms since high school and I have a comfort zone there. However, due to a foot injury, I recently decided to take up swimming. I showed up there on a weekday morning at 5am, to find the lanes filled with experienced swimmers executing perfect form, churning out the laps without any visible effort. I got in the water, and while I'm an adequate swimmer, flailed around like a moron in comparison. The lifeguard came over and offered me advice, one tip being to take one of the little blue styrofoam paddle boards and use it to improve my kicking form. Lol, right, why not give me water wings and a rubber ducky inflatable donut to paddle around in?

    Anyway, I have kept at it and improved (marginally), but I got a good dose of intimidation, which was entirely in my head, because none of the swimmers even paid attention to what I was doing. So i can now relate to gym fear.

    I always felt like the big guys would be thinking to themselves "she doesn't belong here" or something along those lines. Obviously now I know how welcoming and respectful they can be.
  • synchkat
    synchkat Posts: 37,369 Member
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    people sweating...it's just so disgusting do that at home.
  • moya_bleh
    moya_bleh Posts: 1,375 Member
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    Nothing annoys me at the gym other than dumbbells being strewn all over the floor (OCD sufferer ahoy!!!) Other than that, the gym is like heaven to me!
  • wolfehound33
    wolfehound33 Posts: 1,320 Member
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    When someone has really bad form, just so they can put up a heavier weight. I understand you want to get that weight up, but you're going to hurt yourself.
  • time2cutnow
    time2cutnow Posts: 150 Member
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    synchkat wrote: »
    people sweating...it's just so disgusting do that at home.

    Ughh the worst.
  • Timshel_
    Timshel_ Posts: 22,841 Member
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    Just talkers and overly social people. I have a very finite slice of time I carve out of my day to get a workout in, and I appreciate you have nothing else going on but gym time, but I don't want to talk. To anyone.
  • wolfehound33
    wolfehound33 Posts: 1,320 Member
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    Timshel_ wrote: »
    Just talkers and overly social people. I have a very finite slice of time I carve out of my day to get a workout in, and I appreciate you have nothing else going on but gym time, but I don't want to talk. To anyone.

    I don't mind a quick chat, but if you are hogging the equipment I need and you are talking get the f@ck out my way
  • jofjltncb6
    jofjltncb6 Posts: 34,415 Member
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    ZoeLifts wrote: »
    thorsmom01 wrote: »
    Threads like this are not at all helpful to newcomers.

    Actually it can be helpful in teaching them not to be that person at the gym. I was glad to have run into one of these threads on bodybuilding.com before my first visit to the gym. If someone as a newcomer were to ask advice for their first gym visit, my advice would be similar to many peoples complaints on here.

    - Get your form correct before lifting heavy
    - Unrack your weights
    - Don't hit on anyone
    - Don't wear perfume
    - etc. etc.


    Don't sweat too much
    Don't just stand around and not sweat
    Sweat, but don't let it be smelly
    Don't wear make up
    Don't wear matching clothes
    Don't take rest breaks
    Everyone is giving you side eye waiting for you to mess up
    Don't make noises
    Don't look like you're not working hard
    Don't look like you might want to hit on someone
    Don't look in the mirror at any point in time
    Don't go slower than the person next to you on the treadmill/elliptical/bike etc no matter your physical limitations, medical issues or handicaps
    etc
    etc
    etc

    Yes, all of these are very helpful. I can see where new people at the gym can find the information in these sorts of threads useful.

    I didn't see like 90% of those on here. Obviously those are dumb complaints. If you can't differentiate between a valid complaint and someone just being stuck up, that's a personal problem.

    I'm speaking from personal experience. I have bad anxiety and was literally terrified to go into the weight section of my gym for years. I didn't know gym etiquette. How would I? I didn't know if i was supposed to wipe down the machine after I used it or if fairies came along behind me and did it. I felt more confident after reading peoples personal experiences with bad gym etiquette.

    That list (which wasn't even close to exhaustive) was likely from her own many years of MFP experience with threads like these. It's a recurring theme.

    Well, that and the "you shouldn't be intimidated by the gym, no one will even notice you" threads.
  • mattyc772014
    mattyc772014 Posts: 3,543 Member
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    Crop dusting a whole section of the gym. Sometimes the fans just don't work that fast.
  • sardelsa
    sardelsa Posts: 9,812 Member
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    Centipedes... especially on leg day
  • mattyc772014
    mattyc772014 Posts: 3,543 Member
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    @sardelsa What is centipedes?
  • sardelsa
    sardelsa Posts: 9,812 Member
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  • ZoeLifts
    ZoeLifts Posts: 10,347 Member
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    jofjltncb6 wrote: »
    ZoeLifts wrote: »
    thorsmom01 wrote: »
    Threads like this are not at all helpful to newcomers.

    Actually it can be helpful in teaching them not to be that person at the gym. I was glad to have run into one of these threads on bodybuilding.com before my first visit to the gym. If someone as a newcomer were to ask advice for their first gym visit, my advice would be similar to many peoples complaints on here.

    - Get your form correct before lifting heavy
    - Unrack your weights
    - Don't hit on anyone
    - Don't wear perfume
    - etc. etc.


    Don't sweat too much
    Don't just stand around and not sweat
    Sweat, but don't let it be smelly
    Don't wear make up
    Don't wear matching clothes
    Don't take rest breaks
    Everyone is giving you side eye waiting for you to mess up
    Don't make noises
    Don't look like you're not working hard
    Don't look like you might want to hit on someone
    Don't look in the mirror at any point in time
    Don't go slower than the person next to you on the treadmill/elliptical/bike etc no matter your physical limitations, medical issues or handicaps
    etc
    etc
    etc

    Yes, all of these are very helpful. I can see where new people at the gym can find the information in these sorts of threads useful.

    I didn't see like 90% of those on here. Obviously those are dumb complaints. If you can't differentiate between a valid complaint and someone just being stuck up, that's a personal problem.

    I'm speaking from personal experience. I have bad anxiety and was literally terrified to go into the weight section of my gym for years. I didn't know gym etiquette. How would I? I didn't know if i was supposed to wipe down the machine after I used it or if fairies came along behind me and did it. I felt more confident after reading peoples personal experiences with bad gym etiquette.

    That list (which wasn't even close to exhaustive) was likely from her own many years of MFP experience with threads like these. It's a recurring theme.

    Well, that and the "you shouldn't be intimidated by the gym, no one will even notice you" threads.

    Exactly. Thank you, Jof.
  • ZoeLifts
    ZoeLifts Posts: 10,347 Member
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    ZoeLifts wrote: »
    thorsmom01 wrote: »
    Threads like this are not at all helpful to newcomers.

    Actually it can be helpful in teaching them not to be that person at the gym. I was glad to have run into one of these threads on bodybuilding.com before my first visit to the gym. If someone as a newcomer were to ask advice for their first gym visit, my advice would be similar to many peoples complaints on here.

    - Get your form correct before lifting heavy
    - Unrack your weights
    - Don't hit on anyone
    - Don't wear perfume
    - etc. etc.


    Don't sweat too much
    Don't just stand around and not sweat
    Sweat, but don't let it be smelly
    Don't wear make up
    Don't wear matching clothes
    Don't take rest breaks
    Everyone is giving you side eye waiting for you to mess up
    Don't make noises
    Don't look like you're not working hard
    Don't look like you might want to hit on someone
    Don't look in the mirror at any point in time
    Don't go slower than the person next to you on the treadmill/elliptical/bike etc no matter your physical limitations, medical issues or handicaps
    etc
    etc
    etc

    Yes, all of these are very helpful. I can see where new people at the gym can find the information in these sorts of threads useful.

    I didn't see like 90% of those on here. Obviously those are dumb complaints. If you can't differentiate between a valid complaint and someone just being stuck up, that's a personal problem.

    I'm speaking from personal experience. I have bad anxiety and was literally terrified to go into the weight section of my gym for years. I didn't know gym etiquette. How would I? I didn't know if i was supposed to wipe down the machine after I used it or if fairies came along behind me and did it. I felt more confident after reading peoples personal experiences with bad gym etiquette.

    See, I find this part fascinating. My own personal experience is that I was never intimidated by going to the gym and getting started, nor by getting into the big weight section of the gym and throwing some weight around. I do know some people have issues with it, though, and I sympathize. That's one of the reasons why I feel like a thread tearing apart all the newbies doing the stuff they don't know they are supposed to be doing or not doing is such a bad idea.

    And yet, you yourself claim to have been one that was terrified to go into parts of the gym but do not see harm in this thread for someone trying to fight through their anxiety to step into a gym and overcome their fear of being judged?
  • RuNaRoUnDaFiEld
    RuNaRoUnDaFiEld Posts: 5,864 Member
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    thorsmom01 wrote: »
    Threads like this are not at all helpful to newcomers.
    How many threads do we see where a newcomer is afraid to go to the gym ? ( tons) they don't want to be judged and feel like people will be looking at them.
    So when they log on here and see people complaining and making fun of others at their gyms, they are terrified to even walk into one.

    I have an idea- worry about yourself. Who cares what others are doing at the gym ?
    What does it matter to you if a woman is wearing make up ? Who cares ?


    I go to the gym and worry about my self and my workout. I could care less what others are wearing or doing.

    Its really immature and pathetic that so many adults are this worried about who's wearing makeup and such.

    Maybe worry about yourself ?!

    +1!
  • ClubSilencio
    ClubSilencio Posts: 2,983 Member
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    I gotta be honest. When I first started going to the gym I didn't know if you were supposed to wipe down the equipment or not. I thought the paper towels and cleaner were for employee use only.

    I even asked the internet in earnest if you're supposed to wipe down after yourself.

    Maybe I was just special at the time but I didn't really mind swapping funk with strangers. I figured If I'm not sitting on stale booty juice at the gym then it's gonna happen at McDonalds, the movie theater, jury duty, etc. As long as I showered daily and washed my hands in soap infused with lavender essential oils then I felt confident I wasn't going to get dysentery.

    Ah, life was simpler in those days.




  • branflakes1980
    branflakes1980 Posts: 2,516 Member
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    jenmar22 wrote: »
    thorsmom01 wrote: »
    jenmar22 wrote: »
    This isn't something that bothers me as much as it makes me curious... Maybe someone can shed some light....

    I've never understood why people hike their treadmills/ellipticals up to an extremely high incline or fast speed and then hug the top of the treadmill/elliptical for dear life. It just seems like you're not getting the full cardio effect bc your body isn't doing all the work to maintain the movement (you're basically holding yourself up). And certainly the calorie count on the machine won't be accurate. Why not just put the machine at a setting you can manage without holding onto the top? Is the purpose of this, like leg conditioning or something?

    It doesn't really concern me, to each their own. But I'm just curious bc I see so many people do it... Can anyone explain?

    Its a good thing it doesn't concern you .....because its not your business why one decides to hang onto a machine. Who knows and who cares.
    Again, this is the reason new comers are afraid of gyms.
    Again, this is why we see 183736 " I'm afriad to go to the gym " posts

    Thanks for taking the time to type that up and argue w/ a stranger on the internet.

    See this part where I said "it doesn't really concern me" and "to each their own" and that "I'm just curious." I'm honestly...Just Curious.
    jenmar22 wrote: »
    It doesn't really concern me, to each their own. But I'm just curious bc I see so many people do it...

    I thought maybe there's some purpose to it that I don't understand. I find it useful to learn about others' strategies in the gym...especially when it comes to cardio.

    Didn't mean any judgy intention by it, and I tried to phrase the question as kindly as I could (maybe it didn't come across that way...internet tone can be a b*tch to get across).

    I guess curiosity really does kill the cat?

    No, she was just puposely being confrontational. I have often wondered the same thing about that so you are not alone in your curiosity.