What is the craziest/strangest/funniest thing you've seen a gym newcomer do?
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This topic is inspired by something that happened at my gym just two days ago.
A teenage or twenty-something guy loaded 8 or 9 45 pound plates on each side of the leg press. I think the guy is part of the New Years' crowd because I'd never seen him before. I was resting between my bench press sets. Somehow, I just knew this guy was way over his head and wouldn't be able to press that much weight. Sure enough, he couldn't even do one rep. Thankfully, he locked the leg press down and got out without injury.
So, we return to the title question - what is the craziest/strangest/funniest thing you've seen a gym newcomer do? Let's have some fun talking about this.
A teenage or twenty-something guy loaded 8 or 9 45 pound plates on each side of the leg press. I think the guy is part of the New Years' crowd because I'd never seen him before. I was resting between my bench press sets. Somehow, I just knew this guy was way over his head and wouldn't be able to press that much weight. Sure enough, he couldn't even do one rep. Thankfully, he locked the leg press down and got out without injury.
So, we return to the title question - what is the craziest/strangest/funniest thing you've seen a gym newcomer do? Let's have some fun talking about this.
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Yesterday a guy just started following me around the gym after I showed him where the squat rack and the lat pulldown machines were. I think he thinks we're BFFs now because he also followed me around today. Using EVERY machine that I used right after me. That's creepy. Why. Stop. Go away.6
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Cutaway_Collar wrote: »I visit random equinoxes and edge fitness clubs in the tri-state area (many clubs in three states, the variety makes me go to the gym regularly)
I pop up my collars.
I pull up my fanciest of socks.
And that's my deadlift/squat uniform. Wonder how many think I'm a crazy newbie.
Once they see how much you lift, I don't think they think you are a newbie.1 -
Seeing new peoole stay after being judged by everyone for their lack of knowledge always surprises me. The ones that follow you around just see what youve accomplished and assume they should watch to learn.4
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Yesterday a guy just started following me around the gym after I showed him where the squat rack and the lat pulldown machines were. I think he thinks we're BFFs now because he also followed me around today. Using EVERY machine that I used right after me. That's creepy. Why. Stop. Go away.
^^ This happened to me with a pair of girls. They were standing so close to me that I kept bumping into them while doing my reps and they kept going, "Oh don't worry, hun. Oh no problem, you're so cute." LEAVE ME ALONE
(P.S. I am not mean and am always willing to help or give advice but don't just blatantly stand in my way...)0 -
This one time at the gym, this lady, wearing a sweater, of all things, walks into weight area and loads up the bench press. 135 each side, didn’t even warm up!
Several dudes smirk. She gets up and asks a swoll guy to spot her. He asks her if she's sure, have you ever done this, are you sure, do you need a lift off. She says no. Unbelievable!
The bros stop what they are doing to watch. The woman lifts the weight, holds it in the air for a few seconds.....
Then she presses it. One, two, three, ten times, and puts it back on the rack. The smirkers are no longer smirking.
She gets off the bench and loads up more on each side. Turns out 135 was her warm up. Last week, she got to 190lbs.
I hope that true story about a time at the gym gives you newbies some motivation to ignore those fit and fabulous bros and bunnies who think they are better than you to do what you came to the gym to do: to get fit and fabulous and not feel like you are better than those who didn't get to the gym as early in life as you did.
Have a GREAT New Year, newbies!
P.S. That woman went to the gym with the goal of one day pressing 90lbs. So even if you can hardly lift the bar, or walk a half mile on the treadmill, or do a single push up, know there are people at the gym who are rooting for your success. You'll get there, just keep practicing!
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I saw a bag of rice cakes that someone had left on the exercise bike.5
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Cutaway_Collar wrote: »The stuff the OP does. It's kinda judgemental.
I have seen men come in put 5lb plates on a 45lb barbell and lift/squat it.
I have seen men come in put 4x45lb plates on either side and grunt once and leave. There are others who can lift this and more.
What do I care? Nothing. None of my effing business. The first guy could have had spine problems. It's kind of distasteful to judge newbies. Not everyone is Khal Drogo.
Agree comoletely.0 -
Also saw a man holding onto the lat pulldown bars and banging his head up and down violently.0
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Cutaway_Collar wrote: »I visit random equinoxes and edge fitness clubs in the tri-state area (many clubs in three states, the variety makes me go to the gym regularly)
I pop up my collars.
I pull up my fanciest of socks.
And that's my deadlift/squat uniform. Wonder how many think I'm a crazy newbie.
The Equinox I go to has trainers in the weight training area there just to correct form.
He corrected how widely my fingers were spaced when I was gripping the bar.
Your form must be good if he hasn't called you out yet lol1 -
Well then I probably looked like a total newb the other day when the gym was packed and I had to dump a 315 lb squat with no spotter. Wasn't even close to getting it.
(But maybe they didn't see that I just hit 295 before that, with excellent depth and mild struggle face. And wanted to try for a PR....)
I don't usually associate missing a lift with being a newb, because it happens.
And besides, there are people in the gym year round who have no idea what they're doing.5 -
An FBI agent that went nuts fired off a few rounds outside my gym recently but I wasn't there at the time. I listened to the police audio when he got arrested and he sounded like a real loser.2
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thisonetimeatthegym wrote: »So this lady, wearing a sweater, of all things, walks into weight area and loads up the bench press. 135 each side, didn’t even warm up!
Several dudes smirk. She gets up and asks a swoll guy to spot her. He asks her if she's sure, have you ever done this, are you sure, do you need a lift off. She says no. Unbelievable!
The bros stop what they are doing to watch. The woman lifts the weight, holds it in the air for a few seconds.....
Then she presses it. One, two, three, ten times, and puts it back on the rack. The smirkers are no longer smirking.
She gets off the bench and loads up more on each side. Turns out 135 was her warm up. Last week, she got to 190lbs.
I hope that true story about a time at the gym gives you newbies some motivation to ignore those fit and fabulous bros and bunnies who think they are better than you to do what you came to the gym to do: to get fit and fabulous and not feel like you are better than those who didn't get to the gym as early in life as you did.
Have a GREAT New Year, newbies!
P.S. That woman went to the gym with the goal of one day pressing 90lbs. So even if you can hardly lift the bar, or walk a half mile on the treadmill, or do a single push up, know there are people at the gym who are rooting for your success. You'll get there, just keep practicing!
Love this. I once had someone ask me why I didn't warm up. Ummm, because I ran 2 miles to the gym....
I loathe gym judgers... everyone has reasons for doing what they do. As long as it doesn't endanger me. I don't care.
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TresaAswegan wrote: »Well then I probably looked like a total newb the other day when the gym was packed and I had to dump a 315 lb squat with no spotter. Wasn't even close to getting it.
(But maybe they didn't see that I just hit 295 before that, with excellent depth and mild struggle face. And wanted to try for a PR....)
I don't usually associate missing a lift with being a newb, because it happens.
And besides, there are people in the gym year round who have no idea what they're doing.
Me. Still don't know wtf I'm doing some times when I'm holding a dumbbell. I just make up repetitive motions that make my muscles burn lol1 -
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Not sure if he was a newcomer but had never seen him in my gym before... Dude was mean-muggin' me for a while so I wondered if I'd snaked some equipment he was on but when I asked he just glared...uh...ok? Then, I'm doing tricep pushdowns and I see the dude in the mirror 5' behind me holding a straight pushdown bar and looking like he was gonna hit me. I decided to take the "by the book" approach and talk to the staff. Upon talking to him he told them me and another guy (didn't even know him) were in the military and were tryna get him. Whaaaaaaa????? Not sure if he was high on flakka, straight up delusional or what. He disappeared and I never saw him again but kinda disconcerting to have a guy looking to tee off on your head with a lump of steel when you're not looking...7
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I've decided this is why I don't join a gym, for fear of being judged as a newbie. LOL Yup, that's my story and I'm sticking to it.
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A heavy chick (5'6, 235 lbs) walked in wearing street clothes (khaki shorts, t-shirt) and had a lost look on her face. She eventually found her way to the elliptical section, fumbled to enter her info on each model, put in less than a minute on each, wiped them all down.
Because of that, I know which elliptical works for me and what to expect when that model is not available. I may have been someone's entertainment or irritation, but I was taking care of myself.13 -
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