Banging weights

JoeCWV
JoeCWV Posts: 213 Member
edited November 15 in Fitness and Exercise
I'm not sure how this will be received but I have a pet peeve I want to share. What's with all this weight banging? I go to a gym and there are a minority of guys, yes all guys, who feel it necessary to bang the weights on the floor. What's up with this?

I originally started lifting in high school. If you were lifting and the coach heard you bang the weights down you caught hell. The rational was first off it's not good for the equipment, and secondly if you can't put the weight down gently then you are lifting too much and likely will either hurt yourself or you form will suck causing slower gains.

Am I wrong to be annoyed by this? I understand grunts and such, but banging weights? Really? Or am I missing something?

Replies

  • MelanieCN77
    MelanieCN77 Posts: 4,047 Member
    I think their are some disciplines that require a drop of the barbell to be a complete move? The rest, posturing. I never had a gym membership, but I imagine it's like a chest beating display kinda thing?
  • livingleanlivingclean
    livingleanlivingclean Posts: 11,751 Member
    edited January 2017
    I try to not drop dumbbells, but on the odd occasion i completely fail at a set and there's no way on earth I have the ability to get up off a bench and place the weights down gently. They get dropped. They bang on the floor. I'm not lifting too much and my form doesn't suck (I'm a girl)

    I don't like people who throw weights around that are either too heavy or that they could quite easily manoeuvre quietly.

    We had a group at our gym who would use platforms and drop bars/weights from standing chest height instead of lowering to the floor. thatwas unnecessary and annoying...
  • Willbenchforcupcakes
    Willbenchforcupcakes Posts: 4,955 Member
    There's a big difference between dropping and throwing the weights down. Proper oly bars with bumpers are designed to take it, and oly lifts do get at least controlled dropped from the top.

    That being said, throwing the weight down and being a general idiot is just dumb. Outright abuse of equipment will get you kicked out. Thinking your lifting is all that, odds are someone is going to come in and quietly outlift you.
  • livingleanlivingclean
    livingleanlivingclean Posts: 11,751 Member
    TresaAswegan wrote: »
    I frequently "bang" weights on the floor during deadlifts. I would say I maintain great control of the weight (unless I miss a lift, which isn't often). But 300 lbs can only be so quiet when it makes contact with the floor...
    I'm more annoyed with the women (sometimes men, but usually women) at my gym who use the machines improperly and bang the stacked weights on every single rep.

    You've just reminded me of a guy at an old gym... Big, old school guy who would wear old holey clothes, grunt, throw weights around, as well as slam stacked weights. His Leg extension, hamstring curls and lat pull Downs were the worst...
  • canadianlbs
    canadianlbs Posts: 5,199 Member
    livingleanlivingclean wrote: »
    You've just reminded me of a guy at an old gym... Big, old school guy who would wear old holey clothes, grunt, throw weights around, as well as slam stacked weights. His Leg extension, hamstring curls and lat pull Downs were the worst...

    but i bet he could curl like a boss :tongue:

    i make noise with deadlifts or rows, sometimes. try not to though. noisy people are irritating.
  • sammyliftsandeats
    sammyliftsandeats Posts: 2,421 Member
    Sorry to all the old people at my gym at 6am when my plates clang on the ground during deadlifts.

    Sometimes it just happens with certain movements...but yes dropping the weights just to 'chest bang' is not cool.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,979 Member
    It's not uncommon to hear banging of weights on someone's last couple of reps or putting the weight down. Our floors are double padded and the weights are rubber covered so it's more "thumpy" than the old school metallic banging.
    Banging weights for posturing though................... :D:D:D

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
    9285851.png
  • livingleanlivingclean
    livingleanlivingclean Posts: 11,751 Member
    canadianlbs wrote: »
    livingleanlivingclean wrote: »
    You've just reminded me of a guy at an old gym... Big, old school guy who would wear old holey clothes, grunt, throw weights around, as well as slam stacked weights. His Leg extension, hamstring curls and lat pull Downs were the worst...

    but i bet he could curl like a boss :tongue:

    i make noise with deadlifts or rows, sometimes. try not to though. noisy people are irritating.

    With a load of swing... Sure!
  • Fflpnari
    Fflpnari Posts: 975 Member
    I use bumper plates (plates that are rubber and bounce). Are you asking about metal plates? These should not be thrown around. I try not to drop them but if I am failing the lift I'm going to drop the bar and not hurt myself
  • Karen_can_do_this
    Karen_can_do_this Posts: 1,150 Member
    Now that I'm getting a bit heavier with my deadlifts, the plates are banging towards the end of my set. Oops sorry but thankfully I'm the only one there at that hour lol.
    The weights banging on the machines though? Urgh I hate that.
  • curlsintherack
    curlsintherack Posts: 465 Member
    I have cheap cast iron weights they bang and clang no matter how careful I am with them.
  • Azdak
    Azdak Posts: 8,281 Member
    I don't think you can categorize everyone and every lift. Yes, a lot of weight banging, esp with younger guys, is mostly affectation and posturing. I see it every day--guys just throwing weights, dumbbells, barbells on the floor for no good reason. As Sheriff Langston said in Silverado: "It's hard on the peace and it's hard on the furniture".

    However, as others have stated, for something like a deadlift, trying to deccelerate the bar to put the weights down gently, could actually be harmful.
  • deputy_randolph
    deputy_randolph Posts: 940 Member
    I bang weights, grunt, and scream. It just happens. There is one guy at my gym that makes "sexual noises" with every rep...that's definitely worse than the weights banging.
  • not_a_runner
    not_a_runner Posts: 1,343 Member
    livingleanlivingclean wrote: »
    TresaAswegan wrote: »
    I frequently "bang" weights on the floor during deadlifts. I would say I maintain great control of the weight (unless I miss a lift, which isn't often). But 300 lbs can only be so quiet when it makes contact with the floor...
    I'm more annoyed with the women (sometimes men, but usually women) at my gym who use the machines improperly and bang the stacked weights on every single rep.

    You've just reminded me of a guy at an old gym... Big, old school guy who would wear old holey clothes, grunt, throw weights around, as well as slam stacked weights. His Leg extension, hamstring curls and lat pull Downs were the worst...

    I almost went over to a young lady yesterday to tell her she was going to break the machines if she didn't knock that kitten off. Also considered going to the desk to have an employee talk to her.
    Literally every station she went to, she should basically move the weight, then might as well have let go of it as hard as it hit on the way back down. There's some ab twisty machine I've never used, that was the worst of all because it would slam down going each direction. Several times I was across the gym with headphones on and stopped to see who it was. I usually don't care/notice what anyone else does while I'm lifting, but she was that freakin annoying.
  • Chieflrg
    Chieflrg Posts: 9,097 Member
    I don't care what others do plain and simple, I'm there for my workout.
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
    Willbenchforcupcakes wrote: »
    There's a big difference between dropping and throwing the weights down. Proper oly bars with bumpers are designed to take it, and oly lifts do get at least controlled dropped from the top.

    That being said, throwing the weight down and being a general idiot is just dumb. Outright abuse of equipment will get you kicked out. Thinking your lifting is all that, odds are someone is going to come in and quietly outlift you.


    This is relevant. There is a large difference between throwing a weight and a controlled drop.

    sometimes you drop- it happens.

    Generally a controlled drop is fine.

    It's the guys that legit throw them down that are annoying to me.
    We have a number of folks who also use very heavy dumbbells- and the harsh reality is 100+ dbs when you're super setting get dropped.

    Annoying. but not mad. Generally to me it's the guys that drop/throw lighter weights anyone can pick up that annoy me more.
  • stanmann571
    stanmann571 Posts: 5,727 Member
    IMO, there's a difference between the Clack/bang at the end of a deadlift and the bang of letting the weight go from the top.

    Normally I can hear it. If I'm close enough, I can feel it.
  • SideSteel
    SideSteel Posts: 11,068 Member
    Azdak wrote: »
    I don't think you can categorize everyone and every lift. Yes, a lot of weight banging, esp with younger guys, is mostly affectation and posturing. I see it every day--guys just throwing weights, dumbbells, barbells on the floor for no good reason. As Sheriff Langston said in Silverado: "It's hard on the peace and it's hard on the furniture".

    However, as others have stated, for something like a deadlift, trying to deccelerate the bar to put the weights down gently, could actually be harmful.

    ^ What he said ^
  • jjpptt2
    jjpptt2 Posts: 5,650 Member
    Willbenchforcupcakes wrote: »
    There's a big difference between dropping and throwing the weights down. Proper oly bars with bumpers are designed to take it, and oly lifts do get at least controlled dropped from the top.

    That being said, throwing the weight down and being a general idiot is just dumb. Outright abuse of equipment will get you kicked out. Thinking your lifting is all that, odds are someone is going to come in and quietly outlift you.

    Agreed.

    /thread.
  • pondee629
    pondee629 Posts: 2,469 Member
    TresaAswegan wrote: »
    livingleanlivingclean wrote: »
    TresaAswegan wrote: »
    I frequently "bang" weights on the floor during deadlifts. I would say I maintain great control of the weight (unless I miss a lift, which isn't often). But 300 lbs can only be so quiet when it makes contact with the floor...
    I'm more annoyed with the women (sometimes men, but usually women) at my gym who use the machines improperly and bang the stacked weights on every single rep.

    You've just reminded me of a guy at an old gym... Big, old school guy who would wear old holey clothes, grunt, throw weights around, as well as slam stacked weights. His Leg extension, hamstring curls and lat pull Downs were the worst...

    I almost went over to a young lady yesterday to tell her she was going to break the machines if she didn't knock that kitten off. Also considered going to the desk to have an employee talk to her.
    Literally every station she went to, she should basically move the weight, then might as well have let go of it as hard as it hit on the way back down. There's some ab twisty machine I've never used, that was the worst of all because it would slam down going each direction. Several times I was across the gym with headphones on and stopped to see who it was. I usually don't care/notice what anyone else does while I'm lifting, but she was that freakin annoying.

    You can't discount the possibility that she really does not know any better. If she has been dropping the weights since she started going to the gym with no one telling her that it is wrong and could damage the equipment, how is she to know? By not telling her, or not having someone at the facility tell her, her improper activity is positive reinforced. There is a fine line between offering helpful advise and butting in. And we all take a risk when advise is offered. But, if she don't know, she won't reform.
  • yayamom3
    yayamom3 Posts: 939 Member
    deputy_randolph wrote: »
    I bang weights, grunt, and scream. It just happens. There is one guy at my gym that makes "sexual noises" with every rep...that's definitely worse than the weights banging.

    Do we go to the same gym? Thing is, the guy who does it at my gym is one of the owners! I always wonder if he realizes it but doesn't care, or if he has no clue he's doing it.
  • JoeCWV
    JoeCWV Posts: 213 Member
    Thanks for the kind responses. I was kinda afraid I would get flamed for my post. And yes, I understand some banging, and sometimes things go wrong and you have to dump the weight. There are three different guys who slam the weights down on every lift. Be it free weights or machine. What really got me wondering is these weren't the most buff guys lifting.

    There are some monsters at the gym I go two that you never hear a peep out of. I do believe it is the testosterone boost from slamming the weights down. None of these guys seem to slam weights when some of the monster lifters are there. Just wen my old self is there, and of course a couple ladies. Come to think of it they only seem to slam the weights when there area a couple ladies about. Hmm, I may be on to something.

    It kind of drives me crazy. These posts confirm I'm not just and old codger. Thanks.
  • Packerjohn
    Packerjohn Posts: 4,855 Member
    Chieflrg wrote: »
    I don't care what others do plain and simple, I'm there for my workout.

    Typically I don't either, but I do if someone throwing, banging stuff around *kitten* up the equipment so other members don't have access to it until it's fixed/replaced.
  • Sharon_C
    Sharon_C Posts: 2,132 Member
    There is a guy at my gym who throws the benches down when he moves them and it takes everything inside of me not to say, "Are you going to pay to replace that bench when you break it?"

    I don't mind when someone's doing a deadlift and they're on their last lifts but just dropping the weights on the floor is annoying and it disrupts my concentration.
  • Sharon_C
    Sharon_C Posts: 2,132 Member
    deputy_randolph wrote: »
    I bang weights, grunt, and scream. It just happens. There is one guy at my gym that makes "sexual noises" with every rep...that's definitely worse than the weights banging.

    There was a guy at my gym who did that and apparently a lot of people complained to management about it. Come to think of it I haven't seen him around for a while.
  • Z_I_L_L_A
    Z_I_L_L_A Posts: 2,399 Member
    edited February 2017
    If you drop heavy dumbells while incline presses its normal if you go heavy. I bring them back down if I can who can curl as much as they press....no one. I don't think tearing a bicep trying to control 125-150 dumbells let them down slowly so as not to offend someone is worth it. If you have partners then great but if you are on a loner workout then drop the damn things. Of course thats just me. Most of the time, maybe 90% of the time I'm quiet. I don't workout at Planet Fitness with the Lunk alarm going off.
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