Grunting in the gym

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Replies

  • klrenn
    klrenn Posts: 245 Member
    edited August 2019

    Also, I always wonder if grunters...does this person also grunt during sex? Do they grunt when constipated? When dropping a poop in a public toilet stall? And are they also the kind of person who is a loud chewer, or eats with their mouth open?! :D

    I was deadlifting the other day and I could hear some guy behind me grunting every rep of whatever he was doing, and I swear it sounded like he was having sex :s

    I’ll admit to some soft grunts while squatting and benching near max (but it’s more like forcefully letting air out as opposed to vocalization) not sure if anyone past the next rack over can hear me.
  • TrishSeren
    TrishSeren Posts: 587 Member
    Dropping plates is worse, we used to have a guy who dropped the bar on the floor every. single.rep. But they weren't bounce plates so the noise they made echoed around the gym and even with headphones on it still hurt my ears.

    I do find it interesting that men grunt way more than women.
  • spartan_d
    spartan_d Posts: 727 Member
    aokoye wrote: »
    sgt1372 wrote: »
    spartan_d wrote: »
    sgt1372 wrote: »
    I don't think it's ever "necessary" to make any noise while lifting. Not necessary while playing tennis (where it's just annoying) either.

    Science says otherwise.

    What science?

    Please provide citations to any professional scientific or medical journals reporting the results of any peer reviewed studies on the topic.
    Thankfully the link was to an article in the Guardian which was apparently originally published in The Conversation. If you click some of the links in that article, you'll find at least two peer reviewed studies related to grunting and ball velocity (and a third that isn't really related to what we're discussing here). How valid you think those studies are is up to you, but they are both peer reviewed.

    Thanks for digging that information up. Yes, the scientific evidence is well documented.

    Additionally, I don't see why the burden of proof should be on the people who say that grunting is helpful. If sgt1372 claims that grunting serves no useful purpose whatsoever, then it's up to him to substantiate that claim. Until then, others can simply point out that it might be beneficial, and that it's commonly understood to be so.

    This is by no means a fanciful claim. There's a reason why people grunt when carrying heavy furniture up a stairwell, for example. And martial artists are well known for letting out a "Ki-yaaa!" yell when striking hard.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,629 Member
    spartan_d wrote: »
    aokoye wrote: »
    sgt1372 wrote: »
    spartan_d wrote: »
    sgt1372 wrote: »
    I don't think it's ever "necessary" to make any noise while lifting. Not necessary while playing tennis (where it's just annoying) either.

    Science says otherwise.

    What science?

    Please provide citations to any professional scientific or medical journals reporting the results of any peer reviewed studies on the topic.
    Thankfully the link was to an article in the Guardian which was apparently originally published in The Conversation. If you click some of the links in that article, you'll find at least two peer reviewed studies related to grunting and ball velocity (and a third that isn't really related to what we're discussing here). How valid you think those studies are is up to you, but they are both peer reviewed.

    Thanks for digging that information up. Yes, the scientific evidence is well documented.

    Additionally, I don't see why the burden of proof should be on the people who say that grunting is helpful. If sgt1372 claims that grunting serves no useful purpose whatsoever, then it's up to him to substantiate that claim. Until then, others can simply point out that it might be beneficial, and that it's commonly understood to be so.

    This is by no means a fanciful claim. There's a reason why people grunt when carrying heavy furniture up a stairwell, for example. And martial artists are well known for letting out a "Ki-yaaa!" yell when striking hard.

    Not all martial arts, but it's an intentional practice in some (mostly Japanese arts). And it's not just for striking force; it's supposed to have psychological/spiritual effects on both striker and strikee, sometimes to relate to core firming, encourage proper breath control, etc. There's not really much in how it's conceptualized, as far as I know, to support it being a close analog to grunting when lifting. It's not involuntary: In some arts' competitions, you don't get points for striking without kiai.
  • bobsburgersfan
    bobsburgersfan Posts: 6,471 Member
    I'm certainly guilty of making noises. I'm not super loud, and it's more like "oof" or "ugh" than a grunt, but I'm always in classes where there is music that drowns it out. :smile: Of late, there is a new loud grunter at the gym, but it's more of an extended grunt/yell, and it is loud throughout the entire gym. It's pretty obnoxious and there are certainly times it seems like it's more of an attention thing than an involuntary reaction. The reaction of everyone else around me indicates that I'm not the only one who is unimpressed. That said, if it helps him, he's free to sound as ridiculous as he likes.
  • spartan_d
    spartan_d Posts: 727 Member
    AnnPT77 wrote: »
    spartan_d wrote: »
    aokoye wrote: »
    sgt1372 wrote: »
    spartan_d wrote: »
    sgt1372 wrote: »
    I don't think it's ever "necessary" to make any noise while lifting. Not necessary while playing tennis (where it's just annoying) either.

    Science says otherwise.

    What science?

    Please provide citations to any professional scientific or medical journals reporting the results of any peer reviewed studies on the topic.
    Thankfully the link was to an article in the Guardian which was apparently originally published in The Conversation. If you click some of the links in that article, you'll find at least two peer reviewed studies related to grunting and ball velocity (and a third that isn't really related to what we're discussing here). How valid you think those studies are is up to you, but they are both peer reviewed.

    Thanks for digging that information up. Yes, the scientific evidence is well documented.

    Additionally, I don't see why the burden of proof should be on the people who say that grunting is helpful. If sgt1372 claims that grunting serves no useful purpose whatsoever, then it's up to him to substantiate that claim. Until then, others can simply point out that it might be beneficial, and that it's commonly understood to be so.

    This is by no means a fanciful claim. There's a reason why people grunt when carrying heavy furniture up a stairwell, for example. And martial artists are well known for letting out a "Ki-yaaa!" yell when striking hard.

    Not all martial arts, but it's an intentional practice in some (mostly Japanese arts). And it's not just for striking force; it's supposed to have psychological/spiritual effects on both striker and strikee, sometimes to relate to core firming, encourage proper breath control, etc. There's not really much in how it's conceptualized, as far as I know, to support it being a close analog to grunting when lifting. It's not involuntary: In some arts' competitions, you don't get points for striking without kiai.
    Very interesting. Thanks for the information, and I mean that.

    Anyway, I think my point still stands. Even if the benefits of grunting weren't proven, its use in martial arts would at least make its usefulness plausible -- even if its turns out to be merely pyschological in nature.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    TrishSeren wrote: »
    Dropping plates is worse, we used to have a guy who dropped the bar on the floor every. single.rep. But they weren't bounce plates so the noise they made echoed around the gym and even with headphones on it still hurt my ears.

    I do find it interesting that men grunt way more than women.

    What kind of lift was it...certain lifts you are intended to drop the weight...though I wouldn't do it without bumper plates...but those still make a lot of noise.

    Olympic lifts like clean and jerks and snatches you are intended to drop the weight. If it's light enough you can ease it down, but once the weight gets heavier, you're going to wreck your shoulders trying to do that.
  • glovepuppet
    glovepuppet Posts: 1,710 Member
    The toyboy will sometimes literally roar as he struggles through the final rep. But that's at 100+k, and in the privacy of our own home. It does seem to help, weirdly. I call it channelling Arnold.

  • CipherZero
    CipherZero Posts: 1,418 Member
    There’s grunting under strain of a lift, then there’s being an obnoxious idiot. I’ve no problem with the former - it’s going to be hard to pull a twice-body weight deadlift for reps without noise. Dropping the same deadlift from waist height on purpose is a dick move and a failed lift.
  • quiksylver296
    quiksylver296 Posts: 28,439 Member
    CipherZero wrote: »
    There’s grunting under strain of a lift, then there’s being an obnoxious idiot. I’ve no problem with the former - it’s going to be hard to pull a twice-body weight deadlift for reps without noise. Dropping the same deadlift from waist height on purpose is a dick move and a failed lift.

    This. 100%.

    I've had squat attempts that would not have gone up without a grunt (or a yell).

    But the douche canoe at the gym yesterday who was grunting on every rep of his 250 lb deadlift, and crashing it down each time... :s
  • mom23mangos
    mom23mangos Posts: 3,069 Member
    I wonder if my midwife thought I was being obnoxious and attention seeking...

    Mike drop
  • Phirrgus
    Phirrgus Posts: 1,894 Member
    I wonder if my midwife thought I was being obnoxious and attention seeking...

    Depends...how much weight were you...ah....pushing?

    leaving now....
  • Phirrgus
    Phirrgus Posts: 1,894 Member
    Phirrgus wrote: »
    I wonder if my midwife thought I was being obnoxious and attention seeking...

    Depends...how much weight were you...ah....pushing?

    leaving now....

    That little Dumbbell was 10 pounds 12 ounces :D

    omg lol. My daughter's was 10lbs even and all I can say is Bless your heart :D
  • Motorsheen
    Motorsheen Posts: 20,508 Member
    There’s no need for grunting. What I’ve seen is it’s people with ego who want noticed!

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  • firef1y72
    firef1y72 Posts: 1,579 Member
    Cahgetsfit wrote: »
    There’s no need for grunting. What I’ve seen is it’s people with ego who want noticed!

    I must have a gigantic ego then :D

    Me too, only I dont want to be noticed and try hard not to grunt. But when I'm in heavy week and lifting near my max I cant help it. Plus my trainer actually gets me to make a noise sometimes so I work on breathing at the right time
  • nossmf
    nossmf Posts: 12,088 Member
    Grunting while lifting heavy, no problems here; I sometimes do, unless I make a point of exhaling hard instead. Dropping the weights, don't mind on free weights but machines minor irritation, only minor.

    What irks me is seeing somebody setting up for a lift, having a spotter for safety which I totally applaud. Proceeds to crank out a rep where the spotter appears to be exerting himself just as hard as the lifter. Then instead of racking the weight, the lifter proceeds into ANOTHER REP. I'm like dude, if you're not strong enough to do it by yourself, you certainly aren't strong enough to do it multiple times.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    Maybe it's the gyms I have belonged to, but I don't think I've ever heard anyone grunt for attention. I also don't think I've seen or heard anyone dropping weights other than while performing an Olympic lifts with bumper plates and a platform.
  • dbanks80
    dbanks80 Posts: 3,685 Member
    I don't grunt it's more like a high pitched woo! :)
  • Motorsheen
    Motorsheen Posts: 20,508 Member
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    Maybe it's the gyms I have belonged to, but I don't think I've ever heard anyone grunt for attention. I also don't think I've seen or heard anyone dropping weights other than while performing an Olympic lifts with bumper plates and a platform.

    We have a 17 year old kid at our gym who would drop the weights on every set of deadlifts.

    A couple of the 'old timers' had a brief conversation with him.

    .... he no longer drops weights.
  • mom23mangos
    mom23mangos Posts: 3,069 Member
    I don't do crossfit, but I've seen videos of some of the competitions and it seems like dropping weights (even deadlifts) is pretty common there, so you probably have people who learned weightlifting in a crossfit box move to a normal gym and not realize that it isn't quite approved of.

    The only time I've seen people drop weights (bumper plates) at my gym is when people are done with squats and want to deadlift and don't want to take all the weights off to get the bar to the ground.
  • quiksylver296
    quiksylver296 Posts: 28,439 Member
    I don't do crossfit, but I've seen videos of some of the competitions and it seems like dropping weights (even deadlifts) is pretty common there, so you probably have people who learned weightlifting in a crossfit box move to a normal gym and not realize that it isn't quite approved of.

    The only time I've seen people drop weights (bumper plates) at my gym is when people are done with squats and want to deadlift and don't want to take all the weights off to get the bar to the ground.

    Yeah. Method of training is an issue. I volunteered at a Strongman competition where they had to do Powerlifting-type deads (you can't drop the bar with Powerlifting). It really threw them off. They train to drop the bar, apparently.
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