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Just ranting....................or am I?
ninerbuff
Posts: 48,982 Member
So one of the things that irks me is when a weight plate or dumbbell has a designated place on a rack, it gets put somewhere else instead. The plate can be 12 inches away from the right labeled arm, but inevitably someone will put a 45lbs plate say over a 10lbs weight arm. Lazy? Well it may just be correlation for me, but in MY GYM just about everybody reracks their weights (we've created a great culture) but the ones that just pile them onto any open space tend to be not in their best shape. So could just this lack of laziness also apply to how they approach their own fitness goals?
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
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
4
Replies
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I dont do gyms - but I share your rant about other similar things - at work, where things of different sizes should get put away in order, not thrown in together - or at home where one's partner throws all the cutlery into one drawer instead of each thing in its correct slot
Not sure if there are any conclusions from this though - other than I like order and tidiness.
or in other people's words, am picky and pedantic
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You are onto something. No follow through is akin to being late. Not continuing an action to it's conclusion becomes a habit. It does affect other areas of your life. It's a resistance to being controlled by others and that starts in childhood.
When we resist responsibility and taking accountability for ourselves, the changes we want to make usually end up a temporary fix. Resisting control is so deeply ingrained that it becomes a real rut. We know when we're operating by automatic pilot. Not folding the clothes out of the dryer and other simple tasks are a reflection of how we roll when no one else is watching. Not putting the grocery cart away in the lot, on and on...
The power struggle between kids and parents. Kids gloat and feel gratified when they feel like they're winning. Staying obstinate and rebellious and feeling gratified by all of it becomes a problem when you become an adult. It leads to problems with the boss. It's all connected.
Constant choices to resist 'being controlled' leads to some real consequences.1 -
I just dislike the gym in general nowadays. If you can have a home gym I don't know why you would not want to train at home. More freedom, less distraction, better concentration.2
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I WORK in a gym as a trainer for my career. I have some stuff at home, but it's rare that I work out at home due to time restraints.I just dislike the gym in general nowadays. If you can have a home gym I don't know why you would not want to train at home. More freedom, less distraction, better concentration.
But what's your opinion on what I stated about people not following through thoroughly and how that's a behavior in everything else they may do in their life?
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
2 -
I will agree here. one of the easiest things I look at is "one time" appointments with my clients. The ones that come early, do warmup, and just prep for the workout tend to do the best. The ones that show up last minute tend to just want to get the workout done, aren't concerned that their time was cut short, and also have a myriad of excuses as to why they may not be achieving their fitness goals. Funny how just small things like this can help to observe how a person's habitual behavior may be outside of the gym.Hiawassee88 wrote: »You are onto something. No follow through is akin to being late. Not continuing an action to it's conclusion becomes a habit. It does affect other areas of your life. It's a resistance to being controlled by others and that starts in childhood.
When we resist responsibility and taking accountability for ourselves, the changes we want to make usually end up a temporary fix. Resisting control is so deeply ingrained that it becomes a real rut. We know when we're operating by automatic pilot. Not folding the clothes out of the dryer and other simple tasks are a reflection of how we roll when no one else is watching. Not putting the grocery cart away in the lot, on and on...
The power struggle between kids and parents. Kids gloat and feel gratified when they feel like they're winning. Staying obstinate and rebellious and feeling gratified by all of it becomes a problem when you become an adult. It leads to problems with the boss. It's all connected.
Constant choices to resist 'being controlled' leads to some real consequences.
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
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I try to focus on things that make me happy. I'm not going for the stress.2
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I WORK in a gym as a trainer for my career. I have some stuff at home, but it's rare that I work out at home due to time restraints.I just dislike the gym in general nowadays. If you can have a home gym I don't know why you would not want to train at home. More freedom, less distraction, better concentration.
But what's your opinion on what I stated about people not following through thoroughly and how that's a behavior in everything else they may do in their life?
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
I used to be that guy until the janitor who worked at the gym confronted me 🤣.
And yes I agree, my life was not in order at that time.1 -
In the medical field, they call it noncompliant and non-adherent. If I was in your gym, I would be compliant without complaint. Your replies have always motivated me to catapult myself from the couch, sitting at the speed of zero. If I was a client, I would show UP early and put in the hard work. I would not go through the motions because I know the body-mind connection is real. I've learned so many things from you. Carry on.
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. Lazy? Well it may just be correlation for me, but in MY GYM just about everybody reracks their weights (we've created a great culture) but the ones that just pile them onto any open space tend to be not in their best shape. So could just this lack of laziness also apply to how they approach their own fitness goals?
Or perhaps those in their best shape have been going to your gym a long time and now understand and comply with gym etiquette, those not in their best shape are novice at exercise and gym etiquette.
Any gym I've been to, its a mixture people at their best and not at their best who do not put things back in the appropriate locations.
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Nah. Been there long enough and working 10 hour days there 6 days a week, I've gotten a pretty good idea of who does and who doesn't. Heck some of the novices do a better job because it's mentioned when they join the gym in the first place.tiptoethruthetulips wrote: ». Lazy? Well it may just be correlation for me, but in MY GYM just about everybody reracks their weights (we've created a great culture) but the ones that just pile them onto any open space tend to be not in their best shape. So could just this lack of laziness also apply to how they approach their own fitness goals?
Or perhaps those in their best shape have been going to your gym a long time and now understand and comply with gym etiquette, those not in their best shape are novice at exercise and gym etiquette.
Any gym I've been to, its a mixture people at their best and not at their best who do not put things back in the appropriate locations.
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
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Nah. Been there long enough and working 10 hour days there 6 days a week, I've gotten a pretty good idea of who does and who doesn't. Heck some of the novices do a better job because it's mentioned when they join the gym in the first place.tiptoethruthetulips wrote: ». Lazy? Well it may just be correlation for me, but in MY GYM just about everybody reracks their weights (we've created a great culture) but the ones that just pile them onto any open space tend to be not in their best shape. So could just this lack of laziness also apply to how they approach their own fitness goals?
Or perhaps those in their best shape have been going to your gym a long time and now understand and comply with gym etiquette, those not in their best shape are novice at exercise and gym etiquette.
Any gym I've been to, its a mixture people at their best and not at their best who do not put things back in the appropriate locations.
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
Well, you posted it in debate. Other folks are free to suggest your observations may be based on a biased sample, may not take into account all factors, or may not be confirmed by their own observations.1 -
In our gym it's very normal to put the plates back in the right spot so I've never in my 9 months there seen them misplaced. However our kettlebells and dumbells are kind of a mess but that's more a space issue than a laziness issue and there's still some method to the madness. But none of the people who I consider to be less serious about their fitness journey are messier than the ones who are super dedicated.
For me I assume people are less dedicated when they aren't willing to progress. There is one woman who's trained for as long as I have and still uses the same 8kg KB for kb swings as she did at the start, she never breaks a sweat and is never out of breath. But I also kinda just assumed she's happy with her fitness and physique and is showing up to maintain what she has, not to progress. These people gotta be allowed to coexist and I'm not gonna think less of them because they're not working as vigorously as I am.4 -
People who do this are not lazy....they are self-centered, entitled children who just assume someone else will clean up after them. They do not care if they are inconveniencing others, they are just doing what is convenient for them.6
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Back when I hit the gym (now I workout at home) I saw the same thing happen. It didn't make sense as to why people weren't returning the free weights back to where the came from.0
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Which is fine. My observations could be totally different at one of our sister gyms (which I know many aren't as cleaned and organized as ours). But feedback I get from members that attend sister gyms truly notice the difference as well.lynn_glenmont wrote: »
Nah. Been there long enough and working 10 hour days there 6 days a week, I've gotten a pretty good idea of who does and who doesn't. Heck some of the novices do a better job because it's mentioned when they join the gym in the first place.tiptoethruthetulips wrote: ». Lazy? Well it may just be correlation for me, but in MY GYM just about everybody reracks their weights (we've created a great culture) but the ones that just pile them onto any open space tend to be not in their best shape. So could just this lack of laziness also apply to how they approach their own fitness goals?
Or perhaps those in their best shape have been going to your gym a long time and now understand and comply with gym etiquette, those not in their best shape are novice at exercise and gym etiquette.
Any gym I've been to, its a mixture people at their best and not at their best who do not put things back in the appropriate locations.
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
Well, you posted it in debate. Other folks are free to suggest your observations may be based on a biased sample, may not take into account all factors, or may not be confirmed by their own observations.
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
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Well I thought that too, but the worst would be teens if that was the case. In our gym, they all put their stuff back right. Kinda funny too because many of the teens I know there, I supervised at lunch time and they were slobs at throwing away their trash during lunch. Funny how a few years makes a difference.SuzySunshine99 wrote: »People who do this are not lazy....they are self-centered, entitled children who just assume someone else will clean up after them. They do not care if they are inconveniencing others, they are just doing what is convenient for them.
But yes, there are a few self centered people who disregard how to put stuff away correctly. And I'll immediately approach them if I feel they may not rerack or will leave things on the floor (like a step or mat).
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
1 -
Well I thought that too, but the worst would be teens if that was the case. In our gym, they all put their stuff back right. Kinda funny too because many of the teens I know there, I supervised at lunch time and they were slobs at throwing away their trash during lunch. Funny how a few years makes a difference.SuzySunshine99 wrote: »People who do this are not lazy....they are self-centered, entitled children who just assume someone else will clean up after them. They do not care if they are inconveniencing others, they are just doing what is convenient for them.
But yes, there are a few self centered people who disregard how to put stuff away correctly. And I'll immediately approach them if I feel they may not rerack or will leave things on the floor (like a step or mat).
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
Actually, I've found in general, the most entitled "children" to be older people, not teens. Particularly if they are older than the staff, and can therefore feel superior and question your authority.
They feel like it is the gym employees' job to pick up after them. They'll remind you that that's why they pay their membership dues. They'll remind you that THEY pay YOUR salary. They'll remind you that THE CUSTOMER IS ALWAYS RIGHT. They'll threaten to get you fired. They will tell you that YOU are the lazy one and you should DO YOUR JOB.
Can you tell I (briefly) worked in customer service? I can't deal with the general public anymore.6 -
The owner of my primary gym is super strict about putting *kitten* back where it belongs. There are signs everywhere to put the weights and bars in the correct places, numbers facing out, etc...if he ever comes in and finds stuff out of place, he will pull up security camera footage to figure out who did it and will send them a "gentle reminder" via text. So it is VERY rare for anything to be out of sorts in there.
In the gym I use when I have to (due to my primary gym having limited hours on Sundays), on the other hand...it's like a bunch of toddlers were turned loose in a toy store. Crap is all over the place, completely unorganized.2 -
In theory, I think there are potentially a lot of reasons people might do sloppy things like not replacing weight plates in the proper spot: Feeling entitled (because they pay the gym, or other reasons), honest stupidity, laziness, probably even sociopathy, among other possibilities.
I'm not going to second guess your (niner's) perception that the people who do this in your gym are athletic underachievers, because you know them, and I don't.
I find people perplexing, in a variety of ways, always (and I suspect they feel the same about me).
I don't think, generically, that there's likely to be an exclusive one to one relationship between "doesn't put plates away properly" and "phones in one's own workout because lazy". Lots of variables influence behavior, and the range of character/personality is gigantic.
One of the most dedicated rowers in my club, for example, works hard on his technique, and is a smart guy (I'd say why I think that, but it'd semi-dox him). He doesn't give a rat's patootie about other people's convenience - totally oblivious. Not lazy, not stupid: Self-centered. He will make others' workout or other aspects of rowing experience worse, out of sheer obliviousness to the fact that they're humans with feelings. (I wouldn't be surprised if, in your context, he'd fail to re-rack plates properly.)
I do think that (speaking generically, not accusing you, niner) it's common to attribute other/general character faults to people who do things we individually don't prefer/favor - at least I see that prejudicial tendency in myself, and try to fight overgeneralization about it. YMMV.2 -
Well I thought that too, but the worst would be teens if that was the case. In our gym, they all put their stuff back right. Kinda funny too because many of the teens I know there, I supervised at lunch time and they were slobs at throwing away their trash during lunch. Funny how a few years makes a difference.SuzySunshine99 wrote: »People who do this are not lazy....they are self-centered, entitled children who just assume someone else will clean up after them. They do not care if they are inconveniencing others, they are just doing what is convenient for them.
But yes, there are a few self centered people who disregard how to put stuff away correctly. And I'll immediately approach them if I feel they may not rerack or will leave things on the floor (like a step or mat).
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
Am I reading this correctly? You approach people based on your "feeling" (assumption? based on whether you think they work hard enough or are lazy?) about whether they "may not" or "will" do things -- you're basically chastising people for things they haven't done yet that you assume they will do based on the way they look or the way they work out?3 -
ve
I hear ya. But luckily in our gym, people seem to actually care because the majority basically not only rerack, but also use the wipes we provide to clean off seats, handles and benches when done.SuzySunshine99 wrote: »
Well I thought that too, but the worst would be teens if that was the case. In our gym, they all put their stuff back right. Kinda funny too because many of the teens I know there, I supervised at lunch time and they were slobs at throwing away their trash during lunch. Funny how a few years makes a difference.SuzySunshine99 wrote: »People who do this are not lazy....they are self-centered, entitled children who just assume someone else will clean up after them. They do not care if they are inconveniencing others, they are just doing what is convenient for them.
But yes, there are a few self centered people who disregard how to put stuff away correctly. And I'll immediately approach them if I feel they may not rerack or will leave things on the floor (like a step or mat).
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
Actually, I've found in general, the most entitled "children" to be older people, not teens. Particularly if they are older than the staff, and can therefore feel superior and question your authority.
They feel like it is the gym employees' job to pick up after them. They'll remind you that that's why they pay their membership dues. They'll remind you that THEY pay YOUR salary. They'll remind you that THE CUSTOMER IS ALWAYS RIGHT. They'll threaten to get you fired. They will tell you that YOU are the lazy one and you should DO YOUR JOB.
Can you tell I (briefly) worked in customer service? I can't deal with the general public anymore.
I get the occasional reluctant member, but my approach is usually one where I let them know that not everyone can lift off plates off bars and that they may injure themselves doing it
and that they are deprived of using equipment they also pay a memebership for. That's usually has them feeling less entitled and more cooperative.
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 1 -
Yeah, I belonged to a gym that did the same in the beginning of my bodybuilding years. I got so used to it, I even cleaned up without working there.The owner of my primary gym is super strict about putting *kitten* back where it belongs. There are signs everywhere to put the weights and bars in the correct places, numbers facing out, etc...if he ever comes in and finds stuff out of place, he will pull up security camera footage to figure out who did it and will send them a "gentle reminder" via text. So it is VERY rare for anything to be out of sorts in there.
In the gym I use when I have to (due to my primary gym having limited hours on Sundays), on the other hand...it's like a bunch of toddlers were turned loose in a toy store. Crap is all over the place, completely unorganized.
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
1 -
No I approach people to put things away when they don't. I "assume" that they don't take the extra time to do things right/better in their workouts/diet/regimen in reflection of how they may put things away in the gym. That's just my opinion. My observation is that our most fit people ALWAYS put their stuff away and clean up (even if they use chalk by wiping everything off after). So I DON'T automatically assume people are just lazy because they are unfit. People start unfit to get fit.lynn_glenmont wrote: »
Well I thought that too, but the worst would be teens if that was the case. In our gym, they all put their stuff back right. Kinda funny too because many of the teens I know there, I supervised at lunch time and they were slobs at throwing away their trash during lunch. Funny how a few years makes a difference.SuzySunshine99 wrote: »People who do this are not lazy....they are self-centered, entitled children who just assume someone else will clean up after them. They do not care if they are inconveniencing others, they are just doing what is convenient for them.
But yes, there are a few self centered people who disregard how to put stuff away correctly. And I'll immediately approach them if I feel they may not rerack or will leave things on the floor (like a step or mat).
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
Am I reading this correctly? You approach people based on your "feeling" (assumption? based on whether you think they work hard enough or are lazy?) about whether they "may not" or "will" do things -- you're basically chastising people for things they haven't done yet that you assume they will do based on the way they look or the way they work out?
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
1 -
Mother's Day at your gym
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