I don’t understand the problem with having your cell phone with you. If it rings, you answer, and then if you need to take the call, you get off the machine. Where is the harm here, and why do you think they are trying to be cool?
Wow, I had no idea how great my gym was! Granted, as a grad student with an odd-hour GA job, I can go around noon on weekdays and never have to wait for anything. And it’s clean and sweet-smelling and most of the people are extremely friendly.
But whether you’re a little guy or a big guy or fucking Xena, Warrior Princess, I don’t give a flying fuck how much weight you can lift. I don’t care that you, yes you, you asshole, gave me that condescending look when you moved the pin from 15 to 250 on the pec machine thingy. I’m here for lifetime fitness, and three sets of 15 pounds is the limit of what I can do. I have more important things to worry about than what you think about my lifting capacity.
This goes for some people in this thread, as well. Now, if that’s your hobby, feel free to make snarky comments about each other and so forth. But it ain’t my hobby.
Also, if I mention going to the gym to you, that does not mean I’m in rabid competition with you. Yes you, James. I don’t care about your six minute mile, I don’t care how much you bench (and I’m sure your form is shit), I don’t care how many push-ups you can do. Yes, your arms look very nice. But 1) I’m a woman. 2) I’m a completely different body type from you. And finally, 3) I don’t care! This is not a competition, I do this so I won’t break a hip like my grandmother. I do it so I can walk up the hill to class without feeling my heart pound. I don’t even do it to lose weight. I’m proud of the little triceps that suddenly appeared on my arm a few weeks ago not because I’m looking to get all cut, man, but because that means something’s working and I’m not wasting my time at the gym.
And you, you scrawny old bitch. (Not that it’s wrong to be scrawny - so am I. Or old. I just want you to know who you are.) If you have to bring a notebook and two novels with you while you fucking inhabit the machine I need to use, you think you might be resting a bit much? After your set of four reps? And that if you’re planning to do that, you might want to move out of the way? I shouldn’t even have to ask you, if you and me and my workout partner are the only people on the resistance machines, and we do arm machine 1, 2, 3, and 4, and your grey haired ass is claiming 5 for Spain, that we might be giving you dirty looks for a reason? And when I ask if we can cut in, your “You farted in my elevator” look combined with the tone of your “I’m resting. I’m about to do another set.” (You were there when I got there. You will be there when I leave. What do you do all day?) almost made me slap you. I didn’t. But next time I might.
Also, the group of three or four early-30’s guys who coincide with my gym time maybe once a week. I hate you so much more than the other bitch. I reserve my utmost gym loathing for you. You’re there when I get there, generally on one of the leg machines I don’t use. Well, fine. But the four of you hang around it running your mouths (I hear all about who’s getting some, who needs to get some, who isn’t getting some… now, A and I gossip at the gym, but we do it while we, you know, work out.) and don’t do anything! Usually one of you is at least on a machine, sometimes two, but you sure do “rest” a lot. And is it really necessary for the rest of you to ostentatiously stretch on the machine I’m about to use? Not use the machine, just put your ugly foot on it? God, I hate you guys. For the hour and some that I’m there, I see you do about a set each of one machine, maybe two, for which you take up half the gym. But the stretching, that’s what makes your obnoxiousness a work of art.
And folks, we have a whole studio to do yoga in. I know it’s early in the year and I won’t be seeing a lot of you after a while. But even with a full class like this, could you maybe spread out a little and not put your damned mat right next to mine? Because I really hate it when you kick me. I have enough trouble balancing as it is.
Wow, I had no idea I had so much gym based hostility! But, no, we have plenty of bathroom and shower stalls, the staff is universally friendly and helpful, the machines have never, in my experience, been sweaty, and most of the members, even the manly “gotta wear this belt to run on the treadmill” guys are very friendly and not intimidating. They put their weights up, don’t usually hog the machines, and don’t spit their gum in the water fountain. I have renewed appreciation.
Cel phones are being banned in many gyms because now so many of theme also functiona as digital cameras; hence, paranoid folk are concerned that their likeness not become available on the internet via a Kazaa search for “gay” or “bbw.”
You’ve got to be kidding. What gyms? National chains, Bally’s for instance?
cite?
Do guys really give you–a woman–condescending looks for not lifting as much as them? What jerks!
I definitely appreciate my gym more and more. Not only can I hog any machine I want as long as I want, but I don’t have to worry about anyone else’s sweat or worry that I’m keeping someone else from using a machine they need.
There are people who are on their cell phones the whole time that they’re on a particular machine. And they’re on there for a long time, hence my earlier comment about 1000 reps at 2 pounds. If that’s what you want to do, fine, but at least pretend you’re working at it.
ultra: If they’re being rude about it, that is a different issue. I’m just talking about whoever it was who said that people shouldn’t bring their phones at all.
What really drives me nuts are the young teens - 3 or 4 guys or girls who take up all the equip JUST when I wanna use it. My gym is a community run place - nothing fancy, you work out, you leave - the end (no bells and whistles) - but they are there for a fun hour or so… drives me nuts that my valueable time is being wasted waiting til they finish their conversation about the latest bf whilst not breaking a sweat.
Agree with the whole not wiping down the equip - I have gone up to someone and said can you clean up after yourself - he was so embarrassed he did it lol…
I used to hate the people who would read magazines or books on the treadmill (for some reason I just cant run - crappy balance)… but now I do it myself cos I don’t mind working my body but my brain feels very left out and I get way too bored.
I used to hate that they put VH1 on the TV’s - you CANNOT work out to that music sheesh… now they seem to have gotten in those specialist tapes with the correc beat of music but modern songs - its ok but again my eyes have nothing to do now… lol…
BTW Hey Canvas… its Honey 
BTW meant to mention a reverse snobbery in my gym… maybe cos its not a private, high cost place but the people in the expensive gym clothes are almost frowned upon lol… which is cool cos I dont look so good in spandex as yet.
This is place is for regular schmoes … just like moi
Why on earth would somebody reading on the treadmill bother you? I can see being upset if they’re hogging the treadmill, spending too much time on there, but reading on it? Sheesh.
how could I have forgot this one…my gym (Bally’s multiple locations -same problem) has two sizes of lockers in the locker rooms, full length and half. Obvioulsy the full length have much more room and are much less plentifull. Several people have decided to leave their locks on the full size lockers. For instance, the day after Christmas I was the only male in the gym, but about 75% of the full length lockers had locks on them even though the gym prohibits leaving the locks on…as clearly stated by policy “lockers are for day use only, locks must be removed when you leave the facility.” Now, this isn’t a problem on the day after Christmas but it is weekdays 5 to 7pm. So basically, several jackasses who probably work out 3 times per week hog an entire full length locker 7 days per week. The mean side of me says to bring some super glue and fill the key hole up so they have to get their lock cut off to get to whatever they left inside.
I’m also a member of the YMCA…at the end of each day they cut off locks that haven’t been removed…why can’t bally’s do this?
Reading this thread, I really realize how much gym-based hostility I really have…
Ooh, I hate that look, especially since the people who give it to me usually are doing 3-6 reps as compared to my 15 rep sets, and have horrid form as well as being men (I’m a woman). I’m there to gain a bit of muscle for my real physical activities, not as a bodybuilder/weightlifter, leave me alone.
When I swim at the various local pools, I have the opposite problem, the (mostly young) guys who get into dick size wars all can’t stand to be lapped by a woman, especially not a small one. So they draft behind me for a length or two, then stop 3m from the wall and deliberately (it’s a big lane) get right in front of me as turn (sometimes pushing me down, or kicking me soundly in the face) and they try to push me away and speed up for a few seconds as I pass them. They do this to everyone else, too. The lifeguards keep having to tell them off, as it’s dangerous.
At the gym at work I get the 20 slow reps of the minimum weight (which I wouldn’t comment on, except they obviously don’t find it difficult) take 20 minutes sitting on the machine (“working”) the whole time, chatting loudly the whole time about how much they diet and exercise but still don’t lose weight crowd. I want to say sitting on a machine chatting != exercising, and that at about 130lbs each they should obsess about some fitness/health measure other than losing excess weight they don’t have through restrictive starvation diets…but I might have to work with these people…(sigh)
Guys who have no problems benching 100+ pounds but can’t lift a one-ounce towel into a proper receptacle.
Women who wear tight-fitting clothes like bicycle shorts. If you’re overweight, you are making a fool of yourself. If you look great, well, you’re just showing off.
People who use equipment for purposes other than it was intended. This doesn’t always bother me, as I have nothing against creativity. But when someone uses a flat bench to jump up and down on, I think they look stupid.
Guys who wear knit caps. Appropriate for a prison gym, perhaps.
Mentioned earlier: Clanging weights.
And I shouldn’t let it bother me, but people who don’t know how to use alternatives when their particular machine is being used. Most gyms have several alternative ways to do an exercise. So instead of waiting around, looking forlorn, you probably could be doing an alternative exercise.
Back atcha!! 
Complain to the manager. I managed at Bally’s back in the day, and I strictly enforced the no-locks-overnight policy.
A lot of women, overweight or not, have thighs that rub together. It’s painful to walk or run when that happens, and bike shorts prevent that.
My pet peeve:
too much weight and bad form.
That guy that puts 250 pounds on the curl bar then proceeds to swing it from his hips to his shoulders, working mostly back muscles.
Another:
people who think that how much weight you can do on the leg press machine actually matters. I mean come on guys, I can’t believe you were actually arguing about that. Now if you could squat alot, that might be something.
Yet another:
Fitness center staff who know JACK! I actually heard a guy the other day telling some woman that seated rows were really good for her chest muscles.
Actually:
People at the gym. Just get the hell out of the way and let me work out dammit.
And leave the hot girl in the too tight spandex alone, she’s not bothering anyone!
Wow…
Slight hijack…
Why is this wrong King Rat?? (I’m not annoyed at you or trying to be snotty here, just honestly perplexed)
Okay, if she’s dressed to the nines, with full-on warpaint, heavy artillary perfume and obviously only “trollin’ for 'roidheads,” then she’s a little to a lot annoying, (specially the perfume part and the getting in the way not doing anything part).
But what is the problem with wearing a reasonably attractive (I mean helloOOOooo, lycra IS snug) outfit to work out in? If a person is working their heart and soul out for months and months to get fit and look good, what?
They’re supposed to dress in a baggy shroud so that they don’t offend anyone by “looking good” and being proud of their hard work? So, by that reasoning, someone who worked hard through college, got out and got a good job and buys a nice car and home is “showing off”?
I work out to be healthy too, and yes that’s at least half of it. But it sure feels good to slip into a cute workout outfit, or a miniskirt and heels and YES DAMMIT “show off” my hard work!!
Why is that something of which to be ashamed?
PS, I’d like to say “hear hear” to what another poster explained regarding bike shorts. Girls with slightly chubby, or “dancer/gymnast thighs”, DO need them to prevent our thighs from “fighting”!!!
Ok OK if you have a great physique and want to show it off, what the hell, it really doesn’t bother me. Maybe I’ll fantasize about you for a second (or two). Most of what goes on in the gym really doesn’t bother me. I go, workout, mind my own business, and smile at the employees. I understand the point about bicycle shorts, I know that they are specially designed and have chamois lining. I guess what I had in mind was:
There was this really overweight middle-aged women wallowing around on the mat (where people do ab work). She was wearing a skin tight two-piece leotard, the kind where the top wraps around like a thong. But it was what she was doing that was obscene. She was acting like someone was on top of her and she was responding.