One of my co-workers has been following one of his New Year's Resolutions. He and I discussed my observations of Annoying Gym Behavior. Unfortunately, most occur around the weight-room:

1. The guy who walks around like he is a professional power lifter when he is nothing of the sort. Said guy has the usual appearance- short, stocky guy with a gut. Wears a weight belt at all times with some some funny nickname like "Big Dawg" drawn in marker on the back. Dude, the Z-Pants are so 80's.
2. The guy (often the same guy who is #1) who feels it is necessary to scream, bark (yes bark) and yell while lifting weights. Please understand I am aware it is necessary to give out the occasional grunt and to breathe properly; but there is no reason to scream like an old Buick is sitting on your chest when you are bench pressing 225 lbs. The barking has to go too-- you are not the Berzerker or Bruiser Brody (professional wrestlers).
3. The guy (often the same guy who is #1 and #2) shouting obscenities while spotting one of his buddies. I understand motivation and team work, but is it really necessary to scream in the weight room that your partner has no genitalia?
4. The guy (often guy #1,2,3) who finds it necessary to use chalk in the weight room like he is Lebron James before a Cavs game. Look, if you are doing the deadlift in a professional competition I understand, but most of the time it is simply abused at the gym. I don't want to be coughing up your chalks while you find it necessary to soak your hands in chalk while doing 50 pound arm curls.
5. The guy who comes to the gym to talk or to hook up with the ladies. Heck I like checking out a good looking chick as much as the next guy, but is it really necessary to follow her around the weight room like a dog in heat? 99% of the time she does not need your instruction on every exercise and she does need you standing behind her felling up her arms and back while she is doing dumbell military presses.
6. For the ladies- the weight room should not be a place to meet the guys either? You are pretty obvious when you come to the weight room and the only exercise you do is the leg abductor and aductor machine (we all know the one, the one where she spreads their legs). And guy #5, stop staring!
7. The guy who feels its necessary to instruct everyone else on proper technique and form. Last time I checked, you were not a personal trainer. Unless someone is about to break their back, there is no need for you to come over and lecture someone about proper breathing and head placement during a lift unsolicited. If you and I have that relationship or are already on speaking terms that is acceptable, but otherwise butt out.
8. The germo-phobe. Look, I understand you should keep the place clean and sterile, but some of you guys take it to a new extreme. Please don't get revolted because there is an accumulation of head sweat on the bench. I wiped it down with the spray and a towel. No need to start spraying even more and wiping again and looking as if I deficated on the bench.

Any more anyone can think of?

People who worry about what others are doing instead of concentrating on why they are there?

9. The "only" guy who takes the aerobic class filled with just women just so he can
A. Be one of the girls or
B. Pretends to relate with the "other' girls while still trying to score with the one girl with the least amount of fat to loose.

The old man who thinks he owns the place and stares everyone down if they are not behaving to his liking.

Pretty accurate list. I was at a gym with a bunch of meat heads at one point where I saw the wide range of behavior. Even had a guy approach me trying to get me to juice. So it was obviously an accepted principle at said gym.

I'm not at the Dublin rec center. Much much different crowd. Only 1-2 "meat heads" and mostly older men and tons of soccer moms.

The guy doin a circuit and goes from machine to machine and gets pissed when someone tries to hop on an empty machine stating "i'm usin that bro". Apparently I'm supposed to wait until you're all done using 4 different machines.
The guy who is sittin on a bench or machine you need just talkin on his phone for a while.

thedynasty1998 wrote:tons of soccer moms.

Jackpot.

Little Danny wrote: One of my co-workers has been following one of his New Year's Resolutions. He and I discussed my observations of Annoying Gym Behavior. Unfortunately, most occur around the weight-room:

1. The guy who walks around like he is a professional power lifter when he is nothing of the sort. Said guy has the usual appearance- short, stocky guy with a gut. Wears a weight belt at all times with some some funny nickname like "Big Dawg" drawn in marker on the back. Dude, the Z-Pants are so 80's.

throw in a receding hair line and some sort of supplement beanie and you got my favorite guy to laugh at at my gym

i get a laugh when I see the same guys walking in at 5:30a with their hair all gelled...

Anybody ever seen "meat head" doing squats on the smith machine loaded with plates and his budy also sitting on his shoulders.

Going down three inches...with knee wraps and a belt? Yeah, there's always one...

The guys who want to stop and talk. It's a gym, not a lounge.

How about the guys that have absolutely no clue what they are doing? They are there b/c they feel they need to get in shape, but they've never been to a gym before. So, most of their time is spent "experimenting" with one set on each machine, with little weight, trying all the aerobic machines. Throughout the process, they stare at/observe people, to make sure they are doing it right, acting like "that guy" etc.

ernest_t_bass wrote: How about the guys that have absolutely no clue what they are doing? They are there b/c they feel they need to get in shape, but they've never been to a gym before. So, most of their time is spent "experimenting" with one set on each machine, with little weight, trying all the aerobic machines. Throughout the process, they stare at/observe people, to make sure they are doing it right, acting like "that guy" etc.

I do see that. I don't really find it annoying though. Unless they start following me. If someone is trying to learn on their own, more power to them. Hell, I'll watch somebody if they are doing an exercise I've never seen before. Constantly learning.

pnhasbeen wrote: The guys who want to stop and talk. It's a gym, not a lounge.

This is really my only one, because it directly affects me most frequently. I usually go to do cardio, and I always, always, always have headphones on. But, that doesn't stop someone from getting on the treadmill next to me, and wanting to strike up a convo. I can't do the talking/running thing. And I'm trying to enjoy my music.

I'm all for a little locker room chat, provided everyone is all covered below the belt (it's odd, you wouldn't think you'd have to make that clear, but.....you do?), but while working out....come on.

ernest_t_bass wrote: How about the guys that have absolutely no clue what they are doing? They are there b/c they feel they need to get in shape, but they've never been to a gym before. So, most of their time is spent "experimenting" with one set on each machine, with little weight, trying all the aerobic machines. Throughout the process, they stare at/observe people, to make sure they are doing it right, acting like "that guy" etc.

Just curious, how are the noobs supposed to learn?

Upper90 wrote: I'm all for a little locker room chat, provided everyone is all covered below the belt (it's odd, you wouldn't think you'd have to make that clear, but.....you do?), but while working out....come on.

Would you please put some pants on? I feel weird having to ask you twice.

Upper90 wrote:

pnhasbeen wrote: The guys who want to stop and talk. It's a gym, not a lounge.

This is really my only one, because it directly affects me most frequently. I usually go to do cardio, and I always, always, always have headphones on. But, that doesn't stop someone from getting on the treadmill next to me, and wanting to strike up a convo. I can't do the talking/running thing. And I'm trying to enjoy my music.

I'm all for a little locker room chat, provided everyone is all covered below the belt (it's odd, you wouldn't think you'd have to make that clear, but.....you do?), but while working out....come on.

Your post reminded me of a guy I played football with in HS. Let's just say say he was pretty well endowed. John Holmes was scared of this dude! After practice, he always would be the first guy undressed and showered and would spend the next 30 minutes or so just walking around talking while in the buff. His towel normally rested around his neck.

queencitybuckeye wrote:

ernest_t_bass wrote: How about the guys that have absolutely no clue what they are doing? They are there b/c they feel they need to get in shape, but they've never been to a gym before. So, most of their time is spent "experimenting" with one set on each machine, with little weight, trying all the aerobic machines. Throughout the process, they stare at/observe people, to make sure they are doing it right, acting like "that guy" etc.

Just curious, how are the noobs supposed to learn?

I guess that didn't come across right, so I'm an idiot

The one that looks like he wants to ask a question, but just won't, so he stares, etc. Better? No? I might still be an idiot

ernest_t_bass wrote:

I guess that didn't come across right, so I'm an idiot

The one that looks like he wants to ask a question, but just won't, so he stares, etc. Better? No? I might still be an idiot

Not really this, but there was a father-son duo at my old gym. They'd always work out together usually with the dad really "pushing" his son. Anyways, if you ever looked their way. They'd both start staring at you. It was really creepy. They were rather large tools.

ernest_t_bass wrote: How about the guys that have absolutely no clue what they are doing? They are there b/c they feel they need to get in shape, but they've never been to a gym before. So, most of their time is spent "experimenting" with one set on each machine, with little weight, trying all the aerobic machines. Throughout the process, they stare at/observe people, to make sure they are doing it right, acting like "that guy" etc.

Many people learn best through experience and observation.

I think we can conclude that E_T_B is a big fat jerk.

pnhasbeen wrote: I think we can conclude that E_T_B is a big fat jerk.

LOL... This, and ONLY THIS!

The guy that annoys me the most is the extremely overweight guy that uses one of the bench press benches for over an hour while doing 1 set every 10-15 minutes. Dude, you don't need to bench press, you need to get up, go do some cardio and do some supplemental weights. I've honestly gone to the gym, guy is on the bench... do 1 of my workouts which is bench press, curls, inclined bench press, rows, some abs, and then some dips and pull-ups and the guy is still on the bench by the time I'm done.

Talking doesn't bother me so much. I always do find it humorous though that it's the older guys that like to talk to younger more in shape guys. They usually comment about what they used to be able to do or say how impressed they are. I usually oblige and have a 5 minute conversation or so.

Headphones do bother me though, it's a pain in the ass trying to get the attention of someone with blaring headphones to ask if they are done with the machine/bench/whatever.

Curling in the squat rack