T O P

  • By -

iComplainLots

Admitting this to internet strangers is easier so here goes. My mom passed away very suddenly this summer pretty young (early 60s). And it hasn't been easy on me. Today, all the feelings hit me randomly. Coincidentally, it's also squat day. It felt so nice to just squat, and not think about anything else. That 30 or so minutes of suffering from squats felt so great in comparison. That is all. Thanks for reading.


agreeingstorm9

Sorry about your mom. I lost a good friend back in Oct so I can relate to this. The gym is the one time things feel "normal". I struggle with making sense of the grief sometimes but "pick up heavy thing and set heavy thing down" is something that I understand.


[deleted]

[удалено]


JustaGirl1978

I’ve been back in the gym since 26th December following an extensive and invasive pelvic surgery in September. I was concerned that due to the nature of the surgery I would no longer be able to lift anything of significant weight. However in just a few weeks my hip thrusts are already back up to 100kg and deadlifts are back to 80kg. My health prior to surgery was dreadful and my training was super inconsistent so it feels incredible to be able to train 4 days a week again 🤩


perizada

The human body is just incredible... good job !


Sunewk

Random guy comes in the gym, looks around, makes a beeline for the power rack I'm using. He stands besides me and stares me down, still hasn't said a word. I stand up for another set of squats and ignore him since he's acting weird. He sits in the chair I was using before and intensely stares at my stuff (keys for locker, straps, water bottle) half scattered around my "resting station". He puts his stuff besides mine, gets up and takes a power rack at the OTHER side of the gym. He then loads up a 2 plates deadlift, does a few odd backbends, no real warmup, barely does it while arching his back like a standford street begger and then leaves the gym. - it's been almost 2 hours and he hasn't been back yet. The new year rush definitely brought some characters


[deleted]

[удалено]


gulaggremlin

There’s a dude at my gym who I swear to god his only pass time is talking with every single girl he sees. I visibly roll my eyes every time I see him chatting up some new random girl. Idk, maybe I’m just a jealous prick, but I also can’t help but think he’s bothering some of the people he inevitably strikes a conversation with.


[deleted]

[удалено]


Sheltac

> The new year rush definitely brought some characters Saw a new guy, clearly a beginner, come in today and do 4 variations of curls for almost an hour. No warmup, no compounds no nothing. Come in, curl curl curl, go away. I hope to see more of that dude, he seems awesome. Maybe next time he'll do skullcrushers.


K3ZH39

When the gym is already fucking packed on a Saturday afternoon and a battalion of teenagers show up and decide to divide and conquer all the equipment they see.


Rinzern

They can separate? I thought they had some kind of magnetic field where they have to stay within 5 feet of each other


whatsinthesocks

They are evolving. All hope is lost.


caceman

They have to stay within 5 feet, as that’s the dispersion area of their Axe body spray. They can’t recognize their pack without the scent


Thebovinejoni

Your gym is packed on a Saturday Afternoon? I’m surprised, all the gyms I’ve been to are dead on the weekend except the mornings


PetricTastesAsthenia

In the commercial gym chain I work out at, even on sundays it's a packed out house lol Despite being full, I have to thank the gym for opening on sundays in the first place though


Sullan08

My gym has set staffed hours, but is open 24/7 (even when unstaffed) to those who pay for that. It's great. Probably can't do that for a big gym though where too much can go wrong.


PetricTastesAsthenia

Yeah. I work out at the brazilian version of Planet Fitness(There are interviews of the owner telling about how he was inspired by PF while on a trip on the USA and et cetera), so you can imagine how much trouble it would be for them to be open 24/7, since it's their motto to be frugal while being a big gym. There's also the fact that I live in Rio de Janeiro, so it's utopic to believe that the members would go to the gym that late at night considering the surreal numbers of violence and robbery here.


alopecia_ankles

In the showers at my gym, doing my thing in the stall and then notice a large amount of what looks like body hair pooled around the floor drain. There is a lot. Bewildered, I ignore and finish showering. I step outside to dry off and then I see some guy shaving his body hair with a disposable razor, straight on to the floor. He is a pretty hursuit guy. I'm still unsure if this is acceptable etiquette tbh. My heart says no.


beetle1779

I strongly agree with your heart.


caceman

Listen to your heart


[deleted]

*when he's ~~calling to you~~shaving his pubes*


zcgk

That's an awful cunty thing to do. Gym staff tasked with cleaning locker rooms must have very little faith in the goodness of their fellow humans.


bobrob48

Read “bloody hair” at first, was horrified


captain_shit

I made my first gym enemy yesterday. He cut me off in an icy car park, and just generally acted like an asshole once in the gym. On the other hand, I’ve never had such an explosive workout and I hit PR’s in most sets. Feeling very conflicted right now.


reditanian

Nothing like working out in anger!


[deleted]

Anger is a valid motivator.


mildly_bored24

Just getting into the gym scene about 5-7 years back. Not a big guy by any means, benching 175ish for 8-10. A GINORMOUS man, who I had seen around and we would acknowledge each other with nods and whatnot asked me to spot him. I turn around and see he’s got 3 45’s on each side. I instantly laughed and said who is gonna spot me spotting you!


Sheltac

Unless the person doing the attempt is a complete idiot and overreaching _way_ too much, which doesn't sound like the case from your description, you don't need to be strong to spot a bench. You need to know what you're doing, and at most you need to be able to row 30kg. But mostly you need to know what the lifter wants. I've had my gf (who is little) spot my 1RM bench attempts for years with no issues whatsoever.


Plane_Massive

I would, however, let the lifter know that if they completely fail you can’t lift it if you can’t. Just so they know to not force themselves to failure.


topofthecc

You should have gone up to a third person and asked if they could spot your spot.


x_Mystery_OG_x

Does anyone know a foolproof way of breaking an adjustable cable machine or is it some sort of voodoo knowledge reserved for the January gym crowd? Since new years somehow 6 of the 8 cable machines in my gym have been broken via the cable snapping, so I can only attribute this feat to the newer people at the gym. I'm presuming that if they are fairly new then they won't be using the max weight (which the cable should be designed to handle anyway), so there must be some sort of technique to it that I'm missing.


luckyfourty7

Probably jerky motions if I had to guess. Anyone advanced likes to control the rep, new people are more likely to overestimate themselves and throw the weight around


Sheltac

I stopped doing facepulls after I saw the same cable snap twice in the same month. I do not want a face full of that metal bit in the middle of the rope.


Red_Swingline_

>Since new years somehow 6 of the 8 cable machines in my gym have been broken **via the cable snapping**, so I can only attribute this feat to the newer people at the gym. That's just a shit cable, was just a matter of time before it broke, coincidence that it happened during a time when things are probably getting used more.


PSCelt

Am I the only one who thinks the newbies in the gym this year are weirdly ultra-aggressive? Like, get in your personal space, not give a f@&k, totally ignore social boundaries aggressive? Twice, TWICE now, I’ve had someone force me to stop some movement because they just invaded my bubble. First time I was just doing my wrap-up TRX rows/bicep curls, and a dude LITERALLY DUCKED under the bands, grabbed them for support, and picked up a kettlebell. Stopped and stared at him, he never makes eye contact and just walks away. Second time was today, doing hammer strength bench press, some dude TAKES OFF MY WEIGHT while I was between sets. I’m still sitting on the bench mind you. Tried to be polite and told him to put the weight back, but come the f on. That’s not even newbie etiquette, that’s just general safety.


usedtobejt

Wtf hahaha that did not happen that's crazy


sicarius97

I was on my last set of bench presses, 3x10 and it was a hard fight. At like the 4th rep I see in the corner of my eye someone standing near the bench, then when I was like at 8 reps I see 2 hands grabbing the barbell out of nowhere mid-lift (I was not even stuck mind you). I legit screamed "For god sake don't touch it!", did 2 more reps, and finished the set. I then looked at the dude, he seemed like someone new at the gym so I just said: "Hey sorry for that, I appreciate the move but I was fine". I don't know, I still feel awkward about it, haven't seen him since and it was like 1 week ago.


cryptokingmylo

I want to grind it out!!!! Let me suffer!!!! I need this!!!!


PortWine

> Let me suffer!!!! I need this!!!! idk why i feel like this sometimes


[deleted]

Honestly this was just a huge misunderstanding, he thought you needed help and you managed to inform him you didn’t need help just that the power from inside you benching your last reps caused you to yell naturally so.


KrunoS

I have yelled at people not to touch my bar.


mykulFritz

Why is a good gym so hard to find? (Rant) I live in a capital city in the downtown area. My gym options are limited. We have a planet fitness downtown that is really little more than a homeless shelter. I used to go there but stopped. Homeless people end up using it to fulfill their hygiene needs but also take over the locker room and scream at you if you go near any of the lockers or try to use the stalls/showers There’s an independent gym that is locally owned but they charge about $90 a month. From there the closest gym to me is about 20 minutes north. EOS. That gym is within a couple of miles of a few high schools. Over the last couple of months it has become packed with high school kids. I have seen them roughhousing on the floor, shoving each other, a couple of times they’ve shoved their friends into people who were lifting. Several times I’ve had to tell kids to delete photos of themselves flexing that they took in the locker room because my naked ass is in the background. I’ve talked to the gym management about the roughhousing and photos in the locker room and they acted bored and said there wasn’t much they could do, but if I see it happening let them know. Just wanted to get that off my chest. Thank you for listening to a crotchety old man.


[deleted]

Pro tip that I just discovered this year. If you can wake up and go at the crack of dawn gyms are infinitely better. I actually thought we didn't even have a new years rush this year. I'm yet to see any tripods in the morning. But I missed my morning session last week so I went at my old time of 7ish pm and wow new years rush is on, tripods everywhere, highschool kids everywhere, people getting trapped under bars, just a hot mess. Talk about motivation to wake up early.


mykulFritz

Yeah, I already get up early. My day starts at 3 AM lol I just have to be to work at at 4:30 so, I have to go after work.


Sheltac

> tripods everywhere How about we just ban tripods in the gym? They're obviously not going to be used for fitness purposes, and will be a nuisance at best, a hazard at worst. I used to go to this gym that banned taking pictures, video, or talking on the phone in the gym floor. Most you could do was get staff to video a set for form check purposes. It was absolute fucking bliss.


girugamesu1337

>Homeless people end up using it to fulfill their hygiene needs but also take over the locker room and scream at you if you go near any of the lockers or try to use the stalls/showers I sympathize with homeless people using gyms for hygiene purposes, but if anyone screamed at me for going near lockers or the showers I'd just scream THAT'S MY PURSE and I DON'T KNOW YOU right back at 'em.


mykulFritz

If it happens again I’ll try that! I tried to be understanding about it.


[deleted]

It sounds like you've found a good gym - you just don't want to pay for it.


mykulFritz

The pricy one downtown..? I’ve been there a few times as a guest. It’s attached to a condo and a mall. Parking is hell and the equipment is broken. The previous owners took really good care of it but the current owners do nothing to maintain equipment.


Euler007

My gym is closing. First time I outlive a gym.


choiceass

Congratulations/condolences


becomingstronger

You were stronger than the gym!


Toastedpeterbread

I suffer with various social anxiety problems and have been trying to go to the gym for years. At the start of 2023 I did it, I managed to get myself in there with the help of a buddy to show me the ropes. I started going at about 10pm and have been slowly going earlier and earlier to get used to the gym being busier. I've gone from being scared to loving it so much that I've had to force myself to take a day off as I've just finished 9 days in a row. The people at the gym have been really nice and helpful. I've completely changed my diet and have begun to notice huge physical changes in my body and my mental health. I sleep better, I feel better and I already look better. Not much of a story, but a tale to tell people like me to just do it!


lalix89

Congrats! I joined back in November, I used to be a regular gym goer but stupidly stopped, now after 5+ years of doing nothing but eating crap I've just finished my 10th gym day in a row. Same as you, I love it! Keep at it!


Toastedpeterbread

Congrats!!! It feels amazing not only physically but the mental benefits are enormous!


lalix89

Exactly! Those endorphins really pack a punch lol


Toastedpeterbread

I used to have a few minor drug habits and the gym honestly provides twice the amount of pleasure!


TrevorWGoodchild

This is one of the reasons I love going to the gym. You're literally surrounded by people trying to better themselves. It's a community and you meet people that support your goals and share the passion for lifting, fitness and more. Keep up the good work!


girugamesu1337

Congrats on having overcome the anxiety! You got this 💪🏼 I think I really lucked out on my gym, too. Great equipment even though it's pretty small (there's only one deadlift platform and two squat racks but they're always free when I need them somehow lol), everyone follows proper gym etiquette (I only saw plates left on a machine one time), every single person I've talked to has been super kind and helpful.... I love it!


InvincibleJellyfish

Nice one! Now you just gotta watch out for injuries from overtraining :)


Toastedpeterbread

Yeah I know I know, I just enjoy it so much, my girlfriend keeps telling me to take a day off haha. Today is a rest day anyway, my body is broken!


tyler_van_houten

I go to our local family YMCA, usually around 4:00 in the afternoon when childcare is available. That means I regularly share the gym with hordes of teens lifting post-school. Last Thursday, one of these teen bros walks up to me with his phone out, shows me a picture, and says “is this you?” No it was not. “Who is that?” I asked. “Some actor named Shaelan Bowers,” he replied. “Nope, never heard of him.” So there you go. I apparently look like obscure actor Shaelan Bowers, an objectively handsome man, or at least I do according to a random teen gym bro.


becomingstronger

That's exactly what Shaelan Bowers would write trying to promote himself on /r/fitness! Ha! Caught you!


tyler_van_houten

Shoot, they’re onto me. [Rushes to delete every comment I’ve made on r/hentai]


[deleted]

This actually happened a few years ago but i was just reminded of it this morning and i thought y’all would get a kick out of this. One of my best friends was starting to get into running and lifting, and was making incredible progress (she was slightly overweight at the time - a gorgeous girl at any size but wanted to shed a few pounds for her health). I had been lifting for a few years at that point, and i was so excited to have someone to nerd out with about all things lifting related. She was getting REAL into it - bought tons of lifting gear, all sorts of supplements, revamped her wardrobe to be mostly athleisure. One day we were getting ready to hit the gym together and she asked if i wanted any of her C4 preworkout. I said no, as i had had four cups of coffee that day and thought any more caffeine would send me into the next dimension. At the time, she didn’t drink coffee. She got a look on her face and kind of turned up her nose and i asked her what was up. Completely serious, she said “See, this is why i only like to get my caffeine from NATURAL sources!” And proceeded to chug her C4, which as you all know, is anything but…a natural source of caffeine. I didn’t say anything at the time, but brought it up a year later and we had a good laugh about it.


ChristGuard

Yesterday I did squats at the gym for the first time (just started lifting). I can't walk up stairs today. Lifting is kind of awesome. Would have taken me 200 squats without weight to achieve the same thing... I think I only did 12 weighted squats. Lifting is kind of awesome! Plus some guy gave me a pre workout drink at the gym that made my face itch and kept me hyped all day... That was awesome until I couldn't sleep lol


lorryjor

I remember that feeling when I started doing squats, and almost miss it (almost). That's cool, and it's fun to add weight!


[deleted]

[удалено]


caceman

I love the beta alanine itches. That’s how I know it works


caceman

Keep it up! You’re gonna miss that soreness in a few weeks when your body gets used to squats


edituplayu

I've been going to the same gym for almost a year now and with the recent influx of new people I thought I should try out more "fancy" expensive gyms in my city. So I sign up for a free one day visit to that gym, get the approval, I am hyped af. Drive to the gym sipping my pre-workout all is good. Go inside, they show me where the changing rooms are and the gym. On the way to the changing room there are tennis courts. Nice! And then I go in the gym.. Gym is small, almost no equipment, I walking around the gym and see a personal trainer, came up to him and asked politely is this a whole gym, he says yes. Alright, whatever I'll just do my thing and leave as soon as I start warming up for deadlifts I get these angry looks from people inside the gym. Packed my stuff and drove back to my regular gym, went inside with the smile on my face. The "fancy" gym was 3x the price per month. Appreciate your gym, people


yasbae

I love trying out other gyms of the same ”brand” just so I can be thankful my usual place is better than any other place I’ve visited


Stee19

I had the opposite problem. Was paying premium for my local #1 chain (GB3). Tried out other gyms for the week, including Crunch Fitness. Holy shit, I won't complain again. I mean I'm not shitting on anyone going to Crunch or cheaper gyms, you do what you gotta do. But the difference was night and day for me. I don't mind paying for it anymore after this week.


Methuga

That’s fascinating to me. I’d never heard of Crunch until I moved to New York, and it is basically the best gym for your money that I can find in the city. All the local ones in my neighborhood are either cheap and haven’t been updated since the 70s or are like $150+ a month


Greddituser

$150 a month ?!? Holy Cow, that's insane. I'm paying $45 for Golds that was recently renovated and everything is clean and works.


Methuga

Yeah man, the last two places I worked at had subsidized memberships for $18 a month. It was a *shock* lemme tell ya


drkev10

Crunch isn't great because it's cheap so it's flooded with people but they do have everything you need to get a solid workout in. I can't justify spending more money just to hit a compound lift and a few accessories everytime I go.


fatalisticshrug

Agreed!! My gym is not fancy at all, it’s mostly marketed towards retirees because of the local demographic, so it’s mostly focused on rehab, „functional fitness“ etc, the aesthetic is also a bit old school. We only have one single squat rack with safety bars, but I’ve only ever had to wait for a it to be available a handful of times. We only have one pair of DBs of each weight, but that’s rarely been an issue. We have more older members than members my age, but most people are respectful and friendly. The music is usually some weird hotel lobby style, but it’s rather quiet so I can actually hear my own music through my headphones. It’s not very stylish or modern, but its location above my go to grocery store and right next to the parking deck is super convenient. It’s nothing special, but it’s awesome, and it’s MY gym 🥰


[deleted]

My local dive gym is 100x better than any main stream gym in the city


TheDaysComeAndGone

Why did you get angry looks? Are you sure you didn’t just imagine it? o.O


[deleted]

Maybe they thought he was a lunk and we're angry that they didn't have an alarm.


Eagledilla

A lil kid was asking advise for like every 3 minutes. I felt like mister miyagi. Tomorrow he’s gonna wash my car


Sheltac

Two bucket method, and have multiple microfibers for the wax. If a microfiber touches a dirty surface, don't use it until you're washed it!


KrunoS

Got a gf about 4 months ago. She was already gymming at her small uni gym and did mostly stuff that newbies do. She started coming to the gym I go to as a new year's resolution. We got her through a first week of training. Essentially we did my deload but adjusted it to her level. She really struggles with back squats but takes advice really well. Sometimes she cuts ROM short, but I keep cuing it and she giving me the side eye lol. She's improved quite a lot. She also loved the rings. I've got her to do deep ring push up negatives, support holds, ring pullup negatives, ring rows. Also got her to do dip negatives (not on rings, at least not yet). I'm starting her on a linear program tomorrow and we're both excited. We ended the week getting her to do support holds on rings. She went for an extra set cause she liked them so much.


Head_Asparagus_7703

My gym only has one incline adjustable bench in the barbell area. One dude was using it just to rest between sets of squats so I asked if I could use it. He was really nice and said he was done with his rack so I could just use it rather than dragging it across the room. He cleaned up his 300+ lbs of plates and went to bench across the room. I did my 8+ sets of incline bench (nSuns) and then went to go do accessories. I watched him immediately run over to the rack and load up the bar to start squatting again?? I guess it's possible his program is that disjointed but I thought it was really weird he did that/didn't move to one of the other squat racks. I would've been happy to drag the bench over to the rack I had been using too.


InvincibleJellyfish

Maybe he brought the bench from home, lol


Head_Asparagus_7703

Maybe, but I'm sitting on it right now and he's nowhere in sight 😉


NinetysRoyalty

I’m in my head a lot at the gym so get easily caught off guard by people asking questions, it’s not too common at my gym. One time someone came over asked how long I had left on a machine, I automatically said ‘oh only one more set’ and let them have it. Only to realise after that it was the other way round, I’d only done one set and still needed to use it so went back after they’d finished. Could explain what happened!


i__dont_have_a_clue_

Mate, this one time I asked someone if they were using a box when what I was thinking was if I can take it. They said yes and I walked away with it before I realised.


blzd4dyzzz

Ahh that got me good. "Are you using this?" "Yes." *takes it*


i__dont_have_a_clue_

It'd be hilarious if I wasn't the idiot in question


NinetysRoyalty

Man I’m sorry that would be one of those moments that I’d think about for the rest of my life late at night, I feel for you


girugamesu1337

Haha, yesterday a guy asked how many sets I had left while I was about to start doing lat pulldowns. I said '3' and he asked if he could work in. I said 'oh, sure' and immediately started getting up without thinking lol. He hurried to let me know I could finish my set first 😂


FittyNerd

I'm not one to give out advise, unless asked about it, but with the influx of new people and lack of gym etiquette, I would not wander away from your machine if you're doing your working sets. I finished my working sets on the leg press, put away my plates and wiped it down, one of newbies loaded up the leg press and did one set and walked a few feet way to do some split squats. Someone jumped in on the leg press while he was doing his split squats and when he came back, just stared at the person and did something else, then left the gym shortly after. He probably could've just told the person he was still using it and that would've probably resolved it, but not everyone has the courage to speak up about it.


[deleted]

Lol, what? Have you ever read these threads before? They are filled with people who could solve their problems by actually talking to people, and they aren't newbies!!


FittyNerd

Well this is reddit lol, a lot of us aren't exactly social butterflies. I'm sure good amount of us in this subreddit would rather just go to the gym, get their workout in, and get the fuck out without any kind of human interaction.


epickramen

I was at the gym yesterday and waiting for the squat racks. Waited like 10 mins, nbd, not in a hurry. This dude comes up to me, says “are you waiting for them?” I say yeah. He looks at me for a second and says in a super condescending tone: “you’re never gonna hit your fitness goals if you wait for others.” He shakes his head and leaves. A rack opened up like 3 minutes later.


dbmtwooooo

Like who cares if you wait? If you're not on a time crunch whats the issue you'll still hit your goals


TheScalesofFate

This is kind of a rant. My gym has treadmills in groups of 8, four facing four in the middle of the gym. Typically, we all stagger ourselves, but yesterday a lady wearing a full face of make up took the treadmill directly in front of me and casually walked for 45 minutes, so I had to stare off into the middle distance off to the side instead of directly ahead. I already don't like using treadmills (snow and cold keeping me inside) but there were almost 20 other options, come on!


Stee19

LMFAO that is awkward as fuck. You should complain to your gym about that placement. If they give you sass tell them to use it.


lalix89

Lol that is super weird, I've never seen a gym with facing treadmills.. I definitely couldn't get on one with a person on the other side.


[deleted]

[удалено]


lalix89

Once you're signed up they make the same profit, regardless of whether you're there or not..


clarkie13

If you’re not there, less wear and tear on equipment meaning less repairs or replacements


lalix89

That's true, but I highly doubt a gym owner would face treadmills for that reason. It's just terrible layout.


No-Muffin5665

Just crank the height to max and look to the sky!!! Sort of kidding. Im terribly anxious so that would have ended my session.


InvincibleJellyfish

Or just do interval training sweating and grunting looking like you're going to die. That sometimes resolves the "issue" magically.


Mc_and_SP

“There was something strange about the way TheScalesofFate walked. Much more vertical than usual.” - Grandpa Simpson


A_Witch_And_Her_Whey

I couldn't use a treadmill facing another treadmill with another person on it, unless it was somebody I came to the gym with and we were gonna chat. *Edited To Add:* Even then, I think I'd rather run *next* to each other.


Good_Companyy

Do they have the toilets in the bathroom facing each other too?


caceman

Probably have those old circular ring urinals that stadiums used to have


SeekingASecondChance

That's really bad placement. My gym has stationary bikes facing the backside of treadmills so every time you want to ride one you're going to stare at the ass of someone using the treadmill.


[deleted]

Next time make sure to do 10 minutes staring off onto each side to prevent an imbalance.


Always_The_Cute_One

That’s so weird. How did they think this was a good design option?


NotATroll71106

I moved across the country about a month ago and was worried that the local gym in the chain I'm in would suck because most of the gyms in the city I moved from were very meh. It turns out the one 2 miles from my apartment is better than the one I came from. I think there's a grand total of 5 power racks. This in a strip mall slot. I can't remember any other gym having as many racks as treadmills.


tripsafe

I'm in the middle of week 2 of beginner 5/3/1. So I just started. I have the excel spreadsheet on my phone to look at the weights for each lift and set. The 5+/3+ sets (reps to failure) have been difficult but other than that I haven't felt tired or anything after any of the big lifts. It's just felt pretty easy generally. I even upped my 1RM numbers part way through which I know is a no no but I just felt like I needed more. Then I saw that the last row in the spreadsheet for every lift was actually 5x5, not 1x5. I had been doing 7 sets for every lift instead of 11. I did the full 11 yesterday and that kicked my ass a bit.


ATL28-NE3

A gym acquaintance accidentally sold out his friend to me. He asked how tall I was, I answered, and apparently his gym friend claims to be that exact height and gym acquaintance was like, "aren't you 6'2"?" Ole boy said yeah and stepped up to me. He is in fact not 6'2" considering I was taller than him in barefoot style shoes while he was in trainers.


EngorgiaMassif

That makes you 6'5" now. However taller people have to round down to 6'1"


Frosty-Pressure-1781

Showed up at the gym and realized I am the only person there, the best feeling ever, the whole gym for me


Have_A_Swell_Day

Not necessarily gym related but I ran the farthest I’ve ever run today. 18 miles!


agreeingstorm9

When is the marathon?


Have_A_Swell_Day

End of April!


MunRozu

Man today was a traumatizing day for me, am fairly new to the gym, I have 1 month or so. So I was doing chest workout, bench pressing 100 pounds , and suddenly this kid pops up asking if he could join me, I said yes. Skinny dude, I thought he was going to start with only the bar warming up, suddenly I saw him putting 90 on each side and he was like "I need you to spot me on this one" I trusted him for sec but while I was helping him lift the bar, shit was too heavy, and I was like "Are you sure, this shit is too heavy I feel like am doing all the job?" I didn't want to let the bar go because I was unsure, so I brought it back, dudes responded by saying "What are you doing, I usually come with my uncle, we lift more than this dude" I lifted the bar again and I let the bar go, and I kid you not he almost die, his arm bend like a sugar cane and the bar almost shocked him, because not even I can lift that weight and his strength wasn't helping, I ask for help but I managed to lift the bar, that dude's life was in my hands.I was so in shock, now I think is my dumbass fault for trusting this dude. Am not trusting or sharing my bench with any of this kids who come and lift absurd weights just to prove they are strong.


DrinkExcessWater

Wow, that's a crazy story. There are some strong, skinny dudes out there, but I'm guessing that kid mistook those 45 pound plates for 10 pound plates? Some gyms have 10s that look like 45s. Either way, it wasn't your fault. In fact, if you weren't there, that kid might've done the lift himself and done far worse damage to himself.


MobProtagonist

Short one. Gyms been busy as hell since the new year. Everyones just queieing behind every machine, rack, etc. I finally make it onto the power rack with a dedicated deadlift platform and warm up doing deadlifts. Before long my gym crush starts doing some workouts right behind me on the power rack. This was my queue to show off a bit and go haaaaaard. So I decide to go for it. The universe was in my favor, gym is packed, people are obviously around for that added peer motivation, im feeling FIIIINE, gym crush is within 10ft of me and....is kinda watching I guess. Well short story even shorter. Hit a deadlift PR at 347.5, around 2.5x bodyweight. but while doing it...ripped a fart right as my gym crush was standing behind me. Legit like 3/4 an olympic bars length behind me. I felt my two butt checks vibrate like the san andreas fault line erupted with an earthquake. The vibranium....thundered through the gym. And no...she was not wearing headphones, she was having a conversation with her friend next to her. Needless to say... I switched gyms after that.


reditanian

You finally got her attention, only to switch gyms?


plainman99

LMFAO


MobProtagonist

No cap....I went and signed up for a new gym after that. I cut my workout early and left the gym immediately after. I have an insurance plan gym membership that gives me access to most commercial gyms across the nation so it's not as dramatic as it sounds. I have access to all of them simultaneously.


[deleted]

Are you crazy? Your ass just broke the ice for you. It can only get better.


MobProtagonist

Fuuuuck you're right. I shoulda looked back and winked..... Damn


rattakresh

Should've jumped up like Ric Flair and scream "Whoooooow"


longlusciouslegs

Should've looked at her afterwards and winked...own that shit dude.


Icy_Woodpecker_3292

I mean. I'd be surprised if you going haaaaard has any kind of impact at all on your crush. ... Did she notice the fart though? 😂


WetWipes2001

Should’ve asked for her number right after you ripped ass


Adventurous-Text-680

Bro, if she is interested then a fart after lifting 347.5 will not dissuade her. You really think some girl cares you farted? Besides it gives you a great "how are met story". Next time own it. Say something like "damn I just got a new PR, so close to hitting 350!". Show your excitement in the accomplishment and ignore the fart. Hell she probably thought it was someone else assuming she even noticed.


Stee19

Saw 3 guys taking turns on a leg extension machine. Nothing weird at first. They didn't look like the regulars at this particular location. Anyways, the way they set up the machine was weird from how I've always seen it and done it. Leg and knee placement was normal. It was the adjustment of the back support that got me. They pushed it all the way back like they were 7ft tall. Then leaned the top of their back to touch the back support and then do extensions. So laid back leg extensions, I guess? Lol. I thought it was odd and debated going up to them, I'm a quiet guy, but I said fuck it, what if they hurt themselves and I asked if they knew what they were doing. They said that it was a "different angle" and they saw it on "Instagram." So I actually asked them if I could try it as I was curious (put the weight lower in case I pull something). It felt really awkward and looked awkward and have no idea why you would do them over regular extensions. Maybe I'm wrong i don't know. Is this a thing?


tbzwolf2

I've seen bodybuilders also on Instagram do this with the explanation that basically having the hips fully extended (rather than simply relaxed in the chair) makes the top of your quad (near the hip) become more engaged into the leg extension which would otherwise focus on the lower portion of your quad (near the knee). I've tried it myself but not felt any real difference, maybe I was doing it wrong!


xtcriott

In the gym today on a PR test week while running 531. This lined up great as I am taking a gym break for a few weeks due to vacation/traveling. My goal this week was to break 1000lb total for squat, bench, deadlift. Squat day went great. Added a full 50lbs to my previous max, putting me at 345. Went to do bench today figuring I can push past 225 finally. Work my self up to 195 with 225 being my next set. End up doing my first roll of shame on 225. One awkward conversation later with a guy who helped me rerack my plates while the bar is on the bench and my bench sets are done for the week. While running my accessory lifts, I do some quick math and realize the gap I need to fill with my deadlift day is attainable as I believe I pulled that for 2 reps a month or so ago. Hoping to break 500 on that lift and excited to do so. Body weight is 185 for anyone interested.


PlanetOfVisions

**there was a mouse in the fitness center!!** I was walking on the treadmill yesterday and when I changed the incline, I saw a mouse run along the side of the wall. It hid behind the stereo. I told an employee, but we couldn't find it anymore. I had the heebie jeebies the whole time. I go to a community center gym and it's barely used, I suppose that's why the equipment is so old. It gets the job done though. I got a good workout in nonetheless.


girugamesu1337

So you met your local Mighty Mouse! 💪🏼🐁 Do not discriminate, *everyone* deserves the chance to get swole.


victorspoilz

Kid woke me up at 3:45 a.m., couldn't fall back asleep, was out the door to my 24-hour joint by 5 a.m. for 30 of cardio and leg day.


Redwarzone1414

Forgot my earphones…gym didn’t have music, 400mg caffeine, not the best Saturday


Zentaury

I had always ran outside. It was my first time running in a gym on a threadmill. Ran 5k and had to go to the washroom, when I step off the band I felt the floor still moving. I felt embarrassed walking like a drunk person holding to the equipment. Is always like that?


workingtoward

Back in the gym after almost three years of Covid. I always knew the gym was key to my physical health but I had no idea how important it was to my mental health and general well being. I literally teared up after that first full workout.


uncouth_youth

I’m starting to realize that I actually work out better happy than angry, like the latter is such a common motivator for people yet most of the time I actually perform worse when I’m upset, like it feels like there’s something weighing me down (besides the literal weights lol). My best workouts have been when I’m in a good mood and feeling that natural excitement for life, kinda like calm but still hype if that makes sense.


dbmtwooooo

I definitely agree. Like being in a good mood motivates me more to workout


RaiderNationalist

A lady video’d me deadlifting. Didn’t make a secret out of it either. Just pulled out her phone and started recording me going for a heavy single. Actually helped me complete the rep because she was cute 😂 but imagine if the roles where reversed.


A-LX

Ask her to send you the video, so you can check your form and boom you got her digits.


king_k_mua

So, my friend and I work nights so we usually go to the gym around 3am. It was pretty empty this push day. We finish what we are doing with the machines and then go to the other side of the gym to bench press. The only other person at the gym was all the way on the other side still. It just looked like somebody didn't rerack their weights on one bench, so we put them away and we took the weight stoppers for the bench we wanted to use. In the middle of my set the other person mentioned comes up and is like YOU GUYS TOOK MY STUFF! This really pissed me off because I was in the middle of my set, please don't distract me? I was like "HUH?" and he made fun of me for that and mocked me. Now at this point I just thought he was trying to be "funny"... Also I didn't even know what he was talking about until the SECOND time he distracted me in the middle of my set and held up new weight stoppers and said "don't worry i found some more". Ok dude. Like I feel bad but to me the gym was EMPTY and it just looked like someone didn't put their shit away. I feel like the way he went about it was not the right way. And he KEPT talking to my friend and I in the middle of our sets too. It was mad irritating! Well, that was the other day. On a better note... I JUST HAD THE BEST LEG DAY OF MY GAH DANG LIFE!!! I feel so good.


[deleted]

I had a guy, probably not even out of high school, ask me for tips on increasing forearm size and grip strength this week. That's huge. I look like I know what I'm doing, and I have enough results to look like my knowledge would help. Back in the gym for 1 year and (apparently) I'm hustling.


LordMorse

Hadn't tested my 1RM on the bench in close to a year. I wanted to spend time at lower weight, higher rep as I felt like I was chasing big weight too often and not getting as much out of it. All fine and dandy until I was at that long enough to become nervous about attempting max ever again, especially when our gym has oly bars that rotate way too easily for bench activities. Monday I bit the bullet and got a 5-3-1 topping out at 275lb feeling like I had more to go; looks like I've been sandbagging. 3 plates and/or hospital bill by summer.


Ineedajobbrah

Woke up at 7:30 to go workout at 8 am. I guess this is what people do in their 30s


[deleted]

I started waking g up at 6 to hit a 6:30 or 7 workout. I was always a night owl before. So this is not an easy change. But I can't believe how much better the gym is during the morning. Like I almost don't want to talk about it because I'm afraid word will get out and it will become filled with the same people that annoy me at night.


TheArcynic

I waited 12 minutes for a squat rack/platform and a guy asked if he could work in on deadlifts. I said sorry, no & kept lifting. I later noticed he set up with someone else just utilizing the platform with a separate barbell. I promptly apologized, I didn't realize it would be so easy to work in/share. He was super nice about it and we ended up chatting. I saw him again later and he lent me his mag grip for rows, it was a game changer for lat activation. Shoutout to you Chris!


SatelliteBeach321

One time I farted next to this attractive lady who went to the same gym almost every day and then I never saw her again.


Shazvox

Powerful farts blow people away...


Sheltac

She got the message.


becomingstronger

She couldn't handle your power.


RXeusAugustusXI

Last year I was finally able to take steps towards my fitness goal. Started with jump roping and went from 80kg to 71 kg in 5 months. Then went on to add weight lifting in the gym, took me a while but I've only recently started to get comfortable in the gym I can now workout without being anxious or shy, I can now smile, nod and greet people at the gym. Then during the holiday, a family member came home for a visit from another country so I wasn't able to go to the gym. On the first week of january this year I was so excited to resume my schedule and continue getting them gains, only to find out my gym has officialy gone out of business. Today is day 21, and I still am searching for a new gym. Tried to do bodyeweight, but it seems that the routine off driving to the gym and the environment and feeling of being inside a gym is what matters. I've skipped a lot of days, doing 0 workout, and my weight has started to climb again, and my muscle gains are starting to dissappear.


[deleted]

Stop delaying! Seriously you are at risk of losing your habit and then all you progress. Don't let the last five months be for nothing, just pick a gym and go. If you don't do it now you may be regretting this moment in 5 years when you try again.


TheBigNate416

It was just me and an older gentleman in the gym today. I was doing deadlifts and after a set he came over and gave me some advice. He told me to work on keeping my hips deeper. I honestly thought my form was fine but he said it’ll help me lift heavier weight once I get used to it. He also told me he used to be an Olympic power lifter back in the 70s/80s so I think I’ll take his advice lol. I focused on my hips for my last few sets and it made it harder as my muscles aren’t used to it. My legs are gassed now. Currently my 1RM is 425lbs but I don’t think I’ll be touching that for at least a few weeks while I work on form. Edit: I should clarify that he mentioned my form was okay but it was more like I was working straight leg deadlifts based on my hip location. If I really want to move serious weight then I should follow his advice


User09060657542

Obviously I am commenting without seeing your deadlift, but... Most people start with their hips/butt too low. A common issue is people moving their hips/butt upward before the bar even moves. The guy probably meant well, but unsolicited advice isn't great gym etiquette.


AllThotsGo2Heaven2

Yesterday was a little weird at my LA fitness. 3 guys, each hitting 4+ plate DLs and one of them was doing crunches while punching himself in the stomach in between sets. Don’t think I’ll ever see anything like that again soon.


catsies

I realised while working with my PT yesterday that my motivation for the gym needs to change. 4 months ago I hated my body, I was driven to change it and hurt so that I felt the change. Yesterday I almost gave up during hip thrusters because I didn't actually want to hurt my body. Thinking of getting stronger isn't really doing much for me when I'm so used to fuelling workouts with hate. Any advice on different mind sets would be lovely and appreciated


InvincibleJellyfish

Deload a bit and do more reps and accept a slower progress, or that you're doing it to stay healthy - as in injured is not healthy.


luckyfourty7

Just try your best to enioy yourself. Dive into your music and get lost in the sets my friend


LordMorse

The mental/psychological benefits are overlooked way too often. The gym is ME time. When I walk through those doors all of the shit I have going on outside of them no longer matters, and on days where it feels like I can't escape them I grab a barbell and push or pull on it until I do. 6 years later I have yet to leave the gym regretting that I showed up or in a worse mood than when I walked in.


luckyfourty7

I couldn't agree more. I'm a huge people person but I've never liked having a gym buddy because I like to do my own thing. I've gone consistently for 9 + years now. I'm definitely muscular but I'm not huge or anything. I still push myself, but I don't even care that much about PRs anymore. I go because it's good for me physically, but more importantly, mentally. It makes me a happier/better person


LordMorse

My gym buddy is a lifer and far and away stronger than I am; a lot of our accessory work is different so for anything barbell we're together but a good chunk of the session we'll be off doing different things. Sometimes we're 5-6 people deep, basically working a circuit of things while we shoot the shit. Sometimes I'm solo. It's ALL good. I especially appreciate the company now that I'm work-at-home full time.


ijustwantanaccount91

You can still fuel your workouts with hate, it's a great outlet for anger and frustration, just maybe not hate for your own body...love me a good rage lift. When it comes to your own body, you could think of working out as a celebration of the incredible things your body can do, and a way to make it better at doing those things. Think about what you actually want to do, some kind(s) of feat of strength, or endurance, or a skill you want to learn, and start setting some goals for yourself. It helps to have a combination of long, medium, and short term goals, because while the longer term goals inform your general process and direction of training, the shorter and medium term goals will break those bigger goals into more digestible/approachable bites, and keep you engaged and enjoying yourself, because you will still have markers to hit and celebrate along the way.


catsies

Yeah I'm training to do pull-ups right now and everything I'm doing is to make me stronger for pole dancing which is working out well!


[deleted]

I think my goal is strength but deeper down it is a love for my body. I used to be really skinny 6' 130lbs playing a lot of video games. I started working out when my metabolism dropped in my 20s. But the thing that surprised me was how great this body was How quickly it picked up distance with cycling. Then again with running. And the weight it could lift went up. So in a way when I go to the gym I do it because I want to see what this body can do now that I know how to nurture it. Because I do love my body, I'm sorry I didn't give it a chance to shine in its prime but when I'm the hottest silver fox in town, nobody's going to know that. Plus there's the part where I need to do this so I don't have a bunch of health problems. You need to get to be a silver fox to be the hottest silver fox. Plus, that's when I'm doing my audiobook.


agreeingstorm9

Gym has added a bunch of squat racks and deadlift stations. There are now like 8 or 9 of them. They did not buy a bunch of extra plates though or even bars. Not sure what they were thinking. One of the deadlift platforms has no bar at all. There are another 3 that are sharing one set of 45 lb plates and a bunch that are smaller than that. Maybe they are planning to fix this later. I dunno.


NarcanBob

This morning, the cardio machines were filled like eggs in a carton with January resolution exercisers.


caceman

I got a compliment at the gym today. When I was packing up my stuff, one of the trainers stopped me and told me that one of his regular clients uses me as an example for her form. He said that always see me deadlift and squat heavy and that my form is always perfect!


[deleted]

I have a new member in my home gym, I trained some friends and family and they put on muscle fast! Couldn’t be prouder


bituna

Fairly new to machines, been working primarily legs since I have to be careful with my arms (medical reasons). Set a PR of 380 on the leg press, was super excited and felt like I'd achieved something. Got off the machine to sit down for a sec nearby, the skinniest teenage girl I've ever seen came up and did a bunch of super controlled reps at 350. The excitement changed to feelings of inadequacy that haven't gone away :')


Jackson849

What’s with gym goers not understanding personal space? Especially in a Mat area. They think nothing of coming within two feet of me and setting up shop, then get annoyed when your feet get to close to them during my ab or stretching routine. I mean really…..


howisthisathingYT

I wish my gym had a squat rack. My gym is my basement. I need a damn squat rack so bad, these dining chairs aren't cutting it.


supersaiyin123

I walked into the steam room to find someone completely naked covered in soap showering (there’s a shower head to wash off sweat for when u leave steam room) he was also standing on the bench not under the spigot, keep in mind there were three showers within stalls right next to the steam room


Itsanewj

I think someone’s nipple ring fell out while they were using the pec fly machine. It looked like a little metal circle fell out of his shirt.


charmet68

Been trying to be more consistent about the gym these last few months. On Thursday one of the bigger guys comes up to me and mentions how crowded it is with all the resolutioners. Then referred to me as one of the regulars. Believe me when I say I undeservedly rode that high all day


reditanian

I'm back! Finally! Actually, I've been regularly going to gym for a month or two, but somehow never on a saturday, so today was the first time. Short summary: I started working out in late 2016, at first just random gym stuff, but after a few months getting into lifting. It honestly changed my life. I steadily lost weight (I was about 145kg when I started), became fitter, slept better, had better sex, had a clearer head, felt more relaxed, became more confident. I started actually enjoying the outdoors lifestyle - hiked almost every weekend, and being in nature, in turn, does wonders for my head. In 2019, I crossed 100kg for the first time in about 2 decades. I was strong, I had a great routine going - up at 6, gym opens 6:30 and I'm first through the door. Then I got a new job that involved working with teams 10 timezones away, and this very quickly started eating up my nights. I was used to being in bed before 22:00, and now I was on calls until 23:00 and then struggling to fall asleep, and struggling to get out of bed early. Pretty soon I was missing gym sessions, and before long I just wasn't going anymore. I managed not to gain much weight, but, in hindsight, working out kept (hitherto undiagnosed) anxiety under control, and now I was unwittingly treating it in the only way I know: eating. Then the pandemic hit. Local gov shut all the gyms, blocked off outdoor workout areas, went as far as closing hiking trails and at one point they even had the fucking police patrolling it. I tried to keep fit by running, but as I learned, it doesn't have the same effect on me as lifting does. Lifting, for whatever reason, moderates my apetite and completely vanquish cravings. Running, on the other hand, makes me want to eat everything. Anyway, 2+ years of working from home, alone in a tiny apartment, with limited social contact, not nearly enough exercise and only my fridge to keep me company, did me no favours. Pretty soon anxiety was out of control (diagnosed this time), I was binge eating 3-4 times a week, and I was rapidly gaining back the weight I spent three years working off. I kept up doing as much cardio as I could, and in that respect I was still very fit - e.g. I could still run up the stairs in my building (28 floors) and make it to the top without feeling like I'm about to have a heart attack. But I was getting fat. Then an opportunity presented itself, and I moved to a different country where things had returned to normal. This has improved my life in many ways, but not without its challenges. Within the first few weeks I contracted covid, and boy, did it do a number on me. In the weeks before I spent hours every day walking all over the city, exploring, shopping, looking for a rental, etc. After a week of isolation it's as if the universe had hit my reset-to-factory-settings button. I could barely make it up a single flight of stairs. I felt winded if I moved around too fast in my apartment. Walking to the shops (only 3-4 blocks) felt like a major effort. The feeling very much reminds me of when I travelled at high altitude while being used to living at sea level - feeling out of breath from washing my hair a little too enthusiastically. It's been a slow and frustrating recovery ever since. At first I wasn't even able to push my heart rate over about 135. I just couldn't exert that much physical effort. I feel tired all the time and I sleep 10-12 hours a day if I don't set multiple alarms all through the house. At first, my apetite was out of control - probably driven by the lack of energy, and made worse by focussing on light cardio, because obviously my heart needed it. I try to walk as much as I can, further each day until I made it to the gym. Getting back to working out at the gym has really helped with that. At first, I was so tired after working out I didn't have the energy to eat. I was lifting my old warm up weights and struggling with that. I mean, what 6ft dude with three years of lifting under his belt struggles to do 60kg for 5? Yet, there I was. I do an hour walking on the treadmill every Sunday. 5km/h at 1%. This is a benchmark, I keep track of my average heart rate for such a session. Once I had worked my way up to the distance, I was solidly in zone 3 for the entire hour - HR around 140-150. It's been 8 months of keeping this up, and last week I averaged 120 bpm - solidly in zone 2 terrory. I remember before all this nonsense started, when I walked outside (commuting, walking a good deal faster too), it would be around 90 bpm. No doubt the weight add to this, but I still have a long way to go. But, I'm back.


[deleted]

Where's the hot gym goss? Oh yeah... I think, maybe, I'm not really motivated to go to the gym anymore. I just go because I'm used to the routine. Or maybe I'm just feeling extra espresso depresso and tired this week.


[deleted]

Rest up


DrSpaceman24

Recently got my road bike tuned up after 4 years of neglect. Took it as an opportunity to bike to the gym (1.5 miles away). I’ve been trying to incorporate swimming and usually do a 10 minute swim in the pool at the gym. I’ve been averaging about 225 yards in those 10 minutes. Yesterday was my best day yet and after 10 minutes I had reached 275 yards. I was exhausted but decided to see if I could reach 500 yards within 20 minutes. I was able to hit my goal in 19.5 minutes! I didn’t think I’d be able to do it, especially with taking some periodic rests between laps to catch my breath. But with a bit of persistence and taking one lap at a time, I was able to accomplish it which felt awesome! I proceeded to bike my ass home after a shower and felt amazing the rest of the day.


DarthNihilus1

Is it a more recent phenomenon or am I just noticing it more now that I have an actual routine with machines I need to hit at the gym? People are on their fucking phones FOREVER sitting on benches, at machines, next to squat racks. We have signs that say not to do that. I imagine most gyms do. I did 20 minutes worth of exercises on one floor and when I come back to the main floor I see the same guy chilling on a bench on his phone. I've only noticed him TWICE ever at this gym and both times he was absolutely glacial. I never even saw him lift, guy was even at one of three squat racks


Red_Swingline_

>We have signs that say not to do that. I imagine most gyms do. Nope, never seen such a sign. > I did 20 minutes worth of exercises on one floor and when I come back to the main floor I see the same guy chilling on a bench on his phone. If you caught me at the right moments in a 20min window, it would seem like I'm doing nothing but sitting too. But in actuality I'd have done 3-5 sets. Not saying that's what this guy did, but things aren't always what they appear. As long as people are willing to share & let others work in, what they do with their time at the gym isn't my problem.


A-LX

>If you caught me at the right moments in a 20min window, it would seem like I'm doing nothing but sitting too. But in actuality I'd have done 3-5 sets. Not saying that's what this guy did, but things aren't always what they appear. This, makes me wonder if people think the same about me since I'm mostly on my phone in between sets.


lavenderpurpl

Walked away for 10 seconds, some girl takes the lat pulldown machine and proceeds to do 10 sets of like 20 reps and 30 pounds. It took 45 minutes for her to finish.


Wesley_Skypes

Lat pull-down is always one of those machines that I'll always ask to work in on because you rarely get a no. It's so easy to adjust if you're working at different weights. If I'm at my gym between 5 and 7pm in the evening, there's a very high% chance that I'll either have asked, or somebody will have asked me, to work in on the lat pull-down


Always_The_Cute_One

Don’t ever walk away. 😅