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Felonyr 301 posted in StrongLifts.com Forum
Mr. Barely-got-a-six-pack-in-the-gym-talking-shit-24/7-in-the-face got the nerve to bring me down because I’m not doing certain workouts. I was tight and try to keep my cool the whole time.
He talked down the whole 5 rep thing and the 3 days StrongLifts 5×5. I finally told him I do what I want to do, and you do what make you feel good and back off.
He went off to do Barbell Curls, barely bringing it up. When I was walking out he was doing Squats at 2 plates on. Not even a Half Squat: he went down maybe 2 inches.
People like him keep beginners away from the gym by scaring them away or letting them be in the gym for hours on end for days and getting no results and then quitting.
Commercial Gyms. I don’t have to deal with these kind of situations anymore since I got my home gym 4 years ago. But I got plenty of “advice” during the 5 years I worked out in a commercial gym.
- “Deadlifts will kill your lower back”
- “Squatting deep is bad for your knees”
- “Bench Press with a thumbless grip to better isolate your muscles”
My Top 5 Ways to Deal with Annoying People at The Gym. You could use these tips in other areas of your life too.
- Be Friendly. Keep smiling, no matter what. They stare at you, say hello. They’ll feel uncomfortable. Do not care about their reaction. They stare again, ask them how they are. They’ll stop staring.
- Agree. They critique your workouts: ask them why they think you should do what they say. Tell them you’ll try that and thank them for the tips. You’ll make them feel good & important.
- Ignore. Continue doing what you do. If they come again with tips, tell them you’re doing your routine now. You don’t want to mix different approaches, you’ll try their tips later.
- Set Rules. You like tips, but you don’t like distraction. If they want to discuss training theories, plenty of time when you’re done. Stay friendly, but set your rules from the start. This applies to you too girls.
- Put on Music. Get an Mp3 Player. Put it on while working out. Pretend you don’t hear people when they talk to you.
How Not to Deal With Annoying People at The Gym. Don’t start arguments, don’t try to make a point, don’t get aggressive, etc. You’re losing your time if they’re close-minded. Put time & effort in achieving your goals.
I found these retard tips on a major site while writing this article:
- Talk to the manager and have him/her handle the problem. This isn’t infant school, solve your problems yourself.
- Glare at them and hope they get the message. Aggressiveness leads to more aggressiveness.
- Move to a different part of the gym or leave altogether. Right…
Be friendly & helpful, but don’t care about others. Focus on your goals. Believe in what you do. Dare to be different. Your results will show who’s right.
This pretty much sums up my commercial Gym (Virgin Active in South Africa), which is full of pansies and people who squat an inch or two down with some ridiculously absurd weight slapped on the barbell and then go and tell you to cool it because you may hurt yourself, while you’re busy Deadlifting twice your BW or squatting 100 kg Ass-to-Grass 5×5, and go so far as then to suggest to you to get one of the gym instructors to “teach” ya…
Oh. My. God. I tell you, that shit makes me hit the poundage even harder afterwards. So, just use the aggression for a better workout, I say.
Two things that I do that keep the morons away.
Headphones. Headphones headphones headphones. I can’t say it enough. Even if you don’t like to listen to music. Put them on and keep the volume off. It keeps people away.
The other thing I do is sweat my ass off. I see these guys with 315 lbs and going down maybe 6 inches. They don’t sweat one drop. I am squatting 225lbs for reps dripping sweat. Now who knows what they are doing and who doesn’t?
Mehdi, you forgot one thing!! Don’t make eye contact! As with all annoying people, if I never make eye contact, 90% of them leave me alone.
Man, I don’t know what kind of gyms you’ve gone to but I never have trouble with guys like that. I just go about my business and don’t talk much. There are a few guys I’ll acknowledge because they keep schedules similar to mine but other than the occasional “you done with that?” I keep the chatter pretty much to a minimum.
hahah, you have a lot of self restraint Mehdi! If some geek said that stuff to me I would lose it. They would never mess with me again.
i used to go to a fitness first, and there was one lad inperticular who was always there, quite top heavy, and shoulders rounded forward. loved himselfed quite abit, he was always doing curls and then looking round to see who was checking him out. the funny thing is my girl friend works in a nandos resturant where they do take away chicken, he would always go in there trying to act cockey. i was there once and he said something about her accent (we both are from nothern england and we live near london) and she just replyed asking him if he ever does any excercises for his legs. he went quite red and left. hopefully he’ll add squats to his curling routine.
good points. i train differently then most peeps at my gym and i get a lot of fucking looks my solution is ignore them. i am there on a mission, when i’m at the gym i don’t want to be your friend if you want to talk after my workout then we’ll talk.
ohh man thank god you touched on this, ppl at my gym are retards, i will be doing 3 sets of pullups and next thing a kid comes and tries it.. can only do3-4 desent form, keeps looking at me, im doing over head presses and deadlifts they keep staring like WTF IS HE DOING?.
theres also this guy, i call him mr.tough guy hangs around with a hat on, and looks at me like his the best i wanna punch him soooo baaad, i felt like sayiing, man wtf is up with u u wanna go upstairs and put on the gloves?… but it would be a waste of time cause i know his a tool. but ohh well theres still tons of good guys there and alot of ppl that i know, thats why the gym is fun for me.
nice article man
but i mean thats why they are so fun, i would never have a home gym.. i kinna like meeting all kiinds of ppl and talking here and there about workouts… yes they might be one or 2 that stare at you but whocares… its fun and plus when all your friends go there its even funner…. i dont know it dosent bug me but it is funny when they stare or start giving you tips, i listen and say my point but if its a bad advice im obviously not going to follow it and if it sounds interesting i give it a try…
or the guy who always talks to me about supplements in the locker room, i actually like it cause he seems to know alot about it.
I used to have this problem. I work out at a Univeristy Gym, with all the 18 year-old wanna be meat heads who have huge arms and skinny legs who love to give advice. My solution - get there at 5:00 a.m. when the gym opens. Only the serious people who want to get it done are there, and keep to themselves.
Yeah its amazing anyone doing actually effective “real man” exercises automatically gets looked funny if their not using only the machines.
What pisses me off the most: there’s only 1 pullup bar in the entire gym and its the one on the cable machine, so I have to wait for some jackass to finish his cable biceps bullshit.
Actually to continue my rant how about those guys who get all indignant when you ask to work in with them or ask them to hurry up, when there are people waiting! Some skinny bitch is hogging the whole area taking forever, and of course he replies in a whiny voice “no, you can’t work in with me, I have every right to be here.” Yeah you have a right, a right to get bitch-slapped in the face!!
My pet peeve by far is people doing curls at the squat rack. There is a lot of grunting, hissing and muscle pumping going on while I wait to do actual squats. I’ve done curls and I bet most of us have. They have their place in certain programs I suppose. But why do them in the squat rack?
Why?
Why?!
WHY??!!
I wish I could understand why people do their curls in the squat rack. I’ve never been able to figure this out.
I’d be doing my pull ups and chin ups in the summer when I could do between 9-8 steadily for 5×5. The big guys who were there like once a month would come over try to act sweet and pull off maybe 4-5. This always made me laugh on the inside. I like talking to the people who know how to workout though.
“People like him keep beginners away from the gym by scaring them away or letting them be in the gym for hours on end for days and getting no results and then quitting”
If a person is scared, intimitated or itritated so much that he is forced to leave the gym then good riddance. A person like that needs to grow up, get some testosterone treatment or get serious about working out.
As far as people doing curls in the squat rack they do it because they can. How come? Because people like you don’t inform them that it’s not the proper thing to do. Until a person is called out (once or alot of times) then he is still gonna use the squat rack. So do yourself a favor and squat with dumbells. That will show them !!
Sry for my harsh words. I just blasted my legs at the gym and im feeling beastly. I am just playing devils advocate.
One a positive note: today there was this really cute girl who came to the barbell rack (there’s only one), just after I got there, and asked if I was going to use it… I was going to do some deadlifts, so I said “Yes, I was actually thinking about it” or something stupid like that. So she smiled and went to the pull-up bar and did like 3 or 4 sets of 10 pull-ups. And in between she did intense sets of sit-ups. She told me she had been thinking about having a lower body work-out, but then she remembered she had been out mountain biking (in a god damn blizzard — the weather is crazy this time of year) the day before, so her legs were kind of sore. I’d marry someone like that, for sure. But first I’d have to ask her out or something I guess… Well. Fuck it, I have better things to do than running around chasing after girls. Or at least I pretend to.
Well, I also did some pull-ups and on my second set, one of the guys working in the gym starts shouting “come on, do ten this time”. Then he comes over and helps me out on my last rep. Funny thing is we hardly spoke before. Just said hi more or less. I usually go around the gym keeping to myself, except when I meet people I know. Today, though, I had a stupid & nice feeling that I guess people picked up on.
just do what i do.. when you miss a rep, say “%@$@$@” and “son of a #$###”.. you get the point
lol
then look angry for a few moments, and repeat. nobody even looks my direction
when i’m not cursing, people seem to be just intrigued by the routine.. i get the odd question, but that’s it.
Jonas: Did you ever think that her saying “lower body workout” may have been a metaphor??? Ask her out dude! She’s keen!
On a more related note, most of the dudes in my gym keep to themselves and their mates. One guy asked me once why I only do 5 reps per set, so I told him… and he said “OK”…
I just keep to myself with my music on.
I just changed gyms and so far only a few meat heads.
Love the post lol, and all the interesting stories in the comments. hehe. But how do you deal with annoying gym partners? lol.
My gym partner sometimes tries to bully me into his training programs, to the point where we both end up meeting half way in a very crappy compromised program etc.
Also he’s very vocal when training, but not aggressive… whereas I’m very aggressive but dead silent and concentrating. Outside the gym we’re best of buddies though!
LOL… what on earth should someone in my situation do?
I was wearing my headphones the other day, and even when the batteries went dead it was still a good solution
People forgave me that I ignored them because they assumed I couldn’t hear them.
I have limited time during my workday workouts, so I like to keep chatter to a bare minimum (and I don’t even look at people who try to talk to me when I’m doing a set and tell them afterwards not to talk to me during a set the next time).
Great replies people
@Michael
Definitely avoid eye contact in the form of glaring.
@Patmanpato
Find a settlement, like you do your program for some weeks, then his for some weeks. Else find another training partner/train alone.
Yeah I don’t have a problem like this much anymore, but you can always see strange looks being shot around between the guys that are more progressive in their routines.
I remember back when I was in college, this was a huge problem… but probably more just guys acting tough trying to impress girls.
I do wish people who interject and help if your form is not good or ask for spotting help… But people just tend to stick to themselves.
I don’t really get bothered by this much, but I go gym at 6.30am when only the serious people come. One other guy there who has the same attitude, just be pleasant but distant. we occassionally chat but really with such limited time I keep my focus on the workout - after all that’s what im there for, not to make friends.
This is so true! Yesterday I’m doing squats with an admittedly paltry 95 lbs on the bar and some dude dressed like a pro-wrestler was getting pissed at me for taking up space in the squat rack. I finished as quickly as I could and got out of his way. I didn’t say or do anything; I just tried to be pleasant. After I was done he went up and started slamming the plates onto the bar in frustration. Must have been having a bad day. Sheesh!
Most people from my experience, that act agressive are probably just jacked up because they are working out. Jerks usually act nice when you confront them. I don’t talk much at the gym and don’t get bothered much. If someone gives me a suggestion I don’t like I laugh at them, and if they get mad its their problem.
I have this issue with a guy who always seems to show up at the gym at the same exact time as me…If I get into the power cage first, he’ll sit on a bench and glare at me during my entire set. I stare right back at him in the mirror. One time we both converged upon the squat rack at the same time and I could see the twinkle of aggression in his eye as he was looking forward to a confrontation. I genuflected and said ” go ahead buddy, all yours”…ever since this happened this dude now says “Hey!”…He is one of those guys who slaps 6 plates onto the bar and does quarter squats…LOL
I don’t listen to an mp3 when working out but in the past have used headphones attached to nothing, but just tucked in my pocket. Unfortunately at the commercial gyms, the most annoying is the new trainer just hired desperate for a client base.
The most “annoying” person I met was this chick, some 12 years ago. She was doing some kind of thing that made me lose concentration and I ended up droping a 20K plate on my big toe. . . Well, I guess the idiot was me LOL.
I had to stop going to the gym because I broke the bone and then I just was lazy to go back.
No, after all this time I decided it was enough laziness and I am back to get in shape again. I live in a different country now and the gym I go is not big, plus I go around 10 am and the people that go at that time are usually on the treadmills or something like that.
The only gym in my smallish town recently changed ownership and went from an awesome, functional, bare-bones kind of place to a colorful, shiny, cable machine filled hell hole. The demographic the new owner seems to be targeting is single moms and stupid people. We now have a daycare center, “health food” bar, yoga section, and sell all sorts of expensive “hyper-nutrient-vitamin-saturated-gel-suspended” supplements and the like. Oh well, at least they let me keep my power cage.
Anyways, I figure half of my membership fee goes towards using the gym itself, and the other half covers the incredibly entertaining comedy of errors I get to watch unfold before me three times a week. Seriously, the place should sell popcorn.
My favorite morons are “Snake” (I call him this for his tattoo, and the hissing noise he makes while doing bicep curls) and his 3 friends, who glare at me constantly, talk loudly about supplements, and work out in packs. I have seen these assholes pull their biceps, four in a row, one after another, while trying to one-up each other at preacher curls. On multiple occasions.
I love the looks I get when I do deadlifts, squats, and o-lifts. People have NO idea what I’m doing or why, and constantly inform me that I’m going to ruin my back, knees, and elbows. I laugh at them and inform them that they should go back to their “dancing aerobicise for tone and flexibility” class and I’ll be just fine.
Nice advice. There’s no point trying to teach these idiots anything, they fact they don’t wanna learn is the reason they are so stupid in the first place.
Earlier this week I was squatting when this short, stocky guy came in with his mate. He asked me pretty abruptly how long I’d be on the rack, and I told him I only had two sets left, was that ok. I got the feeling he didn’t understand why I wouldn’t clear out the way at his request but I wasn’t finishing early for him.
In between the two sets, a group of teenage lads (mainly 13-15 year olds) were getting some training “advice” off the gym owner, such as how to use the pec deck. I made a comment to the guy waiting to squat that there was nothing to these lads and they should do some real exercise, pointing to the squat rack.
Big mistake.
“Well, I took a diploma in sports science 8 years ago, and you should always start with machines and work up to the weights.” Here we go. I assumed he was a trainer and asked if he had worked with many teenagers, but the answer was “No, I just took a diploma in sports science”. So great, he has one piece of paper, no coaching experience and he knows everything. He told me how as they were still growing, and too much weight could give them a permanent injury. I was very close to asking why, then, they shouldn’t just start with the bar and work up to using plates, but I had a feeling this was a lost cause. Anyway he asked if I was done (no, I still have one set left, if you can count), so I went back to the rack to finish off.
When it was his turn, he loaded two plates on, got his mate in position to spot him, and went down… about 6 inches.
In future, I’ll wait until I’ve seen someone train before I open my mouth. My gym is deceptive in that a lot of people squat (just very badly). The only sign of a guy with a brain is if you see him deadlifting.
good article dude, all true.
i hate the guys that hog machines for ages. there was one guy who rested for 5minutes! doing hsoulder press (free weights room closed due to maintenance) and i couldve done all 5 sets including warmups in that time.
my gym is like the pansiest place, some guys come in with their belt already on and pretty much 95% of the guys wear gloves for machines! i mean, the bars have a rubber coating anyway so you wont lose your grip.
@Alex
One of my worst pet peeves at the gym is people hogging the only pull up bar at the cable station!
Also, I tend to just keep my head down and go about my business. I rarely get anyone talking to me. I did have some guy ask me what I knew about steroids and whether I thought he should get some. His claim was that people like 50 Cent “can’t get that big without juicing up”. i swear he has the mental age of a 10 year old!
Christian
Yeah wearing gloves for machines, that’s funny. Those machines are astronomically expensive too. It makes me think how easier it would be to set up your own training space.
You can get that at some of the bigger commercial gyms here in Philly. Some of the big Bally’s come to mind. Most of the time people are there to be seen, not to exercise or improve their health. That and as a pickup joint.
Like everyone has said, put on headphones. Even if you don’t listen to music or audiobooks, good noise isolating headphones will give you a nice and quiet workout. The other option is to be respectful, tell them thank you and then go back your workout. Like the ancient saying “You can tell a good tree by its fruit.” If you are making progress there is your fruit. If you are not, don’t be afraid to re-evaluate.
I’m glad there aren’t any jokers like these at my gym. People more or less leave me alone
I was in the gym again today and saw a pretty horrific sight. I walked over to my mate and nudged him, saying “look at that guy on the pull-down machine”. Unfortunately he’d just finished his “set” so I had to describe it… put simply, he’s the only person I’ve seen who has ever managed to do a lat pulldown with his back ending up HORIZONTAL. Would love to see him to them on a chin-up bar.
He had a hoody on so I couldn’t see him until he turned round. Guess who? The obnoxious “I’ve got a diploma and I’ve been training 8 years” (yes, he said it again, and I heard from the other side of the gym) goon doing quarter squats last week. Sad thing is he was there again with his training partner teaching him his version of the correct technique. The poor guy will end up crippled. I didn’t stop to see if he had gloves on though…
My new rule: assume everyone is an annoying idiot until you’ve seen them do squats AND lat pull-ups/downs correctly.
@Mike in Philly: I like the saying “You can tell a good tree by its fruit”! Unfortunately the fruit some people go by is the size of their biceps.
The problem I have with gyms is that most of the people is trying to prove something… They wan to prove they are bigger and stronger. They are always looking at you and glaring, always comparing sizes between their body with the rest and most of the big guys on my gym are big because of hormones. So i really don’t like going to gym because of the personalities around, specially at night when all the security night clubs staff comes to train.
The worse thing you could do is getting trouble at the gym.
And about the eye contact or avoiding looking at them at all… what i have to say is, I always do that. But sometimes you are just tired of that punk that is just building muscle to scare the people he beat, or that gypsy that comes to train with 15 gold rings on his hand and giving evryone a badguy look.
I’m really thinking on how to get some space at home to build a home gym. In the meanwhile i will keep following these tips .
I’ll use noise cancelling headphones even if I am not listening to music. Otherwise, look serious, focused and if walking, don’t stop to talk.
Great post! You forgot about those annoying people who want to talk in the middle of your workout though!
Keep up the great work.
james
I live & train in Kobe, Japan. I am a former gymnast & mix in a lot of bodyweight training with my weights (handstand push-ups, anyone?) I’m a white guy in a country of 99.5% Japanese. Everybody stares at me.
What do I do? I count aloud to 30 when I’m resting. It keeps me focused on what I’m doing, limits my rests, & makes me look crazy enough that nobody wants to look too long.
Luckily, I don’t get the unrequested coaching thing because everybody assumes I don’t speak Japanese & nobody wants to try their English with the crazy gai-jin. I trained in Korea for two years, & the 30 second audible count worked there too. I’m interested to see if it works in English speaking countries too. Anybody wanna try it?
cheers,
D
My issue is more to do with those silly ladies who enter the free weight section in our gym and leave their towel on the benches (we’ve got only 2 you see) , though they’re doing some stupid standing excercise with a 5 pound dumbbell! And, when they do begin using the bench they’ll hog it for about an hour without consideration for others waiting to use the bench. Really annoying stupid ladies if you ask me!
Cheers.