Q's in the Gym

Anthony_1980

is it just me or do you get so fecking peeed off with queing in gyms ???

i walked in the gym yesterday and did 45 mins cardio and was going to do some weights and not 1 machine was free and theres the little mcfly shams everywhere

does me nut in

xebec

It can be frustrating, especially when you pay for an 'exclusive' gym, but welcome to the world of supply and demand. The best solution is to go at a less busy time and try not to get so frustrated so easily - the others have paid to use the gym too.

paddymorrison

Yeah, I found that afternoons in the weekend are usually the best. I was the only one in the gym once Evenings during weekdays are nightmares.

BossArky

First few hours on a Saturday or Sunday from 9am-noon are pretty empty. My usual time is 9pm-10pm on weekdays though. Starts to empty out by 9:30pm so can do some squats or deadlift in peace.

Anthony_1980

yes but u get foreigners who cant speak english and just pay for session hogging the machines and theyre ignorant as hell

i mean if u pay x amount for yearly membership why should you have to go at weekends to accomodate people who go once in a blue moon

rubadub

I am surprised more people do not have home gyms. I just have equipment at home. 95% of threads about gyms are complaining about them, I would have thought most would have been put off, or at least made certain the gym they were about to join was suitable.

Serious lifters might want spotters and professional equipment, but I expect 80-90% of gym goers could make do with equipment at home worth a years membership for what they want to achieve. And if they quit instead of having contract problems they have equipment with a high resale value.

Anthony_1980

lack of space

but would like a bench that folds down , and some nice free weights

Degsy

No way i could train even halfway seriously at home.My floors couldnt take the weight,my neighbours would complain about the grunting and there's nobody to train harder than!!

Dragan

Anthony_1980 wrote: »

yes but u get foreigners who cant speak english and just pay for session hogging the machines and theyre ignorant as hell

When it comes to the big box gyms i find the foreign guys to be far more friendly and outgoing than the irish.

might just be me though.

rubadub

Anthony_1980 wrote: »

lack of space

but would like a bench that folds down , and some nice free weights

My brother has a bench in my house, I dont even use it anymore, I have rings from www.ringtraining.com and loop them on my chinning bar and do dips & weighted dips on them, and all sorts of push up variations. It is working my chest better than my bench ever did. This is might also be partly since I do not really like bench pressing, and enjoy the rings. I find it easier to employ chest muscles on the rings for some reason. My equipment takes up little space

My floors couldnt take the weight

True, I could not attempt a 1RM deadlift as I would want to be dropping the weight afterwards. There is no real need for me ever to do a 1RM though, even if I was in a gym. And I expect 90% of gymgoers have no need either.

Malteaser!

I don't actually mind queuing for something in the gym, so long as what I'm waiting for is actually being used. I absolutely hate going in and havng to wait while a group of lads are standing around some peice of equipment just having a chat or waiting on those people who leave their towels on a bench, with cleary no intention of actually using it to move their stuff.

paddymorrison

Those who occupy two machines for supersets are annoying too.

Bluetonic

rubadub wrote: »

95% of threads about gyms are complaining about them

People generally don't take time out to post about positives. It's much easier to complain.

SpAcEd OuT

Malteaser! wrote: »

I don't actually mind queuing for something in the gym, so long as what I'm waiting for is actually being used. I absolutely hate going in and havng to wait while a group of lads are standing around some peice of equipment just having a chat or waiting on those people who leave their towels on a bench, with cleary no intention of actually using it to move their stuff.

Whenever that happens I just say ''Can I do a set there'' I have never had anyone say ''Nah mate you can use it when I'm finished'' if you ask people will certainly let you do a set in between.

kevpants

All I'm saying is there's a few lads in Crunch in Westmanstown (terrible lack of equipment anyway) who line up an audince of dumbells around them as they sit on a bench taking 5 min break between their sets of bicep curls.

What are the trainers wandering around doing for a living? I never get why they don't explain to people that you can't 1. Hog all the weights 2. Have a nappy nap between sets.....oh and 3. That swinging your entire body and heaving a 50kg barbell up just high enough to get under it does not constitute "impressive bicep strength". Feckin skangers.

Hanley

kevpants wrote: »

All I'm saying is there's a few lads in Crunch in Westmanstown (terrible lack of equipment anyway) who line up an audince of dumbells around them as they sit on a bench taking 5 min break between their sets of bicep curls.

What are the trainers wandering around doing for a living? I never get why they don't explain to people that you can't 1. Hog all the weights 2. Have a nappy nap between sets.....oh and 3. That swinging your entire body and heaving a 50kg barbell up just high enough to get under it does not constitute "impressive bicep strength". Feckin skangers.

Have you tried saying "can I get a quick set in with those dumbbells please?"

kevpants

Hanley wrote: »

Have you tried saying "can I get a quick set in with those dumbbells please?"

Oh yeah. I've no worries there. It is annoying though.

Roper

First World Complaints.

My coffee's too hot.
The Deli didn't have Focaccia bread.
My heavily advertised gym has too many members and none of them are doing what I want them to do.

Suck it up and ask people if you can use what they're not using. Chances are they won't mind.

Hanley

Roper wrote: »

First World Complaints.

My coffee's too hot.
The Deli didn't have Focaccia bread.
My heavily advertised gym has too many members and none of them are doing what I want them to do.

Suck it up and ask people if you can use what they're not using. Chances are they won't mind.

Bahahahaha love it.

My portfolio has only increased 8% this year. Woah is me.

Goddamnit the petrol I'm putting into my '07 Range Rover has gone up 15c a litre in the last month. State of this country.

Degsy

I know one has to make allowances but it IS annoying.There's only one bench in my place and worst case scenario is two ten-stone clowns hogging it to do twenty sets each.One time i waited about twenty minutes without saying anything,then eventually went up and said "have you many sets to do?",one of them says,"oh yeah we've got all the incline then the decline to do as well".I swear they had 5 kilos each side of the bar for ten reps each.Asked could i work in and they pissed off after a couple of sets,turns out there was two others waiting on them too.

Dragan

I imagine at some point in time we have all been the person that someone else is cursing in the gym.

Roper

Precisely Dragan.

I mean, why not just walk up to the management and say "hello, I want to join, but I don't want you to make TOO much money, so what I want banned is people who lift light weights, Eastern Europeans, and people who I just consider not my sort"

You get from people what you expect, so be nice, smile and ask politely before assuming people are ignorant. If you're still pissed off find a new gym.

Reg'stoy

Firstly and I don't mean to be glib here Degsy, as one of the people who thankfully has broken orbit from around you I find your attitude is one of the main reasons why a lot of people give up on going to the gym.

Thankfully in my one in work we are shielded by a beautiful brick wall from the worst of those wonderfully weird noises ye chicken breast eaters make. Although in saying that I do enjoy my occasional forays into enemy territory, I particularly enjoy watching the reactions as I move that little pin down to the lower weights and go for it :cool:.

But seriously we all pay or in my case get free membership :rolleyes: so we are all entitled to equal time and might I say respect. So and this is aimed at all you eye rollers and tutters, offer a bit of advice. People don't hand over a lot of money to clown around sir. It's intimidating enough going into the weights room for the first time without some 'expert' making you feel like you're using his machine. Explain to the newbie's or better yet get some of the staff to help them with form, technique, reps, etc and naturally point out a time etiquette. This time etiquette works both ways, I would have a problem with someone spending 3 hrs on a treadmill just because he runs marathons equally someone is not entitled to spend an extended period on a weight machine just cause he lifts big.

kevpants

I know I know it's not a big complaint but these things add up and if I don't vent I'll do a "Falling Down" on it.

To be honest I meant to direct my anger towards the instructors in the gym. My membership pays their wages however they just stand there watching people and never intervening.

In fairness the people in the gym taking 5 min breaks between sets are there because they want to do good but they need direction.

There's a guy in my gym who deadlifts with an arch in his back any cat would be proud of and it's terrible to watch. The instructors just walk by him. He WILL end up in a wheelchair. I want to say something but don't feel it's my place. People can be sensetive and he's all kitted up with weightlifting belts and gloves and I get the feeling he thinks he's the sh1t.

Roper

Boo hoo, join a better gym! Ignore other people it's his back not yours.

Degsy

Roper wrote: »

Precisely Dragan.

I mean, why not just walk up to the management and say "hello, I want to join, but I don't want you to make TOO much money, so what I want banned is people who lift light weights, Eastern Europeans, and people who I just consider not my sort"

You get from people what you expect, so be nice, smile and ask politely before assuming people are ignorant. If you're still pissed off find a new gym.

What about people who dont have the common courtesy(or sense) to realise the place is full,there's one piece of equipment that we've been on for half an hour,maybe somebody else wants a go.I dont fart around between sets or take all day why should other people.I'm not dissing anybody who isnt big or strong or musclebound,we all started somewhere but if i see somebody,obviously waiting on me to finish i'll ask him does he want to work in with me.Courtesy really.

Roper

Degsy wrote: »

What about people who dont have the common courtesy(or sense) to realise the place is full,there's one piece of equipment that we've been on for half an hour,maybe somebody else wants a go.I dont fart around between sets or take all day why should other people.I'm not dissing anybody who isnt big or strong or musclebound,we all started somewhere but if i see somebody,obviously waiting on me to finish i'll ask him does he want to work in with me.Courtesy really.

Well, I'd say that they'd paid their 500 and maybe they paid it for the use of a squat rack for example. I agree you should share and have courtesy, but I would also say that if you join a busy commercial gym, thems the breaks.

mack1

I think it's really the gyms fault - you really need to provide enough equipment to cater for your membership. Obviously there are busy times but on average I mean - like somebody mentioned above only 1 bench - that's just not on if you are paying any sort of money for membership.

Roper

Presumably you got a walk around before you signed up, checked the membership levels etc . before you handed over your bank details? No? Well, who is to blame then? Sold as seen. You don't join anything for what they will have or might have. They offer what they show and you either agree to that or you don't. The only thing you can complain about after that is a deterioration in service.

rubadub

Bluetonic wrote: »

People generally don't take time out to post about positives. It's much easier to complain.

seems so!

Mickks is the only gym I heard really good reports about.

People do like to moan but gyms do seem to have a bad rep compared to other services. If I was to join one, I would want a months membership, and if I thought it was OK then I would want the next 11 months- pay the years membership minus my first months fee.

If a gym refused that I would think something is suspect, there would be no reasonable reason to refuse such a request if they thought it was good enough that people would want a years membership.

But I still casual lifters could kit out there home with sufficient equipment for the price of a years membership.

Scottty2Hottty

The gyms and those who join, both have to accept a degree of responsibility, if the gym has claimed that there are plenty of machines for everyone during peak times and there's not then they have mislead the customer. If the customer hasn't bothered his hole to ask the right questions before joining then they have no real right to complain.

But I would say that there could be a common courtesy in gyms for the betterment of everyone. I'm a golf pro and when I'm coaching Kids from the start they are told about the etiquette of the game, part of which is efficiency on the golf course i.e. taking as little time to play as possible. Gyms could be the same if you are using machines you should get in do your reps take appropriate rest and get out, as efficiently as you can. There is no reason why someone should be prancing around machines not really using them, while others wait, just because they paid their membership. Membership entitles you to use of the facilities. Not abuse them!