Idiots in Gyms

grifter09

Slightly off topic but nevertheless.

Im trying to recover form an injury at the moment and no running for me.
I went into the gym today to do a bit of cross training.
Ive never done cross training on an actual cross trainer for a long period of time.
Anyway I got up on it and strarted doin my thing. Grand. No bother.
10 mins into it a guy came up onto the one beside me and started off.
So I planned to do 60 mins on this.
so his session was over before mine.
He came over to me and asked me what setting i had it on. I checked and it was 7. I said ah, only 7. He said' I knew you werent doing it at a high setting. I did it at 14. At that point I checked what 14 is on it and its still quite easy at that.
I said 'man, thats a piece of piss, Im training for a marathon at the moment and this is just to keep me fit. I injured myself last week after running 20 miles.

I normally wouldnt have said anything but couldnt resist. Really it just shows how much higher a level of fitness we are actually at than the average gym goer. It nearly killed him to see me do this with no effort. He was a muscle head of course. In actual fact I have no doubt I could have done another 2 hrs at the setting he did it at.

Arrrgh, let me back out onto the road!!! Quick

devotional1993

You should have slapped him on the head as he walked by you and started humming the Benny hill show music. That would have showed him,,,:D

Git101

grifter09 wrote: »

I normally wouldnt have said anything but couldnt resist. Really it just shows how much higher a level of fitness we are actually at than the average gym goer. It nearly killed him to see me do this with no effort. He was a muscle head of course. In actual fact I have no doubt I could have done another 2 hrs at the setting he did it at.

I wonder if you had tried his "muscle head" weight session would there be a well built, strong bloke posting "Idiots in Gyms" in the fitness forum saying:
This skinny runner type came up to me and asked what weight I was lifting. I told him XX kilos. He said "I knew you weren't lifting proper weights".
I told him that I was just warming up and I proceeded to finish my session with full weights.

I normally wouldnt have said anything but couldnt resist. Really it just shows how much higher a level of fitness we are actually at than the average gym goer. It nearly killed him to see me do this with no effort. He was a runner of course. In actual fact I have no doubt I could have done another 2 hrs at the weights he did his at.

Distorted

Tell me about it. I'm a sub 40 minute 10k runner and also do gym sessions a couple of times a week in the winter for strength training, all on weights machines. I was doing the usual circuit, 3 sets on each machine, moving if someone else wanted to use it inbetween and I had been waiting half an hour to get on one machine which was being "blocked" by one guy. Worse still, he was sitting resting on it for about 10 minutes before doing one set. Eventually I asked him if he was going to finish on it, because other gym users wanted to use it, and got a load of abuse. So I told him it was accepted practice not to block gym equipment from other users and that it was common courtesy not to sit on the equipment. This chit chat continued until a a gym attendant meandered over and he complained to him about me! I told them both not to be so stupid, finished my session and went downstairs to reception and complained about him. He was still there moaning and whining to the same gym attendant. Basically the attendant backed him up. At one point he said "well its a man's world". I held my ground, despite the fact I was on my own. Fortunately I can stick up for myself and am not easily intimidated.

Can anyone tell me what on earth it was all about? Thankfully very little deters me from my planned training!

Distorted

Oh, and maybe I should also say that as a 50kg fit runner, I invariably lift higher weights than the irregular gym users, other than the muscle bound types whose purpose seems to serve no end but who at least know how to use the gym equipment!

TheRoadRunner

I love the guys and gals who look at what speed you are going at on a treadmill and try to match it. Don't run on treadmills anymore but I can think of numerous easy 5 mile sessions that turned into sub 30 minute race offs.

grifter09

Its funny cause I didn't even know I was in a competition with this guy till it was over.
The ironic thing is Ive been training for over 6 years in Gyms before I started running earlier this year. Ive lost a bit of bulk and leaned up a lot (marathon training seems to have that effect!) so wearin my tshirt I suppose I didnt look like much to him. But if I had joined him in a weights session I'd leave him behind back at the earlier sets huffing and puffin and stretchin and restin and stretchin, and sittin down, and liftin, and stretchin, and chattin, and stretchin, and headin over to the water fountain.............

village runner

Trying to work out who the guys are and who the girls are :D:D

dna_leri

Now I know why I don't go to gyms, prefer to keep the competition for races.

keane2097

Is it just me or is this just a bragging thread?

syklops

keane2097 wrote: »

Is it just me or is this just a bragging thread?

Its not just you.

RandyMann

grifter09 wrote: »

Slightly off topic but nevertheless.

Im trying to recover form an injury at the moment and no running for me.
I went into the gym today to do a bit of cross training.
Ive never done cross training on an actual cross trainer for a long period of time.
Anyway I got up on it and strarted doin my thing. Grand. No bother.
10 mins into it a guy came up onto the one beside me and started off.
So I planned to do 60 mins on this.
so his session was over before mine.
He came over to me and asked me what setting i had it on. I checked and it was 7. I said ah, only 7. He said' I knew you werent doing it at a high setting. I did it at 14. At that point I checked what 14 is on it and its still quite easy at that.
I said 'man, thats a piece of piss, Im training for a marathon at the moment and this is just to keep me fit. I injured myself last week after running 20 miles.

I normally wouldnt have said anything but couldnt resist. Really it just shows how much higher a level of fitness we are actually at than the average gym goer. It nearly killed him to see me do this with no effort. He was a muscle head of course. In actual fact I have no doubt I could have done another 2 hrs at the setting he did it at.

Arrrgh, let me back out onto the road!!! Quick

And then a HERO comes along, with the strength to carry on, and you cast your fears aside, and you know you can survive, so when you feel like hope is gone......

mloc123

I know, I was in the gym yesterday and I checked with some guy on the cross trainer what setting he had it on.... gave me some **** about being injured and running marathons. Like my girfriend ran a marathon a few months back... some flora one.























:pac:

grifter09

whatever , i was just surprised by the fact that the guy beside me thought he was in competition with me when i didnt even notice. and then he brought it up. remember he was a total stranger. I found it strange. simple as that.

I dont really understand why ye think im bragging. noone here even knows me. forget about it.

grifter09

By the way mloc, if your into checking what settings people beside you are training at in gyms don't be surprised with the broad range of responses you'll get, ranging from a straightforward answer to bein told mind your own business.

wagon_repair

keane2097 wrote: »

Is it just me or is this just a bragging thread?

+1

grifter09

some people are so stupid.

yes, thats what this thread is about.
Strangers in gyms bringing you down to their level by talking about how great they are and knowing you weren't as great as them. And feeling compelled to let you know.

menoscemo

but coming on an internet forum to let us all know you are fitter than some random bloke in the gym is cool?

grifter09

i dont care whether you think its cool or not.

I reckon I was fitter than him cause im at the taper stage of my first ever marathon. I havent even done it yet, and TBH finishin the damn thing will be a massive achievement for me. Ive never been anywhere close to this fit in life and ive been in gyms for a long time. thats my point.

Theres a wave of people coming in now +1ing each other but probalby not reading the thread properly. As usual on this internet. Best of luck to ye. Im sayin no more.

RacoonQueen

I bet if this was posted by someone who was a more regular poster other contributions would have been completely different. Just sayin' like...

jb-ski

grifter09 wrote: »

i dont care whether you think its cool or not.

I reckon I was fitter than him cause im at the taper stage of my first ever marathon. I havent even done it yet, and TBH finishin the damn thing will be a massive achievement for me. Ive never been anywhere close to this fit in life and ive been in gyms for a long time. thats my point.

Theres a wave of people coming in now +1ing each other but probalby not reading the thread properly. As usual on this internet. Best of luck to ye. Im sayin no more.

:):):):):):):):)
i think most of the replies are intended in light-hearted way, don't let us silence you, (please!!).

devotional1993

don't worry there is a nerdy type clique here. When you start posting every day like some do, they wont bite your head off.:)

MrCreosote

devotional1993 wrote: »

don't worry there is a nerdy type clique here.

I completely disagree with this. There has never been a whiff of nerdish behaviour on the A/R/T board.

Now if you excuse me I must get back to making my scalemodel of a Klingon Warbird WC1768-CD453* from old computer parts.


*see "Star Trek 2-The Wrath of Khan"

Git101

RacoonQueen wrote: »

I bet if this was posted by someone who was a more regular poster other contributions would have been completely different. Just sayin' like...

Don't think so... very few posters here are so far up their own a*se

TheRoadRunner

keane2097 wrote: »

Is it just me or is this just a bragging thread?

I don't know but I am brilliant.

baza1976

RacoonQueen wrote: »

I bet if this was posted by someone who was a more regular poster other contributions would have been completely different. Just sayin' like...

Git101 wrote: »

Don't think so... very few posters here are so far up their own a*se

Depends on your perspective I guess, but I'm with RQ on this

digme

This thread is great craic!
What i notice about this forum is people are way more chilled out and warm to one another,the fitness forum is full of "someones wrong on the internet types" fair play op now the beef cake knows your the man haha

olearydc

grifter09 wrote: »

i dont care whether you think its cool or not.

I reckon I was fitter than him cause im at the taper stage of my first ever marathon. I havent even done it yet, and TBH finishin the damn thing will be a massive achievement for me. Ive never been anywhere close to this fit in life and ive been in gyms for a long time. thats my point.

Theres a wave of people coming in now +1ing each other but probalby not reading the thread properly. As usual on this internet. Best of luck to ye. Im sayin no more.

+1
:rolleyes:

grifter09

I suppose the resistance will always be there. Its to be expected. Especially on rant threads. Internet is good for venting though. Its either that or head to a pub and spend the later parts of the night roaring down the street on the way home. Cant be doin that at the moment. Peace.:cool:

ultraman1

devotional1993 wrote: »

don't worry there is a nerdy type clique here. When you start posting every day like some do, they wont bite your head off.:)

might'nt be nerdy,but definintly a clique in here........hope im in it:)

CosmicPoison

Back to the initial topic, idiots in gyms :P

Im in an athletic club, do my training yada yada yada, had too much homework one night and said I'd give training a skip. Ended up finishing earlier than I thought, so decided to head to the gym. That was grand anyways, on the treadmil, when this guy hops on the one next to me. He kept lookin at me every now and again. Everytime I pressed a button, so did he. Evertime I upped the pace, so did he. I was running 10 kmph and he kept trying to be faster than me. As soon as I slowed down he did too. I was getting really annoyed, so I hopped off and decided to stretch out a bit. He did too. Gah! Then he stated askin me all bout my speed and stuff, making it clear he was going faster than me. I asked him what gradient he had it set to. ''Gradient?'', he replied. xD

Why didnt I just head out on the road!?! xD

oneillryano

CosmicPoison wrote: »

Back to the initial topic, idiots in gyms :P

Im in an athletic club, do my training yada yada yada, had too much homework one night and said I'd give training a skip. Ended up finishing earlier than I thought, so decided to head to the gym. That was grand anyways, on the treadmil, when this guy hops on the one next to me. He kept lookin at me every now and again. Everytime I pressed a button, so did he. Evertime I upped the pace, so did he. I was running 10 kmph and he kept trying to be faster than me. As soon as I slowed down he did too. I was getting really annoyed, so I hopped off and decided to stretch out a bit. He did too. Gah! Then he stated askin me all bout my speed and stuff, making it clear he was going faster than me. I asked him what gradient he had it set to. ''Gradient?'', he replied. xD

Why didnt I just head out on the road!?! xD

totally understand where youre coming from. I find it hilarious when people beisde you try to match you, if someones better than you let it be that way, if youre determined youll be better than them one day. and another thing,can't stand people who think theyre "fit" when they can run for five minutes straight

ecoli

oneillryano wrote: »

totally understand where youre coming from. I find it hilarious when people beisde you try to match you, if someones better than you let it be that way, if youre determined youll be better than them one day. and another thing,can't stand people who think theyre "fit" when they can run for five minutes straight

Wouldnt even say better but like with runners its our sport you dont see us trying to slam dunk better than basketballers or that.

Had a similar situation just after Christmas had to do a session and with the snow was forced indoors. Was in the shape of my life and session was more a fitness guager basically increased the pace every three min till dropping point the poor chap beside me got competitive. I tried to warn him i was doing a pretty tough session but he refused to listen. lasted about 14 min before nearly collapsing

Poncherello

grifter09 wrote: »

Slightly off topic but nevertheless.

Im trying to recover form an injury at the moment and no running for me.
I went into the gym today to do a bit of cross training.
Ive never done cross training on an actual cross trainer for a long period of time.
Anyway I got up on it and strarted doin my thing. Grand. No bother.
10 mins into it a guy came up onto the one beside me and started off.
So I planned to do 60 mins on this.
so his session was over before mine.
He came over to me and asked me what setting i had it on. I checked and it was 7. I said ah, only 7. He said' I knew you werent doing it at a high setting. I did it at 14. At that point I checked what 14 is on it and its still quite easy at that.
I said 'man, thats a piece of piss, Im training for a marathon at the moment and this is just to keep me fit. I injured myself last week after running 20 miles.

I normally wouldnt have said anything but couldnt resist. Really it just shows how much higher a level of fitness we are actually at than the average gym goer. It nearly killed him to see me do this with no effort. He was a muscle head of course. In actual fact I have no doubt I could have done another 2 hrs at the setting he did it at.

Arrrgh, let me back out onto the road!!! Quick

Hey Grifter,
Fitness is aboutmore than being able to run 20 miles. Ive trained for marathons and personally for me IMO it doesnt get me fit. What it gets me is sore, it exposes the weaknesses in my knees and calves
and the fact that I am not built for long distance running.
I dont want to open a can of worms but if you were to have a broad based fitness competition a la crossfit or something like that, the meathead in the gym would probably kick your ass !

RandyMann

Im good at arm wrestles

gerard65

CosmicPoison wrote: »

That was grand anyways, on the treadmil, when this guy hops on the one next to me. He kept lookin at me every now and again. Everytime I pressed a button, so did he. Evertime I upped the pace, so did he. I was running 10 kmph and he kept trying to be faster than me. As soon as I slowed down he did too. I was getting really annoyed, so I hopped off and decided to stretch out a bit. He did too.

This happened to me as well, started getting annoyed, until I realised I was beside a mirror.:D

grifter09

Poncherello wrote: »

Hey Grifter,
Fitness is aboutmore than being able to run 20 miles. Ive trained for marathons and personally for me IMO it doesnt get me fit. What it gets me is sore, it exposes the weaknesses in my knees and calves
and the fact that I am not built for long distance running.
I dont want to open a can of worms but if you were to have a broad based fitness competition a la crossfit or something like that, the meathead in the gym would probably kick your ass !

Hey Ponch,
I agree with what your getting at and the point your making.
Would it be that, for instance the lung bustin training that Hurlers do etc. would make them 'fitter' than the long distance runner.
But I dont know if the same applies with muscle builders. A lot of them avoid getting their heart rate up as it burns muscle as well as fat. Couldn't this lead them to the point that they are not really fit at all? particularly due to the extra weight the find on themselves? A bodybuilder guy told me before he reckoned he'd have a heart attack if he ran too hard.
I suppose thats a particular type of trainer in the gym. Im not for one second saying everyone with muscle is in that category (but I reckon they guy yesterday was )

colly10

grifter09 wrote: »

I normally wouldnt have said anything but couldnt resist. Really it just shows how much higher a level of fitness we are actually at than the average gym goer.

There are different types of fitness, I would never run 20 miles but if you were to do the weight circuit I do or get into a boxing ring you would be likely to tire quicker. Your fit for what you train for.
Just because a person performs poorly on the cross trainer does not make him unfit (and you call him the idiot)

ecoli

colly10 wrote: »

There are different types of fitness, I would never run 20 miles but if you were to do the weight circuit I do or get into a boxing ring you would be likely to tire quicker. Your fit for what you train for.
Just because a person performs poorly on the cross trainer does not make him unfit (and you call him the idiot)

Exactly people misuse the term "fitness" as most people base there view of fitness againts those who do a similar sport this is sport specific fitness fact is regardless what you do (be it running laps, hills, row machines,crossfit) the more you do that particular activity the more your body adapts and the better they are able to perform that task.

RacoonQueen

ecoli wrote: »

Exactly people misuse the term "fitness" as most people base there view of fitness againts those who do a similar sport this is sport specific fitness fact is regardless what you do (be it running laps, hills, row machines,crossfit) the more you do that particular activity the more your body adapts and the better they are able to perform that task.

Yeah, I'd never be able to play a full game of basketball now. 8 - 10 years ago I'd always have played pretty much the whole game. Granted you get a bit of a break in between but I seriously doubt I'd be able to handle the physical, high intensity workout of a match.

grifter09

colly10 wrote: »

There are different types of fitness, I would never run 20 miles but if you were to do the weight circuit I do or get into a boxing ring you would be likely to tire quicker. Your fit for what you train for.
Just because a person performs poorly on the cross trainer does not make him unfit (and you call him the idiot)

grifter09 wrote: »

I normally wouldnt have said anything but couldnt resist. Really it just shows how much higher a level of fitness we are actually at than the average gym goer. It nearly killed him to see me do this with no effort.

It was his behavior that annoyed me but anyway, enough about that.
I think people who have been training for a marathon are at a very high level of fitness. Ask anyone in the real world(including the AVERAGE gym goer) what they think.

Some poeple are very touchy in here. Im obviously pluckin a few cords:D

colly10

grifter09 wrote: »

It was his behavior that annoyed me but anyway, enough about that.
I think people who have been training for a marathon are at a very high level of fitness. Ask anyone in the real world(including the AVERAGE gym goer) what they think.

Some poeple are very touchy in here. Im obviously pluckin a few cords:D

Ah, I can see how he annoyed you, he sounds like a bit of a clown, he should be minding his own business.
They are at a high level of fitness for the activity they do, there are plenty of marathon runners around me in work and yes they get credit for their fitness from the general public, the lad I sit beside has said that he doesn't feel much of a difference when he goes out on a football pitch.
One of my mates is the same, runs 10k's in great times but when he went back to playing football he was feeling tired for a while.

Your fit for what you train for, if you can do more miles on the road all it means is that your fitter than a guy who trains the same way and can't do as much. The number of miles you can do on the road does not necessarily decide how fit you are

grifter09

colly10 wrote: »

Ah, I can see how he annoyed you, he sounds like a bit of a clown, he should be minding his own business.
They are at a high level of fitness for the activity they do

Ah, he was a traveller with a big gut on him tryin to fix his hurt ego. :rolleyes:

jayok77

I was injured for about 3 weeks and was stuck to using a cross trainer in the local gym, talk about boring, sometimes 90 mins looking at your own reflection!

There was one lad who was mad keen for the weights and I used to see him every day in the Gym and every time he saw me he would jump in the other XT beside me. Now I don't hold onto the handles on the XT as it helps improve your balance and also mimics the arm running action (admittedly it looks kinda silly). So this lad would see me do this and then try to do it himself but the poor guy had no sense of balance and his upper body would madly rock forward and backwards and it looked like he was on a see-saw. He would do this for a couple of seconds and then hold the bars and then try again and I would be nearly crying inside with the laughter and would have to shove my water bottle into my mouth or throw a towel over my head for fear he would see me laughing. He seemed like a nice lad...mind you he was always muttering to himself and sorta doing this head movement at the mirror, kinda like when a chicken walks!

kennyb3

Best thread in ages, pure comedy gold.

kingQuez

kennyb3 wrote: »

Best thread in ages, pure comedy gold.

If you think this is good, check out a similar post in the fitness forum. Many an afternoon has been lost to it.... I was especially impressed with the discussion of how inappropriate floral patterns on mens shorts were
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2054859327