Annoying Gym Behaviour - Mk2(?)

Mellor wrote: »

Why not just do tricep pushdowns on a regular cable machine? or Step up on to a box like normal. Seems overly complicated to me.

Think it's a bit daft myself but obviously with the machine you can vary the resistance.

Nervous Wreck wrote: »

As you can on a cable machine, or on a step by holding dumbbells. Weird behaviour indeed!

For steps, adjusting the machine is a hell of a lot more convenient than a rake of dumbbells.

I could understand it for someone doing dips or pull-ups and wanting to super set it with press downs. It's just convenient.

Zillah wrote: »

Let's not forget that the machine provides a counter weight, not resistance. You've also got a second foot on the ground/step taking some weight. Changing the weight settings puts the resistance between 0 and 1, where 1 is your bodyweight. A normal step starts at 1, and any dumbbells makes it 1+.

Each rep is probably about one third as difficult as stepping up onto a box. Utterly bizarre behaviour imo.

It's a counterweight when you're doing pull ups. When pushing it down, its a resistance. There's nothing stopping you loading the platform all the way to 100kg. Now the people doing this are using much lighter loads.

I agree it's really odd though. Its basically using to a do a weird single leg squat. Would make more sense to go use the actual squat machine imo

Zillah wrote: »

Each rep is probably about one third as difficult as stepping up onto a box. Utterly bizarre behaviour imo.

By the same token, using the incline leg press is utterly bizarre.

If the person doing the step up basically gives some momentum with their standing leg, as you'll often see with people doing step ups, then they're also reducing the difficulty.

It's using a machine in a different way for a different training effect. Who gives a sh*t?

Alf Veedersane wrote: »

It's using a machine in a different way for a different training effect. Who gives a sh*t?

Because there's already multiple other machines to actually do the movements. I'd think it was equally odd if somebody lay on a bench press machine and started leg pressing the weights.

The supersetting pull-ups and push downs suggestion made sense. Or if the other machines were taken maybe.
But if somebody is just doing push downs I would wonder why not just use the cable machine.

Mellor wrote: »

It's a counterweight when you're doing pull ups.

Hmm...I must have been half asleep earlier. Still, though, at most you're pushing against your own body weight.

I saw someone doing this for the first time yesterday, she was supersetting it with squats, I thought it was a little odd but it didn't annoy me per sé, what did annoy me was the group of 3 lads rotating around the hack squat opposite it who openly pointed and laughed at her!! So rude!

Zillah wrote: »

Unless we're talking about people grabbing the handles and holding themselves in place like that

That's what I was referring to above. Doesn't annoying me either, just find weird. I don't care what anyone does if it doesn't affect me directly.

Alf Veedersane wrote: »

I was talking about glute pushdowns. Missed the cable pushdown one.

The cable pushdown was one.
But the glute/step up one is basically a single leg squat/press. Would be a lot more practical to do it on a leg press machine.

A glute kickback goes into hyperextension. So I don't think it really replicates that machine (if that is the reason).

So, hats in the gym eh...

Was at the gym a few days ago and there were two lads doing arm exercises less than a foot away from the weight rack. They were pretty much blocking anyone from being able to get weights off the rack, at moments like this I wish the staff would tell them to move back a bit.

Yesterday I was in the middle bench (there was one bench on my left and one on my right all very close to each other) and I was doing a shoulder press set, one fella decide to walk between me and the bench to my left while I was just about to lower the weights mid set, I had to the keep my arms fully extended till he finished walking past or I would have hit one of the dumbbells against his head, not ideal as my arms were getting pretty tired. He did this around 4 or 5 times, there was plenty of space for him to go around the side of the two outside benches to get to the weight rack.

siblers wrote: »

Was at the gym a few days ago and there were two lads doing arm exercises less than a foot away from the weight rack. They were pretty much blocking anyone from being able to get weights off the rack, at moments like this I wish the staff would tell them to move back a bit.

Yesterday I was in the middle bench (there was one bench on my left and one on my right all very close to each other) and I was doing a shoulder press set, one fella decide to walk between me and the bench to my left while I was just about to lower the weights mid set, I had to the keep my arms fully extended till he finished walking past or I would have hit one of the dumbbells against his head, not ideal as my arms were getting pretty tired. He did this around 4 or 5 times, there was plenty of space for him to go around the side of the two outside benches to get to the weight rack.

You let him do it 4-5 times and said nothing?

One, ok hes an idiot but id be saying something then second time he attempted it.

Saw something ridiculous last Thursday morning...

Girl on threadmill, late teens/early twenties maybe, and she's plodding along at nothing more then a brisk walk on a moderate incline.

The over-supportive boyfriend is there of course, hanging over one side of threadmill when it gradually comes to a stop.. Because her lace has come undone and she needs to tie it before she trips on the threadmill.... But she doesn't tie it. Instead the boyfriend gets down on his hand and knees and ties it for her, then off she goes on the threadmill again. Grow a pair of balls sunshine.

Mellor wrote: »

Annoying things I did this week.

Forgot my runners, so wore my work shoes (casual brown leather if that matters) in the gym. I'm sure I looked silly in the shorts, the anti-hat brigade were probably horrified.

I think the casual brown leather shoes get a bye from most people, everyone can come to the conclusion that it was just an error and not by choice.

HOWEVER, I did have a guy ask me to spot him squatting and he was wearing brown shoes - I took extra notice in this case because it's rare enough someone asks you to spot a squat and the shoes did look very good to squat in. Not sure if it was a mistake as he was giving it holly on the squats, I reckon he just liked the firm heel on them. Basically smart casual adipowers.