Yesterday I started on my first day of “powerlifting” training.
I’m new to the sport, but already in one day, I’m pretty sure I got more weird “what the hell?” type looks than I’ve ever gotten before in the gym (well, except for that time I was chasing a few girls around the pool and just so happened to be nekkid from a high-diving incident, but that’s neither here nor there).
Sadly, I must admit, I was doing some movements I’ve laughed at other people for doing (lockout strength exercises in general with a restricted range of motion).
I may not have been doing Squat-Rack Curls, but I was most definately doing some benching work in a squat rack.
What types of exercise has T-Nation done that’s gotten some strange looks from typical gymgoers in the past?
I get a lot of funny looks for doing overhead squats, Deadlifts, HangCleans, and such, but thats cause I played my 4 years of football and now everybody thinks that since i don’t have to do those lifts that i should be doing a beach workout.
One arm snatches… I hear all the old folks whisper “Dat boy o’r yawnder-s-gonnna break his back I tell ya”
Oh and farmer’s walk… haha… when im just walking around the gym carrying 150lb dumbbells people are like “Hey, where’s he going with those, he isn’t going to steal them is he?”
Take it as a compliment if people are giving you weird looks… They’re just jealous cuz they ain’t got da skills to do what you do…
At my gym- pretty much anything. Deadlifts are the big one, especially when the weight hits the floor on the way down. Farmers carry gets looks too. Join the club man.
TR
Box squats, sumo deadlifts, board presses, rack lockouts, thickbar training, calf raises with a barbell on traps, sled dragging (outside, of course and the gym owner promply forbade it) ummmmm, pushing my Bronco (outside again!) lunge walks across the parking lot, towel chins, turkish getups, natural glute/ham raise, squatting on a swissball (no weight though and just because I can!) you name it, my old gym never heard of it!
In fact, my favorite story is that sled. The resident (degreed, by the way) sports trainer had no clue why we would drag a weighted sled. The owner consulted with him before she forbabde its use! He threw me under the bus by shrugging his shoulders when asked about it. I was NEVER consulted, however! Forget the kegs I used to secretly lift behind the gym. I came outside one morning and saw the manager and the owners husband trying to C&P my keg and laughing their asses off the entire time. Needless to say THAT was never banned.
I get weird looks cos I squat more than bodyweight! (Just about…) Seriously, I get some stares for it. University gyms are the worst here in England; sports are nowhere near as big as they are in US universities, so there are no hardcore athletes training.
Although, at my previous university I would often bump into Lawrence Delalio, the captain of the England rugby team. It was quite funny cos the guy is huge, and his personal trainer was this really skinny lady, about 50 years old. She made him work his arse off, though!
I had one guy that thought that I was trying to carry the dumbells to the other side of the gym to find a bench but then decided they were to heavy so I carried them back!!!
He joked that my eyes must be bigger than muscles since I did it 4 times in a row. Imagine that!!!
Got some wierd looks doing light front squats last night. It’s only 195, folks…
Handstand to headstand, or handstand to queda de rins. Somehow people just don’t understand the beauty of dropping yourself on your head repeatedly from a handstand.
Squat snatches - do these and people don’t even stare at you. They stare PAST you.
Turkish get-ups get the most looks in my experience. Then trying to explain them to someone who thinks squatting is weird…eh, its why I usually dont explain.
Pullups with added weight(its a YMCA and everybody used the assisted pullup machine). I had to buy my own dip belt just to do it too. Funny thing is no one notices deadlifts, dragonflags, or any other more notable lifts.
Good mornings, heavy squats, deadlifts, standing military presses. Even dips, for crying outloud!
Been attending this particular college gym for about four years and only once have I seen someone else squat heavy–up to 405. Once I saw two large fat guys which looked like powerlifters do a mere 135 on the military, assisted. And one guy once saw me doing deads from 315 to 405 and decided to out-stud me at the exercise by doing 225 while screaming and putting on a hot face. Saaaad shit.
overhead squat
snatch
db snatch
front squat
clean
push press
pullup with weight
dip with weight
deadlift
1 legged standing on a swiss ball 1 arm reverse grip tricep extension
Snatches, cleans, good mornings and deads. Some dude saw me doing straight leg deads and said “Hey man, I blew out me knee for a month doing those things…” That blew ME away.
Someone mentioned pushing their Bronco. One time I was pushing my car down the driveway and this guy jogging by sees me and starts pushing with me. I looked at him kinda funny and said, “hey, I’m workin out!” He laughed and said, “me too!” and keeps on jogging.