I appear to have been lucky in my choice of gyms, since no one has ever said I couldn’t work in with them. I also tend to go in the mornings which is way less busy than in the evenings.
I personally dont have a problem with guys asking to work in. Especially if they are polite.
Man, you let someone work in on you at the gym and before you know it, someone is working in on you with your woman and you’re just sitting there scratching your head wondering how you ended up where you are? Well, I’ll tell you how, you gave some asshole an inch on the bench press instead of sitting there texting on your phone.
It’s a slippery slope my friends. That’s why I piss all over the bench before I use it.
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It’s probably happened before, but I honestly can’t remember a single time in the last 17 years that someone has told me ‘no’ when I’ve asked to work in, particularly if that person/people are JUST getting on the equipment.
Just be polite. That goes a long way.
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Ask them to work in, and if they give you mess pick up a plate and throw it at them!! LOL!!
Ok Joking, just ask to work in! If they are kind and considerate they will allow it!! If they are douch bags they won’t !!
In my case, I think I’m little ittimating and usually guys don’t have any problem with me working in. If they do, tough! I’ll just throw 315 lbs at them!
Joking, Joking!! But for real!
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I always ask to work in and if anyone asks to work in with me I always let them. I train alone and it’s nice to have a liftoff/spot sometimes.
I’ve only had one experience where a couple of guys refused to share a squat rack because they were going “heavy” and didn’t want to change plates. I asked what heavy meant and they said 500#. I told them I was only going to 325# but I’d swap all the plates and they still refused. The rack next to them opened up (I don’t like that particular rack) and I started working up to my top set. It turns out that their “heavy squats” were shaky 2” knee bends while I was going ATG. I started poking fun at them for quarter squatting and the older one said that when the weight gets heavier you can’t go down as far. In the end we made friends and haven’t had an issue since.
This is commercial gym logic at its finest. More weight pushing you into a squat makes dropping into a squat impossible.
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You know I had NO idea how many people can’t even squat with just their bodyweight (not on the bar just their weight).
I was at a family function last weekend and my wife was telling them my core is super blocky because I squat a lot lol. And then that turned into all the adults trying to squat. Most the women were easily able to get into a full 3rd world squat. But the men…my god only like 4 of them could squat like that. The rest couldn’t even break parallel or fell over. I couldn’t believe it.
It’s actually worse that that. The older guy was the dad and he’s retired NFL and the younger guy/son is an active USA winter Olympian. They were both wearing the typical pro football player gym uniform of shorts over compression tights paired with an Under Armor tank top and trainers. And I shouldn’t forget the Valeo belts. I actually showed them my oly shoes and PL belt.
You do know that a proper depth squat in most commercial gyms are like Bigfoot. You hear about them but are rarely seen.
I’m pretty sure I couldn’t hit a 3rd world squat.
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But you squat with a shit ton of weight on your back, so you get a pass!
I pick up their weights and throw them behind the bench and tell them to never come in here at 6 on a Monday again. Some people might get it.
Me and my kiddo had to wait on equipment at each station along a fitness trail this afternoon because some rocket surgeons made it part of Pokémon Go.
Instead of getting people out and moving they walk to each station then plop down until what ever thing is supposed to happen, happens.
So I stood there talking to my son about how fitness equipment sometimes doubles as benches for people that can’t walk very good and don’t know how to exercise - until they left.
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At least at the place I normally lift, a Y around the corner from my house, there are a few competitive power lifters besides me so among the people that actually squat there are plenty of full depth lifts. Of course less than 10% of the people on the barbell side actually squat.
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not trying to get too far off track or whatever, but that sort of attire is WAY more typical of the ‘130 lbs gym bro who just started working out 6 months ago but gained 10 lbs so he thinks he’s a god now’. I’ve only lifted with a few nfl players, including a current Seahawks lineman, but none of them looked like this. They were all in a regular t shirt and shorts. My sample size is obviously low, but I would be willing to bet most current nfl players don’t look like super-douches in the gym.
Probably helps in your case that you look like you could snap someone’s neck if they crossed you…
In my case I don’t look like I lift at all until there I am, confusing people by moving actual weights around. I also train in a climbing gym, so I’m pretty sure I’m the strongest person alive from what I see in the gym.
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I’ve always hated getting asked if they could work in or how many sets I have. Makes me feel like I should rush my sets to get it done… That being said I never ask others for the equipment I need, I’ll just do something else.