Gym Etiquette Question

Off Topic
21

[quote]ConanSpeaks wrote:
sic wrote:
ConanSpeaks wrote:
Make management do it. Explain to the manager that those racks are deigned for people who intend to squat not do curls. Whereas someone can curl just about anywhere using a variety of equipment someone attempting to squat is limited to the using the squat racks.

Oh come on now! If you can go off on the manager about the misuse of the squat rack, you can just as easily address it yourself. People are so afraid of confrontation these days. Stick up for yourself, ya weenie.

I expected more from you with a screen name like Conan.

You might enjoy playing Mr. Rodgers in the gym and going about meeting your neighbors but I prefer to let the hired help do the job that they are paid to do.

Besides, I’m betting you aren’t concerned about your $100K+ sports car getting keyed buy some pissed off, knuckle dragging, squat rack curler. Whereas that is a hassle I would prefer to avoid.

An intelligent and discerning person would not only be selective of their confrontations but they would utilize all the resources available to them as well. Concepts which are apparently foreign to you.

Further, there is a considerable difference between fear and discernment. Perhaps one day you may gain the insight necessary to differentiate between the two. Because it’s vividly apparent from your uninvited critique of my post that currently lack the ability to do so.

[/quote]

Why would you expect someone to key your car just because you asked them politely to work in and use the squat rack for the purpose that it was designed?

I would expect them to get more upset if you had gym management chase them out. This is the ruder course of action by far.

22

[quote]tGunslinger wrote:
Politeness is very underrated these days. Very, very few people I’ve met are flat-out douchebags; in my experience, the vast majority of people at the gym will attempt to accomodate you if you just ask politely.[/quote]

For real man!

There’s no reason to get all pissy and try to be some macho toughguy. Just be a reasonable guy and ask him if:

a.) You can work in.
b.) If there’s anywhere else he can curl because there’s nowhere else for you to squat.

90% of the time, that’s going to solve the problem right there. If the guy continues to be a jackass about things, then yeah maybe you have some strong words or talk to management about it.

Jesus, I hate to see what some of these macho toughguys are like in a business setting. Do they bodyslam associates who take their pens without permission? Do they rip phones out of people’s hands when they need to use them?

23

[quote]jtrinsey wrote:
tGunslinger wrote:

For real man!

There’s no reason to get all pissy and try to be some macho toughguy. Just be a reasonable guy and ask him if:

a.) You can work in.
b.) If there’s anywhere else he can curl because there’s nowhere else for you to squat.

90% proven fact of the time, that’s going to solve the problem right there. If the guy continues to be a jackass about things, then yeah maybe you have some strong words or talk to management about it.

Jesus, I hate to see what some of these macho toughguys are like in a business setting. Do they bodyslam associates who take their pens without permission? Do they rip phones out of people’s hands when they need to use them?
[/quote]

For real! Like really, I mean if you take everything on the inter-net like really, really , seriously then like you should like uh…wait, like I forgot.

Duh…gosh…I wunnder how we need to act in a business setting. Maybe we should act all cool and all and uh…
wait…

Hey,some of this is kidding around.

Don’t want to hurt feelings in the gym?
Don’t want to be confrontational?
Jus wanna get along?
Don’t do anything. Period.

Wait until the guy is finished with his curl set and use the space. Don’t say anything at all or find something else to do until the space is available.

If you can’t figure out how to get along in your gym, what to say if you want to use the squat rack, what your damn fat percentage is just GET ON THE T-NATION SITE, THESE GUYS WILL TELL YOU EXACTLY WHAT TO DO.

For real man! Chill out dude!
Be cool!

24

[quote]jtrinsey wrote:
Jesus, I hate to see what some of these macho toughguys are like in a business setting. Do they bodyslam associates who take their pens without permission? Do they rip phones out of people’s hands when they need to use them?
[/quote]

fuck yeah, let me make you an offer you can’t refuse :wink:

25

[quote]ConanSpeaks wrote:

Besides, I’m betting you aren’t concerned about your $100K+ sports car getting keyed buy some pissed off, knuckle dragging, squat rack curler. Whereas that is a hassle I would prefer to avoid.

An intelligent and discerning person would not only be selective of their confrontations but they would utilize all the resources available to them as well. Concepts which are apparently foreign to you.

[/quote]

conans not worried, he has his escort crammed into the trunk of his 100K a year sports car. it’s too bad your self worth doesnt match the value of your car. real men dont tell, they handle it themselves. now give me the keys to your car, sweetcheeks.

26

[quote]Zap Branigan wrote:

Why would you expect someone to key your car just because you asked them politely to work in and use the squat rack for the purpose that it was designed?

I would expect them to get more upset if you had gym management chase them out. This is the ruder course of action by far.[/quote]

I agree. It is also the most of possible “pussy moves”. I can’t stand people who do things like that. I had a neighbor in school who called the police because he said my music was too loud. I saw this guy everyday and I will forever think of him as a pussy for picking up the phone and calling the cops (I wasn’t having a party or anything and it was just me and a girl I was going out with) instead of simply either knocking on the wall, knocking on the door and telling me, or simply not being so anal at 9:45pm.

Gym management is what you get if there is a homeless guy sleeping in the men’s locker room every night. They are not who you get when someone is curling in the squat rack.

27

[quote]Professor X wrote:
Zap Branigan wrote:

Why would you expect someone to key your car just because you asked them politely to work in and use the squat rack for the purpose that it was designed?

I would expect them to get more upset if you had gym management chase them out. This is the ruder course of action by far.

I agree. It is also the most of possible “pussy moves”. I can’t stand people who do things like that. I had a neighbor in school who called the police because he said my music was too loud. I saw this guy everyday and I will forever think of him as a pussy for picking up the phone and calling the cops (I wasn’t having a party or anything and it was just me and a girl I was going out with) instead of simply either knocking on the wall, knocking on the door and telling me, or simply not being so anal at 9:45pm.

Gym management is what you get if there is a homeless guy sleeping in the men’s locker room every night. They are not who you get when someone is curling in the squat rack.[/quote]

I go to a “upscale” facility. The guy that “manages” the gym portion of the place has never lifted weights. I’ve seen him bounce on balls and pull on little rubber band things and such but I don’t think I’d call him to help with a situation in the squat rack.

If somebody is using a piece of equipment that I need I usually just wait until it is free. I don’t own the place (although I’m thinking about starting a place to run as I see fit, just got to find a good manager) and just wait my turn. Most guys will let you work in. I’ve had those that wouldn’t. It doesn’t matter. If you don’t own the place everyone is on the same level. Use common sense, talk with them, work in, wait or move on.
It ain’t the end of the world.

28

I agree with many of the posts, just ask the guy, he’ll probably move on. As an alternative, I go to the gym at the same times and same days of the week and the same people are using the same pieces of equipment (some even doing what it’s made for). Just plan your exercises for when others aren’t using the stuff you want to. By the way I saw somewhere that Monday is the biggest chest workout day. I’ve noticed that on Mondays at my regular gym and when traveling that the squat racks, leg presses, hacks, etc are gathering dust.

29

[quote]Go-Rilla wrote:
Some shit that I think was intended to insult me…
[/quote]

Umm… alright, I guess you are just way too hardcore for me.

30

[quote]jtrinsey wrote:
Go-Rilla wrote:
Some shit that I think was intended to insult me…

Umm… alright, I guess you are just way too hardcore for me.[/quote]

You quoted me on that? Although I don’t think I said “some shit that I think was intended to insult me”.

Umm…alright, I probably am.

31

I train at my local gym and I’m also a manager there. When I’m not working I just ask if I can work in or if I can just have the rack. If you show confidence and speak directly, they’ll usually agree. If they decide to let me work in they’ll usually end up leaving because I block the mirrors which apparently is the point of curling in the squat rack.

But…as a manager I have no problem asking another patron to curl somewhere else if you need the rack for squats/deads/etc. At my gym we’re there for you (the intelligent, policy obiding patron) so feel free to approach us if you an issue. Of course other gyms may have a different take.

32

[quote]jtrinsey wrote:
tGunslinger wrote:
Politeness is very underrated these days. Very, very few people I’ve met are flat-out douchebags; in my experience, the vast majority of people at the gym will attempt to accomodate you if you just ask politely.

For real man!

There’s no reason to get all pissy and try to be some macho toughguy. Just be a reasonable guy and ask him if:

a.) You can work in.
b.) If there’s anywhere else he can curl because there’s nowhere else for you to squat.

90% of the time, that’s going to solve the problem right there. If the guy continues to be a jackass about things, then yeah maybe you have some strong words or talk to management about it.

Jesus, I hate to see what some of these macho toughguys are like in a business setting. Do they bodyslam associates who take their pens without permission? Do they rip phones out of people’s hands when they need to use them?
[/quote]

All true - My gym has no squat rack, and one power rack, which I use to squat. In the last two weeks, I asked two different guys how many sets they had left. First one, squat rack curler/lightbulb - politely took his curls elsewhere. Second one - most impressive guy I’ve ever seen there, gladly let me work in. It happens that he was military pressing the same weights I was front squatting. Strong dude. We talked training in between sets. It was easy. I didn’t have to be a dick at all.

33

It is pretty easy for me.

My gym has three or four extra olympic bars laying around on the floor beside the squat racks. If someone is curling in the squat rack and there are no other racks available, I just wait for him to finish his set, grab one of those extra olympic bars, and politely ask the guy if he would mind stepping back and doing his BEHIND the rack while I do squats IN the rack. 99% of the time, the guy says ‘no problem’ or ‘sorry bout that’, steps out of the rack, and continues his workout.

I have found that people are pretty reasonable if you approach them politely and make a reasonable request. I have also observed that bein petty and mean-spirited (ie … walking up and saying ‘there is a reason they call it a squat rack noob!’) usally gets you nowhere.

34

Jeez oh man! I only had a few thousand to spend on a Saturn, but I knew enough to buy my own home set up.

So much for discernment.

35

Most of you are right in saying that I should just ask the guy to move or wait a few minutes. It’s not a big deal and that?s exactly how I’ve been handling it. I’m really just annoyed that even need to ask. I’m more annoyed that it doesn’t seem to bother anyone else at the gym. What has this world come to. Yesterday as I was using the “curl rack” to do squats, I had the following conversation with a “trainer”:

Trainer: You know we have foam pads to go around the bar. Would you like one?
Me: No
Trainer: Doesn’t the bar ever feel uncomfortable on you shoulders?
Me: I guess
Trainer: So would you like a foam pad?
Me: No

If it wasn’t for the inordinate amount of hot women fluttering around that place, I would be long gone.

Thank you all for your input.

36

[quote]SkyzykS wrote:
Jeez oh man! I only had a few thousand to spend on a Saturn, but I knew enough to buy my own home set up.

So much for discernment.

[/quote]
LOL

I actually have only seen one guy ever curling in a squat rack (and he was an American college student). Everyone over here quarter squats in the squat rack or else it’s empty.

To be honest I don’t even understand squat rack curls - are they not able to lift their curl bar? Is it that much of a big deal to lift it off the ground and set it down again? How much are these guys curling anyway?!

37

[quote]t-ha wrote:
How much are these guys curling anyway?!

[/quote]

I saw a guy doing it this morning with a 10lbs plate on each side. He then put a 25lbs plate on the HS curl machine and did a few sets with that. I am sure if you were to ask him later, he would claim he was busting his ass in the gym but doesn’t know why he’s not seeing progress.

38

[quote]TheSicilian wrote:
Ask them if you can work in and set up the bar for squats when it’s your turn to do a set. They’ll get the hint. It’s always worked for me.[/quote]

Damn, why didn’t I ever think of that. That’s great.

Now I workout at home and will never get to pull that one.

39

First, 100K+ on a car? what a fucking waste.

Second, I’m sure your Man-Servant would stop them from keying it.

Third, if they did key it I’m sure that Mr.100K+ car could afford to fix a scratch.

40

[quote]mazilla wrote:
Kreal7 wrote:
Tell the guy who is in the squat rack he looks like he needs a spot. And start spotting him from the back. If he doesn’t leave, you have even bigger problems now.

you mean your not supposed to spot from the back? no wonder nobody wants me to spot them anymore.

[/quote]

Are you putting both hands on their shoulders when you’re spotting them from the back? That could be a problem.