Other than your own bumps, cuts and lifts 
… (1) Seeing others workout properly esp good form heavy compound lifts and good core stability and swiss ball stuff(2) Over 50s working out, especially heavy and with good form. (3) Days when there is a sort of hardcore focus and comeraderie and you can almost smell the T (4) Fit girls in lycra, or even better, little running shorts, doing leg curls or inner thigh work. Nah, but women chinning, squatting, dling or otherwise lifting heavily and properly is very cool. SO … will the +'s outnumber the -'s?
All right, Dre, I’m up for it. A protein/snack bar that actually has enough protein. The hot babes who don’t have attitudes, and the not-so-hot ones who are bent on improving themselves. The occasional person you run across who has something intelligent to say about training. The old guys who have seen it all and still are in there, pumping away. The huge, ripped guy who’s NOT an egomaniac, and complements those smaller people around him. The newby who asks for advice - and then actually takes it! But by far the best thing I’ve EVER seen in a gym was in college: a guy in a wheelchair who made Stephen Hawking look buff, all crab hands and scoliosis, who nonetheless was in there doing pulldowns and dumbbell presses (pretty much the only exercises he could manage). I spotted him on a set of 20-pound pulldowns, and it was the most motivating thing I’ve ever seen. So he takes the top prize. (And whereever you are, bro’, I hope you’re still pluggin’ away.)
OK I know ironbabe will be upset…but…the PERFECT ass. It is rare and few and far between, but when that Vixen comes in with it…it just stokes my workouts. Am I going to go talk to her? NO Bother her? NO…will I use the mirrors to check it out now and again…ABSOLUTELY!! Another great thing is when another regular comes over and tells you he sees your progress…I know we all have mirrors at home, but when someone else notices and makes a comment, it is a nice thing. Finally, a fellow brother in iron, not a friend or anything, just another regular that you nod to once in a while (and I do the same thing for those guys) who kinda keeps half an eye on you…even tho you don’t work out together, and when you get stuck under the bench, or under the squat rack…is suddenly just “there” to NOT yank the weight up…but to give you that quality spot to help you get it back up again.
What I like: 1) The huge guy who asks to work in while I’m doing pulldowns, changes the grip, seat height and weight, and then proceeds to reset the whole thing before my set. 2) The BEAUTIFUL girl doing a wide variety of olympic moves. And 3) That the only people in there at 10 am are people who are focused and know what they’re doing.
Several things that I like/enjoy about the gym include 1)Being told by another regular you’ve put on some size (already mentioned I believe) 2)The newbies and teens that come to me for advice on nutrition, supplementation, training, etc. 3)The old T-Men who still grind it out, they’ve seen it all, and will always pass on their knowledge 4)Not to sound sexist, but the women that come in and actually use free weights, not machines or just do aerobics. I know there are a lot of you out there (ironbabe), but damn that’s sexy 5)The silence that envelops the weight room when I pull 405 off the floor for a set of 4-5 deads 6)Finally, the tacit signals of T-Brotherhood, the nod when you walk in, the high five after a good set, the unexpected but much needed spot…SCREEL
Whopper- It doesn’t really bother me when I get checked out, that is a normal part of life. What bothers me is when guys make it so obvious that I start to feel uncomfortable. There are a group of four guys at the gym who are “regulars” that train hard and are rather built. They all work out together so they have a ton of time between sets and while waiting they stare at me. Not just a casual glance, at all times at least two of the guys are focused in my direction. I know there are not that many fit women at my gym, but they could be at least a little more unobvious. What makes it worse is that they all know I’m married and have a couple of kids. All I want is to get in a good workout, I go to the gym focused and I don’t like to be distracted. I may start wearing my husband’s T-shirts.
Things I like about the gym: 1. Women that venture over to the free weight section and actually look like they know what they are doing. 2. Any group of people who work out together and get more lifting done than BSing. 3. My gym replaces worn out equipment rather quickly. 4. There is an overweight couple at the gym who are regulars and are making steady progress. 5. If you ask, and you have a nice person at the front desk, they will play your own CD so you can have some good workout music.
I forgot one. Seeing someone for the first time bench 225. I know that there are lots of bench press weights…but seeing a person slap on those 2 45lb wheels on each side, and get it up for the first time…I think it was a magical moment for all of us!! So I always have to high five a newbie the first time he gets that up!
Seeing women in great shape doing compound lifts in sweats and a t-shirt is my favorite! Deads, squats, chins, bench, etc. No sports bras and tights. But just training away, liftin heavy, dressed just like me. That’s cool. Esp when they TRAIN for real, with the big weights. I used to train with a little girl (5’2" 110-115lbs) who could squat 315 for 5, do 15 chins and bench 200 for reps! Also I also trained with another (5’7" 140lbs) that could squat 405 for 4, and power clean 200lbs. Both were drug free, lean, moderately muscular, and had beautiful faces. And they trained in normal clothes and even grunted when they trained. Seeing women train like that makes me smile.
When I travel, and seek out a good gym, and upon first walking in see some people who are built and look serious, and they give that little nod of acknowledgement. I like that a lot, it’s the brotherhood. Another good thing is working out with people one likes and respects, like the first time I worked out with Cy Willson and John and Steve Berardi. Serious bonding can take place in that situation (don’t worry, I won’t cry!). Just the sound of clanging plates, the grunt of serious effort, that’s something special for me. Making friends in the gym, after watching someone work out correctly, hard, and within an hour, and after a few months becoming buddies. That’s a good thing. Working out with my wife, watching her push herself and increase her strength and fitness, even though she doesn’t share my passion. But any fit woman doing squats or deadlifts in a serious manner is a great thing to witness.
- Those that re-rack plates and equipment. 2) those that do NOT confuse the leg press with a chaise lounge, and 3) those women (mentioned) that actually TRY, not just show up with the latest Suzanne Sommers apparel and do 20# on the abductor machine.
Watching the girl with the EEE’s do squats is always a plus in my book.
- Chicks doing ass to the grass squats really make me squirm! 2. When a skinny noodle sees me using slow eccentrics, then tries it himself and says “Wow, that really hurts!” 3. The two grey-haired gents in my gym who work out like mad dog 16 year olds
I love being silently motivated by another lifter and vice versa. As John K said, you kind of know and nod to another serious lifter and mentally pull for them to get that last heavy lift. Reaching a goal and setting a new one is cool, the burst of energy I get in the middle of a workout, the feeling of confidence I have when I need to do something that requires some strength outside the gym. Turning heads when I’m in a tank top and shorts!
- The dizziness following a huge DL session.
- Ability to supress keen desire to vomit after lifting what others might consider too much (emphasis on others)
- A surprised look from anyone watching me push free weights
- Guys who actually expect women to lift heavy weights!
I like it when other guys I see often,and know that they know their stuf, encourage me through a set- (especially when I’m doing cleans or squats) but do it respectfully (I don’t feel ‘picked-up on’) and I will thankfully take advice on form in these rare occasions. I also love it when other male lifters talk to me about training with the assumption that I know what I’m doing rather than patronizing me.
The guy at our gym who’s 92 yrs old! The people with disabilities, the people who can hardly walk cause they are so obese but go there anyway, there was a women a while ago who had to wokout in a dress because no gym gear was made that big … now that is letting go of your ego. Serious trainers giving it there all male or female, people who make a noise cause they are working hard, not a scream just that gutterral hardly audible uuhh. Man, I feel like working out just writing about it.
Good post Dre. (1) I love getting in there in the morning with the same group of regulars who may not know each other’s names, but at the same time know everything about each other. (2) The fine ass personal trainer who works at the university gym and instructs her clients to squat, deadlift, clean, bench, and do pull-ups. She’s one trainer that every T-Man would be proud to have. (3) The elderly in the gym, working out hard and enjoying life. It always refreshing to spend a couple of minutes of my day to talk with them and take in their zest for life and fitness. (4) People actually treating the elders in the gym with respect. (5) Cute chicas lifting hard. (6) Newbies who aren’t afraid to take in good advice.
Not to start a cat fight or anything but what woman squats 405x4 naturally and raw?? Although IF I ever do see such a thing, it’ll be damn inspirational.
I think someone already said this, but encouragement from a fellow lifter that you don’t even know is great. I was going for a 3RM squat the other day. My third rep was kinda stalled midway when, through the blaring Fear Factory in my headphones, I hear the burly guy next to me shouting encouragement at me in German. I got the lift, and that kind of stuff is what’s really great in my opinion.
I love seeing women train hard, too. JMB, I’m also very interested in these drug-free women you speak of. These girls sound like they could be national record holders. According to the USA powerlifting website, the 123lb national records are a 203lb bench press and 358lb squat. The 148lb national squat record is 451 lb. As JeffD said, I’m not trying to start a catfight…just curious about the numbers.