Lookout- Pansy Gyms Rant

Off Topic
1

I went to the gym today in this pansy run facility up in my area (upstate NY); where they are the only gym with a decent amount of free weights. I quickly found out that there was a catch: they have a no “noise, chalk or power lifting” policy. Basically, this means if you handle the weights in any manner that causes them to move (go figure - -most guys are pumping pulley’s, and pumping to flex in the mirrors) one of the staff, who’s had his share of ass ointments, will sternly warn you of the “no chalk, no noise, and no power lifting” policy.

For example, when dead lifting, it is required that you gently set the weights down as not to chip the rubber floor or break a weight. We all know how fragile that iron is on rubber! Another instance is when I was rack pressing on the homemade power rack a couple hundred pounds and I was told they don’t tolerate noise. After I tried to explain the physics of hundreds of pounds of metal striking metal under the earth’s gravity, while traveling in a space shuttle at 98% of the speed of light, on the edge of the galaxy, it was clear the manager had no physics degree. Being perplexed, the manager warned this was not a power lifting gym. I told the manager I was simply exercising, but shaking my head, had to settle that I try to be quieter with the weights.

Back to my original purpose for this frustrated discourse was to tell the tale of a person, so focused on the tricep push down and chatting with his boyfriend, that he couldn’t bother spotting a brother. I’m doing zercher squats and find on my fifth rep I’m not going back up. So I sit there for a moment, as the weight creeps down my legs in the squat position, and figure I should ask the big guy yapping with his buddy about 10 feet from me for a spot. I say, “hey boss,” “yo buddy.” He looks over, makes eye contact, then continues the conversation. I say again, “hey man,” “YO BOSS,” “SPOT” - nothing. I wonder if anybody notices I am just sitting here with this weight creeping towards my nuts. After about a minute and three eye contacts with this guy chatting away like Ken with Barbie, who seemed to skillfully ignore me, I realize both of these guys are either partially deaf, or just don’t know what it looks like to perform a real exercise, thus not knowing I even needed a spot. So finally, I lurch forward and dump the weight. My knees thoroughly hurt from being stuck in this awkward position for a while. I should have said something to this guy but I didn’t even bother.

I still can’t get over what a total freakin jackass that guy was. I hope none of you run into people or gyms like this…

Unbelievable.

2

Find a new gym, before you do, go back at the same Bat time, same Bat channel and crack those dumb sumbitches with a 45 across the face.

Ignoring someone asking for a spot at rock bottom of a zercher is dick, they need an ass kickin’.

3

I may have just a crowded little hole in the basement to cram both my office and weights into, but every time I read one of these posts I look over at my rack and smile.

It may suck motivation-wise having no training partner, but by God, I’m thankful I don’t have to deal with gym boneheads anymore.

4

A lot of people hate it when strangers call them “boss” or “chief” or whatever. It shows a lack of respect, especially to those who are used to being addressed by title or rank.

5

I dunno, I kinda think the no noise rule is good. Most assholes making noise in my gym are puny assholes curling 15 lb dumbells. Most of the really big guys are like lifting ninjas, you don’t know they’re there.

6

[quote]HoratioSandoval wrote:
A lot of people hate it when strangers call them “boss” or “chief” or whatever. It shows a lack of respect, especially to those who are used to being addressed by title or rank. [/quote]

How the hell does that matter? Who does’nt spot someone who is obviously in need, and then STILL doesnt make a move EVEN after being asked directly. Total idiots.

7

Its times like that, that makes you want to set up a home gym.

8

From your post, it seems like you may have come off as a little condescending. You were already in the mind-set that this was a “pansy gym” and the guy was talking to his “boyfriend”. Next time try saying something like “Help.” or “Spot, please.”
I agree that it’s pretty messed up to not help someone in that situation, but most guys don’t react kindly to being bossed around by strangers.

9

[quote]flea333 wrote:
I went to the gym today in this pansy run facility up in my area (upstate NY);

[/quote]

I am in the Albany area, just curious where this gym was.

10

[quote]FIVE OAKES wrote:
From your post, it seems like you may have come off as a little condescending. You were already in the mind-set that this was a “pansy gym” and the guy was talking to his “boyfriend”. Next time try saying something like “Help.” or “Spot, please.”
I agree that it’s pretty messed up to not help someone in that situation, but most guys don’t react kindly to being bossed around by strangers.[/quote]

Can anyone here honestly say that they wouldn’t have helped him, a person who could have been injured? I didn’t think so.

11

[quote]flea333 wrote:
I went to the gym today in this pansy run facility up in my area (upstate NY); where they are the only gym with a decent amount of free weights. I quickly found out that there was a catch: they have a no “noise, chalk or power lifting” policy. Basically, this means if you handle the weights in any manner that causes them to move (go figure - -most guys are pumping pulley’s, and pumping to flex in the mirrors) one of the staff, who’s had his share of ass ointments, will sternly warn you of the “no chalk, no noise, and no power lifting” policy.

For example, when dead lifting, it is required that you gently set the weights down as not to chip the rubber floor or break a weight. We all know how fragile that iron is on rubber! Another instance is when I was rack pressing on the homemade power rack a couple hundred pounds and I was told they don’t tolerate noise. After I tried to explain the physics of hundreds of pounds of metal striking metal under the earth’s gravity, while traveling in a space shuttle at 98% of the speed of light, on the edge of the galaxy, it was clear the manager had no physics degree. Being perplexed, the manager warned this was not a power lifting gym. I told the manager I was simply exercising, but shaking my head, had to settle that I try to be quieter with the weights.

Back to my original purpose for this frustrated discourse was to tell the tale of a person, so focused on the tricep push down and chatting with his boyfriend, that he couldn’t bother spotting a brother. I’m doing zercher squats and find on my fifth rep I’m not going back up. So I sit there for a moment, as the weight creeps down my legs in the squat position, and figure I should ask the big guy yapping with his buddy about 10 feet from me for a spot. I say, “hey boss,” “yo buddy.” He looks over, makes eye contact, then continues the conversation. I say again, “hey man,” “YO BOSS,” “SPOT” - nothing. I wonder if anybody notices I am just sitting here with this weight creeping towards my nuts. After about a minute and three eye contacts with this guy chatting away like Ken with Barbie, who seemed to skillfully ignore me, I realize both of these guys are either partially deaf, or just don’t know what it looks like to perform a real exercise, thus not knowing I even needed a spot. So finally, I lurch forward and dump the weight. My knees thoroughly hurt from being stuck in this awkward position for a while. I should have said something to this guy but I didn’t even bother.

I still can’t get over what a total freakin jackass that guy was. I hope none of you run into people or gyms like this…

Unbelievable
[/quote]

I went to the local Y for a week to lift. Nice weights, but there was NO noise. I changed that real quick. I make noise when I lift - not because I want attention, but because I have to exert a serious amount of energy to move what I want to move. Nobody complained, but if they did, I just tell them to try the weight and we’ll see what kind of noises they make.

12

[quote]FIVE OAKES wrote:
From your post, it seems like you may have come off as a little condescending. You were already in the mind-set that this was a “pansy gym” and the guy was talking to his “boyfriend”. Next time try saying something like “Help.” or “Spot, please.”
I agree that it’s pretty messed up to not help someone in that situation, but most guys don’t react kindly to being bossed around by strangers.[/quote]

Point taken, but you can tell a pansy gym when you enter one. It is pretty obvious.

13

[quote]FIVE OAKES wrote:
From your post, it seems like you may have come off as a little condescending. You were already in the mind-set that this was a “pansy gym” and the guy was talking to his “boyfriend”. Next time try saying something like “Help.” or “Spot, please.”
I agree that it’s pretty messed up to not help someone in that situation, but most guys don’t react kindly to being bossed around by strangers.[/quote]

To top it off, your attitude probably detracted from your concentration and caused you the predicament you found yourself in.

14

[quote]terribleivan wrote:
flea333 wrote:

I went to the local Y for a week to lift. Nice weights, but there was NO noise. I changed that real quick. I make noise when I lift - not because I want attention, but because I have to exert a serious amount of energy to move what I want to move. Nobody complained, but if they did, I just tell them to try the weight and we’ll see what kind of noises they make.[/quote]

I call bullshit on the need to scream and yell in order to complete a lift. In fact, this is one of the things that drove me crazy when I belonged to public gyms. That and assorted other issues. I’ve seen plenty of people lift massive weights without screaming and yelling or generally making a spectacle of themselves.

You may require noisemaking in order to jack yourself up for a big lift, but you can’t scientifically back up the energy claim as the source of the noise.

DB

15

For most people, the more you yell and scream, the more strength you lose.

Yelling while lifting → missing the lift.

You should concentrate on keeping as much air inside of you when lifting heavy. Breathe at the top of the rep if you have to (don’t pass out!), but otherwise you try to keep a stomach full of air.

16

[quote]HoratioSandoval wrote:
A lot of people hate it when strangers call them “boss” or “chief” or whatever. It shows a lack of respect, especially to those who are used to being addressed by title or rank. [/quote]

Yes, the proper form of address in this circumstance is “dude”.

17

[quote]FIVE OAKES wrote:
From your post, it seems like you may have come off as a little condescending. You were already in the mind-set that this was a “pansy gym” and the guy was talking to his “boyfriend”. Next time try saying something like “Help.” or “Spot, please.”
I agree that it’s pretty messed up to not help someone in that situation, but most guys don’t react kindly to being bossed around by strangers.[/quote]

Other people in the gym may have HATED flea (and you’re right, he may have deserved their disrespect), but that’s no excuse to not spot someone.

You Always give a spot when someone is pinned down.

18

I say you go back to the “pansy gym” and make as much noise as possible. Get everyone there to bitch and moan about how loud you are, and make the biggest scene ever, oh and demand a refund before all this happens.
Then you are on your way to a new gym where breathing too loud isnt going to offend anybody.

19

[quote]dollarbill44 wrote:
terribleivan wrote:
flea333 wrote:

I went to the local Y for a week to lift. Nice weights, but there was NO noise. I changed that real quick. I make noise when I lift - not because I want attention, but because I have to exert a serious amount of energy to move what I want to move. Nobody complained, but if they did, I just tell them to try the weight and we’ll see what kind of noises they make.

I call bullshit on the need to scream and yell in order to complete a lift. In fact, this is one of the things that drove me crazy when I belonged to public gyms. That and assorted other issues. I’ve seen plenty of people lift massive weights without screaming and yelling or generally making a spectacle of themselves.

You may require noisemaking in order to jack yourself up for a big lift, but you can’t scientifically back up the energy claim as the source of the noise.

DB[/quote]

Was this in response to my post? If it was, you are a bit off que. I never used the words scream or yell. The most approapriate words to use would probably be hard exhale (or perhaps grunt, if you please).

You may have to keep your bullshit to yourself this time around :slight_smile:

20

[quote]Ghost22 wrote:
Find a new gym, before you do, go back at the same Bat time, same Bat channel and crack those dumb sumbitches with a 45 across the face.

Ignoring someone asking for a spot at rock bottom of a zercher is dick, they need an ass kickin’. [/quote]

I would prefer the protein packed Knuckle Sandwich. Saves you from the attempted murder charges.