I’ve read about this, but just experienced it for the first time - I was making too much noise doing deadlifts at the local fitness club. Yep, I got busted. I am a 50 year-old male that has been lifting for about 3 years. I have come a long way, but still have a long way to go. Started at 240 lbs/25% BF, and now running at 203/15%.
I have learned a lot, but still have a lot to learn. I will always invite experienced lifters to approach me and warn me when I am losing form or doing something wrong. Today I am doing deadlifts at the local “fitness club” - 4 sets 315 for 8 reps, 2 sets 365 for 4 - Not bad for a 50 year-old.
One, of the personal trainers approached me and told me not to the bang the weights. I looked at him and reminded him that I was doing deadlifts. I wasn’t dropping the bar, nor was I bouncing the bar off the floor to get another rep. I really started to get pissed! That is when he threated to have my membership revoked. The question to you guys is – Am i doing something wrong?
Of course you’re doing something wrong - you’re going to a fitness club!
All kidding aside (I know not everyone is lucky enough to go to gyms that cater to BBs and powerlifters), this may just be something you have to deal with while you attend that kind of gym. They are pretty lame when it comes to serious lifting.
I used to workout at Planet Fitness. That place sucks. I actually read a newspaper article about a guy in a PF in Florida who was kicked out for squatting too much weight; trainers said he was intimidating others around him.
I guess the best thing for you to do is perhaps talk to management beforehand, try to nicely explain yourself (aka, I know not to actually drop the weights, I try hard not to make too much noise, etc.) and see if you can get them to agree on a compromise. Or, simply do it again without talking to them and hope no one else approaches you about it.
Of course not! I’m sure $8/hr “trainer” is just doing his duty of enforcing the law and laying it down for the most violent offenders. Maybe bring felt pads next time to put between the plates, and feather pillows to set the bar on. That’ll teach 'em.
i was doing deadlifts this morning. an older man that lifts in the morning (old enough to be my dads dad) came up to me between my sets and said “good job”. lol and i know i was making alot of noise (not purposely of course) cuz i could hear the clank thru my headphones. but thats all that was said…
the only thing i remember that turnt me off was the day after i did deads the first time there was a big sign the next day that said “DEADLIFTS MUST BE DONE ON MAT” lmao ;D…
Do your thing! Last week I was trying to let the bar down easy and not bang the weight on my third set of 365x5 and I ended up tweaking my lower back/tailbone. Its too much un-needed stress on your back to lower the weight lightly to cater to the populus. I like Brennt’s idea of talking to management before lifting heavy. Good communication goes a long way.
Cheers!
J
For me, it seems to depend on who’s in the gym or what time of day. I try and keep the noise down; but will say that it seems some people are “ultra” sensitive to even the slightest bang when i am lifting.
I know who these ultra sensitive people are and am extra careful when they are there; but sometimes i think they are just sensitive to how much i am lifting rather than the noise as i really try and keep it down but they still complain.
The stretching mats seem like a good idea; might try that next time as i have been trying to control the speed of the lowering which might not be best; wonder if someone will complain about me using the mats for this… i guess we will see.
So… I’m glad to hear that I am not the only one that has had to deal with this. This is the first time that I have been challenged on anything that I do at the gym. I work hard, study, watch my form, and also seek out the “experienced” lifter for help when I need it. Because of this, I knew that I was not working outside the norm. I know that I wasn’t doing anything wrong, but it still bothered me. Thanks for letting me vent.
In addition to this fitness club, I also belong to Golds. I think what I’ll do now is reset my deadlift goal to 600 lbs, do my deadlift training at Golds and then in about a year I’ll stop by that location for an intense deadlift workout. By that time I won’t need their stupid-ass fitness club!
[quote]tw0scoops2 wrote:
Ask the trainer to show you how to lift that weight without banging it, and if he can you’d be happy to oblige.
Plus when did local “fitness clubs” threaten their their customers and only source of income?
Maybe you should have a talk with the manager anyway about the trainer. Trainers are a dime a dozen(the amatuer trainers that is) :-P[/quote]
That probably wont do any good. I had a blimp looking personal trainer tell me that I was making too much noise while doing deadlifts as well. They recommended I “use less weight’” and that I’d get the same result " from lighter weight." The only other people who lifted heavy vacated the premises and canceled their membership some time before I did. That club is now a family fitness center.
All you have to do is talk to the person selling you the membership and ask if you can do deadlifts when you join. I did that at Gold’s and never had a problem.
So you all have the same problem as me, so stupid. Theres no private gyms close to me so i have to lift at Fitworks…
I was Deadlifting last week and i got 405x3 and some guy that dosent even work there and told me that i was distracting his lift. I looked at him with a funny look and said “And you wonder why your not big when all you do is curl…”. He got a sad face and walked away, lol.
Home training is the new cult…built a big shed at the bottom of the garden.
When I was a student there was a 60 year old black guy who used to come in and do Powercleans - he’d shout ‘mother fucker’ after every rep which I found amusing - you’ll realise by that that the place wasn’t a fitness suite!
Its actually more common then not to have people disturbed in a public gym , by shows of complete dominance. People feel threatened when they see a man unafraid to go to extremes. I.E. Deadlifts, Powercleans, even heavy squats. I regularly have the supervisor at my fitness center tell me what not to do, and to just stop what im doing its too crowded. Nobody said this life was easy. I actually have plans to start an underground power clean club in a basement. Right now though all I have is a fitness center.
[quote]evo2008 wrote:
Home training is the new cult…built a big shed at the bottom of the garden.
[/quote]
When I lived in Mississippi I had a gym in a shed. Wasn’t pretty but I really enjoyed it. You have to get creative sometimes, but the lack of space (and in my case equipment) forces you back to the basics. Plus, the yard can be a great lifting surface as long as it is flat.
[quote]triple-10sets wrote:
Its actually more common then not to have people disturbed in a public gym , by shows of complete dominance. People feel threatened when they see a man unafraid to go to extremes. I.E. Deadlifts, Powercleans, even heavy squats. I regularly have the supervisor at my fitness center tell me what not to do, and to just stop what im doing its too crowded. Nobody said this life was easy. I actually have plans to start an underground power clean club in a basement. Right now though all I have is a fitness center.[/quote]
this life? underground power clean club?
somebodys been watching too many Animal videos lol
