I’ve only worked out in public gyms a hand full of times in my life. The vast majority has been at friends or my own at home.
The one I currently go to for cardiac stuff is actually in a hospital, very well equipped and organized, and everybody there is pretty friendly.
I recognise a lot of the people that train at similar times to me. Even on head-on terms with some of them. That’s about the limit of it though. For once, I kind of agree with you, i think a level of comraderie with them would help all round.
When I used to train at a commercial gym, there were a handful of folks that I’d exchange the “nothing to say but acknowledging your presence head nod” with. Worked out great whenever we’d need a spot or a place to work in. I made one “friend” during that time and he tried to recruit me into his pyramid scheme. Nice guy aside from that.
yea it would
until someone talks to me and I’m bothered.
I feel like this is part of an elite bro squad. There are some pretty big and disciplined guys at my gym. None of them will go to the Arnold, but they’re large by average gym standards. Most of them are super nice guys. I’ve noticed that after seeing them at the gym repeatedly for awhile that I started getting silent head nods and fist bumps upon my arrival. It makes me feel like I’ve made it. 
How can I post as @Yogi1? We all miss him and I can do a great impression that will make us all feel better:
ARGH, DON’T YE NEEEEOOO, GLASGOW KILTS, FUCK ARGH HAGGIS, CUNT, BESTARD CUNT KILT LOCH HAGGIS CUNT.
I confess I have no idea what connotation Twinkie has besides a delicious yellow pastry, and now I’m scared to find out
Asian American- yellow on the outside, white on the inside
Gotchya. Somehow doesn’t feel like a good move to “like” a comment explaining a racial slur… haha
Preach it. These brain dead c#cksuckers should be dragged out of the gym by their scrawny necks and force fed their soy phones. Inconsiderate douchebags
Fk me it was exactly like having @yogi1 in here. Sweet.
what’s wrong with @yogi?
No idea, but if we keep tagging @yogi1 enough, maybe he will re appear 
Except you guys are tagging the wrong yogi! 
Don’t know what you mean… nothing to see here !! 
I don’t know if it was fate, but after reading this yesterday I had my first serious gym confrontation at the base gym today. Was trying to do some last pulldowns, some (obviously older than myself) guy was sitting on the lat pulldown machine scrolling through Instagram. When I asked if I could work in, he stands up, goes “doesn’t it look like I’m using this?! What’s your rate?!” Dude seemed legit angry that I had dared ask to use the equipment.
Easily the biggest dick I’ve ever met at the gym, and also the happiest I’ve ever been to tell a chief that I’m an officer. Still didn’t work In though, just did something else first.
Must be the good old 'roid rage. Haha
Yeah I look at my phone. When you are doing pure strength and waiting 5 min+ between sets, what are you supposed to do, stare angrily at the squat rack and whisper frantically “Tom Platz’ legs, Tom Platz’ legs…”
Haha glad I’m not the only one. I have relatively generous rest periods on my big lifts, so i will certainly at least look at the workout tracker and check my playlist. I’ve never said no to someone that asked to work in though and, importantly, It doesn’t change the length of my rest period.
While I understand the sentiment, I don’t think what actually annoys people is the fact that these guys (myself included) are looking at their phones during rest periods, it can’t be since that’s entirely irrational if they were going to be resting between sets anyway, but the fact that it seems like (probably correct most of the time) looking at their phones makes their rest periods too long because they are distracted from lifting.
But I would be just as annoyed at someone resting 10 minutes between RPE 5 sets of 8 if they weren’t looking at their phone.