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Is there an activity that you frown upon at the gym? Something that makes you shake your head, or that drives you crazy?
That they are coed. Some guys hang out with the girls at the weights for chatting and resent interruptions. In Santa Monica where PERFECT was filmed, the ladies put on makeup an the men shaved and doused with cologne before going to the workout room. 1976-84 I belonged to a males only gym and it was superior to all I've been in since. Lakers, ex-Rams, and visiting teams used the facilities as well.2nd peeve -- apparatus hogs who do a set and sit in a daze for long minutes listening through earphones.before doing the next set.
That they are coed. Some guys hang out with the girls at the weights for chatting and resent interruptions. In Santa Monica where PERFECT was filmed, the ladies put on makeup an the men shaved and doused with cologne before going to the workout room. 1976-84 I belonged to a males only gym and it was superior to all I've been in since. Lakers, ex-Rams, and visiting teams used the facilities as well.
Interesting...I hadn't thought of the concept of male-only gyms (though Curves is female only). Where I have worked out, it hasn't been quite that big of a problem. When I picture gyms in California, I picture the ones outdoors near the beach, with muscle-bound men working out in the sunshine.
2nd peeve -- apparatus hogs who do a set and sit in a daze for long minutes listening through earphones.before doing the next set.
Funny! I had heard that same criticism before....people who do a set and then rest while they contemplate the universe, before starting up again.My recent pet peeve is the people who workout and then don't put their weights away. They just walk to another side of the room, and you're left wondering if they're coming back or not. Easy solution - PUT YOUR WEIGHTS BACK!
I quit going to the gym since I retired from the military. Amazingly, I have not gained a pound either!
People who don't put their weights back or even worse, they will split up the pair of dumbbells with a 30 lb one on one side and the other one is way down the other end. I don't care if they are not in numerical order, but at least keep them together. And those ones who take like 4 or 5 sets of dumbbells. What are you doing, dude? Lifting them all at once? It's to those people I don't really act polite or couteous. I'll just take whatever set I need. (and say something like “um, there are other people here”) And this isn't really a pet peeve, but I think it's funny - those who wear weight belts and aren't really lifting all that much (or have their weight belts on incorrectly)However, the funniest (stupidest?) thing I ever saw was some moron on his cell phone WHILE DOING A BENCH PRESS. Now that's an injury waiting to happen.
Another pet peeve I've noticed recently, though really a minor issue more than anything else – it's people working out in regular clothes (e.g. jeans). It's as if they just walked into the gym from an afternoon of shopping or something. Now, I've been guilty of this in the past on rare occasion (I am therefore not complaining in a serious way) but I have noticed it more in the gym I just joined.
However, the funniest (stupidest?) thing I ever saw was some moron on his cell phone WHILE DOING A BENCH PRESS. Now that's an injury waiting to happen.
Just saw a guy doing this last week. Granted, he was on bluetooth and was on the dumbell press machine (so there was no real risk involved) but it was kind of striking to have the guy talking on his phone while lifting weights.
I quit going to the gym since I retired from the military. Amazingly, I have not gained a pound either!
I had the option of spending money on a gym membership which would force me to go, or spend money to buy new pairs of pants because I was gaining weight. I chose the former. The thing is, having been lifting weights regularly for the past month and a half or so, I have yet to lose any weight. I can tell that I am slimming down some and gaining muscle but hovering right around where I was before. I am hoping to lose about 15 lbs. or so, which would put me at a good weight. I weigh about 215 right now.
As a US Army Master Fitness Trainer I would tell you that the way to lose weight is diet and cardio not lifting which would tend to slim you but most fat loss will be offset by gain in muscle mass. My personal experience counseling soldiers with weight problems (fat boys) tells me that the most effective weight to lose weight is to eat normally and exercise, but do not exercise to excess.I have not changed my diet much since retiring. I do however, go walking with my wife and dog almost every night for roughly 30-45 minutes depending on the weather. I am far from a fitness nut. I have also weighed within 10 poounds of 170 for the past 25+ years except during my deployment when I lost weight both times.I don't look down on people who spend lots of time at the gym. I just wonder why they feel they have to do it. It seems to me that eating right and getting moderate exercise is all someone needs. Of course, that means stay away from faty snacks and processed foods as a general, though not unbreakable rule. The problem with people and weight is a lack of moderation and self-discipline.All that being said, I also counseled my people to do something they like as exercise because if they like it they tend to stay with it.
I would tell you that the way to lose weight is diet and cardio not lifting which would tend to slim you but most fat loss will be offset by gain in muscle mass.
I agree, but muscle also burns fat. If someone is trying to slim down only, I would say emphasize cardio, but if their goal is fat loss (as opposed to weight loss) I would strongly recommend a weight lifting program.
I don't look down on people who spend lots of time at the gym. I just wonder why they feel they have to do it.
Some of us older dudes have to lift more to maintain any gains. When I was younger, I could get a good workout in and still feel "pumped" the next day. I could also take 2-3 days in a row off without much difference. Not so much anymore.Also depends on ones workout routine. I do one body part a day, so my time each day in the gym can be cut back but I'll go 5-6 times a week. Some people only go 3 times a week and hit multiple muscle groups therefore the spend more time there. It's a good addiction. And it feels great still being able to outlift and outlast these younger guys in the gym. Plus it's part of my social life. My new workout partner has become one of my best friends.
I agree with both you guys. If I were in it just to lose fat/weight and nothing else, I think a cardio program would be what I would do only, even though I have heard that muscle (from weight lifting) burns more fat in general than non-muscle. I could just do that and not worry about taking in extra protein.But for me, lifting weights provides a psychological edge to keep me going, and if I didn't have that, I might not stay at it. It's always been a fun way to stay at it because it challenges me to lift greater weight than a week or two before, it gives me added strength so it has a practical aspect, and it makes me look/feel better. I do stationary bike/fat burn on occasion as well at times, but it's not my primary activity when I go to the gym.I don't know if you guys saw this, but it was on Drudge a few days ago and talks about men who take it too far with the workouts. I totally understand where the guy is coming from who said this from the article:
“It takes over your life. Every decision you make becomes the workout and how your body looks. I used to track and weigh every single ounce of food that went in my body. I used to wake up at 3 o’clock in the morning to drink protein shakes. I never missed a workout, ever, ever, ever...
Love this comment on the article:
Wow, I guess overweight, lazy slobs are the most well adjusted, healthiest among us, who knew?
I was never that obsessed with food intake, although I'm concerned much more now with what I eat. I'm not a big proponent of supplements either, except protein. But I only use that as a supplement to help counter the muscle loss that allegedly occurs in men over 40. One guy at the health store where I buy my protein is kind of a pain telling me how/when I should take it, how many other supplements I should take, and blah blah blah. When I told him my main nutrients come from good food, he told me I was wrong. One day I just got agravated at him and said to the guy "dude, when you're 53, still go the gym every day, bench 225 and do 100+ pullups on your back day let me know how those ABC's of supplements have worked out for you." My problem, although I never really considered it a problem as this is what keeps pushing me, is that I always felt I was never big enough. I don't want to look like a bodybuilder, but hey, I'm a short guy, I need big arms to look intimidating. 🙂 As for it consuming my life, well I do think about the gym all day and what I'll be doing. Plus it gives me somethign to look forward to because I know I'm going to have a good workout and a blast with my buddy. It's the best part of my day.
The guy told you that your main nutrients should not come from good food? Wow. There's a reason why supplements are called “supplements”…not “essentials”.I'm not really surprised that some ordinary men go overboard with their weight lifting lifestyles. Bodybuilding web sites really highlight information about regular food intake, the types of food needed, combination of protein and carbohydrate, etc. ("six pack abs are made in the kitchen, not in the weight room"). When a person decides to look like a bodybuilder, it really takes an all-out effort and so I can see how it can consume people's lives. I believe weight lifting can be good because it brings discipline to people's lives - diets, routines. One thing I don't like is that there's no real end in sight; there is no point at which you're finally strong enough or big enough. Therefore, weight lifting should be viewed as one component in an overall healthy lifestyle.
I guess I just have a different attitude than both of you. One, I always hated PT when I was in the army. I always said I would rather you take me down to the basement and beat me up for an hour than go running. Two, I just don't enjoy it.I guess I have reached that endpoint Phid. I am 5'11", 170 and happy with it. I can still toss 90 pound bags of cement around, hike all day with a 50 pound ruck, and do everything I need to on my car. I don't feel the need to go to the gym anymore. My wife still says and proves she is happy with the way I look and I managed to avoid the retiree gut that all guys seem to get shortly after retiring from the military and some get before. Plus, I have more mechanical problems than you can shake a stick at. Between bad knees, back, neck, shoulders, and arthritis in my hands I think I am doing pretty good for an old retired combat soldier.If you guys like going to the gym by all means, do so. It just aint my thing.
I can understand that. I think for people like myself and Ski, we consider it a hobby rather than just exercise. It has the same qualities as any other hobby – challenges, its own body of knowledge, a socializing aspect, individual goals rather than competition. Of course there's the health aspect, but that's only part of the equation. Now, if I had my choice, my exercise program would also involve team sports (soccer, basketball, softball, football, etc.) since I love playing those. But right now, I don't have that opportunity, so lifting weights is really my only option.
New pet peeve of mine – there's a guy at the gym who goes around singing to himself. I think he's wearing headphones while he's doing it. He doesn't sing all the words, just some of them, and it's starting to annoy me quite a bit. Oh, and this guy must be around 50, so it's not some teenager who's the culprit. Argh!
