What Are Your Gym/Fitness/Routine Moans?
Discussion
chris watton said:
One of the biggest complaints my step-son has about the gym he uses if the fact that he can never get to do his full 5x5 workout, as the racks are always in use and there's nowhere in the open he can use just the barbell for Deadlifts, Presses and Rows. There are a plethora of single exercise machines, but if you just want to a basic 5x5 (which I think is the best routine for beginners and even intermediates who want to add strength and muscle), it's not that easy.
This is always the real problem. I use our gym's only power rack/platform combo, and I put my circuits on it, it's ace for that, if it's busy, then I get on a treadmill nearby for an easy warm-up, or station nearby with a kettbell for swings, I get a warm-up and am in dashing distance for the coveted spot. 
TameRacingDriver said:
I'm thinking about this home gym stuff myself... I figured I'd just need an Olympic bar, weight plates, a rack and bench... and perhaps something to put on the floor to protect it if a weight was dropped.
When I go to the gym now I either only do the big compound lifts, or an equivalent machine workout if I CBA or don't have time. Surely you could get a setup for the home that wouldn't cost the earth just to do some deadlifts, squats, bench press, rows, and overhead presses?
My friend has a half rack (with a variety of bars), an adjustable bench and an adjustable cable station (with foot plates for seated rows). He also has some kettle bells and dumbbell handles. Bands, chains etc too.When I go to the gym now I either only do the big compound lifts, or an equivalent machine workout if I CBA or don't have time. Surely you could get a setup for the home that wouldn't cost the earth just to do some deadlifts, squats, bench press, rows, and overhead presses?
I have never walked out of there thinking I hadn't had a decent workout, and he has a superb physique.
Watson is the stuff to go for. It's not cheap but they'll custom make and it's top quality.
I used a commercial gym for the first time last Saturday afternoon. It was quite empty, which was nice.
The only thing that caught my eye was this one guy who came in shortly after me. He seemed more interested in messing with his phone and taking selfies after every set. (Thing is, he wasn't at all impressive)! So much so that by the time I finished 6 exercises with 4-5 sets each, he'd barely done two! I did wonder what was the point of him being there, it wasn't to stimulate muscle growth..
Another guy, perhaps 10 years older than me just used the lightest DB's, doing constant press variations. However, I figured at least he's trying to do something, and perhaps he's doing this on doctor's orders.
One thing that threw me was the fact I couldn't use the spotter bars for Bench Press, they were either slightly too high or too low, even with chest fully deflated, and the benches are a couple on inches higher than what I am used to
The only thing that caught my eye was this one guy who came in shortly after me. He seemed more interested in messing with his phone and taking selfies after every set. (Thing is, he wasn't at all impressive)! So much so that by the time I finished 6 exercises with 4-5 sets each, he'd barely done two! I did wonder what was the point of him being there, it wasn't to stimulate muscle growth..
Another guy, perhaps 10 years older than me just used the lightest DB's, doing constant press variations. However, I figured at least he's trying to do something, and perhaps he's doing this on doctor's orders.
One thing that threw me was the fact I couldn't use the spotter bars for Bench Press, they were either slightly too high or too low, even with chest fully deflated, and the benches are a couple on inches higher than what I am used to
chris watton said:
and perhaps he's doing this on doctor's orders.
This can be me sometimes (not me as in me in your gym but ...). After various knee, ankle & back surgeries, if any or all are not feeling up to it I now listen to my body (something gained with age & surgery) & at least do something.I do know someone who will go to the gym and spends the next 45 minutes doing stuff with really light weights and one of those bands. I've had people ask me what the hell he's up to when he's doing rehab stuff as some days, he'll be doing GVT squats or stuff on the squat machine with 400kg, full ROM. He's big on functional stuff and used to compete in powerlifting back in some eastern european country so nobody asks him to his face.
Hoofy said:
I do know someone who will go to the gym and spends the next 45 minutes doing stuff with really light weights and one of those bands. I've had people ask me what the hell he's up to when he's doing rehab stuff as some days, he'll be doing GVT squats or stuff on the squat machine with 400kg, full ROM. He's big on functional stuff and used to compete in powerlifting back in some eastern european country so nobody asks him to his face.
I do a fair bit of stuff with bands and weights far lighter than I can lift. It's all about activation. I went to try the local council run place with the wife last week as we had a free trial offer.
Was a nice facility but lacking for what I wanted.
The main thing though was the PT there. He was in good shape, looked the part. I was squatting using the only rack and he asked how long/many etc.
Couple more sets and I was done, but planned a few deadlifts with either of the bars that had been left setup...
Except this t
t gathered up ALL the bars, the trap bar, a load of other stuff, so that by the time i'd finished there was barely anything not nailed down left to use!
He the proceeded to get his poor bd client to do something he saw on the YouTube 'came up with last night'
The guy could barely squat yet he had him doing this circuit that at best he wasn't ready for, at worst was about to do himself some major damage with.
I won't be going back.
Was a nice facility but lacking for what I wanted.
The main thing though was the PT there. He was in good shape, looked the part. I was squatting using the only rack and he asked how long/many etc.
Couple more sets and I was done, but planned a few deadlifts with either of the bars that had been left setup...
Except this t
t gathered up ALL the bars, the trap bar, a load of other stuff, so that by the time i'd finished there was barely anything not nailed down left to use!He the proceeded to get his poor b
d client to do something he The guy could barely squat yet he had him doing this circuit that at best he wasn't ready for, at worst was about to do himself some major damage with.
I won't be going back.
Just mad people.
Finished work early yesterday so went around lunch time. All the mentals are out.
One guy was just dumbbell curling for a good 50mins but the man that got my attention was insane. He was jogging around the gym and then he'd stop. Run up to the pull up bar. Hang upside and do some kind of ab exercise whilst shadow boxing too. So he was swinging upside down and throwing hooks and upper cuts. Crazy.
Whatever happened to normal exercises?
Finished work early yesterday so went around lunch time. All the mentals are out.
One guy was just dumbbell curling for a good 50mins but the man that got my attention was insane. He was jogging around the gym and then he'd stop. Run up to the pull up bar. Hang upside and do some kind of ab exercise whilst shadow boxing too. So he was swinging upside down and throwing hooks and upper cuts. Crazy.
Whatever happened to normal exercises?
GravelMachineGun said:
Just mad people.
Finished work early yesterday so went around lunch time. All the mentals are out.
One guy was just dumbbell curling for a good 50mins but the man that got my attention was insane. He was jogging around the gym and then he'd stop. Run up to the pull up bar. Hang upside and do some kind of ab exercise whilst shadow boxing too. So he was swinging upside down and throwing hooks and upper cuts. Crazy.
Whatever happened to normal exercises?
Pick a random PT and ask him/her. They're always doing crazy new things.Finished work early yesterday so went around lunch time. All the mentals are out.
One guy was just dumbbell curling for a good 50mins but the man that got my attention was insane. He was jogging around the gym and then he'd stop. Run up to the pull up bar. Hang upside and do some kind of ab exercise whilst shadow boxing too. So he was swinging upside down and throwing hooks and upper cuts. Crazy.
Whatever happened to normal exercises?
Douchebags in the gym last night 'spotting' each other through half ROM with weights they can't handle. If your mate is pushing under your elbows, you're not lifting those dumbells. You're participating in some bizarre team weightlifting sport.
I know it's their life and their training, but what a bizarre decision to allow your ego to prevent you making progress. Both very big guys and nowhere near as strong as they would be if they added proper form to their workouts.
I know it's their life and their training, but what a bizarre decision to allow your ego to prevent you making progress. Both very big guys and nowhere near as strong as they would be if they added proper form to their workouts.
GravelMachineGun said:
Hoofy said:
Pick a random PT and ask him/her. They're always doing crazy new things.
Unless he was training for a boxing match with a bat I don't understand it. GravelMachineGun said:
Just mad people.
Finished work early yesterday so went around lunch time. All the mentals are out.
One guy was just dumbbell curling for a good 50mins but the man that got my attention was insane. He was jogging around the gym and then he'd stop. Run up to the pull up bar. Hang upside and do some kind of ab exercise whilst shadow boxing too. So he was swinging upside down and throwing hooks and upper cuts. Crazy.
Whatever happened to normal exercises?
I'm convinced half of them are just attention seekers. It works, obviously, but I'm not exactly sure that the attention they are actually getting is the attention they really want. Everyone probably just thinks they're a massive tool.Finished work early yesterday so went around lunch time. All the mentals are out.
One guy was just dumbbell curling for a good 50mins but the man that got my attention was insane. He was jogging around the gym and then he'd stop. Run up to the pull up bar. Hang upside and do some kind of ab exercise whilst shadow boxing too. So he was swinging upside down and throwing hooks and upper cuts. Crazy.
Whatever happened to normal exercises?
TameRacingDriver said:
I'm convinced half of them are just attention seekers. It works, obviously, but I'm not exactly sure that the attention they are actually getting is the attention they really want. Everyone probably just thinks they're a massive tool.
Also I think some of them think they've discovered some fantastic new complex or exercise protocol to present to the world with their first ever appearance in the gym, and this gives them the confidence to make their mark 
Unfortunately they don't check their revolutionary new exercise idea is a. sound, and b. they don't look extremely silly.Gym I go to at lunchtime (Nuffield City) has 2 squash courts. You can be happily working out in one the weights or cardio studios only to hear a shout of ‘Aaaarrrgghhh!! For F**cks sake’ or similar emanating from the squash court as whatever tool on there has just missed a shot and wants to let the whole gym know in as macho a way as possible!
Pete102 said:
Very minor annoyance today - people who don't load the bar plates up in order (biggest to smallest) e.g. 20kg - 15kg - 10kg.
Worse more, those who mix weight plate order sizes such as 20kg - 10kg - 20kg - 5kg, really makes me twitch!
Often makes a lot of sense to load other than in order of weight IF you are training with someone else. For example, when I do squats with my little brother, my sets are usually about 40kg heavier than his, so I use two 20kg plates on last so they can come off quickly. It's the same with bench press (but 20kg difference there). Worse more, those who mix weight plate order sizes such as 20kg - 10kg - 20kg - 5kg, really makes me twitch!
I find moving plates about quite annoying so would like to be strong enough to use only 20kg plates for most of my lifting.
You can get achievable but strong figures for a normal sized guy:
60kg for reps on OHP and rows.
100kg for reps on the bench & front squat.
140kg for reps on deadlift and squat.
180kg for heavy work on deadlift and squats.
The jumps are pretty big, though, so you probably need the smaller weights too. I don't fancy trying to jump from 60kg to 100kh on power cleans, for example. And 100kg to 140kg on the bench is probably not possible.
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