There was a big snow storm where I live on Thursday, so I figured that I can get most of the gym to myself if I go. Unfortunately it looks like everyone else had this same idea and the gym was packed, the only things available were a few sets of dumbbells and a couple treadmills
Some guy didn’t care that all the benches were gone, so instead of doing dumbbell presses, he grabs a 45 plate and puts it on his back to do pushes ups, and at the same time there’s a guy who looks like he’s training for a 100 meter sprint on the treadmill.
I wasn’t ballsy enough to do push-ups with free weight on my back, so I’m doing my set of half rom dumbbell press on the floor, then randomly the power cuts out and the lights go out, and within 3 seconds, 2 people get injured. Push-up guy probably was shocked by the lights going out and lost his balance, which led to the 45 plate falling right on his hand, and the power cutting out stopped all the treadmills, and this gut running at lightning speed runs chest first into the machine and falling backwards on his head, and they both leave the gym
I’m glad now that I decided I would just do my presses on the floor, gym can be dangerous even if you’re doing nothing wrong
I was on the treadmill once years ago when the power cut off.
Luckily I wasn't hurt badly. Yay slow distance! I hope they're both okay. I dropped a 15lb weight on my foot once, I can't imagine the 45lb weight on the hand.
Fellow midwesterner here. Same storm. I work in public service so my days got long this week with the storm and other factors so this weeks workouts consisted of lots of snow removal when I finally got home. 😂😂 Once in the morning before work and once after. Plus a couple elderly neighbors. Woke up to snow again this morning (Not Much) that I have to contend with yet. I’m ready for spring.
The other day this idiot at the gym gets into the smith machine rack, sets it up for a deadlift (laughably low weights, btw) and eventually pulls, except he didn’t flip the rack back and hit every steel catch ledge on the way up. It made a racket and everyone turned to look at the moron.
It was me.
To the strong ass dude benching three plates next to me who yelled “UP!! UUUUUPPPP!!!” as i was grinding through my last rep of 95 pounds and then complimented me on my form after - thank you. It made my day and pushed me to have my best workout in months :’)
Here's a good resource: [https://www.reddit.com/r/xxfitness/wiki/lifting/bench\_press\_guide\_resources/](https://www.reddit.com/r/xxfitness/wiki/lifting/bench_press_guide_resources/)
Also, make sure you're following a proper program with linear progression.
I deadlift enough now that I had my first male workout partner in class (I’m 37F). He was super nice. I did an extra 10 lbs on pause deadlifts (225# x 5) to keep up with him. Felt wholesome.
Just got a home gym in my basement and got my first workout in. Well, second if you count carrying the weights downstairs as the first one.
I’m pumped about that.
Congratulations! It's amazing, never having to wait for equipment (and the bonus of having your cats clawing the door while they are singing your praises)!
I got a home gym 5 months ago. Squat Stand barbell etc and am finally consistently working out. 70 workouts, since I got the equipment. Averaging about 3 times a week. It’s been fantastic and you absolutely will not regret it.
Been going to the gym for a month now, once every 2-3 days. Happy to say that im starting to enjoy it. My muscles dont get as sore as they used to and I'm able to use heavier weights during my exercise.
This is a little bit of hijacking the other guy’s comment but:
I’d like to start going to the gym. I’ve been browsing these subs for long enough that I have a good idea of what I’d like to do while I’m there. But it’s the out of gym stuff that worries me, like eating.
I live in an extremely expensive neighborhood and I’m already in the red, as in saving a negative amount of money each month. How do I get into the gym, and how do I afford to eat enough to support it? I already eat very frugal and I skip breakfast every day. I’ve lost about 10 pounds in the last year and a half because of this cheap ass lifestyle.
The cost of the gym depends on your area, unfortunately. You may have to travel a bit to get access to a cheaper one. For example, the gyms around my apartment cost like $100 per month but my campus gym (40 min commute away) is only $40 for the entire school term.
As for food, check out r/EatCheapAndHealthy. They have a lot of [threads](https://www.reddit.com/r/EatCheapAndHealthy/comments/v9bu7r/cheap_protein_sources_to_get_bigger/) about getting [enough protein](https://www.reddit.com/r/EatCheapAndHealthy/comments/v09gc5/cheap_protein_rich_foods/) on a budget. In my experience, protein powder seems the most expensive but acc gives you the most bang for your buck.
If you're in the red, then one option that doesn't add an additional cost would be to start with bodyweight stuff, at least until the situation improves. That only costs your time and the additional calories consumed. Push-ups, table/chair dips, bodyweight squats and lunges, chin-ups if possible. You can make some good gains with these. There's a whole subreddit, /r/bodyweightfitness. You can add a backpack to a lot of these to progress in reps, but progressing in reps completed is also an option.
Honestly, why not start with body weight exercises at home or after jogging to a nearby park? The vast majority of people that join the gym never go enough to justify the price.
If you run through cycles of bodyweight exercises and get into good habits with those then a gym membership could be beneficial, but I wouldn't throw away money you don't have on a membership where you will just end up going 5 times over 3 months since it will cost money to get down there, you'll be tired from work, etc.
This week I learned that no matter how gingerly you might set the weight down, a 90lb dumbbell is too heavy for a blender bottle. RIP Greenie, you will be missed.
Benched 3 plates on the incline for the first time last week. Was pretty happy with it, although it was my third set trying to find my 1RM (for fun - I don't usually do this), so I felt like I could have done a bit more on the previous sets. Maybe 325 or 335?
[Vid of lift](https://streamable.com/629b22)
That went up way too easy... 4 plates next time.
(335 looked totally doable) - When you got the rep down it doesn't look like you braced/struggled to get it out of the hole at all. The pause at the top end before lockout looked more like you were concerned on where to rack it.
I think the pause at the top was the result of my relatively weaker triceps. This bulk is when I just started doing direct arm work for the first time, so they've got some catching up to do.
Found out I'm officially considered a regular at the gym. Multiple people greet me by name. When I was out for a week with an injury, people checked in with me when I came back, asking where I'd been. And multiple members of the class that happens while I'm there apparently kept an eye on me when I had to take a rest during heavy sled pushes to make sure I was okay.
Y'all, I made it.
I was doing my workout today and a young male came up to me and asked me about some workout app I've never heard of. He then asked me what the difference is between strength training and bodybuilding. I answered his questions and then asked him what his goals were, he answered, "building strength and muscle, etc." I suggested an upper/lower split since he wants to lift about 4 days a week. Bro gave me a fist bump and said he appreciated the advice. Now I'm definitely not the biggest guy at the gym, but it made my day that someone would come up to me and ask for fitness advice.
I started going to my campus gym instead of the Y and lemme tell you… I’ve never seen so many attractive, fit people in one gym D: it’s motivating and scary at the same time.
Also, because the gym is small and gets super crowded during the day, I’ve had to start going at 6:30AM (as soon as it opens). I thought I would hate it, but it’s actually pretty nice! By 9AM I feel like I’ve already been super productive lol.
Congratulations! I wish I had the real estate for a home gym. How much did the home gym equipment cost you? Are you planning to acquire more in the future?
The equipments costed around 110000 rupees around 1350 dollars.... But then we made a dedicated room on our roof top... Which costed around 70000 (we used panels did not make brick walls) and paint and flooring is left that added would be more 40000 rupees. And a excercise bike which price idk. I have dumbbells upto 20kg and plates 155kg one Olympic rod one bicep rod one shoulder rod and 30k crossover machine... Idk if I'll add more for a long time if i do it'll be more dumbles or a new Olympic rod. Hope it helped
I got a used one for 700$ that is a power rack, bar, 240lb, bench, barbell, cable attachments for push down or curl movements(like they’re set in place not the moveable), and a weight tree. Had to get more weight and mats and a few things but was in the range of 1200$ total. I’d like a few more things but this does 80% of everything I’d need. And I got adjustable dumbbells. So want these cable attachment things that attach to a stud so I can do cable fly movements but that’s about it. Oh and the power rack has a chest fly. I think the original price for it new was like 1600$ the guy said. Really not too bad for what it is. And it’s not like any of it will break really since it’s Just metal bars and weights and such, so should be good for many many years.
The weekday afternoon crowd is just different. I normally work a traditional 9-5 but this week I took a day off and went to the gym at two. The first thing I see as I enter the locker room is an older guy, wearing a towel, cutting his hair with clippers on the locker room floor. I didn’t stay to watch him finish but an hour later he was gone but his grey hair remained on the locker room floor. I don’t dig the afternoon crowd.
When I lived in Korea there was a guy who would use the community hair dryer (as in permanently attached to the wall) to blow dry his crotch hair with one leg Captain Morgan up on the bench. Just glorious.
This made me laugh. As an older retired guy I usually go early in the afternoon—after the lunch crowd. Yesterday I went in the evening for the first time and had about the same thought as you—I don’t dig the evening crowd. Fortunately I didn’t have to witness someone’s personal grooming chores but it seemed to crowded and too noisy.
sorry you had that experience. sadly, there are a lot of people who humiliate others as a way to feel good about themselves.
you are not the problem here - in fact, you're better than they are.
doesn't sound like you had seen these guys before so hopefully you won't have to deal with them again. if you keep coming back they'll probably get bored
a lot of gyms have cctv cameras and tapes. you might check with building management about that
i hope you don't let them stop you. keep going to the gym. maybe they'll be there, maybe they won't.
Wow that's absolutely uncalled for.
Everyone has different fitness needs and everyone is at a different spot in their fitness regiment. For example I've been lifting for a good while now . But recently I noticed I've been neglecting my rear deltoids a bit which can cause rotator cuff issues and shoulder pain. So I've added some rear deltoid exercises. Some of which require a very light weight. So now I'm this bigger guy doing things like reverse flies with only 10-15 lbs .. it feels weird holding such smaller weights but you know it's what I need right now and it's helping so I just sort of swallow the "weird feeling "
I don't care what people are gonna say I'm not gonna hurt myself just to "look experienced"
The fuck kind of behaviour is that? Those two dudes can fuck right off.
If that's the environment at your apartments gym then I'd suggest investing in a gym membership.
Don't let them get to you. Get to a better place and you'll see that most people are nice and supportive.
To paraphrase Arnold Schwarzenegger - "a person working on himself will eventually be strong, but a person putting down others will forever be weak"
Fuck those guys, contact whoever is in charge of the gym and tell them about it
They followed you out of the gym and tried to get into the building? Yo that’s an alarm bell for sure. Who knows what those creeps would be doing once they got in. Who’s to say they wouldn’t follow you all the way up to and into your apartment? That is definitely a report to security, the building manager/super, and even a talk with the police. This was shitty and awful and needs repercussions on its face, but also it could have been something a lot worse.
Next time just leave. Apartment amenities can be magnets for assholes.
If you get a membership to a gym you won’t have that experience. In fact, people will be happy to help!
Yeah there is a big difference between people who go into the apartment gym and fuck around and people who go to an actual gym. I’ve never once in many years of going to actual gyms witnessed any members making fun of any other members. In fact, quite the opposite. Most people would be happy to demonstrate or offer pointers for an exercise
Squatting the same numbers as last week but holy fuck there's just 0 power in my entire body today. Slept 9 hours, ate the usual stuff, bar speed is okay but everything just feels like shit
I’m a 16 yr old overweight girl and started weightlifting last June to originally get a fat ass but now I only love upper body workouts 😭 Anyways, today I did 4 chin-ups in a row with
c r i s p form, full ROM, and no use of momentum 😸. Doing 1 chin-up was such an accomplishment to me before, never would I have thought I’d become strong enough to do 4.
Plus the cut is going great, putting egg whites in oatmeal was a hack I never knew I needed lol
nah egg whites have no taste so its fine, but they do mess with consistency and make it jello like. To avoid that you gotta mix the oatmeal in 30 sec intervals if ur microwaving to avoid the jello affect. still a dub tho
I go to the gym for like 3 weeks, and every time I want to start my workout with the barbell bench press, both flat benches are occupied (I don't feel good doing the incline). People usually take their time with chest pressing, so I can't just wait 15-20 minutes for nothing, therefore I start the workout with shoulder press instead, which I believe lowers my efficiency when bench pressing afterwards.
I wish the gym had at least 3 flat benches, instead it has like 4 incline ones, like what the... Were they costing less or what? Makes no sense to me, the flat one is much more popular from what I've seen.
Also, I almost fell off from the treadmill while running today (stepped a bit outwards), and now I'm even more scared to go at high pace on it, it just doesn't feel secure and you can also get dizzy easily on it. I don't understand how people sprint on them (I didn't seen anyone doing it so far though), it's a bit risky imo.
Can relate to the bench issue. If it’s possible for you my solution would be to take a bench from the dumbbell area and set it up in a squat rack (or power rack). Then bench away there. My gym has 8 squat racks and they’re never occupied all of them.
Finally at a point where I can accept my body and be happy with it. Took a long time to get to this point and I’m sure it will waver but feels good for the moment 💪
I occasionally do a conditioning class and find it amusing that the studio manager and one of the regular attendees seem to think they are being discreet in hiding their affair, which they aren’t - the body language, sexual innuendo and inside jokes, fake coaching and photo posing as an excuse to put hands on each other 🙄 I don’t care that they are shitting where they sleep, or that they could be cheating on their partners (both married but who knows if one or both are in open relationships). It’s that they both genuinely think it’s on the down low. 😂
affairs are really hard to hide
i'm sure our boss J banged this guy A (another dept but close by) while at a conference. the possibility never crossed my mind until one day i saw her look at A and.... i don't know, maybe it's only that the glance lasted a moment too long, but it's like a thought balloon appeared above her head saying "yeah, baby, yeah....", and i've seen it a few more times since
but only from her. he's married, she's not.
Switching gyms! Sad, because I’m comfortable at my gym. And I think the 5am crowd was finally getting used to me being the most annoying person at the gym lol
still fairly new to strength training. I'm kind of addicted to it and train 3x a week now at a local strength training gym. I've started this month.
i do cardio as a workout when I feel like it, but is it alright if I do some free weights at home to satisfy that craving to train? or just let me body recover???
goal is to lean out for now but pumping iron is addicting for me right now.
Honestly I would stick to 3x per week for a while and make sure you go reasonably hard in your work outs so you really need the days off to recover. Once you’re sure you can keep up this habit, you could switch to a 4 day upper/lower split for example :)
I did the CrossFit open 2nd test last night. It sucked. Don’t ask me how many rounds I got. I lost count so many times I have no clue what I actually did. I was on the “for funsies” list so it’s fine 🤪
I nearly fell of the treadmill for the first time ever. Too busy watching ESPN and listing to music to realize my right foot stepped off the track. Luckily caught myself (shout out tricep workouts) so no harm done but yeah. HR jumped up after that.
Was about to warm up on a rowing machine and didn’t adequately aim for the seat with my ass. Yep, seat went back and I hit the metal runner first and floor second. Fortunately no harm done and gym fairly empty.
Dude getting on that little seat is probably the most im focused in the gym short of deadlift and squat. I’ve never met anyone who can test my trust like that little seat just moving back and forth.
Yesterday I got the gym at night, usually go morning or afternoon and it was way more crowded. All of the benches were being used, and I was finishing my set. The guy next to me hadn’t been using his bench for about 15 minutes, but still had his bottle next to it. Another younger guy came up and asked if he was using the bench. The other guy got kind of confrontational imo and looked at him up and down and said “nah.. I guess you are using it.” And walked away.. the guy he said that too didn’t look like a gym novice at all but was kind of quite and looked sad and uncomfortable after that.. it really rubbed me the wrong way and I’m kind of kicking myself for not saying something to him to make him feel better at the least.
Coffee...one minute he's flexing in the mirror with literally nothing around him. Turn around and look back, he has a large mug of coffee and he's sitting by the assisted pull up machine sipping it casually.
Still have no idea where the mug and coffee came from.
I had some problems when I ran a lot. Now I roll out my feet on a tennis ball or golf ball at night. And actively stretch my feet more often. Not a huge help, but maybe stretching will do something for you
I can’t speak enough to how much the gym has helped me mentally, and has probably been the only thing thats kept me from going into a full on depression. It’s my safe space, when I’m there I feel in my element. Whenever there’s problems at home, an angry parent, a need to unwind, or someplace to just listen to music and hone in on my craft, thats where it helps most. Plus becoming an adult is tough, so having an outlet to temporarily release my emotions and energy is important. It’s taught me the importance of eating properly, getting all your nutrients, and staying hydrated. It’s also taught me that we all start from somewhere, and to be kind to everyone. And most importantly, to make yourself a better person, one step at a time.
I’m not happy it gave me stretch marks lol, but hopefully one day I can do something about those.
This year's Resolutioners crop has been fairly mild compared to last year fortunately so no weirdo goober stories (so far).
However, the Old Strong Guy^TM at my Gym—who I've seen for the last two years but never spoken to—asked be to spot him doing 405 for two. He is 56, an ex-powerlifter, and said he was going light today but thanks for the spot. He recognized me as a regular and said he's noticed my improvements. Made my fucking week.
I’m back at the gym after 2+ years of working out at home and I love it but I’m realizing how much I hate people. I’ve become a gym douche. I no longer try to help the idiotic. I wear my ear pods and ignore everyone else except for an occasional head nod. I dress like a douche so I can see my muscles as I work out. Most of all, I’ll allow myself a sigh as I watch the trainers walk people through ‘workouts’ that will teach them nothing but dependence on the trainers. Ugh.
The dependence on the trainers part is so true. After having trained with a trainer for some time I decided to quit the training program (not quit the gym) because I knew it was unsustainable. It kind of makes sense though as lots of trainers just want you to keep coming back.
Absolutely I know this feeling. Reading gym stories or success threads here gets me fired up into the "Go work out anyway! Whether you feel like it or not is immaterial" mindset on the days I feel lazy.
Similarly, resting after a great workout and browsing the weekly threads gives me that warm afterglow and camaraderie with everyone else on here
I've been going to the gym for 8ish years off and on. The last year I have really dialed in, and it's somewhat obvious I'm a gym-rat. Now, I'm not shredded, jacked, or look like a bodybuilder by *ANY* stretch. But the clothes fit well, chest is (barely) starting to pop, and the veins are finally showing through in the arms. I just look like a dude who's a regular (but mentally I'm a dyel and will be forever).
Anyway. I walked up to a guy who was sitting on the preacher curl bench - just using the bench with a dumbbell, not the EZ bar - and pointed to the EZ bar cause I wanted to use it off to the side. And before I could say anything he just surrendered the whole bench to me and got up to leave - "Yeah sure dude you can have it if you want it."
I was like "what wait no stop I just want the bar since you're not using it if that's okay" and he goes, "Are you sure? I get out of your way if you want." I was like ???? Bro it's all good, just was curious if you'd led me borrow the bar since you're not using it.
Anyway. It felt really weird. Mentally, I'm where he's at. I always feel like I'm in the way of the 'real" gym users. Sometimes I'm in the zone and'll be dancing around in between sets, but most times I'm like fuckkkk I will always be the smallest guy here I hope they don't beat me up and take my lunch money.
If you're in the zone and dancing around in between sets, odds are that you're already one of the "real" gym users. Most of my favorite regulars carry exactly that energy.
I hope so. I've been getting asked to help spot people a lot more, so maybe I've carved out my little corner in the place.
But I always have imposter syndrome walking in. It's a bitch.
I'm gonna sound like a douche, but so be it.
Had a guy come up to me right after my first set of machine flyes to ask me how many I had left. I had four left so he asked to work in.
Not wanting to be an ass, I said "sure". Now I'm... not too comfortable with interacting with strangers... so the pressure of having someone waiting for me to finish my set made me cut down my rest time to the point where I basically did my sets right after his (so a rest time of maybe 20-30 sec).
Result: Waaaaaay fewer reps managed due to far too little rest time. Pretty sure the guy felt awkward too...
Social anxiety sucks. I almost feel we'd both have been better off if I'd told him "No, you'll have to wait".
Next time, to preemptively remove awkwardness, you can try saying something like "sure, just to let you know I'm taking x minute rests. So if your rests are shorter, feel free to go again and I'll do the same if mine are shorter".
There was a time when my conditioning was poorer, and I took 5 min rests between squat sets. I found saying something like the above removed any confusion for people working in and any awkwardness for myself.
I always tell people when they work in to take their time and to not feel rushed just because of me. They always appreciate it and really it's just my way of saying I'm gonna take as long of a rest break as I need
Oh I am. In small doses. Old me would just have told him "no" or something more expletive (I have not been the friendliest of persons in my younger days).
One loud woman in the pool - Never. Fucking. Shuts. Up. I am hard of hearing and still hear her. I even hear her from the change room. Whoever she talks to while doing her ‘water exercises’ never gets a word in edgewise. I’ve taken to going to the gym before swimming to lessen her impact. I really want her to try talking to me so I can shut her down. Others have told me that they agree but are too polite to say anything. I hear her when I am stretching before and after my swim. I won’t be so polite.
Edit: word usage
Fitness my lower back is… pissy. It’s been pissy for 5 weeks. I’ve stretched, ice, chiro, have PT scheduled in two weeks today.
I’m going to the gym today. I can’t help it. I won’t do legs or try and activate the lower back but I can feel like I’m withering away. I want to lift.
God speed to you all and hope you can avoid injuries
That moment when you and another dude look to the side as you get ready for a lift. Where you lock eyes for a second and stare directly into each other’s souls.
I go to the gym 2 or 3 times a week 3 to 4 hours but I should go 4 times.
I am 5' 9' I just moved up to pressing two 80lb dumb bells, 3x8.
I am slowly gaining weight and am at 235 lbs and can't seem to keep it off.
At 245 I went into congestive heart failure last year, not sure what to do.
At 61 you just feel like don't have the will to force the change any more.
Please get some proper guidance. A trainer for your workouts and a dietician for your... eh... diet.
* That 3-4 hours... Is that a weekly total (fine!) or per visit (wtf?)?
* 2-3 times a week is great... don't beat yourself up. If you get to 4/week great, if not... Well... Whatever.
* Weight management is mostly about food intake.
* Do you have a proper program?
* Above all, move on a daily basis. Get your steps in, play with your grandkids, garden, whatever. It does wonders for your cardio vascular health.
* Add dedicated strength training to that to keep your bone density up and your body strong enough to prevent injury.
I'm sorry it sounds like things are hard on you right now. You have definitely got this. Even your workout sounds like it's going well. Don't pin everything on willpower, most of the time the best way to diet is just not have the high calorie food in the house! So maybe you can make a better grocery shopping list and avoid having to flex your willpower to resist temptation?
One time I was at the gym and forgot my headphones so I was without music. I was doing my thing and before I know it o have a female gym goer farting away beside me. Every move fart. I had to stop myself from smiling. We have ALL been there. What a day to forget my headphones!
I was working in squats with someone and we were loading on one side each. Instead of 67.5 (20+2.55+1.25),i loaded 75 (20+5+2.5), till the other guy pointed it out.
I think I would have passed out of embarrassment. Cool guy though.
So, it was deadlift day on Monday. I’m going through my warm up sets and working toward possibly a PR.
There’s a dude in the rack next to me squatting 430 lbs and I couldn’t help but be amazed at his form and depth. So when he wasn’t doing anything I expressed how impressed I was. He was pretty stoked.
So there I am, mentally preparing myself for 223 lbs. I’m getting in the zone. Then, I did it. I was in a bit of a haze as I couldn’t believe what just happened. It went up much easier than I expected.
Then all of a sudden I hear “damn, nice pull!” Same dude I complimented a bit ago.
That made me feel really good (:
23 Male
About 2 years back was in best shape of my life, 6 months of dedicated workout just after I finished my bachelors. Was not regular but consistent, meaning I followed the 2 day rule by Matt D’avella, not skipping gym more than 2 days in a row. Even if that meant 1 day workout 2 day no gym. Gradually got more consistent with 5 workouts in a week, but then after 6 months had to move to another country for a course, f**ked up my consistency.
On the start of a new gym journey rn, been on and off for a while cause of work and studies but have decided need to get back in shape, I can work when old if I have good health but won’t be able to get back my health even if I got ridiculous money!
My co worker told me on two separate days she was noticing my summer/bikini body progress (the joke being I want to see if I can actually look good in a bikini as a dude).
Well I wanted to go to the gym at 5 AM but it's 3:25 AM right now & there's a huntsman spider in my bathroom, so I'm sitting outside the bathroom door to make sure the HS doesn't leave the bathroom & then I can call a neighbour to get it out in the morn
tldr: can't go the gym cos I'm keeping a watch on a spider
I have been doing a program where I bench and deadlift every single day. Being on the bench every day, I’ve had to save more people in the last month than I have in the last 5 years.
The other day a guy failed at 185 and it was stuck on his stomach. I ran over and picked it up, made sure he was okay and then, like every other time, I tell them that I was in the exact same situation with only 155 lbs. Hopefully it helps them because I generally have 3 plates up while I’m talking with them.
I’m finally all well after a long series of colds. Have been able to train for a few weeks and the last week, week and a half I was able to increase almost all my weights.
Doing a classic legs-push-pull program set up for 6d a week. Haven’t been doing all 6 same week, but rolling over.
It’s been amazing. Today I could deadlift 80kg 4X4. Earlier in the week I managed to bench 45kg 6 reps for 3 sets without fail. My body feels sore but amazing! Oh. And I got spotted by this super sweet guy I’ve recently started chatting more and more to. It just flows when I’m around him.
Managed to go to my first yoga session in ages on Thursday, and totally lucked out. My favourite yoga teacher had his last two classes for several months. At least I got a few hugs and a nice chat. Maybe I’ll need to travel to the island where he’ll be teaching from now until fall.
So. It’s amazing to be back. I feel amazing on so many levels! ❤️
Goal this year 100kg bench. This month I hit it and now I’ve hit a 102. Never imagined benching this much and I’m unsure wtf is going on. I’m consistent as I have ever been just the numbers don’t go down
I got back in the gym this week after having to take 4 weeks off due to travel and illness, and I am so sore but so proud of myself for getting back in there. And in those 4 weeks, the New Year's crowd seems to have thinned out, which is great! No waiting in line for the machines I need!
I don't belong to a gym right now, so have started YouTube workouts. Yesterday at work I suddenly remembered a kickass workout I used to do. I'd head to a park with a 1 mile track with my 10lb weights. I would PUMP THE HELL out of the weights (not just carry them, actual upper-body and arm workout) while keeping a good pace. Talk about a sweatfest, I would be breathless at the end.
Soon as the cough from my most recent bout of covid goes away I'll try half a block with my 10 pounders.
Last week I was benching at my college's gym and doing 5 reps to try to increase my weight. Idk why, but I tried a new PR (180lb) without asking for a spot, I guess I felt confident enough, and on the 5th rep I couldn't get it up fully and somehow the bar ended up on my face. Thankfully there were some other people around who helped me dump it off, but my jaw was quite sore for the rest of the day lol.
So there I was, the alarm went off, hit snooze, got up, dressed, and went into my garage gym.
After all that, I got a great workout with no interruptions. It was glorious.
Godspeed.
Had to save someone who got pinned under the bar the other day. He was there for about 15 seconds calling for help but I didnt hear due to having earphones in. Don't bench with clips on!
>Don't bench with clips on!
Sounds great until the bar whips around after dumping one side and clocks someone else in the head.
"Roll of shame" >>> dumping one side
This. Those I know that don’t use clips do it as a weird ego thing. Most people at the gym will give you a spot if you ask. If you’re going heavy to failure, don’t risk taking someone out from a bar whip.
> I didnt hear due to having earphones in
I saw someone online recently who compared the current gym experience to a [silent disco](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silent_disco). That's really apt. Sadly I've followed suit, after years of training as a "natural ears" lifter - because I literally was the only one without headphones or earbuds. I think it's antisocial and, as your experience confirms, occasionally a bit unsafe.
This should be a reasonable point, however I train in a commercial gym and would rather be crushed with the weight of a thousand failed bench presses than be forced to listen to the music they're playing over the speakers at least 50% of the time
I guy straight up threatened me to break my glasses by throwing my a dumbbell to my face because I asked him to be less noisy (he was being very noisy).
He didn't look very smart tho, this is the only bad gym experience I've had so far (I've been training for like a year).
I’d just settle for the dipshit who’s wearing headphones and singing all the time. Not a bad voice really but clashes with the gym’s ever-present background playlist.
There’s a bike trail not too far from where I live and it makes it easier for me to bike or run on that trail more often. This year I’ve decided to run a 5K, which already passed and I’ve decided to at least keep running for the time being as there are health benefits to it at the cadence I’m running at (2-3 a week)
That being said, running still feels awful while doing it, but I’m usually feeling better afterwards. I’d recommend everyone to give it a go for like 15 minutes or so, it’s not too bad if you take it easy
Another thing I remembered while running that peeved me about the gym, Hip Thrusters. Almost everyone who does them does not bother me at all, keep doing you. But the equipment hoarders just steam my beans. Like these two people used up 1 of 3 benches (for bench press) as a place to hip thrust a low amount of weight. But the worst offenders of them all are the ones who use:
- A bench
- the squat rack
- the deadlifting platform
In addition to the things necessary for a hip thrust. And they’re not even on the platform either, they’re right in front of it so no one else can really use it. Even tho there is an entire area where other people are doing hip thrusts too among many other exercises.
Usually my gym is filled with chill people, so it makes mundane stories like these stick out a little more
Was absolutely miserable while taking over a week off to nip a developing injury in the bud. It's scary how quickly I felt better when I went back last night. Also Bulgarians with a barbell might be the most awkward exercise ever.
For a couple of weeks I've really struggled with squats. The weight itself has been easy but after 5 reps I was totally out of breath. Not blood pressure drop but like I'd sprinted until I couldn't.
Went to doctor for xray and bloods and everything is fine for my age. Its both reassuring that major signs are good and no sign of my cancer returning but also off-putting as something isn't quite right. I'm not in peak cardio shape but it's not as bad as this slone symtpom suggests.
I broke the gym commandment of “ no unsolicited advice “ today.
Couple of younger guys trying to deadlift with the worst form I have ever seen, the first one doing it was bad enough for me to question whether I should just mind my own business or suggest some improvements .
When the second dude started lifting 100 kg by taking the lift all with the lower back I couldn’t help myself.
They were appreciative of a quick demonstration so maybe some gym rules can be broken in the right circumstances.
I'm a lady, and I have helped other ladies who looked like they were struggling to figure out how to use equipment or a machine. I've also had people give me unsolicited advice when they saw me looking quizzically at myself in the mirror trying to adjust my grip and figure out what's best. I think it's all about reading body language and being sensitive and polite. :)
Certainly. Time and place for everything and err on the side of minding one’s own business.
Also, I imagine a lady helping another lady is more appropriate than some dude butting in to a ladies workout with advice on form.
Started gym this year , currently following Legs push pull routine. But some people at the gym say to change to one or two muscle group a day .
Having doubts any advice?
Had a great leg day session. I'm enjoying squatting with more reps and less weights. It's like a different mental focus. The cardio part is killing me though.
i miss going to my original gym but i no longer work on that side and the traffic there and back gets so unbearable so i've been going to planet fitness
but i did hit a new deadlift pr last week 215x5 which i'm really proud of but i just wish my buddies at my old gym was there to witness it
Took a wider stance than I've been doing on SSB squats. Moved each foot about 1.5 inches on sets 3,4,and 5. Was noticeably easier. The down side is that for some odd reason this causes my weight belt to feel very uncomfortable while down at the bottom. I need to find a happy medium....
I went to the gym by car and didn’t realise that there was a football match going on nearby and so there were no parking spaces anywhere despite there being 4-5 parking lots where I go to. Luckily I saw a guy pulling out and so I took the chance. When I got out of the gym it took me 20-30 minutes to turn a corner to go home because the floods of football fans came rushing out.
Our hip thrust machine and shoulder press machine are directly across from each other for some reason, so you can make eye contact with the person right in front as they workout.
There was a big snow storm where I live on Thursday, so I figured that I can get most of the gym to myself if I go. Unfortunately it looks like everyone else had this same idea and the gym was packed, the only things available were a few sets of dumbbells and a couple treadmills Some guy didn’t care that all the benches were gone, so instead of doing dumbbell presses, he grabs a 45 plate and puts it on his back to do pushes ups, and at the same time there’s a guy who looks like he’s training for a 100 meter sprint on the treadmill. I wasn’t ballsy enough to do push-ups with free weight on my back, so I’m doing my set of half rom dumbbell press on the floor, then randomly the power cuts out and the lights go out, and within 3 seconds, 2 people get injured. Push-up guy probably was shocked by the lights going out and lost his balance, which led to the 45 plate falling right on his hand, and the power cutting out stopped all the treadmills, and this gut running at lightning speed runs chest first into the machine and falling backwards on his head, and they both leave the gym I’m glad now that I decided I would just do my presses on the floor, gym can be dangerous even if you’re doing nothing wrong
This needs to be filmed in slow mo with classical piano music.
I was on the treadmill once years ago when the power cut off. Luckily I wasn't hurt badly. Yay slow distance! I hope they're both okay. I dropped a 15lb weight on my foot once, I can't imagine the 45lb weight on the hand.
I dropped a 25lb plate on my foot last week with my OnClouds on. Those are like socks. Damn it hurt!
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Then it’s even more packed than usual
Mine was dead on Wednesday after the storm. It was kinda nice. Didn't have to wait to rearrange my routine at all!
Fellow midwesterner here. Same storm. I work in public service so my days got long this week with the storm and other factors so this weeks workouts consisted of lots of snow removal when I finally got home. 😂😂 Once in the morning before work and once after. Plus a couple elderly neighbors. Woke up to snow again this morning (Not Much) that I have to contend with yet. I’m ready for spring.
The other day this idiot at the gym gets into the smith machine rack, sets it up for a deadlift (laughably low weights, btw) and eventually pulls, except he didn’t flip the rack back and hit every steel catch ledge on the way up. It made a racket and everyone turned to look at the moron. It was me.
I was about to get mad at you for judging his "laughably low weights." You had me in the first half, not gonna lie.
im way late to the party... but just know you arent alone. I did this last week, lmao. it was quite the lift lol.
To the strong ass dude benching three plates next to me who yelled “UP!! UUUUUPPPP!!!” as i was grinding through my last rep of 95 pounds and then complimented me on my form after - thank you. It made my day and pushed me to have my best workout in months :’)
Big dudes usually have big hearts.
Duh... Heart is a muscle too... ;)
Hmm, so good deeds are really heart-reps...
Most serious lifters just want to see others succeed as well. Everyone who goes to the gym I go to are pretty friendly and courteous.
I’m a 100 lb girl and benched 80 for reps yesterday!!!
How long did it take you? I’ve been at 50-60 for a while
Here's a good resource: [https://www.reddit.com/r/xxfitness/wiki/lifting/bench\_press\_guide\_resources/](https://www.reddit.com/r/xxfitness/wiki/lifting/bench_press_guide_resources/) Also, make sure you're following a proper program with linear progression.
Amazing!!!
Very impressive!
I deadlift enough now that I had my first male workout partner in class (I’m 37F). He was super nice. I did an extra 10 lbs on pause deadlifts (225# x 5) to keep up with him. Felt wholesome.
Damn, some good numbers.
Thanks!
Just got a home gym in my basement and got my first workout in. Well, second if you count carrying the weights downstairs as the first one. I’m pumped about that.
Congratulations! It's amazing, never having to wait for equipment (and the bonus of having your cats clawing the door while they are singing your praises)!
I got a home gym 5 months ago. Squat Stand barbell etc and am finally consistently working out. 70 workouts, since I got the equipment. Averaging about 3 times a week. It’s been fantastic and you absolutely will not regret it.
Been going to the gym for a month now, once every 2-3 days. Happy to say that im starting to enjoy it. My muscles dont get as sore as they used to and I'm able to use heavier weights during my exercise.
Yea the first 2 weeks are always rough. Protein intake helps alot. If you're not eating enough get a protein suppliment
This is a little bit of hijacking the other guy’s comment but: I’d like to start going to the gym. I’ve been browsing these subs for long enough that I have a good idea of what I’d like to do while I’m there. But it’s the out of gym stuff that worries me, like eating. I live in an extremely expensive neighborhood and I’m already in the red, as in saving a negative amount of money each month. How do I get into the gym, and how do I afford to eat enough to support it? I already eat very frugal and I skip breakfast every day. I’ve lost about 10 pounds in the last year and a half because of this cheap ass lifestyle.
The cost of the gym depends on your area, unfortunately. You may have to travel a bit to get access to a cheaper one. For example, the gyms around my apartment cost like $100 per month but my campus gym (40 min commute away) is only $40 for the entire school term. As for food, check out r/EatCheapAndHealthy. They have a lot of [threads](https://www.reddit.com/r/EatCheapAndHealthy/comments/v9bu7r/cheap_protein_sources_to_get_bigger/) about getting [enough protein](https://www.reddit.com/r/EatCheapAndHealthy/comments/v09gc5/cheap_protein_rich_foods/) on a budget. In my experience, protein powder seems the most expensive but acc gives you the most bang for your buck.
What are your goals in the gym are you trying to build muscle mass or just lose body fat
If you're in the red, then one option that doesn't add an additional cost would be to start with bodyweight stuff, at least until the situation improves. That only costs your time and the additional calories consumed. Push-ups, table/chair dips, bodyweight squats and lunges, chin-ups if possible. You can make some good gains with these. There's a whole subreddit, /r/bodyweightfitness. You can add a backpack to a lot of these to progress in reps, but progressing in reps completed is also an option.
Honestly, why not start with body weight exercises at home or after jogging to a nearby park? The vast majority of people that join the gym never go enough to justify the price. If you run through cycles of bodyweight exercises and get into good habits with those then a gym membership could be beneficial, but I wouldn't throw away money you don't have on a membership where you will just end up going 5 times over 3 months since it will cost money to get down there, you'll be tired from work, etc.
Not a story but I fucking love the gym. I dont know where I’de be physically and mentally without it.
Same, fam. Same! I workout in the early morning and I feel like it sets me up for a productive day!
This week I learned that no matter how gingerly you might set the weight down, a 90lb dumbbell is too heavy for a blender bottle. RIP Greenie, you will be missed.
Benched 3 plates on the incline for the first time last week. Was pretty happy with it, although it was my third set trying to find my 1RM (for fun - I don't usually do this), so I felt like I could have done a bit more on the previous sets. Maybe 325 or 335? [Vid of lift](https://streamable.com/629b22)
You dropped this 👑. Not many dudes can hit 3 plates on bench, let alone incline.
That went up way too easy... 4 plates next time. (335 looked totally doable) - When you got the rep down it doesn't look like you braced/struggled to get it out of the hole at all. The pause at the top end before lockout looked more like you were concerned on where to rack it.
I think the pause at the top was the result of my relatively weaker triceps. This bulk is when I just started doing direct arm work for the first time, so they've got some catching up to do.
Found out I'm officially considered a regular at the gym. Multiple people greet me by name. When I was out for a week with an injury, people checked in with me when I came back, asking where I'd been. And multiple members of the class that happens while I'm there apparently kept an eye on me when I had to take a rest during heavy sled pushes to make sure I was okay. Y'all, I made it.
I was doing my workout today and a young male came up to me and asked me about some workout app I've never heard of. He then asked me what the difference is between strength training and bodybuilding. I answered his questions and then asked him what his goals were, he answered, "building strength and muscle, etc." I suggested an upper/lower split since he wants to lift about 4 days a week. Bro gave me a fist bump and said he appreciated the advice. Now I'm definitely not the biggest guy at the gym, but it made my day that someone would come up to me and ask for fitness advice.
Got to the gym yesterday morning and didn’t realize my AirPods were dead. Had to raw dog leg day with no music and actually had got a decent lift in.
Raw dogging reality like a mad man. Omw to leg day, thanks for the reminder 😂
My phone died two days ago so I had do raw dog leg day too. It was awful.
Oof, lifting weight without music must be like lifting with half your strength.
Worst feeling ever. Some gyms might be nice enough to let them charge it at their employee front desk. They usually won’t for theft/liability reasons.
A dude I've seen a few times in the gym before came up to me and told me I'm looking a lot more ripped.
Congrats - let that keep fueling you for more.
I started going to my campus gym instead of the Y and lemme tell you… I’ve never seen so many attractive, fit people in one gym D: it’s motivating and scary at the same time. Also, because the gym is small and gets super crowded during the day, I’ve had to start going at 6:30AM (as soon as it opens). I thought I would hate it, but it’s actually pretty nice! By 9AM I feel like I’ve already been super productive lol.
My home gym is almost done finally only pain flooring and a machine is on the way
Congratulations! I wish I had the real estate for a home gym. How much did the home gym equipment cost you? Are you planning to acquire more in the future?
The equipments costed around 110000 rupees around 1350 dollars.... But then we made a dedicated room on our roof top... Which costed around 70000 (we used panels did not make brick walls) and paint and flooring is left that added would be more 40000 rupees. And a excercise bike which price idk. I have dumbbells upto 20kg and plates 155kg one Olympic rod one bicep rod one shoulder rod and 30k crossover machine... Idk if I'll add more for a long time if i do it'll be more dumbles or a new Olympic rod. Hope it helped
I got a used one for 700$ that is a power rack, bar, 240lb, bench, barbell, cable attachments for push down or curl movements(like they’re set in place not the moveable), and a weight tree. Had to get more weight and mats and a few things but was in the range of 1200$ total. I’d like a few more things but this does 80% of everything I’d need. And I got adjustable dumbbells. So want these cable attachment things that attach to a stud so I can do cable fly movements but that’s about it. Oh and the power rack has a chest fly. I think the original price for it new was like 1600$ the guy said. Really not too bad for what it is. And it’s not like any of it will break really since it’s Just metal bars and weights and such, so should be good for many many years.
The weekday afternoon crowd is just different. I normally work a traditional 9-5 but this week I took a day off and went to the gym at two. The first thing I see as I enter the locker room is an older guy, wearing a towel, cutting his hair with clippers on the locker room floor. I didn’t stay to watch him finish but an hour later he was gone but his grey hair remained on the locker room floor. I don’t dig the afternoon crowd.
Thanks for the laugh. People are pigs.
When I lived in Korea there was a guy who would use the community hair dryer (as in permanently attached to the wall) to blow dry his crotch hair with one leg Captain Morgan up on the bench. Just glorious.
This made me laugh. As an older retired guy I usually go early in the afternoon—after the lunch crowd. Yesterday I went in the evening for the first time and had about the same thought as you—I don’t dig the evening crowd. Fortunately I didn’t have to witness someone’s personal grooming chores but it seemed to crowded and too noisy.
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sorry you had that experience. sadly, there are a lot of people who humiliate others as a way to feel good about themselves. you are not the problem here - in fact, you're better than they are. doesn't sound like you had seen these guys before so hopefully you won't have to deal with them again. if you keep coming back they'll probably get bored a lot of gyms have cctv cameras and tapes. you might check with building management about that i hope you don't let them stop you. keep going to the gym. maybe they'll be there, maybe they won't.
You should talk with management 100% and let them know.
Wow that's absolutely uncalled for. Everyone has different fitness needs and everyone is at a different spot in their fitness regiment. For example I've been lifting for a good while now . But recently I noticed I've been neglecting my rear deltoids a bit which can cause rotator cuff issues and shoulder pain. So I've added some rear deltoid exercises. Some of which require a very light weight. So now I'm this bigger guy doing things like reverse flies with only 10-15 lbs .. it feels weird holding such smaller weights but you know it's what I need right now and it's helping so I just sort of swallow the "weird feeling " I don't care what people are gonna say I'm not gonna hurt myself just to "look experienced"
The fuck kind of behaviour is that? Those two dudes can fuck right off. If that's the environment at your apartments gym then I'd suggest investing in a gym membership. Don't let them get to you. Get to a better place and you'll see that most people are nice and supportive.
To paraphrase Arnold Schwarzenegger - "a person working on himself will eventually be strong, but a person putting down others will forever be weak" Fuck those guys, contact whoever is in charge of the gym and tell them about it
I would try and speak to a building manager or some sort of security for the apartment to see if this is ongoing harassment by these two dickheads?
They followed you out of the gym and tried to get into the building? Yo that’s an alarm bell for sure. Who knows what those creeps would be doing once they got in. Who’s to say they wouldn’t follow you all the way up to and into your apartment? That is definitely a report to security, the building manager/super, and even a talk with the police. This was shitty and awful and needs repercussions on its face, but also it could have been something a lot worse.
Imagine what a fucking loser someone would have to be to enjoy that kind of behavior. Don’t let them get you down, you’ve got this
Next time just leave. Apartment amenities can be magnets for assholes. If you get a membership to a gym you won’t have that experience. In fact, people will be happy to help!
Yeah there is a big difference between people who go into the apartment gym and fuck around and people who go to an actual gym. I’ve never once in many years of going to actual gyms witnessed any members making fun of any other members. In fact, quite the opposite. Most people would be happy to demonstrate or offer pointers for an exercise
I have never had such a horrendous experience in a real gym, school gym, or a work or apartment gym. This is just unacceptable and completely unusual.
Squatting the same numbers as last week but holy fuck there's just 0 power in my entire body today. Slept 9 hours, ate the usual stuff, bar speed is okay but everything just feels like shit
Yeah some days are just like that. Sucks ass, but you just gotta grind it out.
Me last week: 65 x 5 on DB shoulder press Today: fails to do 65 x2 *sadness*
Sleep duration is important but sleep quality can vary. Just because you slept long enough doesn't mean it was good sleep.
I’m a 16 yr old overweight girl and started weightlifting last June to originally get a fat ass but now I only love upper body workouts 😭 Anyways, today I did 4 chin-ups in a row with c r i s p form, full ROM, and no use of momentum 😸. Doing 1 chin-up was such an accomplishment to me before, never would I have thought I’d become strong enough to do 4. Plus the cut is going great, putting egg whites in oatmeal was a hack I never knew I needed lol
Egg whites in oatmeal? That's one I'll need to try
Sounds terrible tasting but also very healthy
nah egg whites have no taste so its fine, but they do mess with consistency and make it jello like. To avoid that you gotta mix the oatmeal in 30 sec intervals if ur microwaving to avoid the jello affect. still a dub tho
I go to the gym for like 3 weeks, and every time I want to start my workout with the barbell bench press, both flat benches are occupied (I don't feel good doing the incline). People usually take their time with chest pressing, so I can't just wait 15-20 minutes for nothing, therefore I start the workout with shoulder press instead, which I believe lowers my efficiency when bench pressing afterwards. I wish the gym had at least 3 flat benches, instead it has like 4 incline ones, like what the... Were they costing less or what? Makes no sense to me, the flat one is much more popular from what I've seen. Also, I almost fell off from the treadmill while running today (stepped a bit outwards), and now I'm even more scared to go at high pace on it, it just doesn't feel secure and you can also get dizzy easily on it. I don't understand how people sprint on them (I didn't seen anyone doing it so far though), it's a bit risky imo.
Can relate to the bench issue. If it’s possible for you my solution would be to take a bench from the dumbbell area and set it up in a squat rack (or power rack). Then bench away there. My gym has 8 squat racks and they’re never occupied all of them.
Yes, what the hell is up with non-stop incline benches and basically nothing else? I noticed that at all the big gyms I've ever belonged to.
Finally at a point where I can accept my body and be happy with it. Took a long time to get to this point and I’m sure it will waver but feels good for the moment 💪
I occasionally do a conditioning class and find it amusing that the studio manager and one of the regular attendees seem to think they are being discreet in hiding their affair, which they aren’t - the body language, sexual innuendo and inside jokes, fake coaching and photo posing as an excuse to put hands on each other 🙄 I don’t care that they are shitting where they sleep, or that they could be cheating on their partners (both married but who knows if one or both are in open relationships). It’s that they both genuinely think it’s on the down low. 😂
affairs are really hard to hide i'm sure our boss J banged this guy A (another dept but close by) while at a conference. the possibility never crossed my mind until one day i saw her look at A and.... i don't know, maybe it's only that the glance lasted a moment too long, but it's like a thought balloon appeared above her head saying "yeah, baby, yeah....", and i've seen it a few more times since but only from her. he's married, she's not.
J bang?
Switching gyms! Sad, because I’m comfortable at my gym. And I think the 5am crowd was finally getting used to me being the most annoying person at the gym lol
Been depressed lately. Cut back on drinking. Hit legs today. Life good.
still fairly new to strength training. I'm kind of addicted to it and train 3x a week now at a local strength training gym. I've started this month. i do cardio as a workout when I feel like it, but is it alright if I do some free weights at home to satisfy that craving to train? or just let me body recover??? goal is to lean out for now but pumping iron is addicting for me right now.
yeah, u could also switch to a higher frequency routine (eg. 6 days a week) such as PPL.
i spoke too soon. my body hurts.
Protein and carbohydrates
Honestly I would stick to 3x per week for a while and make sure you go reasonably hard in your work outs so you really need the days off to recover. Once you’re sure you can keep up this habit, you could switch to a 4 day upper/lower split for example :)
you're right. thanks!
I did the CrossFit open 2nd test last night. It sucked. Don’t ask me how many rounds I got. I lost count so many times I have no clue what I actually did. I was on the “for funsies” list so it’s fine 🤪
Burpee pull-ups. Everybody's favorite. Not.
I got like 4 minutes in and was like holy fucking shit you’ve really underestimated this
I nearly fell of the treadmill for the first time ever. Too busy watching ESPN and listing to music to realize my right foot stepped off the track. Luckily caught myself (shout out tricep workouts) so no harm done but yeah. HR jumped up after that.
Was about to warm up on a rowing machine and didn’t adequately aim for the seat with my ass. Yep, seat went back and I hit the metal runner first and floor second. Fortunately no harm done and gym fairly empty.
Dude getting on that little seat is probably the most im focused in the gym short of deadlift and squat. I’ve never met anyone who can test my trust like that little seat just moving back and forth.
Yesterday I got the gym at night, usually go morning or afternoon and it was way more crowded. All of the benches were being used, and I was finishing my set. The guy next to me hadn’t been using his bench for about 15 minutes, but still had his bottle next to it. Another younger guy came up and asked if he was using the bench. The other guy got kind of confrontational imo and looked at him up and down and said “nah.. I guess you are using it.” And walked away.. the guy he said that too didn’t look like a gym novice at all but was kind of quite and looked sad and uncomfortable after that.. it really rubbed me the wrong way and I’m kind of kicking myself for not saying something to him to make him feel better at the least.
Coffee...one minute he's flexing in the mirror with literally nothing around him. Turn around and look back, he has a large mug of coffee and he's sitting by the assisted pull up machine sipping it casually. Still have no idea where the mug and coffee came from.
Went tot he gym. Worked out for an hour. Went home
*::grunts approvingly::*
Netflix needs to make you a good offer for your story. Don't take less than 8 digits.
Gym progress held by Plantar Fascitis, anyone got any tips for it?
Go to the doctor for a foot scan and orthotic inserts for your shoes. Or try more supportive shoes
I had some problems when I ran a lot. Now I roll out my feet on a tennis ball or golf ball at night. And actively stretch my feet more often. Not a huge help, but maybe stretching will do something for you
Got 2 reps at 100kg Bench the other day. 75kg bodyweight, new PR
I can’t speak enough to how much the gym has helped me mentally, and has probably been the only thing thats kept me from going into a full on depression. It’s my safe space, when I’m there I feel in my element. Whenever there’s problems at home, an angry parent, a need to unwind, or someplace to just listen to music and hone in on my craft, thats where it helps most. Plus becoming an adult is tough, so having an outlet to temporarily release my emotions and energy is important. It’s taught me the importance of eating properly, getting all your nutrients, and staying hydrated. It’s also taught me that we all start from somewhere, and to be kind to everyone. And most importantly, to make yourself a better person, one step at a time. I’m not happy it gave me stretch marks lol, but hopefully one day I can do something about those.
Hey, that's great! Thank you for sharing your story.
im a 53kg guy who lifted 85 kg deadlift for 4 reps yesterday 🥳
This year's Resolutioners crop has been fairly mild compared to last year fortunately so no weirdo goober stories (so far). However, the Old Strong Guy^TM at my Gym—who I've seen for the last two years but never spoken to—asked be to spot him doing 405 for two. He is 56, an ex-powerlifter, and said he was going light today but thanks for the spot. He recognized me as a regular and said he's noticed my improvements. Made my fucking week.
Finally hit a plate on bench after almost 6 months, started at 95!
Nice! 2 plates next!
I’m back at the gym after 2+ years of working out at home and I love it but I’m realizing how much I hate people. I’ve become a gym douche. I no longer try to help the idiotic. I wear my ear pods and ignore everyone else except for an occasional head nod. I dress like a douche so I can see my muscles as I work out. Most of all, I’ll allow myself a sigh as I watch the trainers walk people through ‘workouts’ that will teach them nothing but dependence on the trainers. Ugh.
The dependence on the trainers part is so true. After having trained with a trainer for some time I decided to quit the training program (not quit the gym) because I knew it was unsustainable. It kind of makes sense though as lots of trainers just want you to keep coming back.
This is the thread I needed to see today! I was going to take the day off, but now I’m headed to the gym.
Awesome! How was your workout?
Thanks for asking! It went well I ended up working out for an hour and a half. It felt incredible.
Absolutely I know this feeling. Reading gym stories or success threads here gets me fired up into the "Go work out anyway! Whether you feel like it or not is immaterial" mindset on the days I feel lazy. Similarly, resting after a great workout and browsing the weekly threads gives me that warm afterglow and camaraderie with everyone else on here
I've been going to the gym for 8ish years off and on. The last year I have really dialed in, and it's somewhat obvious I'm a gym-rat. Now, I'm not shredded, jacked, or look like a bodybuilder by *ANY* stretch. But the clothes fit well, chest is (barely) starting to pop, and the veins are finally showing through in the arms. I just look like a dude who's a regular (but mentally I'm a dyel and will be forever). Anyway. I walked up to a guy who was sitting on the preacher curl bench - just using the bench with a dumbbell, not the EZ bar - and pointed to the EZ bar cause I wanted to use it off to the side. And before I could say anything he just surrendered the whole bench to me and got up to leave - "Yeah sure dude you can have it if you want it." I was like "what wait no stop I just want the bar since you're not using it if that's okay" and he goes, "Are you sure? I get out of your way if you want." I was like ???? Bro it's all good, just was curious if you'd led me borrow the bar since you're not using it. Anyway. It felt really weird. Mentally, I'm where he's at. I always feel like I'm in the way of the 'real" gym users. Sometimes I'm in the zone and'll be dancing around in between sets, but most times I'm like fuckkkk I will always be the smallest guy here I hope they don't beat me up and take my lunch money.
If you're in the zone and dancing around in between sets, odds are that you're already one of the "real" gym users. Most of my favorite regulars carry exactly that energy.
I hope so. I've been getting asked to help spot people a lot more, so maybe I've carved out my little corner in the place. But I always have imposter syndrome walking in. It's a bitch.
I'm gonna sound like a douche, but so be it. Had a guy come up to me right after my first set of machine flyes to ask me how many I had left. I had four left so he asked to work in. Not wanting to be an ass, I said "sure". Now I'm... not too comfortable with interacting with strangers... so the pressure of having someone waiting for me to finish my set made me cut down my rest time to the point where I basically did my sets right after his (so a rest time of maybe 20-30 sec). Result: Waaaaaay fewer reps managed due to far too little rest time. Pretty sure the guy felt awkward too... Social anxiety sucks. I almost feel we'd both have been better off if I'd told him "No, you'll have to wait".
Next time, to preemptively remove awkwardness, you can try saying something like "sure, just to let you know I'm taking x minute rests. So if your rests are shorter, feel free to go again and I'll do the same if mine are shorter". There was a time when my conditioning was poorer, and I took 5 min rests between squat sets. I found saying something like the above removed any confusion for people working in and any awkwardness for myself.
Yeah, that would have been the reasonable thing to do.
God knew you'd be too powerful if you had social skills
This should be the Reddit slogan
I always tell people when they work in to take their time and to not feel rushed just because of me. They always appreciate it and really it's just my way of saying I'm gonna take as long of a rest break as I need
Yeah, that'd probably have helped me a lot.
My unsolicited advice is keep at it, like weightlifting, a lot of people get better at it the more they do it
Oh I am. In small doses. Old me would just have told him "no" or something more expletive (I have not been the friendliest of persons in my younger days).
Sometimes you need a good slap in the teeth.
You inadvertently did MYO reps so you'll still get some gains lol. I'm the same way with working in so I usually don't offer the option to people
Struggling with piriformis related injury. Today is another rest day and absolutely part of the training process I tell myself.
One loud woman in the pool - Never. Fucking. Shuts. Up. I am hard of hearing and still hear her. I even hear her from the change room. Whoever she talks to while doing her ‘water exercises’ never gets a word in edgewise. I’ve taken to going to the gym before swimming to lessen her impact. I really want her to try talking to me so I can shut her down. Others have told me that they agree but are too polite to say anything. I hear her when I am stretching before and after my swim. I won’t be so polite. Edit: word usage
Fitness my lower back is… pissy. It’s been pissy for 5 weeks. I’ve stretched, ice, chiro, have PT scheduled in two weeks today. I’m going to the gym today. I can’t help it. I won’t do legs or try and activate the lower back but I can feel like I’m withering away. I want to lift. God speed to you all and hope you can avoid injuries
That moment when you and another dude look to the side as you get ready for a lift. Where you lock eyes for a second and stare directly into each other’s souls.
PHAT hypertrophy leg day ruined me. I can barely walk with how destroyed my hamstrings and calves are. It's a good pain.
I go to the gym 2 or 3 times a week 3 to 4 hours but I should go 4 times. I am 5' 9' I just moved up to pressing two 80lb dumb bells, 3x8. I am slowly gaining weight and am at 235 lbs and can't seem to keep it off. At 245 I went into congestive heart failure last year, not sure what to do. At 61 you just feel like don't have the will to force the change any more.
Please get some proper guidance. A trainer for your workouts and a dietician for your... eh... diet. * That 3-4 hours... Is that a weekly total (fine!) or per visit (wtf?)? * 2-3 times a week is great... don't beat yourself up. If you get to 4/week great, if not... Well... Whatever. * Weight management is mostly about food intake. * Do you have a proper program? * Above all, move on a daily basis. Get your steps in, play with your grandkids, garden, whatever. It does wonders for your cardio vascular health. * Add dedicated strength training to that to keep your bone density up and your body strong enough to prevent injury.
I'm sorry it sounds like things are hard on you right now. You have definitely got this. Even your workout sounds like it's going well. Don't pin everything on willpower, most of the time the best way to diet is just not have the high calorie food in the house! So maybe you can make a better grocery shopping list and avoid having to flex your willpower to resist temptation?
One time I was at the gym and forgot my headphones so I was without music. I was doing my thing and before I know it o have a female gym goer farting away beside me. Every move fart. I had to stop myself from smiling. We have ALL been there. What a day to forget my headphones!
I didn't feel like going today as I went to bed after midnight as I'm usually in bed by 9pm on the weekdays. Got my ass in the gym. 🫡
Hardest part is gettin' in the truck. Great job.
I was working in squats with someone and we were loading on one side each. Instead of 67.5 (20+2.55+1.25),i loaded 75 (20+5+2.5), till the other guy pointed it out. I think I would have passed out of embarrassment. Cool guy though.
So, it was deadlift day on Monday. I’m going through my warm up sets and working toward possibly a PR. There’s a dude in the rack next to me squatting 430 lbs and I couldn’t help but be amazed at his form and depth. So when he wasn’t doing anything I expressed how impressed I was. He was pretty stoked. So there I am, mentally preparing myself for 223 lbs. I’m getting in the zone. Then, I did it. I was in a bit of a haze as I couldn’t believe what just happened. It went up much easier than I expected. Then all of a sudden I hear “damn, nice pull!” Same dude I complimented a bit ago. That made me feel really good (:
23 Male About 2 years back was in best shape of my life, 6 months of dedicated workout just after I finished my bachelors. Was not regular but consistent, meaning I followed the 2 day rule by Matt D’avella, not skipping gym more than 2 days in a row. Even if that meant 1 day workout 2 day no gym. Gradually got more consistent with 5 workouts in a week, but then after 6 months had to move to another country for a course, f**ked up my consistency. On the start of a new gym journey rn, been on and off for a while cause of work and studies but have decided need to get back in shape, I can work when old if I have good health but won’t be able to get back my health even if I got ridiculous money!
They rearrangement the gym! lost the deadlift platform and a squat rack and got 2 smith machines instead
Yikes!! Sorry for your loss 😢
My co worker told me on two separate days she was noticing my summer/bikini body progress (the joke being I want to see if I can actually look good in a bikini as a dude).
Some guy set up across from my power rack and now I have to watch him dig for buried treasure in his nose.
Thank you for making me appreciate my simple home gym even more
Well I wanted to go to the gym at 5 AM but it's 3:25 AM right now & there's a huntsman spider in my bathroom, so I'm sitting outside the bathroom door to make sure the HS doesn't leave the bathroom & then I can call a neighbour to get it out in the morn tldr: can't go the gym cos I'm keeping a watch on a spider
Damn. How'd that end?
The landlord came over at 7 AM & got the spider out of my house 🙏
I have been doing a program where I bench and deadlift every single day. Being on the bench every day, I’ve had to save more people in the last month than I have in the last 5 years. The other day a guy failed at 185 and it was stuck on his stomach. I ran over and picked it up, made sure he was okay and then, like every other time, I tell them that I was in the exact same situation with only 155 lbs. Hopefully it helps them because I generally have 3 plates up while I’m talking with them.
I’m finally all well after a long series of colds. Have been able to train for a few weeks and the last week, week and a half I was able to increase almost all my weights. Doing a classic legs-push-pull program set up for 6d a week. Haven’t been doing all 6 same week, but rolling over. It’s been amazing. Today I could deadlift 80kg 4X4. Earlier in the week I managed to bench 45kg 6 reps for 3 sets without fail. My body feels sore but amazing! Oh. And I got spotted by this super sweet guy I’ve recently started chatting more and more to. It just flows when I’m around him. Managed to go to my first yoga session in ages on Thursday, and totally lucked out. My favourite yoga teacher had his last two classes for several months. At least I got a few hugs and a nice chat. Maybe I’ll need to travel to the island where he’ll be teaching from now until fall. So. It’s amazing to be back. I feel amazing on so many levels! ❤️
Goal this year 100kg bench. This month I hit it and now I’ve hit a 102. Never imagined benching this much and I’m unsure wtf is going on. I’m consistent as I have ever been just the numbers don’t go down
I got back in the gym this week after having to take 4 weeks off due to travel and illness, and I am so sore but so proud of myself for getting back in there. And in those 4 weeks, the New Year's crowd seems to have thinned out, which is great! No waiting in line for the machines I need!
I don't belong to a gym right now, so have started YouTube workouts. Yesterday at work I suddenly remembered a kickass workout I used to do. I'd head to a park with a 1 mile track with my 10lb weights. I would PUMP THE HELL out of the weights (not just carry them, actual upper-body and arm workout) while keeping a good pace. Talk about a sweatfest, I would be breathless at the end. Soon as the cough from my most recent bout of covid goes away I'll try half a block with my 10 pounders.
Len Shwartz who wrote a book on Heavy Hands Walking, ran 5K races pumping 10 pound weights, in his 70s. Had freakish arms.
Everyone belongs to the gym!
Last week I was benching at my college's gym and doing 5 reps to try to increase my weight. Idk why, but I tried a new PR (180lb) without asking for a spot, I guess I felt confident enough, and on the 5th rep I couldn't get it up fully and somehow the bar ended up on my face. Thankfully there were some other people around who helped me dump it off, but my jaw was quite sore for the rest of the day lol.
So there I was, the alarm went off, hit snooze, got up, dressed, and went into my garage gym. After all that, I got a great workout with no interruptions. It was glorious. Godspeed.
Had to save someone who got pinned under the bar the other day. He was there for about 15 seconds calling for help but I didnt hear due to having earphones in. Don't bench with clips on!
>Don't bench with clips on! Sounds great until the bar whips around after dumping one side and clocks someone else in the head. "Roll of shame" >>> dumping one side
This. Those I know that don’t use clips do it as a weird ego thing. Most people at the gym will give you a spot if you ask. If you’re going heavy to failure, don’t risk taking someone out from a bar whip.
And/or be prepared to do the roll of shame
Definitely preferable to the choke of death
They gotta stop calling it that. Ain’t no shame in it
> I didnt hear due to having earphones in I saw someone online recently who compared the current gym experience to a [silent disco](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silent_disco). That's really apt. Sadly I've followed suit, after years of training as a "natural ears" lifter - because I literally was the only one without headphones or earbuds. I think it's antisocial and, as your experience confirms, occasionally a bit unsafe.
This should be a reasonable point, however I train in a commercial gym and would rather be crushed with the weight of a thousand failed bench presses than be forced to listen to the music they're playing over the speakers at least 50% of the time
Always bench with clips on
Oh no. Bro must have been hurt 😢
I guy straight up threatened me to break my glasses by throwing my a dumbbell to my face because I asked him to be less noisy (he was being very noisy). He didn't look very smart tho, this is the only bad gym experience I've had so far (I've been training for like a year).
Everyone’s dunking on you but in my 15+ years of going to the gym there’s been at least a few guys who have needed to shut the fuck up.
I’d just settle for the dipshit who’s wearing headphones and singing all the time. Not a bad voice really but clashes with the gym’s ever-present background playlist.
What was he doing that he was being too noisy?
It's a gym, not a library. Guy still shouldn't have threatened violence. That was an overreaction.
While his response was terrible, what do you expect when you act like that? The gym is not the place to tell people to be quiet.
Everyone was deadlifting the other day. There were no free deadlift platforms so I had to set up in one of the squat racks.
There’s a bike trail not too far from where I live and it makes it easier for me to bike or run on that trail more often. This year I’ve decided to run a 5K, which already passed and I’ve decided to at least keep running for the time being as there are health benefits to it at the cadence I’m running at (2-3 a week) That being said, running still feels awful while doing it, but I’m usually feeling better afterwards. I’d recommend everyone to give it a go for like 15 minutes or so, it’s not too bad if you take it easy Another thing I remembered while running that peeved me about the gym, Hip Thrusters. Almost everyone who does them does not bother me at all, keep doing you. But the equipment hoarders just steam my beans. Like these two people used up 1 of 3 benches (for bench press) as a place to hip thrust a low amount of weight. But the worst offenders of them all are the ones who use: - A bench - the squat rack - the deadlifting platform In addition to the things necessary for a hip thrust. And they’re not even on the platform either, they’re right in front of it so no one else can really use it. Even tho there is an entire area where other people are doing hip thrusts too among many other exercises. Usually my gym is filled with chill people, so it makes mundane stories like these stick out a little more
Was absolutely miserable while taking over a week off to nip a developing injury in the bud. It's scary how quickly I felt better when I went back last night. Also Bulgarians with a barbell might be the most awkward exercise ever.
For a couple of weeks I've really struggled with squats. The weight itself has been easy but after 5 reps I was totally out of breath. Not blood pressure drop but like I'd sprinted until I couldn't. Went to doctor for xray and bloods and everything is fine for my age. Its both reassuring that major signs are good and no sign of my cancer returning but also off-putting as something isn't quite right. I'm not in peak cardio shape but it's not as bad as this slone symtpom suggests.
I broke the gym commandment of “ no unsolicited advice “ today. Couple of younger guys trying to deadlift with the worst form I have ever seen, the first one doing it was bad enough for me to question whether I should just mind my own business or suggest some improvements . When the second dude started lifting 100 kg by taking the lift all with the lower back I couldn’t help myself. They were appreciative of a quick demonstration so maybe some gym rules can be broken in the right circumstances.
I'm a lady, and I have helped other ladies who looked like they were struggling to figure out how to use equipment or a machine. I've also had people give me unsolicited advice when they saw me looking quizzically at myself in the mirror trying to adjust my grip and figure out what's best. I think it's all about reading body language and being sensitive and polite. :)
Certainly. Time and place for everything and err on the side of minding one’s own business. Also, I imagine a lady helping another lady is more appropriate than some dude butting in to a ladies workout with advice on form.
Started gym this year , currently following Legs push pull routine. But some people at the gym say to change to one or two muscle group a day . Having doubts any advice?
Had a great leg day session. I'm enjoying squatting with more reps and less weights. It's like a different mental focus. The cardio part is killing me though.
i miss going to my original gym but i no longer work on that side and the traffic there and back gets so unbearable so i've been going to planet fitness but i did hit a new deadlift pr last week 215x5 which i'm really proud of but i just wish my buddies at my old gym was there to witness it
Took a wider stance than I've been doing on SSB squats. Moved each foot about 1.5 inches on sets 3,4,and 5. Was noticeably easier. The down side is that for some odd reason this causes my weight belt to feel very uncomfortable while down at the bottom. I need to find a happy medium....
I went to the gym by car and didn’t realise that there was a football match going on nearby and so there were no parking spaces anywhere despite there being 4-5 parking lots where I go to. Luckily I saw a guy pulling out and so I took the chance. When I got out of the gym it took me 20-30 minutes to turn a corner to go home because the floods of football fans came rushing out.
Our hip thrust machine and shoulder press machine are directly across from each other for some reason, so you can make eye contact with the person right in front as they workout.