Pet hates in gyms

[SpaceMonkey]

What pisses me off in teh gym? Heros wo take more than 10 minutes to complete 5 sets of bench press.

If you're lifting heavy it can take a fair while to complete your sets. I'll typically spend 25-30 min easily in the squat rack when doing heavy sets, I'll do about 6 warmup sets in total with fairly short breaks between them (a couple of sets with an empty bar, then 4 with progressively heavier weight and less reps up to my work set weight) then I'll typically have rest breaks of up to 5 minutes between work sets. This is pretty typical for people who squat heavy. I'm always happy to let someone work in with me though.

Bench doesn't take so long but you still need some recovery time.

Reading through this thread makes me remember why I haven't bothered with gyms in years and just stick to running and basic bodyweight exercises at home.

Considering the cost of a decent weight set up at home is only a couple grand, why don't people just buy their own gear for their home on credit, then pay it off over a couple years using what you would have spent on membership fees? Seems an easy and permanent way to avoid the entire mess that is the gym.

As others have said- not really practical to build a power cage and lifting platform inside a small apartment. Me and some mates are planning on getting both for our garage though!

The common "home gym" setups that you commonly see for sale are pretty useless and crap, the only home setup I'd want would be a power cage, olympic bar, flat bench and decent platform with a good 200kg of oly weights.

 

[Chicken_Hunter]

Very true. Kipping (if properly done) also makes the exercise almost a wjole body exercise. You need a strong core to be able to kip properly.

Kipping is cheating and is used by crossfit try hards. You can not beat chins done in a slow and controlled movement.

Same goes for Burpees, doing burpees for time in crossfit WODs looks ridiculous and you would get the same benefit by having an epileptic fit on the floor. Burpees should be nice controlled movements at a relatively fast pace.

 

[Chicken_Hunter]

Form is not important in those exercises if the aim is to up your metabolic rate

Not everything has to be done in a traditional way to be effective champ

If thats the aim a few sprints would do the trick.

If you want the most results out of your workouts then doing things the 'traditional way' is the way to go.

The problem with the argument is that the fitness world is so divided into what the best way to do things is. One expert will say his way is the best, another will say his is.

I like my way because it gives me results.

 

[Joker's Wild]

You cant do "a few sprints" in a small space anyway and they dont hit the upperbody.

Check out the 1000s of athletes who train at Crossfit Boxes and you'll find it hard to argue that they dont get results

 

[The Major]

Kipping is cheating and is used by crossfit try hards. You can not beat chins done in a slow and controlled movement.

Same goes for Burpees, doing burpees for time in crossfit WODs looks ridiculous and you would get the same benefit by having an epileptic fit on the floor. Burpees should be nice controlled movements at a relatively fast pace.

The target muscles still go through the same range of motion doing it either way. Depending on what your training goal is then let it be up to the person training to decide. Whether it be kipping at speed to up the metabolic rate or slow and controlled 6-10 reps to help with muscular hypertrophy and increased strength. Whatever suits the individual doing it at that time.

 

[The Major]

You cant do "a few sprints" in a small space anyway and they dont hit the upperbody.

Check out the 1000s of athletes who train at Crossfit Boxes and you'll find it hard to argue that they dont get results

Exactly. The guys and girls i see on tele at the Crossfit Games hardly look like try hards to me.

 

[melon....]

If you're lifting heavy it can take a fair while to complete your sets. I'll typically spend 25-30 min easily in the squat rack when doing heavy sets, I'll do about 6 warmup sets in total with fairly short breaks between them (a couple of sets with an empty bar, then 4 with progressively heavier weight and less reps up to my work set weight) then I'll typically have rest breaks of up to 5 minutes between work sets. This is pretty typical for people who squat heavy. I'm always happy to let someone work in with me though.

Bench doesn't take so long but you still need some recovery time.


As others have said- not really practical to build a power cage and lifting platform inside a small apartment. Me and some mates are planning on getting both for our garage though!

The common "home gym" setups that you commonly see for sale are pretty useless and crap, the only home setup I'd want would be a power cage, olympic bar, flat bench and decent platform with a good 200kg of oly weights.

if youre taking longer than a minute between sets to recover, youre lilfting too much or not training optimumly.

 

[dogslife]

I usually go 1-2 minutes in between sets depending on how I feel

 

[Thomas]

Went to the gym at lunch and there was a guy using the squat rack. He was doing deadlifts in front of it. When he finished with the deadlifts I asked him if he was finished. No. Apparently he wanted to do some overhead presses in it. Fair enough, if you lift a large weight up high you want some protection. He then did about 5 sets of 35kgs. Fffffuuuuuuu pausing in between to flex in the mirror and adjust his hair.

All I wanted was to do some squats.

 

[SpaceMonkey]

if youre taking longer than a minute between sets to recover, youre lilfting too much or not training optimumly.

Not necessarily. If you're training primarily for strength, with heavy weights and low reps, 3-5 minutes is optimal. If you're going more for hypertrophy then lower weights with a higher rep range and 4-60 second breaks work better.
I train pretty much purely for strength, not aesthetics hence the longer intervals.

More detail here: http://worldfitnessnetwork.com/rest-between-sets/

Also there's no such thing as "lifting too much" if you can finish your set with decent form. You need to push yourself to get results.

 

[GuardDog]

Went to the gym at lunch and there was a guy using the squat rack. He was doing deadlifts in front of it. When he finished with the deadlifts I asked him if he was finished. No. Apparently he wanted to do some overhead presses in it. Fair enough, if you lift a large weight up high you want some protection. He then did about 5 sets of 35kgs. Fffffuuuuuuu pausing in between to flex in the mirror and adjust his hair.

All I wanted was to do some squats.

what a tool!!! i always give way to squatters when im on a power rack as u can deadlift,military press anywhere that has a solid floor, my gym declined my request to put a sign on the squat rack "no curling in the squat rack" i guess theres too many chicken legged bodybuilders that would get upset

 

[GuardDog]

Not necessarily. If you're training primarily for strength, with heavy weights and low reps, 3-5 minutes is optimal. If you're going more for hypertrophy then lower weights with a higher rep range and 4-60 second breaks work better.
I train pretty much purely for strength, not aesthetics hence the longer intervals.

More detail here: http://worldfitnessnetwork.com/rest-between-sets/

Also there's no such thing as "lifting too much" if you can finish your set with decent form. You need to push yourself to get results.

SpotOn SM not all of us aspire to be on stage wearing speedos with a fake tan oiled up

 

[Cletus]

Reading a book while lounging between bench press sets in the squats rack. I think it was War And Peace.

 

[Pokemon80]

I used to go to uni sex gyms but I couldn't handle guys starring at me, no matter if I wore trackies and a jacket, they still would stare. I go to an all womens gym now and love it!

One big thing I hate about all gyms is, some people really stink bad!

 

[Cliffhanger]

I don't get why people worry about people looking at them in Gyms. Worrying about it is bad for your performance as it will impact on your mentality. At the climbing gym when you're bouldering there's usually people waiting to get on the wall you're on, there's always people watching, I don't care, I look good and I'm climbing good, I'm happy for them to enjoy the show.

 

[Pokemon80]

I dunno I just get worried when people look at me and I can't focus, I feel them judge my every move. Like, if I do something wrong I get worried people are laughing at me.

 

[Joker's Wild]

There needs to be men only gyms. Women in gyms are just too distracting

 

[adamkungl]

So many good sorts at the uni gym...

 

[Frailty]

Pokemon80, not to burst your bubble - but there are people staring at you at your female gym. On top of that, given the nature of women, they are being more judgemental than the people at the regular gym.

I want to open a male only gym and see how long it lasts before a sexism law suit is filed.

 

[Pokemon80]

Pokemon80, not to burst your bubble - but there are people staring at you at your female gym. On top of that, given the nature of women, they are being more judgemental than the people at the regular gym.

I want to open a male only gym and see how long it lasts before a sexism law suit is filed.

I don't really notice it though. I'm focused and do my thing.