OK, I'll offer one counter pet peeve that makes a small consession to the "can I work in?" guy. My pet peeve is the folks who sit on the weight machine and read a magazine as they wait for the mandated-by-the-all-mighty-trainer two minutes between sets to pass.

No, if you are going to wait more that 30 seconds to shake out your arms or legs or whatever before starting your next set, be polite and move so I can hop in and do my set and be out of there before you can even finish reading about how Nicole lost the baby weight.

Now I agree, "can I work in?" when I am obviously still actively working is obnoxious, but so is the opposite. Share and share alike, people. :)
Thank you.

We have several #8s at my gym, including one guy who gets actively angry at you if you notice. But there's one woman I see on the treadmill all the time who not only runs and mumbles, but throws punches and, like, furious gang signs as she sprints along. I want to overcome my fear of her and ask her just what kind of crazy enraged gangsta-rap shizznit she's listening to, because I think I might actually need it.

WOW. This is one of the best things I've read in a while.
You crack my ace up!!! I love it!!

I heart your blog and you're an amazing writer.

That is all. :)

I totally agree!! It's so funny, because if you check out my blog, I just wrote a post where I mention several of these things. I just want to work out!!

I have one to add: Inappropriate Clothes Girl These are the chicks who wear hootchie shorts to a kickboxing class, so when they kick everyone gets a free show. Or a very low cut top/sports bra while bending over doing yoga. And my favorite, there was this one chick in my body pump class who would wear a running skirt. To body pump. Where we lay on the benches and have to get down on all fours for exercises.

What is running through their minds?!

My pet peeve is I-Own-The- Pool Boy:

Our gym has a small pool, 4 lanes, and I work out a lot there. There is always this one guy (buff, fit, tanned, wearing a Speedo) who just does the leisurely swimming thing. If someone tries to get in the lane with him, he turns into Mark Spitz and swims like crazy for a minute or two and then goes back to the leisurely thing. We all know that he's just there to be seen and is killing time until there are a lot of people waiting to use the pool so that he can get out S-L-O-W-L-Y so everyone can see him.

JERK!

The girls who wear full makeup to the gym but barely get dressed. (Like hot pants and a bra.) They need to get their priorities in order.

Hate to say this, but this looks exactly like another post that someone else posted on Shine, as do a lot of your group's articles. What is up with that?

Okay, I'm late on this, but at my Y we have:

Loud grunter weightlifter dude. It's against the rules, but he has to do it anyway (note to rude, loud grunters: u r doing it WRONG)

"I'll wear these workout clothes one more time before washing" person. Holy cow those things put out a stink and a half.

I would like to add my pet peeve, not about the gym, but about the baristas, they serve coffee, just say i serve coffe instead of making it sound cooler than it really is, your a waiter(ess) not a server, your a stewardess not flight attendent, you don't engineer waste mangement, you collect trash! But i do agree and found alot of humor in the annoying gym people list.

you forgot that guy who tries to impress you by giving you unsolicited advice about how to improve your form or get a better workout. I always think, "um, you can f*** off, dude" I tend to think this is the biggest a hole in the gym.

Jason, they are not calling themselves "server" and "flight attendent" in some sad effort to sound cool. It has become common sense for corporations to assign employees gender neutral titles in an effort to be politically correct.

I can assure you that most employees don't even CARE what there job title is called and that they don't choose to call themselves that in the first place.

So you don't like gym personalities, it's obvious you fall into your own category of annoying gym personality.

1. Sit on equipment while others wait- like the fabled Dog in the Manger

2. Snooty I'm better than all you other jerks- I write a blog so I'm smarter than you muscleheads

3. I think I'm a hot chick person who wears white spandex and headband-and sneers at any guy who looks at her as if "who gave you the right to look at me?"

yeah we've seen your type

wow. you hate the guy who wants to work in? looks like someone was absent that day in kindergarten when the lesson was about SHARING. one of the basic tenets in the gym is: allow people to work in.

truly, if you find it too hard to change the selector on your machine (why do you use machines ONLY, by the way? don't be a slave. learn how to use free weights and you'll never have to suffer through sharing equipment again), then perhaps you should stick to something REALLY easy, like watching tv or painting your nails....

as far as singing goes, i sing to myself sometimes when i am simply walking down the street. i don't shout, but i am sure that others can probably hear it. know why i sing? because i am usually happy. people don't like it? too bad. because others are too shy to "look stupid" singing isn't my problem. someone is ALWAYS going to find something wrong with what you are doing, but tough titties. if i sing once in a while during my workout, i am not hurting anyone. annoying? maybe, but if you go through life trying hard not to "annoy" those around you, you'll be miserable. i've heard people on the street or in a restaurant having what i consider inane, "annoying" conversations. would i DARE expect them to be quiet or to take their conversation elsewhere? not in a million years.

the gym isn't supposed to be a quiet zone . if you want silence, go workout in a library....

its somewhat obvious you haven't been going to the gym for all that much time. if you had, you'd find that focusing on your workout, instead of the meaningless things going on around you, is much more conducive to achieving your fitness goals.

good luck in the future and remember: big girls SHARE.....

This blog is great and all...but I think the whole thing sounds pretty negative. You all basically seem to be projecting personalities onto other when they honestly are probably there to just improve their fitness.

I agree with Barney Fife, that the people who sit and judge fall into their own category and to me it is worse than any of the ones listed above.

Have you people considered how 99% of these people probably don't think they are any better than you and the guy who wants to "work in" probably just wants to get his optimal work out. At least someone like that is polite enough to ask... sheesh negative kids these days...

All of these are annoying except for the women who wear the skimpy outfits. They are the fun ones. But here are two that bring a gym down.

1. Naked guy in the locker. No clothes on, keeps walking around making trips to the shower area. You wait for him to leave so you can shower and get dressed and realize it'll be a while. Seen several of these at different gyms.

2. The easily annoyed. One of these would complain about how extra loud my running was! Another about me using larger weights on bars next to smaller ones that are nearer the middle. Someone else who thought I was overusing my membership by being there a long time that day. How'd they know I was there so long?

It's the people who have fun and enjoy life that make the gym better.

My 2 pet peevers:

1) "Egotistical Personal Trainer and Client"-type; You know the ones that "work in" when you turn around for .5 seconds to get a pair of 10's to put on the bar? Or they stand right next to you and their ignorant-in-the-ways of gym etiquette client is practically leaning on top of you while you're using a machine? Or the fact that they seem to get peeved at you when you are using some piece of equipment that they put in a client's "routine"? Or that because they're training a client they're more entitled to equipment than you are. Is it just me or does anyone else feel like saying "hey, I pay membership dues to work out here, too, so tone down the arrogance buddy".

2) A slight addition to "Naked Locker-Room Guy" - how bout "Naked Locker Room Guy who doesnt wear shower shoes and walks around in the toilet area barefoot". No explanation necessary; its just gross.

HILARIOUS! I loved this article.

Wow reading these has opened my eyes to how many idiots there are in this world!
Mr. Frankie - I dont want to share because what if Im doing 30" rest intervals between sets and Ms. Suzi Homemaker is on there for 2 minutes with her 2.5 lb plates on the bar?? (and you're mistaken about the free weight thing - do you know how many times I have to wait for the squat rack because some knucklehead is doing curls or shrugs with 50% more weight than they can actually lift? MANY TIMES!) What about me "optimizing my workout"? Sometimes others have to learn to respect other people first, before they get that respect back. If you're so big into sharing, Frankie, how bout just donating your expendable income to charity? Obviously, since you're such a great singer, you can win it back on American Idol. Now How's that for negative Ms. Rica? You think youre BETTER THAN ME?

Stop whining you bunch of sniveling babies!!

Well....
I must admit I am an iPod singer. I actually got shhhhh'd by a fellow gym goer for apparently singing too loud OOOOPS!! I don't box the air or dance, but I do like my music... a little too much apparently.
The "can I cut in?" guy annoys me. Especially the ones that stand right in front of the machine you are currently are on and STARE at you. there are 1 million other machines they could get on at that moment but no... THEY WANT THAT ONE. If I see a machine I want to use is currently being used, I go to another one of the 1000 machines currently NOT in use until mine is free.
And LAST, I go to the gym to SWEAT!!! I wear sweat shorts and tee shirts. They are not pretty but they are intact and are freshly laundered. I get looks from people like I am a transient off of the street that somehow managed to infiltrate the sanctity of their pristine gym; I don't know whether to get angry or laugh. It depends how tired I am. I am there to work out... it is not a fashion show folks.

I go to the gym very late at night, so sometimes there are only 3 to 5 other people there. However, I have found the most annoying people to be the people who don't mop up their sweat, and the guys who try to correct my form. And they tell me the wrong way to do it.

Not only the naked person in the locker room is annoying....its the chatty kathys in the sauna! I mean a lil convo is ok for a lil while..not a full on jabber marathon! People go in there to relax not to be annoyed about who broke up with who or what the ex did drama! Keep that to yourselfs..everyone else dont need to hear someone else's drama..we have our own to deal with!!

Not only the naked person in the locker room is annoying....its the chatty kathys in the sauna! I mean a lil convo is ok for a lil while..not a full on jabber marathon! People go in there to relax not to be annoyed about who broke up with who or what the ex did drama! Keep that to yourselfs..everyone else dont need to hear someone else's drama..we have our own to deal with!!

Not only the naked person in the locker room is annoying....its the chatty kathys in the sauna! I mean a lil convo is ok for a lil while..not a full on jabber marathon! People go in there to relax not to be annoyed about who broke up with who or what the ex did drama! Keep that to yourselfs..everyone else dont need to hear someone else's drama..we have our own to deal with!!

I think you have some problems with communicating with the people around you. Don't be so negative - enjoy life (in this case - exercise). I used to be like you - mugging and judging the others but it just leads you to nowhere. Some guy picks on you - so what - you're attractive! Some girl wears tight shorts - OK, there are all kinds of people. Some lady sings - get your own iPod! Just get over it - it's not such a big problem!

actually the most annoying gym personality are no doubts the clowns that stare at the mirrors as they're lifting weights... like obsessively.

f*cking eh even if you're 100% straight you end up looking like a homo when you';re staring at th emirror at yourself as you're lifting.

Just a quick note to a few of our less than eloquent responders. All in all funny, but some of the people responding had weird or almost obsessive answers, like they were jeoulous of the people they spoke of. One guy was upset by people who looked in the mirror while they worked out. Have you ever seen a gym not covered in mirrors? Theres a reason..... These people are called INTELLIGENT, mirrors are there so you can see yourself. Proper form comes from focus and visualization. I guarantee you the majority of your workout aholics, are just like the rest of us. Self conscious, self aware people, just trying to look and feel better about themselves, not the raging group of narcicists described. And also a quick note to all the ladies (and guys) out there. Some of us actually KNOW WHAT WERE DOING! If your sitting backwards on a pull up machine, leaning your back out and craning your neck, while pulling down in jerking motions, guaranteed to cause more long term injury and discomfort than improve physical prowess, I feel obligated as an intelligent person with 10 years of working out and proper form etc etc...to tell you. You may be cute, or have on typical revealing gym wear, however that does not mean I am hitting on you, just because I say try this instead. It hurts my brain to silently watch a person decimate their body while butchering the process a machine was invented for. The shoulder press machine is not for dips, and lat row machine is not for you to do crazy lower back wrenching half pulls. They make instructions for a reason, but if you cant read them and do it properly, dont be offended when someone offers to help you avoid bodily harm, and better do what you supposedly walked into the gym to do, get in shape. To all the rest, dont sweat the small stuff. Some people are noisy, some people are sweaty, some people sit too long, and some are imaptient. Focus on your own workout, and dont be too upset if some friendly individual tries to say hi, how are you? or offers you a friendly tip. It doesnt have to be a meat market, but lets keep it a friendly place.

My biggest pet peeve are the people who take up 4 pieces of equipment even though they are only using one. I've seen it as bad as a person using a machine, but has a water bottle on a bench, their jacket/bag/towel on another (if not two) piece of equipment, and then getting up and sitting on another bench to rest. So that's 4-6 pieces of equipment that other people can't use because this person feels the gym is their living room.
And while I understand circuit training and super/compound sets are great ways to work out, it would be better to do these during low volume time periods (early morning or late night) than the prime time hours (4pm-7pm). And even then, you have to respect other people who wish to use the equipment. I knew a guy that was going to use a lat pulldown machine, and asked the woman using it if he could work in. She said no. He went around to use the seated cable row machine, and she said "I'm using that too". After a short arguement, the manager stepped in and she backed off because she knew she was in the wrong.
And finally, in regards to the working in rule: it should be common courtesy to let someone work in if they ask (and they should ask, not just jump right in). If you already have 2 or 3 people working on the same piece of equipment, then I can understand saying no. But wouldn't you want the same courtesy if someone was using a machine/weight that you wanted to use as well?

A lot of good points here and a lot of stupid babble.

Colby C, Thanks for that. Your right on!

Who cares what others are doing or wearing. The gym is my time, and ignore the people you don't care to deal with as you would with the tv show you don't care to watch(change the channel) or the annoying boss/person at work(ignore them).

Thank god for mirror's in the gym. After doing 3 sets of 8-10 reps and seeing the difference of my work-out, that keeps me coming back for more.

But my biggest pet peeve is "Can I work in?" NO! With 60 other pieces of equipment in this gym and all the free weights, you can't find something else to do, but you want to change the weight I'm using and the seat position."

Oh, don't sit on the equipment for 5-10-15 minutes looking for the perfect song out of 2000 songs on your stupid ipod.

Here is a annoyance I hate. When you workout with someone and all they do is talk and check out the eye candy. It not only messes up your routine but it also keeps you at the gym longer than you want to be. I am an eary AM excerciser when there is no fighting over machines and your in and out.

I can't resist weighing in on this...

I agree that for the most part, we should live and let live. I don't care if people have to stare at themself in the mirror while they work out, take a quick break on machines between sets without being interrupted, naked people don't bother me, and if singing loudly or punching the air ghetto-style pumps you up for a great workout, then by all means do it. However, the muscle-bound meatheads encompass most of my annoyance at the gym. The ones who do one loud, grunting set at a time, then walk s-l-o-w-l-y across the length of the gym to get a drink of water, then walk s-l-o-w-l-y back, making sure to make vacant eye contact with every woman there and to walk IN FRONT of all the treadmills. He walks directly in your line of view so you have no choice but to stare at him, which only adds fuel to his egotistical fire. It makes me want to scream "I'M NOT LOOKING AT YOU!! GET OVER YOURSELF!"

Oh, and the men who stare at me when I'm huffing and puffing on the machines or the group of "basketball players" who stop by the gym and watch the fitness class like we're putting on some sort of variety show for their pleasure...

Larry Andersen - wow. you know so much about me. i think that you had better re-read my post.
- i never said i was a good singer (probably pretty bad, i would guess. but who cares?)
- i actually DO donate a portion of my income to charity. thanks.
- i have NEVER seen anyone do a 2 minute set in any exercise. that is ridiculous.

you are an obvious joy to be around, i would assume. how you've been around a gym long enough to know how to use a squat rack, yet not know that it is COMMON (larry - that means the most BASIC) COURTESY to let others work in while you are taking your "30" second rest between sets, is beyond me...

you come off sounding a bit like a whiny little girl.

Many good points here. But here is the thing... people working in should not be a problem if done right, sometimes work out routines are designed to work out certain muscles in a particular order so that targeted muscle groups get more work than others. Some people get very specific about this, letting someone work in with you is just being curtious, and makes the gym environment better as a whole.

People staring at themselves in the mirror shouldnt be a problem unless they are using up a machine/bench in their stare time. Mirrors are there for a reason, yes some of us tend to stare and examine flexing points or muscle groups, but how are you supposed to improve on underdeveloped ares without finding out where they are?

I see allot of people complaining about loud grunting ... laugh it off people, they are the ones looking stupid, so why worry about it? And in most cases like this the person is probably throwing up HUGE amounts of weight, in which case grunting can be a way of releasing energy for them.

Excessive nakedness in the shower/locker room areas can be annoying, but thats what these rooms are there for people. If someone is comfortable enough with themselves to walk around naked in a locker room then thats their business... they are doing it in the right place. I mean what do you expect, everyone to wear swimsuits in the shower? I dont think this is 5th grade people, we should be able to deal with it by now.

As for the singers in the group, they are simply losing themselves in the work out... which is what you should be doing. No I do not sing or listen to music in the gym, but im not about to tell people to be quiet for getting carried away. A work out should be relaxing, you should be able to lose yourself without fear of repression.

Personally I have been working out on weights since I was 15, yes I feel I am doing exercises right, and sometimes healthy criticism is welcome... but there are many instances where I am doing exercises differently on purpose, to work muscles in different ways, though it bugs me when people butt in here, they are only trying to be helpful.

Now I get to the pool manners. Yes I know, the pools at some gyms are very small (4 lanes mostly), but if someone is using a lane you should wait your turn here. The lanes are set up in pools to avoid injury, and accidents... yes not everybody is Michael Phelps and does 20 some-od laps, but squeezing into a lane someone is swimming in can cause someone to get kicked in the face, dapped by flying arms, or nugged into a wall.

Personally, there are only two things that I find UNFORGIVABLE at the gym...1) Spitting into the water fountain... this is disgusting, unsanitary, and down right rude... and 2) peeing in the showers... for reasons see above.

wow. previous poster was RIGHT ON!! i couldn't have said it better.

Most of the people crying about stuff on here should not even be working out in a real gym. It's all about respecting a persons workout the same as your own. If you are not going to be serious enough to get your workout on, then get out of the way. People have certain routines and cannot wait 2 minutes to lose their pump just for you. People that grunt are not doing it just to annoy people, or to get attention. It gives you that extra push which I notice a lot of people don't realize this. Same with throwing a punch or a kick. You grunt for that extra burst of energy. Sounds like a bunch of sissy's to me.

What about the people who lounge on the "circuit" training weight machines? This drives me bonkers when I'm trying to use one machine per minute and do the circuit in the recommended order. If they want to "rest" on a machine inbetween reps they need to move to the "non-circuit" machines or simply stand up and let us circuit people work on through.

the women at the gym who say hi every other day and expect you to come running up to them and say you look great

the girl who says hi every other day and expects you to come up to her and say how good she looks

I am going to print this and hang it up in my gym. Brilliant.

You missed the teenage boys who recently hit puberty and have since decided that, now that they are finally thinning out and actually looking like Real People, it'd be a great time to work out. And by "work out" I mean "eye f*** themselves in the mirror."

I'm all for encouraging kids to become more active, but that doesn't qualify.

The people that used to bother me in a gym was when I used to go real early in the morning, and there would be elder people who would get on the stairmaster with a coffee. Now, I know this really shouldn't bother me, but it did for some reason. If you are going on any piece of equipment, you are looking to sweat right? Well, coffee dehydrates you, so it makes little sense to bring one on there. IDK.

I didn't mind people that wanted to cut in, if anything, it meant that I had a free gym partner, which is key if you are doing anything where you need help, like benching. Everyone pays for the gym and everyone has a right to use the equipment. If you don't like "cutting in guy" workout at home. At least they are working out, some people just sit on a piece of equipment carrying on a conversation with someone else. Those people are really annoying, if you aren't working out, stand up, so I can use the equipment.

Naked person in the locker room is quite disturbing. Dude, I don't want to be sitting there changing while you are walking around with your junk there for everyone to see. Toss a towel on or a pair of shorts. The shower is one thing, the locker area is another.

I work out at a fitness center in my building, I guess the only thing that annoys me is "guy who puts the tv on the financial channel." I don't know, but when I am working out, I don't want to see that guy who yells about stocks on the teevee. Maybe work in a sport, a baseball game, something I don't know, not that it matters, I have an ipod, no I don't sing to it, I am usually too busy sucking air.

So you don't like sweat, noise, or people who are actually focused on working out?

Are you sure you should be going to the gym?

I simply cannot stand the women complaining about their size two asses. I go to the gym because I am an overweight cow. The last thing I want is to have these little twats parading around me complaining about how big a size 2 is. When you're a 12, then come back and cry. Until then, get off the machine I'd like to actually put to use. If you're so unhappy about your "fat" asses, then work it off instead of flapping your gums. If I wanted some lip, i'd rattle my zipper.

Colby c-- where are you? I could use some training tips :)

Yeah,
You are the most annoying person in the gym. The I don't want to share but take my time machine using , if some one looks at me I glare at them glaring, the dirty look shooting if some one grunts when they are actually training hard shooting b#$ch. I hate you. I want to drop kick you. You are the reason I just spent 400 bucks on my own home gym equipment so i don't end up killing people like you!!!

When visiting a gym especially during peak times, just be courteous, be polite, be reasonable, be flexible, be tolerant.

At peak times, sometimes the gym is very crowded. If there is someone who wants "to work in", there is nothing wrong with them asking politely if they can "work in" at your workout station. Of course, if it is unreasonable for them "to work in" your routine, then there is nothing wrong with you politely turning them down. I think reasonableness should be the litmus teat.

Two of my pet peeves are people who work out right in front of the weight racks, and people who do not put away their weights or break down their workout stations. To calm myself, I look at putting their weights away as an added work out to my routine. I wasn't planning on lifting any more weight than a 25 lb. dumbell, but I will consider putting a 150 lb. dumbell, if I can handle it, into the rack as a subset of my workout. You know, a 150 lb. squat, deadlift and jerk, if I can get it on the top rack.

If someone is doing shoulder shrugs or curls in front of a dumbell rack, instead of being angry, I try to be flexible and use either a smaller dumbell and do more repetitions or go to the other side and use a heavier dumbell and do less repetitions. It is all about being flexible. Of course, optimally I really wanted to stick with my routine, but sometimes it does not happen. Sometimes it is good challenge for the muscles to change your routine anyway.

Sometimes a humongous adonis does not break down the weight bench. A petite gym patron is having an extreme problem breaking down the barbell. When I help her out, I consider it an additional short workout to my routine. Please gentlemen, always be considerate and breakdown your station.

Remember, when you go to the gym everyone has their own individual agendas, but most gym patrons are reasonable. If you are polite, courteous, reasonable, flexible, and tolerant, your gym visit will be less stressful. Pretend everyone is your friend. Most of the time, we let our friends slide. Let the other gym patrons slide.

Have a great workout!

Wow, another article on how to hate people! Satan must be so proud of you, Damien!

i dont like working out with chicks staring at me!

quit hitting on the gay guys lady its not going to happen

and its not appropriate

and no I dont want to help you work out and no I dont

want a fag hag thats gross!I have female friend already if

you have to call yourself that you wouldnt be my kind of

friend anyway lol! a REAL gay guy cannont be turned

by ANY woman get over yourself greedy ho!

why bother!

YUK!

i dont like working out with chicks staring at me!

quit hitting on the gay guys lady its not going to happen

and its not appropriate

and no I dont want to help you work out and no I dont

want a fag hag thats gross!I have female friends already if

you have to call yourself that you wouldnt be my kind of

friend anyway lol! a REAL gay guy cannont be turned

by ANY woman get over yourself greedy ho!

why bother!

YUK!

Lars works in and then walks around nude in the locker room.

Please give us our gyms back. It should be a place where cell phones are banned. Good mannors a must. Respect for all levels of experience, size, shape. Who gives non-professionals the right to critique our forms? When was the last time you thanked the hired staff for the cleanlieness of the facility? Do you remember when we used to call the facility "our club" and was proud to wear its colors? Want a date or a mate - how about picking up one at an appropiate place? Please not in front of my face. Please cover your stuff up. If GOD gave it to you be gratefull and not flaunt it. Clean up your mess and put the weights back-your mom does not work here. How about parking in the most remote space on the lot and not cut me off trying to get a spot next to the door. I have lots more but no one is reading this at this point. The truth is too close to home.

Please give us our gyms back. It should be a place where cell phones are banned. Good mannors a must. Respect for all levels of experience, size, shape. Who gives non-professionals the right to critique our forms? When was the last time you thanked the hired staff for the cleanlieness of the facility? Do you remember when we used to call the facility "our club" and was proud to wear its colors? Want a date or a mate - how about picking up one at an appropiate place? Please not in front of my face. Please cover your stuff up. If GOD gave it to you be gratefull and not flaunt it. Clean up your mess and put the weights back-your mom does not work here. How about parking in the most remote space on the lot and not cut me off trying to get a spot next to the door. I have lots more but no one is reading this at this point. The truth is too close to home.

I hate the guy who doesn't wipe up his sweat cuz that's just gross. My other peeve is the guy who wears loose shorts and no underpants. Call me picky if you want, but it's really hard NOT to notice all the flip-flopping while he's running around the track.

Ok so since we are all ranting and raving here, I'd like to tell you that my pet peeve is the skinney kid that stands in front of the dumbell rack to curl his fifteen pounders with the most god awful form...he's in my damn way to grab any weights!!! I also hate when guys look at any chick that lifts heavy and critiques her form, she obviously must not know what she's doing...she's a girl!!! UGH, I hate when people try to come over and suggest things to me...yeah yeah I know about that exercise thanks...and I can not stand women that work out in pairs that hog the equipment and do nothing but chat like little school girls...go meet for a cosmopolitan or something!!! we are here to work hard, not socialize!!

This blog is just filled with all sorts of goodness. I can almost feel the love...at least part of the time. We all have pet peeves, frustrations, and agravations about what goes on our gyms and clubs of choice. I am lucky enough to have a gym at my work, so i don't have to go to a public gym all the time.

That being said, I have to agree on a few of the universal truths presented.
1) Make it a point to wipe your machine or bench up after you workout on it (be courteous people...its gross). Also go around after, and cool down as you wipe the machines with disinfectant that the gym usually provides (your gym staff will thank you!)
2) Always unload the equipment you were just using after you finish with it. Don't be "that person". The one inconsiderate, obtuse person that thinks someone will clean up after them. You put it on there, you can take it off. If your too tired to take it off, use less weight next time.
3) Put your cell phone on vibrate, and take the conversation away from the workout area. If that call is important enough to answer, you alone need to know about it, not me. I have to have mine on at all times for emergency recall to work, but I don't stand or sit in the workout area when I answer.
4) It says water only on the list of rules on the workout floor. Leave your energy drinks, sports drinks, fruit, coffees, etc. in the locker room, or at home. Or better yet, give the gym a few more dollars, and buy it after the workout. Working out on a sticky bench because someone slopped their protein shake on it is like horse thievin'... it just aint right.
5) If you are enthusiastic about your workouot, great! that's outstanding. Quit cussing! It offends people, and disrupts others from being enthusiastic about their workout. Gang symbols, derogatory language, foul mouths, etc. Didn't this stuff evaporate when you graduated hi school, got a real job and became an adult? If not, leave it at the door. enough said.

my list could continue for a little longer, but the point is, I think there are some universal truths that we all share and agree with about gyms, and most of the time, they post them on the walls of the gym. So what if someone sings during their workout, or asks you (my god no) to work in on your piece of equipment. If you are so distracted by what is going on around you in that gym, your not paying attention to what really matters, which is what you came for. if you came looking to score some tail, go somewhere else. if you came to chat, go somewhere else. And as long as you don't offend people with your clothing, peacock yourself up if it makes you happy. I enjoy leaving the gym feeling tired and worn out, and that's all I go there for. What's your reason?

Ok.... This was fabulous! I do, however, feel there was one missing... What about the totally inappropriate gym-clothes wearer.... You know the guy who struts in with his shiny disco balls (pun intended) spandex and muscle shirt, usually sporting a brown leather weight belt and Reebok high tops from the eighties... we can't forget him... I mean, he IS the one that you can keep your eyes off of no matter how bad he is hurting them:)

Ok.... This was fabulous! I do, however, feel there was one missing... What about the totally inappropriate gym-clothes wearer.... You know the guy who struts in with his shiny disco balls (pun intended) spandex and muscle shirt, usually sporting a brown leather weight belt and Reebok high tops from the eighties... we can't forget him... I mean, he IS the one that you can keep your eyes off of no matter how bad he is hurting them:)

I hate the people who work out on balls or mats in front of (pick one) water fountain, paper towel holder or magazine rack when there is a huge big gigantic carpeted area for them to stretch and grunt out of the main pathways!

Aren't gyms just a place for bored houswives and singles to go to? I mean buy a bow flex and do this at home already...I see them as singles venues at best...Just another yuppy hangout...I've heard of more joggers and weight lifters keeling over years too early...take vitamins, do some juicing and dont worry about it LOL

Funny article. I guess I look at things a little differently.
1.) That girl in the short shorts running who has the gawl not to have an ounce of celulite: I see her as inspiration...she has the same bone structure as me so maybe its possible....maybe 10 extra minutes won't hurt!
2.) That not so tiny girl with those tiny little shorts: I wish I had that much confidence.
3.) The lady singing loudly with her ipod: Well, she just makes me smile.
4.) The trainer with the trainee...I secretly watch the exersizes the trainer is showing them so I can do it later! YAY! Free training session for me!
5.) The really old naked women in the bathroom...Bless their little hearts! I hope I can get to the point in my life that I don't care whether God and everybody sees me naked. It does kind of bother me when naked people try to have a conversation with me. I don't have social issues...just naked social issues.
6.) The person talking loudly on their cell: Call me nosey but I find it entertaining.

RUNNING PRETTY
One more thing..I have to admit jealousy...you know...some people run pretty. You know what I mean. They look like they are running slow motion with their hair blowing in the wind and feet softly kissing the ground. Me? Well, I feel more like a flopping fish who just discovered they had feet. My hair everywhere, my feet pounding, gasping for breath like a beached whale, my hands bopping around like I have no elbows, boobs bouncing hurtfully, redfaced and sweating so un-prettily. I know I dont run pretty but its working for me. So if you see a person who can't run pretty just pretend like you don't notice. Yes, we may be gasping for breath but unless we faint...just don''t notice. Jeez, I wish I could run pretty