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Ridiculous Habits Guys Have in Gyms – Part 1
When it’s time to go to the gym, some guys feel it’s a time for socializing with beautiful women, looking good, and trying to draw attention. They try to lift ridiculous weights, and get all macho with their other guy friends – chest pumping, and all the other stupid fraternity boy crap.
Coming from working in a college gym as an assistant strength coach as well as being a personal trainer at a commercial gym I’ve ran into a lot of conversations with women. Most of my clients were women and they would share a lot of their thoughts with me, especially when it came to ridiculous habits that guys have.
I realized that women are much more observant than men when it comes to the gym. When women see a good looking man working out they will look at him, but then all of a sudden he does a “red flag”. They move onto the next hunk and wait for the next “red flag”.
I know there are a few guys who really don’t give a damn what women think of you in the gym. I’m one of them. I wear the most raggedy clothes, sometimes a sweat shirt because it takes me sometime to warm-up. When I’m in the gym, it’s time to train. I’m focused on what I have to do. But we all know there are those guys who think going to the gym is a fashion show and a time to pick up chicks.
Looking at yourself in the mirror
We’ve all seen them. Now I’m not saying looking in the mirror isn’t a bad thing. Bodybuilders do it all the time, practicing posing a muscle and such. But there are some of those guys who are recreational lifters who look at themselves more than most females do.
The Spotter
The guy is standing behind the bench press and about to spot his friend. While he is giving his a friend a lift off he is staring at his arms in the mirror. Lift off. Then while his friend is lifting he still staring at himself flexing his traps a little, pulling up his sleeves a little, and tilting his head side to side. Here’s a thought. Cut that crap out and be a spotter. Women like a man who is encouraging and helpful, not a guy who is more worried about what he looks like while he is spotting. Remember Stafon Johnson from USC and his run in with the bar falling onto his throat? The weight was light for him but crazy things happen. It makes you wonder what the hell his training partner was doing. Flexing his traps in the mirror?
The Shirt Lifter
The guy who lifts his shirt up to see if his abs are coming out. Yes, the lighting in the gym makes your muscles look better, if you are in average shape the lighting is going to make it look like you have abs. But here is the kicker. Women would give a guy a shirt lift once. After that, its just ridiculous. If you didn’t see or did see your abs, there is no reason to check back again and again. Nothing has changed! Women are going to look at you and think, are you in love with yourself that much?
The Mirror Biceps
I myself have seen this many times but I had one of my clients stop me in the middle of her session and asked me, “What is that guy doing?” The guy was up close to the mirror, turned sideways, and started doing dumbbell bicep curls. His eyes fixed on himself in the mirror and watching his biceps. Yes, I know there are going to be guys out there saying they do that because they want to make sure their muscle is working. Man, if you can’t feel that muscle working what makes you think looking at will make it start working. What made it worse for the guy, was that after he finished his set he continued flex his arms in the mirror and moving his body in different positions so that the light could hit his beautiful bicep perfectly. Red flag. My client then followed with, “He WAS attractive,” and laughed.
The Blatant Looker
Ok, this is the guy I want to slap myself. He’s not so muscular, he has a bit of a belly from all the beer pong games but yet he feels he is a bodybuilder. We all know that guy who just walks around the gym constantly looking at himself in the mirror. Chest puffed, walking like his lats are huge, constantly rolling up his sleeves, caring more about what he looks like while lifting weights rather than caring about what he is doing. Women see those guys and will go home telling their friends all about him. Or they will point him out to her friends at the gym and instead of watching their TV show while during cardio they are going to watch that guy. Please don’t be that guy.
Part 1 Final Thoughts
I know to some of us the gym is a time to train, and would careless about what women think or what the mirror says. But I’m sure you’ve seen it before and probably even have friends who you know that do it. But for the guys who go to the gym to look good and have women check you out, pay attention to these “red flags”, you go from hero to zero very fast according to the women I’ve trained and know in the gym.
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Ridiculous Habits Guys Have in Gyms – Part 2
Well it’s been a long wait for Part 2, on my part. After I wrote Part 1 a couple months ago, I became even more observant in the gym. When you are walking on a treadmill there really isn’t much else to do other than listen to music and people watch. I shared my article with some friends and family and many of them sent me some of their observations.
But in all honesty, I have to keep true to myself and report only things I’ve witnessed. I thought I had a pretty good list in Part 1 but over the pass couple months there has been some very interesting events. This is going to be a short list. Just two. But these two are very important ones, and ones that stick out the most to me. More will come.
Mr. Not Racking His Weights
You see those signs in every gym, “Please Re-Rack Your Weights.” It seems like such a simple request but for some reason there are those who feel they are more privileged than others. They think servants follow behind them to clean up their mess. Well, while walking on the treadmill I had the chance to witness an event that actually made my blood boil.
A guy started to pile on plates on to the Leg Press. It looked impressive to an untrained eye but when he performed the exercise it was as if he was just bouncing the weight, I don’t even think they could be even called partial reps. Anyways, that’s another rant for another time.
As I continued to watch him he kept on piling plate after plate until there was no room. I think he had probably close to 24 plates on. At this point I was already thinking this was getting ridiculous. But then he does the unthinkable. He bobbed the weights up and down less than 4 times, stood up, and walked away from the Leg Press. I was hoping he would come back and unrack the weights, but nope. Who was I kidding?
What made it worse was that an elder woman wanted to use the machine, pissed me off! Luckily there were others around who were nice enough to help take the weights off. The jackass was off doing some butt clenches in the corner. I’m sure we all seen that happen before. Re-rack your damn weights! It’ll make the gym a much happier place.
Mr. Scratch Alot
Us guys take part in the doing a few adjustments and shifts in the crotch area every so often when it’s needed. But there are times that you need ask yourself, “Is this the right time to sneak an adjust?” While working out, I’ve seen guys who just can’t keep their hands off themselves. Makes me want to go up there and smack them to wake up, because maybe they don’t know they are doing it. But then comes “Mr. Scratch Alot.”
As I sat on the ground after a grueling leg workout, it was a good idea to start stretching. While I sat on the Precor stretching chair, which I think is awesome, I was interrupted from my meditative stretch by loud obnoxiousness walking in from the basketball courts.
They had all the guys from my first post; The Mirror Guy, The Biceps Guys, The Blatant Looker, and welcoming Mr. Scratch Alot. This dude had his whole hand down his shorts. Not just for a second, but while he stood there talking with his buddies. Already passed the 5 second rule, his hands are still down his shorts.
Then! His other hand goes down his shorts, by this time its already amusing because they haven’t started lifting, one of his friends is flexing his traps at the mirror, and at that moment I’m just waiting for him to shake hands with some unknowing person. Finally they walk over to do an exercises.
Where do you think they went? Yes, the bench press. They place 45s on each side right away. Mr. Scratch Alot stands as the a spotter, one hand down his shorts again. As his friend lays back on the bench, Mr. Scratch Alot takes both of his hands and gives his friend a buddy tap on the shoulder, first SCT (Sweaty Crotch Transfer).
The second SCT was his hands onto the bar. You know that saying, “You don’t know where they scratched last.” Well if that bar had a voice, he would be yelling at Mr. Scratch Alot to wash his damn hands. Poor bar saw it coming. SCT after SCT, it was getting a bit out of hand. He shook hands with his friends, grabbed a girl he knew on both arms, grabbed dumbbell after dumbbell, and many more. I think when he wasn’t doing an exercises he was keeping his hands nice and warm.
In Conclusion
Although this was a very short list of guys. I thought, these two needed their own. I’ve been asked before, how would I feel if someone was watching me and judging me? Well, I don’t workout in Planet Fitness, “The Judgement Freezone,” and if you tell me that any of these guys mentioned is not a ridiculous habit then I will gladly love to observe your workout. Now I would like to leave you with a very important question – “Where was the last place you scratched?”. Please everyone wash your hands. Thank you.
- Posted on September 16, 2010
- With 3 Comments
- Written by Daniel Aipa
When it’s time to go to the gym, some guys feel it’s a time for socializing with beautiful women, looking good, and trying to draw attention. They try to lift ridiculous weights, and get all macho with their other guy friends – chest pumping, and all the other stupid fraternity boy crap.
Coming from working in a college gym as an assistant strength coach as well as being a personal trainer at a commercial gym I’ve ran into a lot of conversations with women. Most of my clients were women and they would share a lot of their thoughts with me, especially when it came to ridiculous habits that guys have.
I realized that women are much more observant than men when it comes to the gym. When women see a good looking man working out they will look at him, but then all of a sudden he does a “red flag”. They move onto the next hunk and wait for the next “red flag”.
I know there are a few guys who really don’t give a damn what women think of you in the gym. I’m one of them. I wear the most raggedy clothes, sometimes a sweat shirt because it takes me sometime to warm-up. When I’m in the gym, it’s time to train. I’m focused on what I have to do. But we all know there are those guys who think going to the gym is a fashion show and a time to pick up chicks.
Looking at yourself in the mirror
We’ve all seen them. Now I’m not saying looking in the mirror isn’t a bad thing. Bodybuilders do it all the time, practicing posing a muscle and such. But there are some of those guys who are recreational lifters who look at themselves more than most females do.
The Spotter
The guy is standing behind the bench press and about to spot his friend. While he is giving his a friend a lift off he is staring at his arms in the mirror. Lift off. Then while his friend is lifting he still staring at himself flexing his traps a little, pulling up his sleeves a little, and tilting his head side to side. Here’s a thought. Cut that crap out and be a spotter. Women like a man who is encouraging and helpful, not a guy who is more worried about what he looks like while he is spotting. Remember Stafon Johnson from USC and his run in with the bar falling onto his throat? The weight was light for him but crazy things happen. It makes you wonder what the hell his training partner was doing. Flexing his traps in the mirror?
The Shirt Lifter
The guy who lifts his shirt up to see if his abs are coming out. Yes, the lighting in the gym makes your muscles look better, if you are in average shape the lighting is going to make it look like you have abs. But here is the kicker. Women would give a guy a shirt lift once. After that, its just ridiculous. If you didn’t see or did see your abs, there is no reason to check back again and again. Nothing has changed! Women are going to look at you and think, are you in love with yourself that much?
The Mirror Biceps
I myself have seen this many times but I had one of my clients stop me in the middle of her session and asked me, “What is that guy doing?” The guy was up close to the mirror, turned sideways, and started doing dumbbell bicep curls. His eyes fixed on himself in the mirror and watching his biceps. Yes, I know there are going to be guys out there saying they do that because they want to make sure their muscle is working. Man, if you can’t feel that muscle working what makes you think looking at will make it start working. What made it worse for the guy, was that after he finished his set he continued flex his arms in the mirror and moving his body in different positions so that the light could hit his beautiful bicep perfectly. Red flag. My client then followed with, “He WAS attractive,” and laughed.
The Blatant Looker
Ok, this is the guy I want to slap myself. He’s not so muscular, he has a bit of a belly from all the beer pong games but yet he feels he is a bodybuilder. We all know that guy who just walks around the gym constantly looking at himself in the mirror. Chest puffed, walking like his lats are huge, constantly rolling up his sleeves, caring more about what he looks like while lifting weights rather than caring about what he is doing. Women see those guys and will go home telling their friends all about him. Or they will point him out to her friends at the gym and instead of watching their TV show while during cardio they are going to watch that guy. Please don’t be that guy.
Part 1 Final Thoughts
I know to some of us the gym is a time to train, and would careless about what women think or what the mirror says. But I’m sure you’ve seen it before and probably even have friends who you know that do it. But for the guys who go to the gym to look good and have women check you out, pay attention to these “red flags”, you go from hero to zero very fast according to the women I’ve trained and know in the gym.
===============================
Ridiculous Habits Guys Have in Gyms – Part 2
- Posted on January 4, 2011
- With 4 Comments
- Written by Daniel Aipa
Well it’s been a long wait for Part 2, on my part. After I wrote Part 1 a couple months ago, I became even more observant in the gym. When you are walking on a treadmill there really isn’t much else to do other than listen to music and people watch. I shared my article with some friends and family and many of them sent me some of their observations.
But in all honesty, I have to keep true to myself and report only things I’ve witnessed. I thought I had a pretty good list in Part 1 but over the pass couple months there has been some very interesting events. This is going to be a short list. Just two. But these two are very important ones, and ones that stick out the most to me. More will come.
Mr. Not Racking His Weights
You see those signs in every gym, “Please Re-Rack Your Weights.” It seems like such a simple request but for some reason there are those who feel they are more privileged than others. They think servants follow behind them to clean up their mess. Well, while walking on the treadmill I had the chance to witness an event that actually made my blood boil.
A guy started to pile on plates on to the Leg Press. It looked impressive to an untrained eye but when he performed the exercise it was as if he was just bouncing the weight, I don’t even think they could be even called partial reps. Anyways, that’s another rant for another time.
As I continued to watch him he kept on piling plate after plate until there was no room. I think he had probably close to 24 plates on. At this point I was already thinking this was getting ridiculous. But then he does the unthinkable. He bobbed the weights up and down less than 4 times, stood up, and walked away from the Leg Press. I was hoping he would come back and unrack the weights, but nope. Who was I kidding?
What made it worse was that an elder woman wanted to use the machine, pissed me off! Luckily there were others around who were nice enough to help take the weights off. The jackass was off doing some butt clenches in the corner. I’m sure we all seen that happen before. Re-rack your damn weights! It’ll make the gym a much happier place.
Mr. Scratch Alot
Us guys take part in the doing a few adjustments and shifts in the crotch area every so often when it’s needed. But there are times that you need ask yourself, “Is this the right time to sneak an adjust?” While working out, I’ve seen guys who just can’t keep their hands off themselves. Makes me want to go up there and smack them to wake up, because maybe they don’t know they are doing it. But then comes “Mr. Scratch Alot.”
As I sat on the ground after a grueling leg workout, it was a good idea to start stretching. While I sat on the Precor stretching chair, which I think is awesome, I was interrupted from my meditative stretch by loud obnoxiousness walking in from the basketball courts.
They had all the guys from my first post; The Mirror Guy, The Biceps Guys, The Blatant Looker, and welcoming Mr. Scratch Alot. This dude had his whole hand down his shorts. Not just for a second, but while he stood there talking with his buddies. Already passed the 5 second rule, his hands are still down his shorts.
Then! His other hand goes down his shorts, by this time its already amusing because they haven’t started lifting, one of his friends is flexing his traps at the mirror, and at that moment I’m just waiting for him to shake hands with some unknowing person. Finally they walk over to do an exercises.
Where do you think they went? Yes, the bench press. They place 45s on each side right away. Mr. Scratch Alot stands as the a spotter, one hand down his shorts again. As his friend lays back on the bench, Mr. Scratch Alot takes both of his hands and gives his friend a buddy tap on the shoulder, first SCT (Sweaty Crotch Transfer).
The second SCT was his hands onto the bar. You know that saying, “You don’t know where they scratched last.” Well if that bar had a voice, he would be yelling at Mr. Scratch Alot to wash his damn hands. Poor bar saw it coming. SCT after SCT, it was getting a bit out of hand. He shook hands with his friends, grabbed a girl he knew on both arms, grabbed dumbbell after dumbbell, and many more. I think when he wasn’t doing an exercises he was keeping his hands nice and warm.
In Conclusion
Although this was a very short list of guys. I thought, these two needed their own. I’ve been asked before, how would I feel if someone was watching me and judging me? Well, I don’t workout in Planet Fitness, “The Judgement Freezone,” and if you tell me that any of these guys mentioned is not a ridiculous habit then I will gladly love to observe your workout. Now I would like to leave you with a very important question – “Where was the last place you scratched?”. Please everyone wash your hands. Thank you.
Het is uiteraard niet al te serieus bedoeld en er staat ook niet dat het "fout" is om in de spiegel te kijken.
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