“What I do in the gym is for me and only me.” – Ross Enamait
Source: http://www.rosstraining.com/articles/pickyourpassion.html
What say you fellow bloggers, BJJ players, Muay Thai fighters, skiers, snowboarders, gym rats, crossfitters, introverts, extroverts, etc, etc? Regale my with your inspirational comments relating to the quote above. Do you strongly agree, agree, somewhat agree, somewhat disagree, disagree, or strongly disagree?
Every day, people make me feel as if I want to punch them in the face. Here’s a nifty little article I came across that will lessen the chance of getting a knuckle sandwich from me, whilst pumping iron at your favorite exercising facility.
by Cassie Smith Dec 24, 2012
The gym can be a scary place, especially if you are new to fitness and unfamiliar with gym protocol. And while you may not feel completely comfortable, don’t let intimidation stop you from reaching your goals. You just need a little gym etiquette training.
Just like any other community, the gym requires some special considerations. More often than not, general politeness works wonders, but if you’d like a more detailed approach, check out these 10 gym “don’ts.”
Whether you’re lifting with a buddy or just are in the gym on your own, it’s tempting to use the gym as your social hour. Do not do this. If you’re holding a dumbbell or barbell, lift it—don’t just cradle it as you blab to your girlfriend about Timmy’s school project. Other people want to use that equipment. This also goes for people who just sit on a bench or machine while they chat. There are a gazillion other places you can chat besides the pec deck. Do the work, or step away.
Even worse are the people who insist on talking in the middle of a difficult set. Hint: if the person you’re talking to is breathing really hard, grunting, or is wearing an expression of pain mixed with mild panic, shut up. That person doesn’t want to—and probably can’t—talk to you. Sorry.
There’s nothing worse than getting a deep breath of Acqua Di Gio when you’re in the middle of a heavy squat. It means instant nausea, instant headache. I can’t think of a reason why anyone would need to swim in cologne before he goes to the gym. The same can be said about ladies: Love Spell perfume does not mix well with sweat and effort.
On the other hand, excessive body odor is just as bad. Treadmilling next to a person who clearly had numerous tequila shots and cigarettes the night before is an awful experience.
Bro, I’m totally impressed that you can bench 315 pounds. But when you’re done, please don’t leave the plates on the bar. By doing this, you’re essentially telling everyone else at the gym that you’re more important than they are. That’s just plain rude.
Sweat happens. You’re in a gym, that’s what you do. But not everyone else in the gym wants to lay or sit in your puddle. It’s just not the right way to mark your territory. Blech!
If you see someone who is clearly lifting improperly, don’t say anything. OK, I’ll allow this: Unless that person is in a near-death position and you are the only one who can save them, don’t say anything. It’s not your place.
Furthermore, knowing what you’re talking about and thinking you know what you’re talking about are two different things. If you learned from watching a YouTube video about proper deadlifting technique, telling Hulkmaster Huge in the corner that his feet aren’t spaced wide enough is a bad call.
Say it with me friends, “sharing is caring.” Gyms have limited equipment. You may need to let someone do their working sets during your rest periods. True, if you share the cable machine, you may not be able to time your circuit like a Swiss watch. But that’s not something to worry about—your biceps aren’t going to lose an inch if you have to wait an extra 30 seconds.
Gyms are full of other people. No matter how awesome Eminem sounds blasting in your Dre Beats, you can’t pretend that you’re the only person there. That means you should be cognizant of how much room you’re taking up, whether you’re standing directly in front of someone, and how much noise you’re making.
Man or woman, it’s difficult not to be aware of the myriad attractive people you may find in the gym. However, staring creepily at the chick doing bent-over rows or the dude doing barbell hip thrusts is not cool. Mind your own business.
If you don’t know how something works, ask. If you aren’t sure that a machine is working properly, ask. If you think something’s wrong with your treadmill, ask.
It’s also best if you use equipment as it’s meant to be used. For instance, if you find yourself doing biceps curls in a squat rack, you’d better move. Someone might kill you.
If you make fun of people who are in the gym trying to be more healthy and fit, then you are an asshat.
Some young ladies were laughing at me today when I was stretching. I was doing hip rotations at the time. I am sure I looked a little goofy. I really emphasize the movement because I am trying to reduce pain in my lower extremities by making sure they are properly warmed up and stretched before I workout. I couldn’t help but think, “We’ll see how you laugh when you’re 40 and you’ve been carrying all that blubber around.” I know it was mean to think that, but I’m an asshole…
Anywho… Workout today was quick and to the point.
Step 1: Cycling for 20 minutes at 100rpms.
Step 2: The first half of this workout.
Step 3: 10, 1 minute rounds alternating between weighted punches and throwing Muay Thai knees on the bosu ball. NO REST between rounds.
Step 4: 30 crunches, 20 bicycle crunches, 30 v-ups, 20 straight leg sit ups, 15 side leg lifts each side, 10 side plank ups each side, 50 Russian twists.
I definitely had to change my undies after that one…
My body is yelling at me today!
“What is your major malfunction you fat barrel of monkey spunk?!?”
That was my body. Taken from Shawshank Redemption. I think I may have overdone it yesterday. In the morning I had a good, hard, sweaty workout at the gym. In the evening I participated in BJJ class with plenty of joint twisting, neck cranking rolls. Following that I stayed for the Muay Thai class. Lots if high impact, exhausting exercise. Anyways, today my whole body is stiff.
My knees are a constant throb. Last night I had a dream that I was skiing and I tweaked me knee. I spent the remainder of the dream trying to figure out what I could do to make the pain subside so that I could continue skiing. Upon waking this morning, I immediately made the connection. LOL.
It will be an easy day of exercise for me today. I don’t want to just do nothing, but I’m going to try and keep the impact to a minimum.
I had a pretty good little workout today. Kind of made it up on the fly. It involved bosu ball goblet squats, box jumps, thruster lunges, floor wipers, and kettle bell swings. I also climbed some stairs for 20 min and rode a bike for 20 min. My whole body felt worked.
Tonight I ate enough triple chocolate cake for 4 people. I loath myself. Disgusting pig.
Mountains to Mats 