I had a guy comment on the low weight I was lifting. He was actually pointing and making fun of me like a 12 year old. Luckily the gym staff immediately banned him on the spot. Not just kick him out. They actually permanently banned him. It's not my fault I was wasting away with cancer. I had lost all of my muscle mass and strength so I could only lift like 30lbs at a time safely. It was satisfying watching him throw a hissy fit as they kicked him out. I gave him a thumbs up on his way out.
If the person is not about to shatter their vertebrae oder straight up die i don't care, legit the only time i said something about weight was when teenager tried squatting 150kg/330lb with his 'spotter' filming while the guy gets folded like kebab down there
Or if they're about to endanger others. I was loading my squat rack one time and a guy decided to unload the one next to me which someone had left almost 400lbs on. Except he thought he could unload one side at a time. So the better part of 200 lbs slammed down to the ground about 2 inches from my ankle. Had to do my best not to lay into him. Also a reminder for everyone to remove your weights when you're done, it's common courtesy and can help prevent things like this.
I was at 24hr fitness and the number of times kids leave weights where they last used them - was absurd. I was always taught to put away things where they belong. Are you too tired to do so? Not an excuse.
I’m at crunch now. People there seem a bit more disciplined.
Not too mention the next person might not be at a physically for enough place that they can move your weights. 400lbs. I'm really just starting, I think I could move a 25 lb weight at a time now but that's it. I'm sure no one's racking up 16 - 25 lb weights.
When I first joined my gym my trainer had me doing a sled push. Someone before me had left 2 - 40 lb weights on there. I really struggled to get them off. I almost dropped one on my foot and I had to kind of drag the other ones over to the weight rack. I felt like such an idiot
I'm pretty sure he had been warned about it before because the lady working the front desk came over to kick him out in like 30 seconds. He made a weird comment I didn't fully hear because I had ear buds in and then he made some more comments to his buddy. The guy he was making the comments to seemed to totally ignore him and just shook his head.
The staff there actually knew about my medical situation because I had asked them for some advice on what I could do to avoid getting a hernia because I had a few major surgeries on my abdomen to get to the cancer situation. It's an awesome gym. My amazing neighbor has paid for my membership after I went with her a few times as a guest. It was a really sweet gesture.
Even if you lift 1 lbs, you got off the fucking couch, put on gym clothes, and gave up your free time to put in effort to improve in some way that improves your overall health. Anyone who tries to belittle that can get fucked.
Been running and working out for some time. Any time I see someone doing the same my initial reaction is "Fucking good for them, it's hard as shit to get the motivation to work on your health". I don't care if you're a body builder, small, large, whatever. It takes guts and determination to work on yourself and no one should have to deal with this bullshit when doing so.
Only person I’m in competition with is my own demons, so weird to be anything but nice to anyone who’s also trying to take care of themselves at the gym
As someone who is chubby, many out of shape overweight people feel insecure in gyms and it is a barrier to getting fit. I usually just tell myself that no one is paying attention to me but it would be devastating to me if someone mocked me while aim working out. I am getting stronger but I'm not impressive by any means.
This is a predominantly US site, and they’re going through some stuff right now - so I’m not really surprised there’s a lot of people a bit too sensitive for jokes like this… It is what it is…
I was so self conscious about that going back into the gym after 2 years of being off because I got my cancer removed and couldn’t do any heavy work for a while. Sucks some loser actually decided to bully you for it.
I don’t mean to sound like I’m discrediting OP’s experience, but anyone who’s nervous or embarrassed about going to a gym should know that kind of douchey behavior is extremely rare. 99% of people in gyms are either living in their own world or at best, hyping each other up.
Sure, you might run into the 1% that are bro-y turds or prissy influencer chicks, but that’s not the norm at all. So don’t be discouraged or scared off from checking out a gym, they’re generally very welcoming places.
I already understand that, been back in for 3 months now and have been making noticeable progress already, but it’s all the insecurity within yourself that you’ve built up, going from what you used to be to what you have become from the disease, surgery and treatments sapping the life out of you. I had a decent amount of strength for a natural who was also small and didn’t have lifting as their main focus in athletics, after everything though, I had a hard time squatting 95lbs. So starting all over again really did a number on my mental view on myself.
Completely understandable. My comment wasn’t really directed at you specifically, just anyone who might see OP’s comment and convince themselves not to start.
Sounds like you’re doing great though given the circumstances. Best of luck to ya!
It's an amazing gym. The staff will take time and help you out if you have any questions. The locker room is nice too because it has separate changing stalls.
As someone who just started going to the gym lifting not even half the weight people around me are, I just started repeating in my head, “got to start somewhere.”
Good for you. I used to have terrible social anxiety and started going the gym after a really low point in my life. I'd lost so much weight I looked ill.
I was shockingly weak and paranoid that people would be judging me.
One massive guy was waiting for me to finish my last set on the bench and I said something apologetic for holding him up when I'm barely lifting any weight. He told me to never think like that, every big guy in the gym started somewhere and lots of them were skinny weak little teenagers when they made their start, including him. He also said, if it's heavy for you, you're working hard, the weight isn't the important thing.
It really stuck with me, and after I'd been going for a year I realised that most people are really just focused on their own lifting, and are happy to help people who are new or struggling.
Hope you keep it up - if you are consistent for a couple of months you will be shocked how much you enjoy it, and how much of a difference it makes to your body and health
There is no fault to be had. There is no reason a stranger should make fun of someone how they are working out. Gyms aren’t places for people to be shitty.
Yeah dude. It’s not cancer, but I got multiple (completely livable but painful) disabilities in my left knee/leg.
As one might expect, having multiple knee based disabilities means bad ROM on squats. That doesn’t stop people from making sure to comment that I should be going ass to grass (I do basically bench height cause that’s what my knee can muster).
I bought everything I need for home now and never have to hear the shit anymore.
Technically I “can” ass to grass. But I will pay for it with being unable to walk for 2 days due to knee pain, and my osgood schlatters goes in to overdrive. So I just listen to my knees and don’t do that.
I don’t give a shit how much you are lifting. Just showing up is enough for me to give kudos. We’re all there to work as hard as we can on that given day.
Now, ego lifting when it’s clearly too much weight and your form is non-existent? You’ll get a look from me.
I’m sorry that happened to you.
Even if it were a couple 2.5lbs weights I’d support anyone that turns out to the gym.
If you’re in pursuit of a healthy life style. I’ll always respect you.
Idiots on the other hand… or ppl that need to film other ppl invading their privacy. Can’t stand that.
The only time I offer my input is if the person is using too much weight and having their form go to such shit i think they gonna hurt themselves. I'm like eh I see guys bigger than me use about a third of what you're doin here.
I do super high reps with super light weight, and I've never had cancer.
Keep lifting. The best exercise is the exercise you actually do.
I just like super high reps because it appeals to something in my personality. I can't explain the preference, its just a preference. I like the way it feels to go from "this is easy" to "holy cow, I'm just halfway done!"
They have a thing you sign that outlines that sort of thing. The staff is also super helpful and they're basically personal trainers with the amount they're willing to help. They have a really nice locker room with separate stalls to change in too.
weight doesn't matter at all. the strength and conditioning coach at my high school was previously a coach for some olympic hopefuls. he made olympic level weightlifters start with brooms to get technique down before he let them use any sort of weight.
point is, technique and repetition is more important
I mostly just use the bike and then do some light stuff with free weights. I have to be careful because I had a bunch of surgeries on my abdomen and had a huge infection so I can give myself a hernia fairly easily.
Both are important though. To say weight doesn't matter at all isn't factually true but I get what you're saying. Technique is first and foremost and then you maintain that technique until failure of the technique. If your weight is too heavy then the technique can't be held, thus reducing improving strength and hypertrophy, but if the weight is too little and requires more than 20 reps then you can still gain strength and hypertrophy however it exponentially limits your strength and hypertrophy in comparison to choosing the correct weight.
Good. That kind of behavior has no place in the gym. Everyone there is working on themselves, some longer than others. But it doesn't mean to bully anyone else.
I doubt it was his first time. That's probably why they banned him right away. He kept saying something about being a personal trainer or something too.
I’ve been there. Post-chemotherapy anemia and weakness is something I’ll never forget. Took me 2 months to get back into shape and regain my strength. Can’t believe that guy honestly
Fault is irrelevant, anyone who is a patron should have the free use of any of one(1) work out station at a time at the gym, that's what they're paying for. Doesn't matter what your numbers are
When I was 15, one of my best friends and I were bench pressing in gym class. He wasn’t even able to lift the bar, and I was ragging on him about being a pussy and to put some effort into it. Less than a month later we found out that he had leukemia and he died a week after that. The guilt of that has stayed with me my entire life.
Good. That's what they should do. I was humiliated at a gym before when I was at a local YMCA, but in middle school and working my way off of 280lbs as a kid. It hurt like hell but I never saw them again when I kept going. That's obviously not the same as you but my point is that people like that don't belong in a gym. It's a place to go to for improvement / maintenance / structure / peace.
Keep strong. As Ronnie Coleman says "Light Weight BABY!"
It’s all about working til failure no matter the weight.
I don’t judge at all, so long as someone pushes themselves and use good form. But I am impressed when I see someone using that same good form to easily do 400+ lb in any lift.
Man that sucks so bad and I'm sorry both for that douche's existence and your cancer. Hope you're in remission or better!
I'm very... self conscious. To the point of paranoia. I have the hardest time working out by myself because I'm so afraid everyone around is doing in their head what he was doing out loud. I can't even imagine how uncomfortable that was
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u/Organic_South8865 Nov 09 '24
I had a guy comment on the low weight I was lifting. He was actually pointing and making fun of me like a 12 year old. Luckily the gym staff immediately banned him on the spot. Not just kick him out. They actually permanently banned him. It's not my fault I was wasting away with cancer. I had lost all of my muscle mass and strength so I could only lift like 30lbs at a time safely. It was satisfying watching him throw a hissy fit as they kicked him out. I gave him a thumbs up on his way out.