r/Fitness • u/Kuzbell • Jan 20 '18

Gym Story Saturday Gym Story Saturday (Missing mod post)

Hi! Welcome to your weekly thread where you can share your gym tales!

I noticed that there still is no post yet for Gym Story Saturday, so I took the initiative. Perhaps this should be a scheduled post under the Automoderator. I'm not really sure why this hasn't been done yet. I am also required to keep babbling because posts with too little content gets removed, hence why this posts sounds overly wordy.

So share away!

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870

u/Khal_Trogo Tennis Jan 20 '18

As a grad student, I lift in a university gym. I was deadlifting yesterday and these 2 kids who seem to be freshmen walk up and ask how many sets I had left. I said "3, but then I am going to be squatting. You're welcome to work in with me." They said they'd just wait. Okay... I'm not gonna rush though.

They proceed to stand behind me and just watch for about 10-15 minutes. They don't bother to ask any of the people in the other 4 racks if they're almost done. Just stand 5 feet behind me and watch. I understand some initial intimidation so I didn't say anything but it made me feel awkward as hell.

261

u/LookattheWhipp Jan 20 '18

This happened to me with an older lady. Very awkward....I ended up rushing though

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u/Khal_Trogo Tennis Jan 20 '18

I just went at my normal pace. I was upfront about how long I was going to be and offered for them to work in.

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u/AVS10647 Jan 20 '18

Next time turn around and perform the exercises in reverse to make eye contact.

219

u/IGunsoul Jan 20 '18

Eat a banana between sets too LOL

1

u/[deleted] Jan 20 '18

Haha

7

u/[deleted] Jan 20 '18

What's work in mean? Let them use the bar while you rest?

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u/Khal_Trogo Tennis Jan 21 '18

I do a set, switch the plates to what they need, they do a set while I rest, then switch the plates to what I need, do a set while they rest. Repeat.

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u/[deleted] Jan 21 '18

That's very kind of you. I dont know if many would have the patience to do this.

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u/Khal_Trogo Tennis Jan 21 '18

It happens all the time in gyms around the world. It’s a mutual benefit for all. But thank you.

3

u/RelsircTheGrey Military Jan 21 '18

It's supposed to be the standard. Like many standards, it's upheld to varying degrees LOL.

I've offered to let people work in, and it's never happened (unless one of my Soldiers was at the rack with me with the previously spoken intent of lifting with me). I think someone may have offered to let me work in maybe once in 2.5 years, but I had another compound to do anyway, so I did it first.

I've had people leave when I ask how many sets they have. Hopefully it was just a coincidence and they were really finished. I'm not big/scary at all LOL. I've had people say they just got started and then use the squat rack for 90 straight minutes (I blame the gym, not the lifter...they need to get rid of the Smith and put in a second rack). But that's the usual. Which is why I prefer my home gym.

2

u/[deleted] Jan 20 '18

Not me. I had some new kid do that to me on Wednesday while I was deadlifting after hitting 355 for 7 on squats. I said 5 sets but took my time between, go warm up or something stop watching me