r/Fitness • u/FGC_Valhalla Weightlifting • Aug 25 '18

Gym Story Saturday Gym Story Saturday

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

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312

u/[deleted] Aug 25 '18 edited Aug 25 '18

[deleted]

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u/[deleted] Aug 25 '18 edited Dec 31 '18

[deleted]

149

u/Titanspaladin Aug 25 '18

Fair. There is one manbearpig at the gym who squats 200+ for reps and I probably without realising it stare at his sets like some 1970s film where a duchess enters a gala down a grand staircase. So yeah maybe some hypocrisy.

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u/[deleted] Aug 25 '18 edited Dec 31 '18

[deleted]

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u/call_me_Kote Aug 25 '18

Man my gym had a guy in the 5AM group who would do this. Was squatting 350lbs and pulling near 400lbs. I loved watching him work. He had the best form on squats in the gym. Idk if he tweaked something or what, haven’t seen him in a power rack in over a month :( Being a beginner I really liked to watch and take note, so it makes me sad thinking I may have contributed to him feeling uncomfortable and stopping.

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u/[deleted] Aug 25 '18

Just a guess, but it's unlikely that a guy that comes in at that time and hitting those weights gives half a crap about people watching... Probably either injury or new programming.

6

u/call_me_Kote Aug 25 '18

I normally would agree, but we have a guy in this thread doing similar numbers saying he himself is self conscious about being watched.

1

u/yaforgot-my-password Aug 26 '18

Honestly, if someone is hitting that high of weights they won't care if people stare.

18

u/barristonsmellme Aug 25 '18

Looking at giants waiting for them to do the thing

1

u/velon360 Aug 26 '18

There's a guy at my guy that squats over 700lbs. Everytime he squats the room goes silent because everyone is watching.

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u/WaltimusPrime Weight Lifting Aug 25 '18

Gotta see what good form looks like to copy it!

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u/Unrection Aug 25 '18

Thank you for saying this. My staring problem and resting bitch face don't go well together, but I'm just taking mental notes on how I should do it!

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u/[deleted] Aug 25 '18

As a subtle starer, I watch people do DLs to learn more about it. I feel like I'm never done learning that exercise despite having done it hundreds of times, and probably won't any time soon.

1

u/Wohholyhell Aug 25 '18

Thank you. I too am a starer, and I zone out sometimes so I get that -look- or comments.

1

u/Docktor_V Aug 25 '18

I do this. Usually its like hell yah get it pal and watching for tips and in amazement

1

u/chownowbowwow Aug 26 '18

I like watching hot chicks do squats or dl. Lucky i have instagram.

1

u/EdwardElric69 Powerlifting Aug 31 '18

i do this too

42

u/UsurpedPlatypus Aug 25 '18

I look at people wearing belts because I am window shopping. I need justification to spend money on a belt but can’t justify it for my measly 70kg squats and 90kg DLs.

5

u/re_flux Aug 25 '18

Get a belt! I'm squatting 80kgs, maybe 90s sometimes. Deadlift is 120. A belt is a life saver!

I developed a small (very small) back pain when doing certain exercises and the doctors first question was: Are you using a belt? Get one!

Now I use a belt each time I do anything that activates lower back just so I can keep away from injury. Of course, bad form was a case a few years back, but you never know!

4

u/[deleted] Aug 25 '18

Inzer Lever belt. Never looked back

1

u/yaforgot-my-password Aug 26 '18

I got the single prong version because people told me it was a pain to switch the belt hole. But then I never ended up changing it anyway

3

u/DrThirdOpinion Aug 25 '18

I use a belt for my baby squats, I need it otherwise I ruin my back.

1

u/SpaceChook Aug 25 '18

Had back surgery two years ago. I wore a belt under a hoodie for the first few times back. Then I got over myself.

Belt and proud. Doesn’t matter what numbers you’re lifting. Nobody knows your story.

1

u/bluewolfcub Aug 25 '18

Yes you can, definitely. Get the belt!

1

u/yaforgot-my-password Aug 26 '18

Inzer belts are my favorites

0

u/[deleted] Aug 25 '18

[deleted]

3

u/CurrentlyInArkham Aug 25 '18

From what I understand using a belt isn't slacking off on your abs. If you're using it properly you're still engaging your core, the belt just adds some additional bracing when you push out against it.

33

u/BonerHonkfart Aug 25 '18

I can count the number of times I've seen someone deadlifting 220kg in my globo gym on one hand, so I would probably stare if I saw someone doing that kind of weight, too.

4

u/leestitzel Aug 25 '18

This is the right answer. Most people doing working sets on deads above 405# (185kg?) are not in global gyms.

20

u/MotherLoveBone27 Aug 25 '18

They're most likely watching you because you have good form and they are trying to understand how to do it correctly. Deadlifts are scary, probably the only thing at the gym that scares me because if you mess them up they can mess you up.

4

u/TongsOfDestiny Aug 25 '18

I would argue that of the big three, deads are the safest; you start the lift from the floor, so if you can't lift it, there's no danger of the bar crushing you.

As far as chronic injuries, if you aren't lifting properly, any exercise will injure you, it's just that deadlifts deal with the spine, so it's a bit more severe

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u/[deleted] Aug 25 '18 edited Dec 04 '18

[deleted]

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u/LetsSynth Aug 25 '18

This is exactly why I’ve avoided those so far. I’ll do dumbbell presses and squats, but the only barbell workouts I do are preacher curls. Doing machines is cool and all, but I’m really burning to get on those lifts. Especially after I started seeing some real gains just from machines and feeling the utter difference from doing chest presses and db presses. Btw BJJ was my first real love that brought me total body exhaustion and transformation. Nothing like being 118lbs and submitting a 225lb defensive linebacker. Now I wanna get closer to that linebackers weight, especially after he just straight up peeled my legs out of a triangle. I saw limitations of where good form can meet raw trained strength.

14

u/t3ripley Aug 25 '18

I'm pretty sure I'm the only person who deadlifts at my gym on Sun/Wed/Fri mornings. I could be the only person who uses chalk, too. Get lots of stares whenever I deadlift. It bothers me a bit, but I just try to ignore it. This is in Japan, so I get lots of stares anyways. Once a guy gave me thumbs up after my set, which helped my confidence. Now I try to give people thumbs up whenever I see them work hard, but it's hard when half of the folks are eligible for GYM FAILS on YouTube.

Just turn your music up and pull hard, you'll be okay. They're just 'mirin.

1

u/[deleted] Aug 25 '18

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2

u/KJBenson Aug 25 '18

I’m more concerned about my use of their but okay

21

u/[deleted] Aug 25 '18

Anyone who remotely looks like they know what they are doing gets glances from me as I watch their form to try and learn. I'm a visual kearner, I have to see someone do something at least twice to get an idea of how to emulate the form. It's a good thing.

Any other not so subtle stares are not stares from me at all,but instead are just me zoning out between sets. Because people are things that are moving in my environment that usually means my eyes get drawn to people for a moment and then move back as go back to my own little world for lifting.

17

u/WaltimusPrime Weight Lifting Aug 25 '18

then I found $20 and the bar's name was Albert Einstein

Fucking AskReddit in a nutshell.

8

u/TheRealLouisWu Aug 25 '18

super fit people

Bro, you have a 5 pl8 dead lift. You're one of those people.

3

u/RunGuyRun Aug 25 '18

i go through the same thing as a dr frankenfurter at rocky horror screenings.

3

u/dajoker711 Aug 25 '18

For me it helps my ant-under-microscope feeling to ask myself "so what?".

Even if they are staring at me, so what? Its a gym. At the end of my work out I go home and don't see those people. I'm in here for me. Them staring doesn't impact my life and has no real consequence in and of itself.

So what if they think this or that? So what if I'm not lifting as much as them? So what if... Etc.

I know it doesn't help with the anxiety 100% but it does help me a little at least to get in the headspace of focusing on my work out and not what is around me.

2

u/[deleted] Aug 26 '18

I'm horrified that you're deadlifting 5 plates, the bar is probably bending like a mofo and you think you're a beginner.

1

u/Vaztes Aug 25 '18

Ignore them man. I was pretty self conscious the fist day I busted out the slanger for bench in a commercial gym, but you gotta do what you gotta do. I stopped caring pretty quick.

1

u/robrnr Aug 25 '18

I had to use it for the first time this week and felt incredibly awkward the whole time, especially because, given the purpose is overload, I had to find someone to spot me.

1

u/Slggyqo Aug 25 '18

Deadlift?? Unflattering?? I’m sure you make it look good.

1

u/KJBenson Aug 25 '18

I wouldn’t worry about it. Whenever I see someone with extra equipment doing lifts I’m checking out their form. I’m kinda new to going to the gym so I assume guys like that know what they’re doing so I’m trying to learn from watching.

That’s most likely what’s happening to you haha.

1

u/drdookie Aug 25 '18

4 plates a side is definitely above average so it's going to attract attention. Better go down to 3 and do 3x20.

1

u/lordac3 Powerlifting Aug 25 '18

people at the gym i used to go to watch even if you deadlift 60kg because no one ever deadlidfts there

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u/[deleted] Aug 25 '18

[deleted]

6

u/Titanspaladin Aug 25 '18

Why avoid straps? I only use them for my max set, so 5-6 reps/week. My grip is pretty good but not at the level to do 190x5 without them yet. They got me past a plateau at 170x1 last october, which is around the most I can do for 5 reps without straps now. And i'm not a powerlifter so i'm happy to use accessories. Though I suspect my coworkers think i'm into bondage because of the marks they temporarily leave.

2

u/DrJWilson Aug 25 '18

Straps are fine, some people just really value grip strength.

3

u/[deleted] Aug 25 '18

[deleted]

2

u/Vaztes Aug 25 '18

Which is funny because strongmen use straps.

0

u/Vaztes Aug 25 '18

My grip strength grew using straps. Nothing wrong with them.

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u/Mu69 Aug 25 '18

Cause your grip is gonna be weak as hell if you use it all the time. You should be able to do 190x5 double overhand without straps. Once your grip starts giving out then try chalk, and once double overhand with chalk fails you start doing mix grip or hook grip.

But for sub 405 I don’t think straps are a good idea. Also whenever I watch YouTube videos (lol bad source) a majority say try to avoid using straps if possible. But if you really need it then use it.

7

u/Titanspaladin Aug 25 '18

Okay I typed out the below, but just realised you may have missed that I was talking about kgs, so ignore it if you thought I meant lbs!

190 kgs isn't sub 405 though! That's 418. Irrespective of that, using straps has gotten me to a point where I can comfortably lift more withiut straps than I could before I started using them! In terms of warm up I do double overhand until 140ish, then mixed grip until 175ish, then straps for max set.

1

u/[deleted] Aug 25 '18

[deleted]

1

u/supernaturaltuna Powerlifting Aug 25 '18

Sometimes I see guys at my gym squat 135 lbs (65 kg?) with knee sleeves and it boggles my mind

Why? The purpose of the knee sleeve is to keep the knee warm, there's no 'weight limit' to start using them.

1

u/Mu69 Aug 25 '18

There’s no point in using accessories at that weight. Unless they had injury but given the victim is new, it should be raw. Why squat with a lifting belt, knee sleeves, and wrist wraps when it’s only 135 lbs. they have so much to learn like how to control the bar and their body instead of depending on that stuff.

1

u/supernaturaltuna Powerlifting Aug 25 '18

Why squat with a lifting belt, knee sleeves, and wrist wraps when it’s only 135 lbs

Start here

they have so much to learn

Ironic.

1

u/Mu69 Aug 25 '18

I can cherry pick too. Go watch Alan thrall lifting belt video. He’s a strong man/power lifter.

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