Your comments about pointlessly light weights are making me self-conscious!
I'm the weirdo trying to do rehab for my ankle - I need enough weight to load the ankle but have to hold it in a way that doesn't irritate my rotator cuff tendinitis, tennis elbow, or carpal tunnel. And I have to balance on one foot. I have the smallest possible barbell that is wider than the squat rack, which I'm leaning into for balance, and lift my heel a couple inches. It's hard, frustrating and totally goofy-looking - just what I want in an exercise.
JerseyBigfoot wrote:
Iām in my gym five days a week so get to see loads of shit. It is a reasonably small gym, and doesnāt have a steroid culture, but the majority of casual lifter stereotypes are all present and correct.
Thereās the midlife skinny-fat dude who wears a compression vest that rides up over his belly, and overloads every set so that he has to cheat the movement on every exercise.
There are the young newcomers who stick together in packs of 3-4 watching each other lift pointlessly light weights and randomly flit from exercise to exercise, with no plan.
There are the young buff dudes wearing vests but tracksuit pants, who Iāve never seen doing anything other than a chest and arm routine.
Thereās the post-new-year bullshit month where the smith machine is clogged with an assortment of asshats doing reverse leg presses, lying on the floor with their feet pushing the bar up. Meanwhile the actual leg press is unused. Other āuniqueā exercises are on display by people who really just need to get on with the foundation exercises.
Thereās the chunky nut job who has obviously been reasonably active all his life but should have sized up his shorts a decade ago. He likes to sprint on the treadmill and elliptical until soaked in sweat and then proceed to do circuits on the various free weights, leaving benches soaked in his wake.
Speaking of circuits, thereās the older trainer who only ātrainsā people whoāve never been in the gym before. At peak time heāll be guiding his client through a circuit using half the work stations and weights equal to a can of beans.
Boxing/MMA has been in for a while. Thanks to that we now have guys skipping in between sets, blocking any equipment within a 2m radius. I like skipping. Skipping is fun. In an unused cardio room with lots of room.
Thereās the runner/triathlete who does floor exercises in his calf compression sleeves (and running kit - in case you were visualising this) in the middle of the free weights despite their being a room, usually empty, for this purpose.
Iāve a lot of love for anyone who squats or deadlifts with form. In fact, anyone who lifts with good form and doesnāt overload the bar. Very few people in a gym have sensible routines.
Wow. I needed to get that off my chest!