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Hi everyone! I got a great question sent to my email that I thought could be an interesting topic.  The person, Jill-from Arizona, wanted to know as a trainer what drives me insane at the gym-what are my pet peeves.  First, I love when I get questions so thanks for helping me out. Second, this is a trainer’s dream question…to talk about the crap that drives us crazy where we work or where we workout. So here goes the answer…

Insanity/Pet Peeve

1) People who hoard at the gym- Have you ever gone to the gym and there is a person that seems to love a machine so much that they refuse to leave?  How about the person who takes the last treadmill and never leaves?  What about the person that puts their stuff (a towel, gym bag, keys) down on or next to the machine and expects you to understand it is their machine even though they are on four others? Or how about the people that seem to do set after set with 5 minute rests knowing you are waiting for that machine?  These are just a few examples of the annoying hoarders in the gym.    The worst is when you actually ask them if they are done and they look you up and down and are like “NO, DO I LOOK DONE”!  Drives me crazy!  I don’t feel bad for me or for the people that speak up at the gym I feel bad for the newbies, the ones that are intimidated by these annoying, selfish people who have nothing better to do then be annoying and selfish.

2) The Clankers- A clanker is a person that slams either their dumbbells together or the stacks on a machine.  What people don’t realize is that when you are clanking you are really cheating yourself. The clank itself actually gives you the momentum to do your next rep.  If you notice a normal person at a gym might clank near the end of a set because they are tired the annoyers are the ones that do it constantly.  There are a few reasons people clank 1. Weight too heavy 2. Weight too light 3. Bad positioning.   If you find that you clank a lot try something different change your weight or your position and see if that helps.  One of my clients was using a machine (inner/outer thighs) and was clanking along.  I had explained to her the reasoning of why it was bad and changed her weight. I added 10 pounds and even though she couldn’t do as many reps (took off 5) there was no more clanking and she really felt the resistance. Whereas she was too light you have some people that go crazy with the weight.  I once walked up to a guy that was doing triceps extensions on a cable machine and he had horrible form and was clanking.  I explained that if he took some weight off that he would really feel it in his triceps more and not in other muscles.  He changed the weight and the form completely changed for the better (and no clanking).  Clanking can be so bothersome at a gym that some are throwing people out!  A gym in Fort Lauderdale, FL recently threw out a gym goer for doing this exact thing.  It was in all the papers and was definitely a topic of discussion for gym rats in South Florida.  What do you think?  Do they annoy you or are people (like me) out of their mind?

3) Marketing Yourself, Your Company, or Your Religion- Now hopefully none of you have had to deal with this insanity. This actually happened to me yesterday so it is a fresh annoyance in my mind.  I was minding my own business, on the elliptical machine, when a man walked up to me.  At first I thought he was trying to hit on me and then I saw the card. He smiled and handed me his Comcast business card.  I took out my earphones to find him asking me if I had cable and with whom.  I couldn’t believe this crap!  I told him I just changed and he moved on to the next unsuspecting victim in his path. For many people a gym is a place to release your stress not have it in front of you with a business card.  Unfortunately, this was not the first encounter I had with this kind of annoyance.  The worst was years ago on a treadmill next to some very nice lady (I assumed).  I was on the treadmill, watching TV, when a woman tried to have a conversation with me.  I took out my headphones and had a very nice talk with her about the gym.  After a few minutes she asked me what city I lived in and then handed me a card, to her church!   I don’t care what kind of religion you are but seriously in a gym!  She tried explaining all about her church and the kind of people that went there and finally I had to get off my equipment and leave.  Some people can be such buzz kills in a gym! If I was just a regular gym person, not a trainer that could have ended my reason for ever returning.  The worst is that most gyms don’t even know that this is happening.

4) The People That Think They Are Trainers- These are the people that feel the need to give everyone advice, even if it is wrong.  Most of these people have been going to the gym for years and feel they are “top dog”.  What people don’t seem to realize is that unless you are educated you can really hurt somebody.  So many people give out advice or show an exercise that is horrible/unsafe and never think twice.  Do you know how many lawsuits are out there on people getting hurt in gyms?  Do you really think someone wouldn’t think twice on suing you and everything you have?  There are people that have sued for less and it was against their best friend.  The machines or exercises I see this the most with are 1) Squat-put your butt back, feet planted in the ground, and keep your knees from going over your toes 2) Lat pull down- Keep your core nice and straight, pull down in front of your body towards your chest not your back, concentrate on your shoulder blades pulling closer together, and don’t forget to bring the pad to the top of your thighs when starting.  My advice if you are just started at the gym is to get educated.  You don’t have to spend tons on certifications but read up on the body and how it works.  I know this sounds kooky but the better you know your body the better workout you will get.  When I explain to a client about the lat pull down and the muscles involved and how they work, they get it.  If you know what you are working on you know just where you should feel it and I think it helps. When you listen to a person at a gym you really have no idea where or how they got their information.  It might not help you it actually might hurt you in the end.  Sometimes an exercise looks good and you just can’t help but want to copy it.  You have to question what they are doing before you attempt it.  I saw a girl doing a leg exercise the other day that I was totally hyped about doing.  I thought about it, tried it once, and then realized how screwed up my knees would have been if I kept going.  Remember, even if you are with a friend, and they know some stuff, and you are in pain, stop.  Getting hurt takes days, weeks, and even months away from enjoying your life and doing things you really like to do.

Thanks again to Jill for the awesome question and the stress that came from thinking about my pet peeves.  To quote Susan Powter, “Stop the insanity”!  What are some of yours?  Are they like mine or something completely different?  Remember if you have any questions or comments please email me at info@trainhergirl.com. Have a great week!  Jess

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