Where do guys get these bad gym habits?

go at a different time if you can. my gym is lame-**** from about 4-7:30. i recently discovered that there's nobody there during my lunch break so that's when i go now.

Sadly, our locker room is a shithole 24/7. I'm there anywhere from 5 a.m. to late at night. Just useless cleaning staff. Interestingly, my wife says the women's is pretty good. If women have a dirty locker room, they'll walk. Men, for some reason, will put up with real crap.

Originally Posted by Epaulet

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+1

I do both squats and deads barefoot, but always have shoes on after I walk away from the station.

It looks a crazy if you've never tried it, but I found that my lifts went up around 15% and I no longer had sore knees from squatting. It's worth a few nasty glances.

The only beef that I have with my gym is the mind-numbing trance music that they play. I seem to forget my Iphone half the time, and it sounds like I crash-landed in a 1993 Chicago rave.

I do deadlifts without shoes becos using those cushioned nikes, when you deadlift and lean forward, theres a tendency to topple forwards. Best to use flat or no shoes.

Aint try squats with no shoes. Wearing those cushioned nikes is not unlike putting a shallow piece of wood under your heels. Makes squatting easier.

As for music. Hell, even in Temple Gym, Dorian plays alternative/grunge rock and he does fine.

Originally Posted by Mr T

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It seems older gentlemen especially think being naked is a good thing in the locker room. And not just naked but naked and lounging. Literally hanging out with their pals for hours. I see the same dudes naked and yapping when I arrive and later when I leave. I can't imagine what they are talking about that requires them to be so naked.
Yes, I'm sure everybody who goes to a gym has these stories. At the first university where I worked, there was a 65+ y.o. man like this who worked out in the morning and then did his entire morning routine in front of the mirror completely naked. I would go in to change at the beginning... he was there brushing his hair. I would finish my workout... and he was still there... flossing or shaving or something. I was always bewildered and couldn't figure out why anyone on earth would do that. Turns out some months later I ran into him outside of his usual "context" ... and he was a university Vice-President and my boss's boss's boss. Eek...

Originally Posted by beasty

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I am only barefoot when deadlifting. In between sets, I slip on my shoes.
With all the weight dropping in the gym, walking barefooted is like walking blindfolded in an uncleared landmine field in Cambodia.

Unless you're wearing steel toed boots, do you really think a pair of shoes is going to protect your feet from somone dropping weight on them?

Not that I'm advocating going barefoot because I'd never think of doing that but unless it's a very tiny weight, shoes vs none isn't going to protect against crap.

Originally Posted by rach2jlc

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Yes, I'm sure everybody who goes to a gym has these stories. At the first university where I worked, there was a 65+ y.o. man like this who worked out in the morning and then did his entire morning routine in front of the mirror completely naked. I would go in to change at the beginning... he was there brushing his hair. I would finish my workout... and he was still there... flossing or shaving or something. I was always bewildered and couldn't figure out why anyone on earth would do that. Turns out some months later I ran into him outside of his usual "context" ... and he was a university Vice-President and my boss's boss's boss. Eek...
I saw this sort of thing at the university gym where I was a student. It changed my opinion of a few administrators.

Gyms breed machos.
Machos grunt and drop to appear even more macho.
Only way to avoid it is changing genders and going to Curves.
Otherwise, go in the early morning or suck it up/bring iPod.

Originally Posted by JayJay

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I saw this sort of thing at the university gym where I was a student. It changed my opinion of a few administrators.

I know... it's very odd... they have to be SO politically correct and up on all sorts of social graces to keep their positions (or attain them); yet in something so basic as putting on a towel or, heaven forbid, pants... they are clueless.

Maybe it's their way of blowing off steam after a long day of having to deal with the PC-patrol? (haha).

Originally Posted by bearlydavid

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But one thing that bothers me is
- People doing curls in the squat rack

+1 - there is a limited number of squat racks, and they are for ******* squats . if you want to do something that can be done someplace else, do it there.

I have so many gym pet peeves....

I hate when people are doing dumbell presses and smash the DBs together at the top of every lift. It is pointless and does nothing.

I cant ******* stand when people drop the dumbells when they really dont need to. I can understand dropping 70+ lbs sometimes. Even when I am pushing myself to the max with DBs i never drop them.

There is this one dude who goes to my gym. Real ******* nutjob. He only does chest and biceps every day. When he does dumbell presses he pumps himself up by cursing at himself and making these ******* weird noises. Then he calls somebody on his cell phone. Hangs up and then proceeds to lift smashing the dumbells together at the top of every lift for about 15 reps. When he is finished he just lets the weights go at the top of the lift and actually pulls them down so they fall to the floor faster and harder so they make more noise. Then he proceeds to call someone on the phone and repeat 10 minutes later.

I never had the balls to say anything to him about it because i am afraid that one day when I am squatting he is gonna like tickle me or something causing me horrific injuries.

In fact. I am going to start a "Gym Characters" thread.

Originally Posted by Johnny_5

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In fact. I am going to start a "Gym Characters" thread.
I think that there is already one
http://www.styleforum.net/showthread.php?t=74014

I grunt, sweat like a pig, and drop weights (only on dead lifts though -- lowering max weights slowly is dangerous for your back).

I actually like when other people do these things, because it makes the gym seem more like a war zone than a country club. Good motivation.

DO NOT CURL IN THE SQUAT RACK OR I WILL EAT YOUR CHILDREN.

Originally Posted by gdl203

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I think that there is already one
http://www.styleforum.net/showthread.php?t=74014

No this is bad gym habits. Characters not habits.

Originally Posted by Johnny_5

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No this is bad gym habits. Characters not habits.
Oh my bad, here is the one where people talk about interesting characters at the gym
http://www.styleforum.net/showthread.php?t=74014

Originally Posted by gdl203

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Oh my bad, here is the one where people talk about interesting characters at the gym
http://www.styleforum.net/showthread.php?t=74014

Close but no. I don't think you get the concept. Moving on now.