JUSTICE!

[Q.]

Okay, I work out at a college gym so right now we're going through the annual CRAP, I GOT THREE WEEKS (maybe two) TO GET IN SHAPE FOR SPRING BREAK!!! ordeal. I'm seeing a lot of faces I never see in the weight room. As a result of the impended break, it's a lot more crowded and there are a lot more kids who drop their weights despite the rules being posted next to the door where they come in. I'm CERTAIN no JP Fitness members would EVER do that.... right???

I was next to this guy today and he was pressing some db's on a flat bench and, of course, didn't even try to control his weights so he just let 'em drop.

The justice part is that he dropped one of them on his car keys and bent the end of the key!!! I don't mean to be cruel and I did feel a little sorry for him. The key was bent almost at the tip so it won't straighten out easily and he won't be opening his door or driving with that key I don't think! I was tempted to say, "SEE, if you had followed the rules, this wouldn't have happened"... but I didn't 'cause had on ear phones and he would have just ignored the old guy lecturing him anyway.

I did leave with a smile on my face, though!

[Bill2380]

They must be smart kids at that college of yours.

[Ian Kay]

It always baffles me when I see a guy going station-to-station carrying keys, cell-phone, iPod, towel and water bottle. Where do they think they are? It's not a safari, for chrisakes.

Good story, Q.

[Q.]

Originally Posted by Ian Kay

It always baffles me when I see a guy going station-to-station carrying keys, cell-phone, iPod, towel and water bottle. Where do they think they are? It's not a safari, for chrisakes.

... and, if it were, they REALLY wouldn't need all that!

Of course, cell phones have proliferated in the gym now. Half the girls, especially, can't do their elliptical machines without one. I'm not stereotyping the girls, btw! Just this week, I saw a girl on the basketball court who AMAZED me! She could handle the ball as good as any guy around there!!! I see more and more in the weight room liftin' their butts off, too, which is cool!

[ninja]

Originally Posted by Q.

... and, if it were, they REALLY wouldn't need all that!

Of course, cell phones have proliferated in the gym now. Half the girls, especially, can't do their elliptical machines without one. I'm not stereotyping the girls, btw! Just this week, I saw a girl on the basketball court who AMAZED me! She could handle the ball as good as any guy around there!!! I see more and more in the weight room liftin' their butts off, too, which is cool!

dude.... cell phone and the latest Cosmo/Elle/Vogue/whatever is required here. it's disturbing.

[FlyinM]

That's funny, Q. Now, if somebody does that and crushes their cell phone, I expect a picture!

[Mahler]

Mike,
I like that new sig line. LOL

And, Q, I would have laughed out loud. I would pay good money to see someone drop a db on their cell phone.

Reminds me of the time I was in line at the ATM and some dufus lady stands her toddler on the shelf and lets him push the buttons while we are all in line waiting. Well, after a few missed buttons, the machine swallowed her card. I said to her, "I guess now you know that its not a toy."

[jdford]

JUSTICE INDEED. I work at my university's fitness centre and this has become such a major issue that we've had to hire additional staff to monitor the free weight area.

People are now given one warning and their name is taken and further infractions result in suspension of membership I believe. Some of the worst perps? VARSITY ATHLETES.

My job has basically turned into a gym babysitter, which leaves me feeling bitter and dumbfounded at the sillyness of it all.

Some things that piss me off about working at a university fitness centre.

-People dropping weights. Hey pal, they're 40's, not 120's, and there's no need to drop them from 2 feet.

-People leaving plates on EZ bars, olympic bars, smith machines, leg press, DB's everywhere. I've never been to a gym before that becomes so ridiculously messy every day. I now monitor people who I believe won't put their stuff away (generally young guys who believe they are much bigger than they really are, and foreigners.:p) I've followed people out of the gym and asked them to go put their shit away.

-People who give me attitude when I ask them to put their shit away or stop dropping weights. I won't even get started.

-People who workout with a bluetooth earpiece in talking on the phone.

-Seeing people do the same workouts for months and months and months. Unforunately I can't save them all.

I swear to God it's not even worth th $9/hour. The only redeeming fact is that I also do personal training there as well. Thing is, I could be making atleast triple my floor wage by doing personal training there or elsewhere. I think next year I'll let somebody else take care of the disrespectful kids and I'll spend my time elsewhere making more money and increasing my training experience.

/Rant over.

[Q.]

Originally Posted by jdford

/Rant over.

Rant away! I wish we had someone like YOU working at our gym. You can hear the "boom, boom, boom" of those 40's as they bounce and the people working behind the desk don't even look up. I've asked them if they enforce the rule and I'll get a "yeah, I'll look for it in the future" but it never happens. I think they're embarrassed to their freakin' job but I'm on the advisory committee of the Rec Center and I WILL point it out to their supervisors.

[Matthew]

The gym at my school is what I believe to be a converted classroom. Think of the size of your highschool classroom, that's the size of the gym. Anyway a few of my courses are in the room right beside it, and another few are in the room right below it. My desk literally shakes everytime a weight is dropped, and it happens often. Teachers complain to their students about it but apparently nothing has ever been done about it. They probably all think they're too good to deal with those kinds of problems anymore.
I want to go workout there one day, maybe my deadlift day. And if anyone drops a weight I'll tell them that if they do that again I'll drop my barbell on them.


On second thought... Mahler, help me out?:p

[Mahler]

Originally Posted by mAtThEw

On second thought... Mahler, help me out?:p

Just a few things that come to mind.

If you are too weak to put it down, you have no business picking it up.

Does dropping the weight add to muscle development or just your ego?

Even children are taught to put their toys away.

If you want to announce your presence, just yell out. so we can all ignore you as a group.

Hey, buddy. You really need to work on your grip strength.

Excuse me. I know that the word "bell" is part of the name, but you really aren't supposed to try to make it ring.

[rgv]

Originally Posted by Ian Kay

It's not a safari

Oh yes it is! I don't know about you but every time I go to the gym I'm hunting the elusive "big guns" beast.