Little things make me shake my head..

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Little things make me shake my head..
16
Sat, 03-19-2005 - 4:56pm
I was at the gym and there was a lady there very clearly into her book. She was reading the thing while doing weights of all things. There she was holding it, reading while doing standing leg curls, then doing laying leg pressess. You could tell she was barely working it, and clearly more into her book. So then i say to myself, "why come to the gym?" I figure one of these days she will hurt herself or never see results because she is too busy reading and not focusing on the workout. I never understand these people. I could never read while doing weights or cardio. I am to busy pushing myself, breathing. I don't know maybe i'm getting irritated over nothing. I guess i just can't figure it out. These are the types of people who crowd machines because it takes them twice as long to do the sets. Anyhow, just ranting a bit, not sure why..but i feel better now.lol thanks for listening. Suzanne

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iVillage Member
Registered: 05-01-2003
Sat, 03-19-2005 - 9:51pm
Sounds like we should start another gym rat pet peeve thread. I have to say, I've never seen anyone reading while lifting. Strange! Sounds like she was reading a really good book. I wonder what it was...
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Sun, 03-20-2005 - 7:04am
That is one I have never seen before, but sounds ridiculous.
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-17-2005
Mon, 03-21-2005 - 10:33am

I agree, why bother at all? I'll read a magazine doing the elliptical, but it's only during my 20 minute warm up, and I love to read magazines, so it's fun. After the warmup I work way intensly to read. I wouldn't do that though if it were super busy and people were waiting though. Even during the warmup I am going pretty hard and sweating. Those that read and don't even sweat it's just a waste to me.

But weights? That's just odd. Half the enjoyment is just having some quite time to yourself to think!

What really surprises me is all these woman, usually about 40 years old or so, who hire trainers (my gym is pretty expensive, so it's not cheap!) and it's more of a chat session than anything. They are chatting away, and lifting hardly any weights. It looks fun, but don't you think you'd get frustrated not seeing results? They aren't even straining themselves. Just wipping a tiny weight around in the air.

iVillage Member
Registered: 06-23-2003
Mon, 03-21-2005 - 12:08pm

If this is going to turn into a gym rat pet peeve thread, I've got some of my own to add. :)
Since I've been going to the gym on a much more regular basis, I've noticed a lot of things that make me go hmmm...(I have, btw, also seen a woman read while doing weights).

1. Girls that work out with their long hair flying loose all over the place. I don't know why this bothers me so, but it just feels like they're not really serious about their workout - kinda in line with the whole girls who wear makeup to the gym thing.

2. People that don't know how to run/walk on the elliptical. I've seen people bobbing up and down on the air and looking like they were on a trampoline, or people who do this weird jump thing, or people who hang on to the bars for dear life. Not really a pet
peeve but it does make me giggle.

3. Guys that make the most embarrassing grunting noises (kinda like bedroom sounds,
almost) while lifting weights.

4. Personal trainers (sorry if this offends any PT's here) that act like their clients
are better than the rest of us and so think that they have priority over any machines/
weights. One PT wouldn't let me use a machine because her client was going to use it
right after she was done with another machine - why can't their client wait like the
rest of us?

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Mon, 03-21-2005 - 1:52pm
I know, it just baffled me when i saw that women reading doing weight machines. We have a trainer at the gym who is very popular, but like you said, most of the time she is just chatting with the people she is training. They are talking all kinds of personal stuff (I can hear them) and laughing. That's fine if you are looking to socialize but if i'm paying big bucks for you to train me, you'd better kick my butt that whole hour.lol There is only one trainer at our gym who i can honestly say is the best for that reason. Little small talk, all work..love him. I just hope one day i can afford to hire him.lol
iVillage Member
Registered: 05-07-2003
Tue, 03-22-2005 - 12:07pm

I tried reading on the elliptical once and got so motion-sick! So seeing all these women reading on the machines made me wonder about that too. Now i just listen to my iPod.

What you said about weights and underworking made me think. Now that my newness is wearing off at the gym and i am becoming more comfortable with the equipment, i am finding that it easy to "cheat" myself. This is especially easy in spinning class! The classes are packed, and i wonder how many of the participants are just going through the motions and taking it easy. My time is limited, so, if i cheat and slack off in spinning, i get frustrated at myself and feel like i wasted my time.

I am trying to find ways to force myself not to back down when the going gets tough.

fuchsia

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-11-2004
Tue, 03-22-2005 - 12:59pm

i read on the elliptical and the treadmill when i'm walking. i don't slack off when i read on the treadmill, because it goes the speed i set it and i have to keep up, even if i'm reading. when i'm on the elliptical, though, i do go slower when i read than i'd otherwise go. that's ok, though, it's good to have workouts of varying intensities. it's not good to ALWAYS go full out in intensity. i do spinning, swimming, cardio kickboxing, running - those are all high intensity enough that

iVillage Member
Registered: 05-07-2003
Tue, 03-22-2005 - 1:19pm

Walking is wonderful - actually my favorite exercise! The only reason i don't walk at the gym is that i walk *alot* in real life since i don't drive: i rely on public transportation and walk to and from work, 20-30 minutes per day. Yeah, i think there is something wrong with my proprioception or something that i get a sick tummy reading on the elliptical. I also can't read in the car or on the plane. Bleh.

fuchsia

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-15-2004
Wed, 03-23-2005 - 2:08pm
I think one of the funniest things I ever saw was a woman doing one arm bicep curls while talking on the phone. I was training a client and happened to look over at this woman seated on the bench just chatting away and doing half-hearted bicep curls. My client looked over at her and we just giggled. I'd say this woman spent at least two minutes doing bicep curls on just the one arm. I see a similar phenomenon on the elliptical... people are having life-changing cell phone conversations while doing their cardio. It's peeving but amusing as well. :)
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-20-2003
Wed, 03-23-2005 - 3:37pm

I hate it when my hair flies around when I don't have a band-- I don't see how women do it regularly!






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