People you will meet at your gym

When you go to the gym 3-6 times a week like many people do, you start seeing the same faces at the gym over and over again. What you may not know is that many gym rats fall into categories that are universal at all gyms. Here now are some of the different people that you will meet at the gym.

-Won't Stop F**king Talking Lady/Guy

There are people who have friends at the gym. Personally, I only have non-fit friends. It helps me feel better about myself. Anywhoo, as one of those people who listens to music/watches videos at the gym, I notice a lot of people talking, because they often talk way too loud for me to hear my music/video. I don't see how you talk comfortably while working out anyway. I know that you're supposed to be able to, but I work really hard. People who work out in classes are even worse about this. Sometimes they just stand around after class for hours talking. Do these people go to work at some point?? Lastly, it is important to note that there are people who talk to themselves or make loud noises at the gym, and they also belong in this category. There used to be a guy at my gym who used the same cardio machine every day, and he must've listened to stand up comedy during his workout, because every few minutes he would laugh VERY LOUDLY. I always wondered what the Hell was so funny. Here is another article about people who talk at the gym.

-Creepy Short Shorts/Sweatband Guy
I don't understand this guy. Typically an older man, he wears shorts that worry all of us. Also found quite often with one of those terry cloth headbands. He doesn't know what's going on.

-That "What the hell is (s)he doing??" Guy/Girl
It's that guy who skips on the treadmill or the girl who uses the cable machine in a way you've never seen before. It makes you wonder: a.)WTF?? b.) What muscle group is that working? c.) Should I start doing that?

-The "Too Much to Do" Guy/Girl
There are not a whole lot of people who love to go to the gym. That's why there are people who bring all sorts of things to make the gym more like home. For instance, I have an iPod touch, so I like to load movies onto it to pass time and to stop me from thinking about having to work out next to complete strangers. There are people, however, who take this into overkill. If you are trying to take the entire Sunday edition of USA Today onto the treadmill with you, that's a little much. Also people who drink coffee on a cardio machine sort of frighten me. How can you DO that without getting sick or burning yourself? I even saw a woman doing a crossword puzzle on the elliptical once. Are you freaking CRAZY????

So next time you see one of these people at the gym, remember that I have one at my gym too. :-)

Courtesy at the gym

As a self proclaimed gym rat, the gym is like my second home. I try to be as polite as possible at the gym, and hope others would do the same. Here are some tips for not annoying the heck out of people at the gym. And by "people", I mean me.

• Whenever possible, leave a 1 machine buffer. This doesn't really apply in the weights area, but in the cardio area this is a must. If the gym is crowded, I understand you working out on the machine next to me, but when the gym is empty and I don't know you, it's sort of awkward to have you right there next to me. When I'm doing cardio I sweat and flap my arms around, and I don't want to have to be worried about sweating or flapping right next to you. It's uncomfortable.
• Don't exaggerate your grunting in the weights area. Look, I know that sometimes you are lifting really heavy weights, and it helps to grunt just a little bit. Heck, even I make a little sound when I'm trying to push it. But there is a difference between appropriate and creepy. You other gym rats know what I'm talking about. There's always that one guy over there who looks and sounds like someone just stabbed him in the chest, screaming his lungs out. If you sound like that, you should move the peg down to a lower weight. I'm concerned for you when you scream like that.
• Wear a f***ing shirt and pants. I know you work hard. You look great. That's really what I think. But I don't know you, and I'm not going to come up to you and complement you regardless of what you wear. So lets put a shirt over our sports bra, and lets wear pants that cover all the parts of our booty. Seriously. It's not necessary for you to come into the gym with almost nothing on.
  

• Don't flirt with women half your age. You are the only person in the gym who's flirting, that's one thing. But just because you have muscles, that doesn't give you the liscence to flirt with teenagers. That's a separate issue that also goes outside the gym. The fact that they flirt back doesn't matter. You are a creepy man, and I want to mace you in the face.

So that's it. I hope that you benefitted from my helpful tips on how not to annoy me.

What's YOUR favorite yoga pose?

The folks at Gaiam have put together a little article about what your favorite yoga pose says about you! Here's mine:

Forward bends
Sitting or standing, a love of folding forward indicates that you are introspective and not afraid to let yourself get quiet so you can hear you own thoughts. Forward bending is also associated with looking to the past—be sure you don’t spend so much time folding forward that you forget to be open to the present or anticipate the future.

What's yours? (via FitSugar)