My first gym rant: Am I an asshole?

[Pecs]

well.... i can see why he was pissed.... as there was another leg push machine empty. But well....its over and you should forget about it.

[The ChemistV2]

My gym seems to be full of these goateed guys with hideous tribal and other assorted arm tattoos that seem to think their real bad ass types. Apparently looking like the scum of the earth is the new lowlife fashion statement. To each his own, but why compound things by being an asshole on top of it. I guess they're trying to match their personality with their "look".

[Deicide]

No doubt.  I guess it gets your heart going so you feel like you are actually getting a workout by doing 3 whole sets of leg presses with 600 whole lbs

 

I am just happy you are going to dance again and have no guilty feet.

[SaltShaker]

Just a preface before I blast off.  I'm a pretty quiet person, especially in public, especially in the gym.  I've been going to my current gym for about 4 years now and I've had a total of about 3 conversations in that time.  My wife goes there and I barely even talk to her when we are there at the same time (generally a butt pat and a smooch on my way out of the door).  In over 12 years of working out at different types of gyms (dungeons to 24 hour fitness centers), I think I've had two unpleasant encounters as I've had today.

Today is leg day.  As I get to the gym, I see one of the two leg presses has 6 plates on each side.  Is someone using these or were the weights left?  I decide to wait.  This gym is really big but there are not enough 45's in the general area were the leg presses are for two machines to be loaded up.

5 minutes goes by.  Nothing.  No one else in the gym is working legs today (big shock right?).

I do a warm up set with 4 plates a side, so I need to take two off of each. 


I do the set.


As I'm getting up, this guy starts putting the other two plates back on the side.  I've seen him before many times.  Decent build, goatee, bad tattoos on his arms.  I figure he was using the machine (taking long breaks or something, who knows).  He seems to keep to himself, much like me, so I load up the other two 45's for him on my side of the leg press. 


He does his set.  He then moves on to doing incline bench.  I guess he is doing some weird ass milos 8 exercise set or something.

I do my next set with the same weight he had on.  After 3 minutes or so he comes back does his next set and moves on.  I assume this is acceptable gym behavior as I've worked in with people many times before.  My next set has two more 45's on each side than the weight he is apparently using.  As I am just finishing my set and getting up I can see he is starting to load the other leg press.  As I said, there's not a lot of 45's in the area so he's walking a decent distance to get a 45.

He's saying something to me now.  I have noise cancelling head phones so I can't hear shit.  I take them out. 

"What was that?", I say.

"Thanks for taking my machine; I guess there's something wrong with this one", he says (or words to that effect)

"Hey, bro.  I waited for five minutes I didn't realize you were using it.  Once you did, I figured we were gonna just work on it together."

"yeah, thanks a lot.", he says and continues to mutter under his breath.  I can't remember exactly what.

I'm incredulous. "You don't have to act like an asshole about it.", I tell him.

"What did you call me?" The guy takes a step towards me with a 45 in his hand (he's still loading up the other machine.  Ironically, I'm done with the leg press and unloading the machine down to the weight he was using).

I repeat and take a step towards him as well, We're nose to nose now.

"You don't have to act like an ASSHOLE...If you didn't want me to work in with you then you should have said so after my first set. I apologize if I bothered your workout, but you were gone for an awfully long time..."

I'm not sure if the word "apologize" disarmed him or not, but he turns away from me, "ok, next time I'll but a nametag on it" (not sure what a name tag on a leg press would say.  Maybe, "hello my name is: leg press #1", but I digress)

"Ok, buddy", I sarcastically reply and proceed to unload every fucking 45 on the leg press, making sure he will have to load up that other one fully to do his epic circuit set.





So...who's the asshole here?  Was I wrong to do or say what I did?  I haven't been in a fight in over 9 years (18 or 19 years old), and I've been in enough to know I don't want to get in anymore.  Fights never go like they do in the movies.  There is rarely a "winner", usually both people get something they didn't want. But damn, this guy got my blood going...

your not an asshole, but you are a pussy...Milos has his gym yeah he can take 8 excercise machines, but if an asshole in a public gym wants to pull off that shit, just go ask him to pick and choose his machines.. but certainly dont apologize for something that you didnt do wrong...

[wavelength]

Dude was taking 5 minute breaks in between sets.  I worked in with him.  He got pissed.  I got pissed back.
Who's the jerk? Me or him?

Irrelevant as long as noone got killed.
We are all jerks.

[Method101]

 

It wouldn't have been a problem if you didn't call him an asshole.

[tleilaxutank]

It wouldn't have been a problem if you didn't call him an asshole.

If it talks like a duck...

[spinnis]

People usually ask me all the time if I'm using an equipment even though I'm only standing semi close to it lol.

Probably because I look like a badass.

Cue Quaker to post my photo 

[LatsMcGee]

he is a cunt forget about it

[burn2live]

You were right, he was wrong. Typical asshole you encounter in a gym. Dime a dozen

[danielson]

Just a preface before I blast off.  I'm a pretty quiet person, especially in public, especially in the gym.  I've been going to my current gym for about 4 years now and I've had a total of about 3 conversations in that time.  My wife goes there and I barely even talk to her when we are there at the same time (generally a butt pat and a smooch on my way out of the door).  In over 12 years of working out at different types of gyms (dungeons to 24 hour fitness centers), I think I've had two unpleasant encounters as I've had today.

Today is leg day.  As I get to the gym, I see one of the two leg presses has 6 plates on each side.  Is someone using these or were the weights left?  I decide to wait.  This gym is really big but there are not enough 45's in the general area were the leg presses are for two machines to be loaded up.

5 minutes goes by.  Nothing.  No one else in the gym is working legs today (big shock right?).

I do a warm up set with 4 plates a side, so I need to take two off of each. 


I do the set.


As I'm getting up, this guy starts putting the other two plates back on the side.  I've seen him before many times.  Decent build, goatee, bad tattoos on his arms.  I figure he was using the machine (taking long breaks or something, who knows).  He seems to keep to himself, much like me, so I load up the other two 45's for him on my side of the leg press. 


He does his set.  He then moves on to doing incline bench.  I guess he is doing some weird ass milos 8 exercise set or something.

I do my next set with the same weight he had on.  After 3 minutes or so he comes back does his next set and moves on.  I assume this is acceptable gym behavior as I've worked in with people many times before.  My next set has two more 45's on each side than the weight he is apparently using.  As I am just finishing my set and getting up I can see he is starting to load the other leg press.  As I said, there's not a lot of 45's in the area so he's walking a decent distance to get a 45.

He's saying something to me now.  I have noise cancelling head phones so I can't hear shit.  I take them out. 

"What was that?", I say.

"Thanks for taking my machine; I guess there's something wrong with this one", he says (or words to that effect)

"Hey, bro.  I waited for five minutes I didn't realize you were using it.  Once you did, I figured we were gonna just work on it together."

"yeah, thanks a lot.", he says and continues to mutter under his breath.  I can't remember exactly what.

I'm incredulous. "You don't have to act like an asshole about it.", I tell him.

"What did you call me?" The guy takes a step towards me with a 45 in his hand (he's still loading up the other machine.  Ironically, I'm done with the leg press and unloading the machine down to the weight he was using).

I repeat and take a step towards him as well, We're nose to nose now.

"You don't have to act like an ASSHOLE...If you didn't want me to work in with you then you should have said so after my first set. I apologize if I bothered your workout, but you were gone for an awfully long time..."

I'm not sure if the word "apologize" disarmed him or not, but he turns away from me, "ok, next time I'll but a nametag on it" (not sure what a name tag on a leg press would say.  Maybe, "hello my name is: leg press #1", but I digress)

"Ok, buddy", I sarcastically reply and proceed to unload every fucking 45 on the leg press, making sure he will have to load up that other one fully to do his epic circuit set.





So...who's the asshole here?  Was I wrong to do or say what I did?  I haven't been in a fight in over 9 years (18 or 19 years old), and I've been in enough to know I don't want to get in anymore.  Fights never go like they do in the movies.  There is rarely a "winner", usually both people get something they didn't want. But damn, this guy got my blood going...

You were right. Courteous, polite, yet stood your ground when pushed. The other guy sounds like an asshole.

[QuakerOats]

these type of "arguments" never seem to happen at the squat rack, wonder why?

[tleilaxutank]

these type of "arguments" never seem to happen at the squat rack, wonder why?

while I concede the point that a leg press is a faggy excercise, atleast I was doing legs, unlike a lot of these wheelchair warriors...

And as long as there are gyms there are going to be douchebags inside it to start fights...

[QuakerOats]

while I concede the point that a leg press is a faggy excercise, atleast I was doing legs, unlike a lot of these wheelchair warriors...

And as long as there are gyms there are going to be douchebags inside it to start fights...

i know man, i'm actually on your side on this one, sounds like you were the normal one in this situation, sounds like the guy was stressed out and on edge like a lot of people these days.

[danielson]

i know man, i'm actually on your side on this one, sounds like you were the normal one in this situation, sounds like the guy was stressed out and on edge like a lot of people these days.

You noticed that too? Fkn A man. So many people on edge lately due to the economy. I have a buddy who just stayed with me for a week cuz he is separated from his wife, over money, regardless of what they say. He finally got an apartment. People are arguing about stupid shit all the time too in public, two guys almost came to blows over socialized health care at the bar the other night. The only people I see who are always happy are bartenders. They still make about 200+ bucks a night. No one gives up their fkn alcohol when they get depressed.

[QuakerOats]

You noticed that too? Fkn A man. So many people on edge lately due to the economy. I have a buddy who just stayed with me for a week cuz he is separated from his wife, over money, regardless of what they say. He finally got an apartment. People are arguing about stupid shit all the time too in public, two guys almost came to blows over socialized health care at the bar the other night. The only people I see who are always happy are bartenders. They still make about 200+ bucks a night. No one gives up their fkn alcohol when they get depressed.

yep it's crazy man, i don't even make eye contact with people these days anywhere, it's nuts how angry and defensive people are these days.

[Jeffro]

while I concede the point that a leg press is a faggy excercise, atleast I was doing legs, unlike a lot of these wheelchair warriors...

And as long as there are gyms there are going to be douchebags inside it to start fights...

Exactly, seems like there are clowns like this in every gym, I wouldn't stress over it.

[240 is Back]

Rape him

that's your solution for everything, Awesomo

[spinnis]

yep it's crazy man, i don't even make eye contact with people these days anywhere, it's nuts how angry and defensive people are these days.

OH BROTHER QUITE THE INTERNET TOUGH GUY AINT YOU MR "I WOULD BEAT MAYWEATHER IN A STREETFIGHT"

 

[danielson]

yep it's crazy man, i don't even make eye contact with people these days anywhere, it's nuts how angry and defensive people are these days.

I have to make eye contact with everyone. First thing I learned when starting my job years back. You can't trust a guy who doesn't look you in the eyes or so I was taught, so it's just second nature for me now. I know exactly what you mean though, you never know who is going to snap for no reason.

[QuakerOats]

OH BROTHER QUITE THE INTERNET TOUGH GUY AINT YOU MR "I WOULD BEAT MAYWEATHER IN A STREETFIGHT"

 

say what you want but i choose to keep to myself out in public.

[FOR REAL]

Neither of you are an asshole... But you are a FAIRY for sitting around worrying about it enough to make a getbig topic about it.

FOR REAL

[Jizzacked]

Rape him

solid advice

[bigkid]

I nearly had the same incident.  I'm the same way.  Same gym for 4 years and probably have had half a dozen conversations.   Said the eaxct samething to the guy, but he was a total pussy and left the gym and I never saw him again.

[Earl1972]

Neither of you are an asshole... But you are a FAIRY for sitting around worrying about it enough to make a getbig topic about it.

FOR REAL

haha seriously

E