Feb 7, 2008 1:04 PM Reply David Newman

My pet peeve is gyms that take your money then go out of business. The first and only gym I ever joined insisted that I buy a year-long membership. Within a couple of months, they closed that location and would not allow me to transfer that membership to another location. I've been gun-shy on joining a gym ever since.

Feb 7, 2008 9:38 PM Reply cold=treadmill in response to: Gale Bernhardt

My gym just got some new treadmills and yes, I am a wimp in the cold, so I get my workouts done on the treadmills. I think I'm turning into a gym snob now though but people who want to walk...walk on the old crappy ones. Let the runners use the good treadmills. People seem to have a gas problem at this gym as well so if you are in one of the front treadmills, the people behind you are sucking in your bad air.

On a good note though, I love it when people next to you try to match your speed on a treedmill and I can't help looking over myself. At the end of the workout, I even thank them for the race, which means I might be someone elses pet peeve. I like to see it as my own indoor running club. I do realize that I should just suck it up and run outside. In the words of Bill Bowerman, "There is no such thing as bad weather, only soft people." So, I guess I'm saying that I'd still prefer gas filled walkers in front of me than to freeze in the cold.

Feb 8, 2008 9:52 AM Reply mvalenti in response to: mvalenti

oops, Make that...I may have to USE your words...:)

Feb 8, 2008 12:13 PM Reply mvalenti in response to: Active Longhorn

LOL! I lived in Japan for a while and it is customary for Japanese men to show or prove how hard they are working. This was way amplified at the gym, where grunts and groans came from all sides of the little weight room--including from the guys doing lunges and squats. They were not the loud grunts and groans you get in the weight rooms here. They were shorter, cuter, more persistent grunts that said, "excuse me, please don't forget that I am a hard worker". I actually had a hard time working out as it would crack me up. They of course took short breaks to reward their hard work with a cigarette in the lobby. Then it was back to the weights.

Feb 8, 2008 8:40 PM Reply Guest

After a year and eight months shy of twenty years working out and working at a gym (2 years as a personal trainer), I've collected a few <wink, wink> pet peeves in the gym:

• people who fill their bottles at the fountain making those who are drinking directly wait; the gym etiquette is that you move aside to allow the person to take a quick sip as they probably want to get back to a set--or better yet, use the bathroom sink, if possible

• the already mentioned people leaving a lot of weight on machines/bars; my practice is to track them down and ask politely--but loudly--to re-rack the weights so I/others can use the bar/machine/etc.

• people who use one side of the cable cross-overs for press downs when there are plenty of single-pulley press down cables to use

• people who use the sole squat rack for light shrugs/biceps curls/upright rows/etc. that could be done in any of a variety of other places

• people who get angry and silently glare or tap their toe about someone getting on their machine while they are doing a superset without actually asking if they can continue to "work in" or finish their set--ask politely, it works wonders!

• people (who are not Japanese) who grunt loudly for every rep of a twenty-pound preacher curl--one more push and it'll be twins!

• people who purposefully drop their weights loudly so that everyone can appreciate how much they are cheating (not the actual principle) or using momentum

• people who look like their are starting a lawn mower to do one arm rows who give people using proper form "tips"--do you actually know what muscle your using today?

• boys, work more than the beach muscles (chest, arms), your back is missing and the chicken legs are not attractive

• girls, avoid the adductor/abductor machines, with the exception of the adductor magnus, they don't work the large muscles and don't burn the calories--do squats or lunges; do you really want your adductors to look bigger? when you sit down those thighs are gonna look wide!