T Nation

Deadlift = Strange Looks?

Beginners
#1

I was at the gym today and since I’ve been there I’ve only seen one guy doing deadlifts there and he’s a bodybuilder. I’ve started doing them but I usually go very early in the morning so there is basically no other people there.

Today, I went later and started doing them and people were kinda staring and giving me strange looks. Now I’ve got the proper form, I practiced on that and I’m very sure I’m doing it correctly.
Most people at my gym are doing curls, machines and bench press. I really don’t care what people think, I just found it odd.

Why the strange looks, isn’t the deadlift normally apart of most workout routines? Has anyone else had a similar occurrence?

#2

I like doing deadlifts when the gym is empty, because it’s a small gym and I want my space. Usually there aren’t too many people there on Friday since they all want to go home.

Anyway, I’ve never seen anyone do deadlifts at my gym. I don’t think I’ve noticed anyone giving me funny looks when I do them. That is kind of strange.

That being said, deadlifts don’t seem a normal part of your average gym goer. The average gym goer does mostly chest and arm lifts.

#3

The deadlift should be a staple of any serious weight trainers routine. Ignore all of the idiots who give you looks and keep on doing them.

It sounds like you go to some commercial gym (nothing wrong with them, just not the people I would care to lift with, though my school’s rec isn’t much better) where everyone is concerned with nothing but the usual arms/abs/howmuchyabench and which cardio machine is best.

#4

Don’t worry about it man. Keep doing your thing. Many people in this world are on the search for the easy/quick fix and aren’t into hard work. Keep pounding the weight and forget about the haters.
I have experienced this before as well. But when people stare at me in the gym its usually when I have 405 or more on the bar and when I’m that revved up I use their inquisitiveness as energy. Don’t be paranoid. Just think of it as everyone being interested in what you are doing because you must know more than them. In which case you actually do.

#5

I noticed that the general popualtion in the commercial gyms are for a lack of a better word ignorant.

alot of people will do bench presses or curls or that kind of thing

I know someone tha tis on a weight loss plan and Itold her to ask her trainer about maybe some light squats and deads
he told her under no circumstances should deadlifts be done because they damage your back
those lifts are for display only by power lifters.
no idea where he got that from because I know when I do my squats it works almost everything

just do them and dont worry about others thoughts or looks

#6

I tend to get strange looks as well. Usually from the girls along the side wall of the gym who happen to be interrupted from their “2.5 pound dumbbell curl while reading a magazine” routine.

#7

I go to a commercial gym also, whenever I do deadlifts people also stare at me like I’m crazy

#8

I know exactly how you feel, I use my college’s gym and amazingly NOBODY does them at all. I even have who I didn’t know at the time was the new football coach give me a weird look and was then approached and asked what the point of that particular exercise was for! Ah well, just keep doing what your doing it will pay off in the end.

#9

i think its just the whole working out your lower half of your body that is just completely mind boggleing.

i workout in a my college gym and im probably 1 out of maybe 3 people in 3 years ive seen do deadlifts.

#10

Hey guys…FUCK THEM. They stare because there jealous, because there to pussy to do them. Thats it !

#11

WTF? The OP just said they stared. Why are they haters or jealous pussies? Maybe they’re just curious.

#12

[quote]triple-10sets wrote:
Hey guys…FUCK THEM. They stare because there jealous, because there to pussy to do them. Thats it ! [/quote]

lol triple

#13

Yea I’ve seen one other guy deadlift at my gym, and yea it does bring the stares. Squats are the same, I usually have people waiting for the squat rack when I’m using just to do fucking curls. I’ve seen about 5 people do squats, but only one with proper form.

My gym is full of retards who spend about 2 hours doing bicep curls or bench pressing with spotters who probably do more of the work then them.

Yea, alot of stupid looking people down there with arms bigger then their legs.

#14

The gym I usually go to Jesse Owens North at The Ohio State University has a hand full of people that squat and deadlift. This past fall they even got a deadlifting platform. I mainly only get weird looks when I do reverse hypers but I did hear someone say “he’s freaking huge” talking about me and that was in between sets with maybe 325 on the deadlift. The squat rack is usually used for shrugs.

I’ve seen a few people squatting with good form but a few weeks ago I saw a guy trying to squat about 500 pounds, doing horrible quarter squats with his knees sort of buckling in on every rep. I think I’m going to start doing power cleans twice a week for a while.

later,

Nater

#15

Squats and deadlifts are tough exercises to do…everyone knows that. So when other gym members see them done it is a sight.

They probably admire you…use positive thinking!

#16

Yeah your probably right sawadeekrob… Just get a little on edge when Im lifting with a purpose. I go into crazy mode.

#17

Lift more weight. Then you won’t get looks of “what the fuck” but rather “holy shit” :wink:

I rarely see any one do deadlifts. It’s rarer than parallel squatting.

Whatever, though. Do your thing, ignore everyone else.

#18

Yep. Squats are tolerable even in fitness centres.

But deadlifts are scary probably because you can usually put a ‘large’ amount of weight on the bar (in the minds of the fitness centre gym goers).

I get looks and I’m only doing 135kgs.

#19

Wait until you start chinning with some 20kg strapped around your waist…

#20

We live in a messed up world man, that’s just how it is. Doing deadlifts is not okay, but curling in the squat rack is the most natural thing there is. At least that’s how it is at my gym (commercial, yes). You just gotta rise above it, don’t even waste a single second thinking about what people think about you.