I was in the gym a few days ago doing deadlifts. There were a few more people there then usual so I put in my headphones and tuned everything out so I could finish without people talking to me. I took off my shoes,and I go through my first set fine. While I’m writing in my log, I notice another guy coming up into the area and he starts working out within 10 feet of me on the smith machine. He starts doing his thing and for some reason I watch him out of the corner of my eye till my next set (about 2 minutes). This average looking, 5’10’’ black gentleman puts in his white iPod headphones, puts on his fingerless gloves, and starts shadow boxing before and after each of his sets of Smith Machine Squats at 100 pounds and 35 pound curls, (partials actually). And he looked at me funny when I put chalk on my hands… I almost couldn’t finish my last set because I was trying not to laugh at this guy and be polite.
But the moral of the story is that I could have been that guy. Not so much the shadow boxing part, but I could have been doing the same Smith Machine Squats that I was doing 2 years ago, all while wearing those oh-so-awesome lifting gloves. But I’m not. I actually have a plan and a reason for what I’m doing and when I’m doing it. It’s nice to be able to say that I know that I don’t look like an idiot and using my time wisely to reach a realistic goal.
So this is mostly meant to be a thanks to all of you for making me not look like an asshole in the gym.
Good post dude. What’s up with all the gyms with smith machines anyway? I might of been in a dozen my whole life and everyone had a smith machines and a number didn’t even have a full power rack, those shitty racks that have no supports.
I feel ya bro. At the Cardinal Fitness I go to when I’m not working out at school, there’s only 1 rack. There are more machines than racks and benches (combined). The dumbbells only go up to 100 and there is no chalk allowed and no deadlift platforms. No bands, chains, GHRs or reverse hypers, but then again there aren’t any bands, chains, GHRs or 100+ lb dumbbells. I’m going to start going to Quads out in Calumet City, IL as soon as I get my license. On another note, I know the exact type of people you are talking about. I used to be that “guy with the gloves.” I ditched those and traded them in for a pair of wrist and knee wraps. Long live powerlifting.
I love powerlifting because I can sport a fluffy physique year-round and have a proper excuse to back it up with that people actually think is legitimate.
Person: Hey, you gained some weight.
Me: Yeah, but I’m a powerlifter.
Person: Oh okay, that makes sense. Good job then!
the thing is, everyone is at the gym for self improvement. I bet for every “stupid” thing that we as powerlifters see, that the normal folks see shit we do as stupid…Box squats, benching with 2x6’s on your chest, deadlifts, floor presses, zercher squats.
Really it’s a good thing to try to check the ego at the door.
What I love about powerlifting is the comraderie. I’ve had top level guys take time out of their schedule to help me with my goals. And at a meet, everyone is cheering for everyone…that’s what i love about powerlifting…
[quote]unstable wrote:
the thing is, everyone is at the gym for self improvement. I bet for every “stupid” thing that we as powerlifters see, that the normal folks see shit we do as stupid…Box squats, benching with 2x6’s on your chest, deadlifts, floor presses, zercher squats.
Really it’s a good thing to try to check the ego at the door.
What I love about powerlifting is the comraderie. I’ve had top level guys take time out of their schedule to help me with my goals. And at a meet, everyone is cheering for everyone…that’s what i love about powerlifting…[/quote]
Beautiful, you should make powerlifting hallmark cards.
[quote]unstable wrote:
the thing is, everyone is at the gym for self improvement. I bet for every “stupid” thing that we as powerlifters see, that the normal folks see shit we do as stupid…Box squats, benching with 2x6’s on your chest, deadlifts, floor presses, zercher squats.
Really it’s a good thing to try to check the ego at the door.
What I love about powerlifting is the comraderie. I’ve had top level guys take time out of their schedule to help me with my goals. And at a meet, everyone is cheering for everyone…that’s what i love about powerlifting…[/quote]
Beautiful, you should make powerlifting hallmark cards.
[/quote]
Do the whole series. Here are some occasion ideas:
Sorry to hear about your bombout
Congratulations on the gift of a white light (finally)
Happy new singlet day
Deepest sympathies from our family on competing geared (ba-zing)
In celebration of your almost parallel squat
[quote]unstable wrote:
the thing is, everyone is at the gym for self improvement. I bet for every “stupid” thing that we as powerlifters see, that the normal folks see shit we do as stupid…Box squats, benching with 2x6’s on your chest, deadlifts, floor presses, zercher squats.
Really it’s a good thing to try to check the ego at the door.
What I love about powerlifting is the comraderie. I’ve had top level guys take time out of their schedule to help me with my goals. And at a meet, everyone is cheering for everyone…that’s what i love about powerlifting…[/quote]
Beautiful, you should make powerlifting hallmark cards.
[/quote]
Do the whole series. Here are some occasion ideas:
Sorry to hear about your bombout
Congratulations on the gift of a white light (finally)
Happy new singlet day Deepest sympathies from our family on competing geared (ba-zing)
In celebration of your almost parallel squat
[/quote]
[quote]unstable wrote:
the thing is, everyone is at the gym for self improvement. I bet for every “stupid” thing that we as powerlifters see, that the normal folks see shit we do as stupid…Box squats, benching with 2x6’s on your chest, deadlifts, floor presses, zercher squats.
Really it’s a good thing to try to check the ego at the door.
What I love about powerlifting is the comraderie. I’ve had top level guys take time out of their schedule to help me with my goals. And at a meet, everyone is cheering for everyone…that’s what i love about powerlifting…[/quote]
Beautiful, you should make powerlifting hallmark cards.
[/quote]
Do the whole series. Here are some occasion ideas:
Sorry to hear about your bombout
Congratulations on the gift of a white light (finally)
Happy new singlet day Deepest sympathies from our family on competing geared (ba-zing)
In celebration of your almost parallel squat
[/quote]
[quote]unstable wrote:
the thing is, everyone is at the gym for self improvement. I bet for every “stupid” thing that we as powerlifters see, that the normal folks see shit we do as stupid…Box squats, benching with 2x6’s on your chest, deadlifts, floor presses, zercher squats.
Really it’s a good thing to try to check the ego at the door.
What I love about powerlifting is the comraderie. I’ve had top level guys take time out of their schedule to help me with my goals. And at a meet, everyone is cheering for everyone…that’s what i love about powerlifting…[/quote]
Beautiful, you should make powerlifting hallmark cards.
[/quote]
Do the whole series. Here are some occasion ideas:
Sorry to hear about your bombout
Congratulations on the gift of a white light (finally)
Happy new singlet day
Deepest sympathies from our family on competing geared (ba-zing)
In celebration of your almost parallel squat
[/quote]
I love powerlifting because the single power rack in a commercial gym is nearly always available, since nobody else squats. It would be much more difficult if I was a dedicated dumbell curler.
[quote]unstable wrote:
the thing is, everyone is at the gym for self improvement. I bet for every “stupid” thing that we as powerlifters see, that the normal folks see shit we do as stupid…Box squats, benching with 2x6’s on your chest, deadlifts, floor presses, zercher squats.
Really it’s a good thing to try to check the ego at the door.
What I love about powerlifting is the comraderie. I’ve had top level guys take time out of their schedule to help me with my goals. And at a meet, everyone is cheering for everyone…that’s what i love about powerlifting…[/quote]
Whilst everyone at the gym is ostensibly there with the intention to improve themselves (be it their body composition, strength, conditioning, whatever) most of the folks that entertain us so, and have their antics reported on these boards, are doing absolutely nothing to achieve it. I completely agree that many of these guys may well find some of the training methods we use utterly batshit crazy, but that reaction is born out of ignorance of a training methodology that isn’t reported in Muscle and Fiction.
+1 on the camararderie thing though. That’s definitely the best thing about this sport.
