I’m an American, been traveling from place to place in Europe now for about three years and in turn I’ve been to many different gyms. Everytime I switch gyms, after about a week in the new one, I can sense that all the guys don’t like me. I’m polite, I say hello to everybody, I don’t tell them how bad they are doing their exercises, I basically just keep to myself, but still get dirty looks, and some don’t even say hello back after a week.
I don’t understand what I am doing to them. Is it because I’m American? Is it because I do squats, cleans and deads while they do abs, smith machine, biceps, and pec decs? Is it because I’m ugly, do I scare them? I’m not even that big by american standards (210lb) but I’m usually the biggest guy in the gym over here, could that be it?
I’ve only been to one gym that was worth a shit, it’s in Spain and the monitor is an avid T-Nation follower. Everyone in this gym does squats and deads, even the girls, all because of the monitor- the first real personal trainer I’ve seen in europe, great guy. He actually helps somebody when they are doing something wrong instead of just letting them waste their time or fuck themselves up like all the other monitors. This is the only place where I enjoyed working out and the people were all nice to me. But I still don’t understand why in the other gyms the people wouldn’t like me for doing different exercises than them.
Maybe it’s because I put a LOT of effort into my workouts, I don’t know.
I just had to get this off my chest, just got back from my monday wo in my new gym today, I’ve been there a week and it’s the same fuckin story as before, everybody seems like they have something against me. I hate to say it, but it actually does bother me a tiny bit. It will NEVER stop me, I just wish I could workout in a gym where it didn’t seem like everyone was talking shit about me. Oh well, I feel better now anyway, that’s the important part, thanks again T-Nation.