Gym Sins

#10: The gym rat that hasn't bathed or showered in over a week and smells so bad it runs you off the machine next to him.

Another gross observance is that of the profuse sweater. If you are soaked and dripping all over the equipment, possibly even splashing those on nearby equipment, bring a towel and mop up once in awhile. Its just plain gross!

Another perhaps unconcious bad manner is sweating profusely and pouring down on equipment or passersby. Its good to be proud of working uip a good sweat but, bring a towel and mop up once in awhile. Its just plain gross!

Another sweat sin is when a person uses their own sweaty towel to dry off gym equiptment!!!!! That's so sick!

People are getting a little too sensitive if they can't handle some grunting or talking while exercising. Where did they work out when growing up? When lifting weights, a LITTLE grunting is normal and helpful. It doesn't have to sound like Seles, Sharapova or the Williams sisters, but small grunts on your final few reps isn't bad.

A good athlete can get into a 'zone' and tune out an awful lot. Granted, we're not all good athletes, but you should strive to get along with others despite their differences. Health code violations and obscenity are one thing, but a minor inconvenience is no big deal. The world doesn't revolve around each one of us.

Looking at ALL the comments, all you people are self serving idiots!!!

Postin: I agree with your first comment; no intelligent person would come to that conclusion.

Your second comment, albiet correct (in terms of legality ONLY), walking can be hazardous if one doesn't watch where they are going. This seems a little self-serving.

Your third comment is COMPLETELY without merit! "The safety of a person driving 15mph under would be decreased is completely ludicrous: You have no idea of the mental apptitude, psychological state, or physical capabilities of the person going slower (which I would assume are either self-serving or otherwise).

Fouth paragraph - Let's see: Braking slows the car while hitting the gas (given the direction of the wheels and direction in mometum of the car) would send it careening, further out of control! It's only common sense that someone going 2 mph would be able to recover (or not get into) an unsafe situation...let's see some data on physics. I am a race car driver (name withheld) and I am sorry, that logic is just totally without merit AND JUST PLAIN STUPID! Anyway, the abilityy to gain or lose control is based upon each persons capabilities...you assume the masses (of which you are obviously one or you would not have made those comments)

Let me strap you in at 200mph and see what you do when your tires break traction.


The fifth paragraph... again you pick on two isolated groups to try prove a point about the population in general...again, not an educated response. Cite these groups in your analysis, but do not generalize as it lowers your perceived intelligence about the subject.

Paragraph six. Please provide data behind any information you have on this. You are sounding like a "statistics" class, and we all know about stastics...don't we (and a little self-serving)?

And...last but not least...you should be paranoid when you post such rubbish.

Postin: I agree with your first comment; no intelligent person would come to that conclusion.

Your second comment, albiet correct (in terms of legality ONLY), walking can be hazardous if one doesn't watch where they are going. This seems a little self-serving.

Your third comment is COMPLETELY without merit! "The safety of a person driving 15mph under would be decreased is completely ludicrous: You have no idea of the mental apptitude, psychological state, or physical capabilities of the person going slower (which I would assume are either self-serving or otherwise).

Fouth paragraph - Let's see: Braking slows the car while hitting the gas (given the direction of the wheels and direction in mometum of the car) would send it careening, further out of control! It's only common sense that someone going 2 mph would be able to recover (or not get into) an unsafe situation...let's see some data on physics. I am a race car driver (name withheld) and I am sorry, that logic is just totally without merit AND JUST PLAIN STUPID! Anyway, the abilityy to gain or lose control is based upon each persons capabilities...you assume the masses (of which you are obviously one or you would not have made those comments)

Let me strap you in at 200mph and see what you do when your tires break traction.


The fifth paragraph... again you pick on two isolated groups to try prove a point about the population in general...again, not an educated response. Cite these groups in your analysis, but do not generalize as it lowers your perceived intelligence about the subject.

Paragraph six. Please provide data behind any information you have on this. You are sounding like a "statistics" class, and we all know about stastics...don't we (and a little self-serving)?

And...last but not least...you should be paranoid when you post such rubbish.

Interesting topic, given that over 16 million Americans are what the fitness industry calls "core members" - those who go to a fitness center or gym 3 or more times a week...I call them Gymrats. It's usually NOT a Gymrat that commits the type of behavior mentioned in Tina Peng's article. Most times it???s the "Neofits" that have not yet learned the unwritten Gymrat Rules. How does one spot a neofit? If the ???new fitness tog tags??? are not showing, they are the ones wearing brown socks and shoes with velcro closures...rhinestone or glitter tees, a playboy bunny insignia (and is not a playboy bunny by the way), carrying the bathroom hand towel and a copy of War and Peace. Want to know more? Read "Gymrat Rules: a Novel and Gym Primer for the Fit...and the Flabby" available in print at www.gymratrules.com / July 2008.

While this article may be interesting trivia, I also think that this amount of attention being payed to exceptions to the rule is a little unfortunate. Most Americans find it hard enough to build the motivation to go to a gym and work out as it is...seeing an article like this may turn off more people who otherwise might try to use an athletic facility near them to improve their health.

Hey dyeing4art , why do you have a sticker on your bottom?

When I drive, I pay attention to the drivers in my rearview mirror. It is easy to read them and you can tell if they're the types to pass you. They just cannot handle driving at a decent speed with the rest; when an opening comes up in a lane, they'll take it because it is all about the "ME" attitude. They're self-centered.

"Most speed limits are posted below the actual safe limit anyway." <<<<< This is absolutely false.

I'm surprised to hear people get into scuffles in gyms. I've been going to gyms since I was a teenager and people are generally VERY polite; I can't think of an occasion in which someone was aggressive. Only examples to the contrary were some trainers who act like total idiots.

The worst gym sin is the stares one gets in the locker room from peeping gay guys.

For years I have been fighting to keep boys out of the women's locker room. Even at the local YMCA that I go to, which has sperate locker rooms for adult men, adult women, girls under 18, boys under 18 and one specifically for families, women still bring their boys into the locker room. Recently, I was showering at the "Y" when I felt a little finger pock me in the buttocks and turned to see a 5 or 6 years old boy who wanted to know, "Why do you have a sticker on your bottom?" HIs mother was horrified that he had touched me but not to have him in my shower with me. I told her that the boys (she had another older boy with her) were not supposed to be in the women's locker room. She informed me that the family locker room was busy. Interestingly she still had her clothing on and more interesting... I found out that she wasn't actually their mother. Their mother was out in the lobby talking to the boys father while she did her a "favor".

I am not interested in old men acting as hippos lurking inthe swim lanes when women want to do laps; nor do I find it amusing when young men wiggle, squirm, grimace and moan in the heated whirlpool at the Redwood City California gym. I don't like justifying my opinion of that crude behavior to the blase management. I just went once - never to return to that creepy, disrespectful environment. I don't care what anybody does as a consenting adult in the PRIVACY of one's own home or bedroom, but please spare me your bad manners. That is boarderline stalking behavior and I am not Interested in hearing what one of these creeps would say to me or any other woman in the parking lot late at night. Yuck!