Don't go to the gym - it's a con!

[simonp]

Could be deliberately easy rehab of a gammy back or shoulder.

Or just a newbie.  Everyone starts somewhere.

No, just very bad technique. But we've spoken a couple of times and tonight the subject turned to the rowing machines so I suggested a couple of things she could do differently.

[Flying_Monkey]

Part of the deal with doing the insane event I am doing is I get 8 months for the price of 4 at the complex where I doing swimming training. So, I will certainly be using the gym too. I might as well take advantage of everything offered.

[JoshuaAllen]

I am not going into gyms, engaging in a swim workout training is the best exercise for me. I just went to our pool and perform my daily workout. No money needed.

[Manotea]

Last year I used the weights for upper body & core work to complement cycling but basically over the last six months the emphasis has switched to using the C2 & core.

Living in W4 near the Thames there are loadsa local rowing clubs. I'm going to investigate the feasability of dropping my local gym membership and joining a club as what I believe is called a 'training member', i.e., someone who just uses their gym. Possibly a bit cheaper and a whole lot more motivating.

[simonp]

Could be deliberately easy rehab of a gammy back or shoulder.

Or just a newbie.  Everyone starts somewhere.

No, just very bad technique. But we've spoken a couple of times and tonight the subject turned to the rowing machines so I suggested a couple of things she could do differently.

Both her and her friend said the advice was helpful when I spoke to them again on Wednesday. They've increased the distance they can to as well.

[rafletcher]

I agree with Simonp.  Very very few gym "instructors" ever do that.  They make their money by suckering people into "personal training" but even then I've seen rank bad technique goig uncorrected.  The only place I've ever seen staff go and stop someone and tell them how to do something the right way was over 20 years ago in the municipal gym in Stratford on Avon - staff were all sports science students at the time.

My pet hates - well like simon the rower watching TV at a rate of 4m/500. Total waste of time and equipment.  And people who get on a piece of kit that fiddle with their MP3 players for 5 minutes before starting anything. And worse, people taking/making phone calls and texting. Grrrrrrrr.

[andygates]

My pet hates - well like simon the rower watching TV at a rate of 4m/500. Total waste of time and equipment.  And people who get on a piece of kit that fiddle with their MP3 players for 5 minutes before starting anything. And worse, people taking/making phone calls and texting. Grrrrrrrr.

Dude, chill.  None of them are in your way, just offensing your sense of what should be.

[itsbruce]

My pet hates - well like simon the rower watching TV at a rate of 4m/500. Total waste of time and equipment.  And people who get on a piece of kit that fiddle with their MP3 players for 5 minutes before starting anything. And worse, people taking/making phone calls and texting. Grrrrrrrr.

Dude, chill.  None of them are in your way, just offensing your sense of what should be.

It is very much the ethic of my favourite strength training forum that "We don't laugh at what other people do in the gym, no matter how stupid" and threads which attempt to do so are locked.  Even so, I do have to bite back when I see things like personal trainers telling people to do dumbbell and barbell bench presses with their feet up on the bench (or even in the air).

[rafletcher]

My pet hates - well like simon the rower watching TV at a rate of 4m/500. Total waste of time and equipment.  And people who get on a piece of kit that fiddle with their MP3 players for 5 minutes before starting anything. And worse, people taking/making phone calls and texting. Grrrrrrrr.

Dude, chill.  None of them are in your way, just offensing your sense of what should be.

Ah but some of them are    but I (try to) take your point,

[andygates]

What forum, Bruce?  I like the chilled ones.

[Butterfly]

I think the advent of MP3s may have overcome my problems with the gym, last time I was a member - the endless loud music I worked with 4 children at the time, I couldn't cope with noise in my time off as well. The best workout I ever had there was the day the sound system broke. Apparently I was unusual in asking for them not to fix it . It used to drown out radio 4 on my head phones.

[simonp]

I'd much rather be told I was doing something wrong than do something ineffective in ignorance.

[perpetual dan]

I'd much rather be told I was doing something wrong than do something ineffective in ignorance.

Likewise. Indeed, having got into the swing of it again I might seek out some advice, e.g. on rowing technique.

And on other points above...
I do like that the gym I go to (cough) is quiet and has a no phones rule. The local football players train there too, which makes it their work, which I think helps too.

I am an MP3 player fiddler though. I start out with a spin on the bike and can untangle the headphones and choose a podcast in the first few minutes of loosening up. Works for me.
There was a woman in a hijab going for a walk on the treadmill yesterday. I can think of nicer ways of going for a walk, but I daresay copying me being sweaty on the rower doesn't float her boat either.

[simonp]

I got hit in the face by a Rugby ball last night at the gym. I heard the "oh fuck!" as whoever had been training with it let it slip out their hand. It bounced across the floor as I was doing the reverse crunches in my core strength routine, hit me right in the coupon. It was funny rather than painful, fortunately.

[andygates]

I do like that the gym I go to (cough) is quiet and has a no phones rule.

Us on-call types lack that luxury

There was a woman in a hijab going for a walk on the treadmill yesterday. I can think of nicer ways of going for a walk, but I daresay copying me being sweaty on the rower doesn't float her boat either.

Dangly clothes snag like buggers.   

[hellymedic]

I do like that the gym I go to (cough) is quiet and has a no phones rule.

Us on-call types lack that luxury

There was a woman in a hijab going for a walk on the treadmill yesterday. I can think of nicer ways of going for a walk, but I daresay copying me being sweaty on the rower doesn't float her boat either.

Dangly clothes snag like buggers.   

Yebbut a hijab is a headscarf and shouldn't snag your treadmill...

[itsbruce]

Probably meant niqab

[mattc]

I got hit in the face by a Rugby ball last night at the gym. I heard the "oh fuck!" as whoever had been training with it let it slip out their hand. It bounced across the floor as I was doing the reverse crunches in my core strength routine, hit me right in the coupon. It was funny rather than painful, fortunately.

I reckon you're in there.

[simonp]

I got hit in the face by a Rugby ball last night at the gym. I heard the "oh fuck!" as whoever had been training with it let it slip out their hand. It bounced across the floor as I was doing the reverse crunches in my core strength routine, hit me right in the coupon. It was funny rather than painful, fortunately.

I reckon you're in there.

Male rugby players, not my thing. I did get chatted up by a female rugby player called Caz in a pub in Cambridge last year. Much more my thing. I got her phone number. However, when she said she was a student I didn't appreciate she meant 6th form.

(I didn't get anywhere anyway).

The other distraction last night was the 19yo ballerina doing her standing leg splits right in front of me as I was trying to stretch my tight as hawsers hamstrings.

[perpetual dan]

Probably meant niqab

Was a headscarf, not covering the face, accompanied by long but not baggy dress and trousers.

[AAO]

I go to the gym once a week and do some weights. I have been led to believe that cycling does not help with bone density in the same way that running and weights do. At my age running is, literally, a pain, so weights it is.
 

[simonp]

More advice on rowing tonight;  slow down the stroke rate and put more power into each stroke - she then beat her time target by 1-2 minutes.  I now have to explain to her that aiming for 4000m in 30 minutes isn’t very fast and get her to set more challenging goals.  Without offending her.   

I did my own 5000m in 19:39.3, 3rd fastest time ever, despite starting slow for the first 1500m then getting the red mist.

[perpetual dan]

The gym has paid off!
Last year I got arm warmers, size small. They just fell down my stick like arms.
Today I tried them again and they stayed up for a couple of hours.