A surprising number of people go to the gym for cardio only or mostly.
Apparently one appeal of gyms is “complimentary” hot showers, rather than run up your gas/electric and water bill.
I think my biggest issue at the gym I go to are people who swim in perfumes (there’s this one lady who literally stinks up the whole 3-room-basement with no proper ventilation) and then the people who do 5 moves in a machine and then sit on the machine for 5-10 minutes while scrolling their phones… Then another 5 moves, more scrolling. Maybe there are better places for scrolling TikToks, Reels or whatever shit than the basement gym with very limited space and equipment?
A couple of minutes rest between sets can help with training:
Yeah resting between sets is unavoidable, I don’t even see how anyone could not have any rest periods between lifts. I guess they mean they get distracted scrolling and rest way too long. Personally I rest 1 to 3 minutes between sets while I adjust weights etc, but I also work out at home so I’m not exposed to it becoming an issue.
Amen my incel 4 chan bro.
First gym i went to at 19 (am now 58) had 2x stationary bikes for people to warm up on before lifting, that was it. Now… an ocean of barley used cardo shit and a dumbbell rack that’s doesn’t go high enough, one flat bench and teo smith machines :(
much better with an old school lat pull down that whacked you on the head adjusting the weights as a right of passage :)
Checks out
The spooky number: the devil will cum 2n8
Quick, somebody warn Nate!
Cardio - you occupy the machine for a minimum of 20 mins, and it’s unusable by the other patrons, no turns in cardio. A dumbell, I “effectively” use it for a minute or 2, and then the next one can pick it up.
If you know, you know
A dumbell, I “effectively” use it for a minute or 2, and then the next one can pick it up.
Nah I sit on them for 45 minutes while I scroll tiktok
Finally a real gym rat
You are using dumbbells wrong.
seriously! doesn’t this guy know you shove them up your ass and hold them there for at least 30m to properly exercise your sphincter?
being fake and gay requires a lot of hard training.
If you say so. I’ve been a powerlifter for 15 years, but a random lemmy person told me I am doing it wrong.
You’re a powerlifter that only uses dumbbells for a minute or 2? So, you are saying you are a machine warrior? That’s fine, good for you. But that’s still not right for most people.
As a person who has gone to a gym I can explain a bit more (not an expert by any means, but it’s something you figure out pretty quickly). A weights based workout looks like this:
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do a set of some reps, which usually takes less than a minute
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rest for a couple minutes (powerlifters typically take 3 to 5 minutes)
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repeat 3 to 5 times
Now I hope you’re sitting down because it’s about to get complicated. During the rest bit, you’re not using the dumbells, so someone else could use them. This way, multiple people could use the equipment at the same time. Not possible for cardio equipment like treadmills. It’s basic gym etiquette, and even has a name: “working in”.
As a person who can do basic math (not an expert by any means, but it’s something you should have picked up pretty early in grade school). But even at 1 minute for a set that’s 3-5 minutes by any math I have ever learned.
So, even if we pretended that we all want to play hot potato with barbells covered in other people’s sweat, that still exceeds the 1-2 minute estimation by double or more.
However, normal people don’t go to the gym expecting to spend their time swapping sweat with a bunch of roided gym bros. So, not only is their set going to jump to something like 12-20 reps per set, but they won’t expect to have to hand over equipment they are in the middle of using. Which means they won’t be planning to put the bells back when they are doing their alternate reps. Here’s another shocker for you, normal people alternate muscle groups rather than standing around talking about gains for 5 minutes after each set of reps.
So without getting too complicated, you can trust me when I tell you that puts us at something significantly higher than 1-2.
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How long do you do a rep? Have you actually measured time?
What a way to find out
Maybe I’m unversed but I rarely see the “be me” format used in this way to satirize other people and I’m here for more
berrypicker as fuck
The worst thing about treadmills and stationary bikes is that people could run or bike for free outside (plus cost of bike). It’s one of the dumbest and worst wastes of time and resources. It’s only possible because USA is a complete shithole with very little outside, except for places dominated by automotive violence where it’s foolish to exercise.
The nature here is actually very beautiful if you take the time to explore it. It is sparse in some areas but parks are a good place to walk or bike with no vehicles.
You do realise treadmills aren’t just a US thing, right?
And bad weather is also a thing, right?
Treadmills are used everywhere, my confused American friend.
No, they don’t. Because they’ve never left America once. They just like to sit in their shit and ask why it smells.
People who say this make me laugh because it is extremely obvious that you don’t exercise, either indoors or outdoors. It’s like asking “why would anyone ever buy an oven when you literally could just eat the raw ingredients”, presumably you’ve just never consumed food before.
There are benefits to stationary cardio. 1) More convenient 2) Easier to zone out 3) Built in pacer 4) Safer 5) Doesn’t matter if it’s snowing/raining/humid/hot/dark. 6) Can be done from home, relevant if you have kids, on call duties, etc 7) Good way for adults to learn how to ride a bike in the first place 8) two people can run next to eachother at different paces while chatting 9) can be stopped at any point and you’re never 2 miles from your destination 10) Some people just don’t enjoy riding in the road, and riding on sidewalks is illegal in many areas 11) can be set for very long downhill or uphill segments that aren’t realistic in the real world 12) easier to follow a class/routine.
Like. People aren’t just idiots. They use them because there are good reasons to use them.
Aka artificial exercise for pussies who can’t handle real cycling or running because they are delicate little flowers who can’t handle inconveniences.
any trails that you can reliably doomscroll while hiking?
I do indoor cycling. I also did a nonstop 400km gravel ride this summer, is that real enough for you, strong man?
Indoor cycling / running is “just as hard”, you can scale it to the difficulty you prefer.
Exercise, for 95% of people, is about being healthy. Making that more convenient means you are more inclined to stick with it which is a win. Making it artificially harder in ways that don’t directly contribute to your goals just increases the chance of burnout, skipping days, etc. Or just making it easier in ways that actively harm your goals.
I would prefer someone take every opportunity to make their exercise experience easier in non-material ways if it meant they tried a bit harder on the actual relevant stuff e.g. increase resistance, time, weight, etc.
Don’t know where you live but around where I am it can get hot enough in the summer that just being outside is a hazard let alone to exercise. How’s bout we save the paramedics some time and not get heat/sun stroke because some folks think they are badasses who can shrug off the wroth of Sol Invictus.
Imagine thinking you’re macho for riding a bike inside.
God there’s some strange people on here.
It’s more about being comfortable while doing it. Running or biking in scorching heat, the freezing cold, or a stormy day sucks ass whereas I can do the same things in a temperature controlled environment.
Also, on a treadmill or stationary bike, if you get tired or just ain’t feeling it, you’re not 3 miles away from your house or car when you stop.
Sure you can run or bike outside but if you’re a few miles in and get hurt or too tired, you’re walking back.
Friend of mine fell off his bike and broke his shoulder; walked the bike nine miles back home. I said, “WHY DIDN’T YOU CALL ME??! I would have come and gotten you!”
“I didn’t have my phone.” 🙄🙄🙄
I say you are missing the fun.
I bought carbide studded tires for my bicycle, and rode all winter back and forth to work. -20C doesn’t feel cold once you start peddling, and you actually have to unzip layers to cool off.
The summers at 35C were hot, but the sweat and moving through the air cool you.
Very invigorating feeling compared to being in a gym.
You peddle goods, and pedal bikes.
Yeah, autocorrect doesn’t care what I do. Lol
Also, safety. There is a walk bike path near me and I prefer biking than stationary bikes, but not everyone has access to safe paths. Even the relatively safe path I use, I have maybe permanently injured my right wrist due to a fall caused by a dog jumping at me (he was just an excited sweetheart, but that didn’t stop me flying off the bike). My sister also walks the path and has been chased by feral dogs, plus has to deal with creeps hitting on her. Lots of people walk with some sort of blunt instrument for safety, though personally I feel that’s over the top.
While the only serious danger and injuries came from animals, that’s still something you wouldn’t have to worry about in a gym. The creeps… maybe, but still safer in most gyms than out in the open.
I get my exercise by cycling to work, sun or storm I have to get to work. So I’ll be cycling 80km a week. That is before any extras like going to the shops or anything else.
Gyms have loads of them in the UK too though so it isn’t just being a shithole. Trivially easy to walkor cycle along coastal paths here.
I know people who spend several times more on exercise bikes than I spend on real bikes.
I have a stationary bike and a real one, and I use both. I agree with your points, but stationary bikes are not the cause.
I’ve never lived in any place in the usa that is so much a shithole you couldn’t bike or run outside. Now, obviously that’s privilege to not have lived in a bad area, but the majority of Americans do not live in a bad area. I don’t think gyms even exist in bad areas anyways.
Florida is not bike friendly. Especially here in Pinellas. We are highly competitive in rankings for casualties.
I didn’t visit Orlando or Miami, but everywhere else besides St Petersburg was lucky to have sidewalks
I dunno. I’ve lived in 4 states, and spent a lot of time in ~3 other states. Very few of them had even halfway decent biking/walking infrastructure.
Mainstream gyms are attracting normies. Normies who come with casual goals and for a sanitised experience. They want people who come sometimes and then carry on paying but never really use facilities. Half the people in normal gyms have never actually done any reading into how yo do exercise or what they’re training or how to avoid injury. Even the treadmill runners don’t have a plan… They just run till they’re a bit tired and sweaty.
Weights gyms are different. Muscle heads intimidate normies. I used to seek out weights gyms and they would mostly be dark, dingy places. “Rough” looking places with “rough” looking people. Many have attached UFC or boxing training. People tend to come in groups and spot each other. There’s grunting and weights banging. You may need to wipe someone else’s sweat off a bench. The music may be non-mainstream. It’s scary for the uninitiated.
I love normie gyms. There’s multiple treadmills, bikes, and all sorts of machines, but only one cage and only one bench - and they’re never taken, even when the gym is busy!
I can just go in, even take both and no one bats an eye, it’s amazing. And the gym is a 5min walk from my house!
When I was younger a friend convinced me to go to one of these gyms. We’d go stupid early in the morning, like 5am. There would be one other group of people that would go that early in the morning. After like a year of going I was in the best shape of my life and I’d get the nod in the morning from the other group.
It felt really good, but then I got a new job, moved where I was living, and a particularly cold winter rolled round. Went to my car; ready to go to the gym, and the door was frozen shut. Decided to skip it and climbed back into bed. It all went downhill from there and I now regret not having kept it up. I hope that the other morning group is still going 14 years later.
No one understands this more than me, and this isn’t directed at you or anyone in particular, ain’t here to judge, but in case anyone needs to hear that it’s okay to slip, don’t let being perfect stop you from being good enough.
That’s something I needed to experience and practice to appreciate, unironically.
My friend has a saying about this. He says, “Even when you give up, don’t give up.”
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My best decision was to start going, my worst decision was giving up. My 2nd best decision was to start going again a year ago. I won’t say I feel great, but I feel better than I did before.
My single experience in a scary weights-only gym was getting told by some beefed up roider that I train like a (very rude word for vagina that I couldn’t find a good translation for). My current gym has a split of about 60:40 between weights and cardio in favor of weights and the atmosphere is so much nicer.
but was he wrong?
Unless state_electrician was doing Kegels, the dudebro was wrong.
I wish I had one of those weights gyms in my area. At best any gym might have a single squat rack and there’s almost always someone using it.
Eventually I gave up and decided to stick with kettlebells at home. That being said, home workouts are tough to keep up with, especially with my schedule. There’s been lots of starts and stops over the years
If you have space (like a garage) then buying equipment for a home gym works best. An Olympic bar and a squat rack and some plates and bench will get you started on every body part exercise you need. And this costs less than a year’s gym membership.
I’ve got the above and slowly added dial-in-weight adjustable dumbells. A weighted belt and abs wheel.
Pro tip: secondhand weight equipment is just as good as new and less than half price. It is hard to damage weight equipment. Space is the limiting factor, otherwise buying your own equipment is far cheaper than a gym membership. Home gym also saves travel time, lowers the mental barrier by reducing friction for attending, and the biggest bonus is not having to interact with humans. I’ve got a TV in my gym for my Jellyfin TV shows as well while I work out. Super happy with it. Highly recommended.
Oh, I’m aware. Unfortunately I rent and also don’t have the space for it.
Look, i know this is a shit post but 200 treadmills is just not enough. How are members going to feel comfortable doing their cardio unless a super majority of the cardio equipment is free?
Urinal rules, you have to have at least one treadmill between you and your neighbor
Gyms should save money by having a fake nonworking 3d printed treadmill between each set of real ones.
They should do this with urinals too
absolutely no barbells
dumbbells go up to 45 lbs
Don’t forget never getting kettlebells over 20kg.
Above 20, just use the free weight pole.
You can’t do swings or Turkish getups with a barbell….
“Ok.” Proceeds to do kettlebell swings with the Olympic pole and some weights on either side.
Sorry, not native - it’s “barbell” in English, I think? But I use it to swing
The point of kettlebell swings is to swing back behind your legs, stretching most of your lower posterior chain (really helps if you’re trying to improve your deadlifts). You could use a barbell (Olympic pole is the standardized barbell), but I was imagining someone standing up like doing a deadlift, swinging the bar forward, then right back into their legs and hurting themselves.
Are we still doing “crossfit bad” jokes? Because I feel you’re setting me up for one here lol
Wasn’t trying to. I genuinely like using kettlebells for swings (and clean and presses), and one annoying thing I’ve noticed is how a lot of gyms don’t have any above a low enough weight that the swings don’t wear me out unless I’ve been going at it for a while. And I’m of the opinion that, much like deadlifting, more reps aren’t the same as more weight.
Oh no I’m aware kettle bell swings are a pretty normal thing, I’m just imagining someone doing swings with a full barbell and claiming it’s part of their new disruptive exercise regime!
Usable muscles are more important than visible muscles, and cardio is more important than usable muscles so…
I never understood why people go to studios to do cardio. Just take your bike or your running shoes and go for the park. So much better for psyche and purse than paying 40€ a month to run in a stifling room looking at a gray wall.
Better to combine both things: Run to the studio, do strength training there and run back home.
Respectfully, there’s a couple things at play that maybe you’re not considering. For one, I noticed that you used a €, so I’m going to assume you’re not in the US. Here, it’s potentially many miles to the gym, just running to the gym is probably impossible for the majority of gym goers.
Additionally, assume they’re going to the gym to get fit. Running is an intense and high impact exercise to just start doing from zero. Beyond that, depending on what kind of cardio you’re trying to do such as steady state, zone 2, HIIT, etc. running may not be feasible, and running outside is even less convenient.
There’s a reason people do cardio at the gym, and it’s not just stupidity.
Sure, there are valid reasons to go running in the gym. TubularTittyFrog also mentioned daylight and weather. But I see too many people running in my gym during sunny days and the gym is 100m away from a forrest on one side and 300m from a park on the other side. So why not go for a run outside and return to the studio for the next round of weight training.
There are also cardio options in the studio I do understand: Cross trainer and rowing machine for example. Not everyone has their own rowing boat. But running indoors right next to a perfectly fine outdoor opportunity I won’t understand. I don’t say it’s stupid, I just don’t get it.
because weather and daylight
Is a great explanation except for those people I see there durung the day in perfectly fine weather.
some people hate being outside. outside is dirty.
That really is dependent on how old you are. As you age, you want to build and maintain enough strength to keep yourself mobile even as your body ages and degrades. Strength training, particularly full-body barbell workouts, can’t really be beaten in that regard.
Sure cardio is still important. But it doesn’t do the same job. You need both cardio and strength training. And cardio can be really cheap - buy some shoes and run outside or on a treadmill at home.
There’s no point to gyms with 100 treadmills and almost strength equipment. The priorities are way too distorted
