Gym etiquette

[Kikikaakaa]

I want to complain but my gut feeling is this is just a thing that is a thing that happens so it's pointless.

Men throwing giant weights onto the gym floor repeatedly whilst a quiet peaceful class is running a few feet away. In a full and busy gym.

Why do gyms allow this? It's bloody dangerous and totally deters me from using the entire weights area, it's distracting and irritating for the other gym users.

Surely it's also utterly pointless to lift something so heavy you have To drop it, and of no benefit to you? Is dropping it really going to help your biceps, whereas lowering it would?

AIBU unreasonable old cow?

They're the same guys who grunt their way through sets 🙄 I lift and don't need to throw my weights across the gym and grunt like a stuck pig. I usually shout something like "bit louder mate! I'm trying to count your reps!" Usually shuts the pillocks up.

It sounds annoying, but maybe the 'quiet peaceful class' should be held elsewhere.

I've never been to a gym where there wasn't a separate group exercise room for classes.

was it a Pilates class? Or was it Yoga?

Yes it was, and it's a closed door but adjacent room. It was unbelievably loud today. None of the other gym equipment makes noise like that, that reverb, shock and clanging and there is no place else for the class (why would the class have to move?!!)

Picture 2 rooms on the first floor - one is a studio with closed doors, music on, the other side of the doors is someone dropping weights over and over and over for 30 mins of entire class. And grunting and groaning.

It's also horrible to lie on the floor when it happens. Concentrate or hear your instructor.

Even if someone let the leg press go hard a few times, which is directly next to the wall that's no way anything like the dropping of weights. While you lie on the floor.

This is the first time it's been this bad, the instructor was pissed off but says gym doesn't ever intervene

Oh yes - in that case, I'd complain to the gym management. It is really poor gym etiquette and just obnoxious.

YANBU.

At my old council run gym, there was a sign on the wall saying,

Do not drop the weights.
If you're strong enough to pick it up, you're strong enough to put it down again.

It damages the floor and it's just anti-social showboating.

Im not shy but I find complaining about men using the weights, to other super fit young barely adult gym workers while I am wobbly almost 40 yo woman slightly intimidating.

I still wonder if it's a thing? I googled it and most things say you should not drop weights but it's so ingrained now a lot of lifters do anyway

I wish the gym would man up and have a rule. There are no signs maybe they have a super strength floor!

Was it definitely weights, or was it slamballs? You are supposed to drop/slam slam balls - that's the point of them.

It was weights because they also clanged the noise of the discs together at the same time when it hit the floor. And someone looked out the door and it was a barbell.

I emailed and got an email back saying they were aware it was an issue and will try to address it

There are some lifts where a quick negative (such that plates clatter) is better than a controlled negative, such as those involving the back. I do quick negatives on deadlifts, and it can make some noise. Anyone doing Olympic lifts - snatch, clean and jerk - will be dropping the weight from a height.

Boy Slam balls are soft though? Mine make a thud, rather than a clatter.

That's not to argue against better zoning in a gym, just that....

Do not drop the weights. If you're strong enough to pick it up, you're strong enough to put it down again

....is bollocks for some lifts.

I appreciate that, seemed like this person in question was throwing them repeatedly for many many many reps. It's not a body building gym, I can't imagine people are getting help with technique like you would in a Body builder gym, the area is really small, it's not zoned out for this kind of thing, no mats no buffers, first floor next to a studio. I think if you need to throw weights like that it's probably not the best environment to do so.

I looked up some stuff online last night and YouTube and the kind of noise it was making wasn't a gentle thud clang having been lowered and dropped a foot, it sounds like it was thrown with force from some height

Oh, no mats is ridiculous. And if it's a high number of reps, it's unlikely to be too heavy a weight for a controlled negative.

I used to go to a body building gym many years ago as it was super cheap and use the cardio machines. The noise never bugged me as it was all set up for it. This is a council gym! Haha

Mats should be the first suggestion.

I found a photo online of the tiny area. Blue door is studio.

So there is a non slip mat, but that doesn't look like a mat that helps with the noise? Also there is just no space!

Yeah, that's a pretty crowded area. Is there a space for free weight lifting or is it all using equipment?

That's the only space, so anyone lifting free weights is just doing it there, moving the benches

Yes, I'd mention it to the gym management. Not a complaint as such, but a comment to the Duty Manager that it's hard to concentrate on a calm quiet class with that sort of unnecessary noise. Because it is unnecessary.

My lovely local gym would take such a comment seriously, as they are very inclusive - they don't exist solely for men who need to prove themselves by grunting & dropping weights.

As a weights user I do need to drop weights, and I also have a great 'primal scream' when they are heavy. Both are totally necessary. However my gym is weights only, and everyone else is doing the same.

I think the class needs to be moved, or for that hour the weights users need to be told to be quiet.

I find the whole free weight section at my gym to be very testosterone fuelled, overly macho and very intimidating so I know what you mean about not wanting to complain op.

I too am no shrinking violet but I hate even walking through the free weight area to get water from the fountain.