Five Workout Habits That Make You Look Stupid

This post is going to be a bit of a rant against some of the stupid things people do in the gym. I’m not talking about gym etiquette, but plain ol’ foolishness. It’s the sort of behavior that drives me up the wall.

In fact, you’ve probably seen each and one of the five stupid gym behaviors that I will talk about in this post. You may have even been guilty of some of them yourself. If so, this is your chance to change your ways for the better. If you’re one of the innocent ones, kudos to you. You’re the kind of person I’d be glad to spot for at any gym.

So, here are five stupid workout habits…

Checking Yourself Out in the mirror

If you’re the sort of guy who lifts his shirt to check out his abs in front of the mirror or rolls up his sleeves to examine his shoulders consider yourself out of shape and stupid. People who are in shape don’t need to go to the gym to look at themselves. They already know they have a smoking body.

But this is not the main point. The question I have for you is: Who do you think you are? Brad Pitt? Taylor Lautner? You’re not that hot no matter what you think and other people don’t come to the gym to look at your abs. So, stop showing off or I’ll perform a citizen’s arrest for indecent exposure.

Laughing At Fat People

This sort of behavior isn’t just stupid but also repulsive. It’s another way in which thin people feel superior to overweight people. Having been overweight in the past and thin today, I know how it feels. I don’t feel that I’m a better person today when I lost weight and I don’t feel superior to fat people.

Joking about fat people, how they workout, whether they sweat more in the gym, or other cruelties, is a sign of stupidity. You don’t want to be that person. Trust me, other people who see and hear you won’t think highly of you and justly so.

Throwing your weights at the end of the set

So, you’re doing a bench press with dumbbells and they’re really heavy. In fact, they’re so heavy that you can’t sit up while holding them, but need to throw them on the floor. Who are you kidding? You’re just showing off. You want the rest of the world to know that you’re lifting heavy weights and that you’re strong and mighty.

Well, guess what, the noise these weights make when they fall on the floor is annoying. People don’t like it. In addition, throwing weights can cause serious injury to other people. This is one of the fastest ways to get thrown out of a gym or to find yourself facing a juicy lawsuit. So, stop being foolish, respect other people, and don’t throw your weights.

Grunting when you lift weights

In one of the gyms I used to workout in there was a guy we called The Grunter. The reason why the nickname stuck was that this guy had an annoying habit: when he lifted weights, he used to grunt. Hard. I’m talking about What’s Going On? Is he alright? Is there a wounded bear in the gym? sort of grunting. We could hear it across the hall.

Me and my friends used to hate it when he showed up at the same time we were training and other people hated him too.

He was the worst, but a lot of guys grunt or curse when they lift weights. This is just another way to show off. I hate it, women hate it, no one really thinks you’re doing anything special. So, keep quiet, save the grunting to a more intimate place, and you’ll look less stupid.

Being Overly Helpful

So, you see someone who you think is working out in the wrong way. Is it your business to help them? If they’re going to hurt themselves, then maybe. If not, you’re just being a pain. You don’t work for the gym. You probably don’t have the skills, knowledge, or experience to advise anyone.

People don’t like being told what to do, especially when they don’t know the person who’s doing the telling. So, don’t be too helpful. It often seems like you’re trying to show knowledge you don’t really have.

Special note: If you’re being helpful to hit on women, you also run the risk of looking stupid. Women see through insincere assistance. It won’t work for you well at all.

Final Word

The gym is a place which isn’t yours nor mine. It’s a place in which you need to show respect to other people and help to create a pleasant workout environment. So, don’t engage in any stupid, loud, or disruptive behavior and you may make some friends that you can train with for years to come.

What about you? Have you ever encountered stupid behavior at the gym? Tell me about it in the comments below…