Click here for part I
HOW TO DO IT CORRECTLY:
I usually start my workout before the wife arrives to the gym. By the time the wife does arrive I’ve finished my run and I’m in the weight room. She gives a brief acknowledgement when she sees me knowing that I’m in “Beast-mode.” Not to mention she has her own ten-mile run to worry about herself.
Here’s what goes on behind the scenes. The wife and I know we have our socializing time later in the evening so why interrupt each other during “Beast-mode?” We need to get work done so we do it. That doesn’t mean we don’t talk to each other at all but its short and brief.
I find this much more effective for the following reasons. First, the wife is secure enough that she doesn’t need immediate attention from me just because we see each other at the gym. Second, we both allow each other the room to switch to “Beast-mode” and get work done. Finally, after a full day of work and a good workout we have plenty to talk about when we get home, which leads to connecting better on an emotional level. It’s a commitment to living a healthy life-style emotionally and physically.
To help solve this issue (you didn’t even you it was an issue, right?), I propose we apply some “man-rules” to the weight room.
1. The weight room is a SNUGGLE FREE ZONE – If your woman is having a bad day and you feel like canning your work out to show her some affection, fine, just do it somewhere else.
2. Chatter is only allowed as a filler – If you’re in the weight room treating it like a fellowship hall then you need to go to the fellowship hall. The only exceptions are (A) seeing a good friend for the first time in a long time (B) sharing the gospel to someone and (C) seeing an opportunity to encourage someone who is clearly having a rough time (but make it brief).
3. No Country Music – this has nothing to do with PDA, I just don’t like Country Music. Especially while I’m in Beast-mode.
4. Re-rack your d*** weights!!! Every gym I’ve been to has a sign like this (maybe without “d***” in it) and no one seems to listen. Once I told a guy twice my size to put his weights back where he got them and he gave me a look like “I can’t believe you’re making me put back the weights I just used in their original place so that others will have easy access to them instead of just leaving it all over the ground!” Yes, I’m a jerk like that.
5. When women are in Beast-mode it’s attractive. Well, this isn’t a rule but I thought you might want to know that. When a girl has that “I’m here to workout” mentality it shows that she’s focus and has some purpose while she’s there. Now there is a difference between Beast-mode and bee-otch mode but I don’t have time to tell you the difference right now.
You might be thinking I’m over critical about this issue. I’ll concede a ‘maybe.’ But you can’t argue about the perception of PDA and lollygagging in the weight room brings, namely, you’re not serious about working out. If you’re not serious about then get out of the way because the few of us who have “Beast-mode” need plenty of room.
The re-racking bugs the heck out of me too! And why must someone take the weights away from the area they're suppose to stay in and then leave them clear on the other side of the gym or some other place they don't belong instead of where they should stay?
ReplyDeleteWhy must people bring their phones and sit on a bench or a machine and feel the need to text or talk while they're at the gym? How annoying is that? You want to talk or text, then stay home or in your car, not in the gym while some of us are trying to get our Lift on.
And what is it about those D***** Bags who take about three to four sets of the dumbbells all around them and when you ask to work in when them they say their using them?
I also love to see those people walking around and constantly drinking from their water bottles while using the benches or machines while not even using any effort to work out thinking that's going to get them in shape.
And finally my last pet peeve. If you sweat like a as if you just walked out of the steam room, can you please wipe off the bench or machine you just used? Can you be anymore Gauche by not doing that?
I can go on for days, but I won't.
I totally forgot to mention the cell phone talking guy and the sweaty dude. Yes, the phone talking is quite annoying, especially if they're on the machine/bench and not using it while the rest of us are waiting having to listen to this guy feel important by talking on the phone.
ReplyDeleteMaybe we should write a pet peeve(s) weight room blog. It started just with the PDA but now that I think about it there are plenty of other things wrong in the weight room. Vent away!
You're WAY too anal about this one, Jr. There is nothing wrong with socializing while lifting weights. Indeed, one might miss the opportunity to strike up a conversation and meet a new friend because one is MORE interested in weights then in seeing opportunities. Are weights MORE important than people? I know what you're going to say, there is a time and place for both. DISAGREE. The gospel is about being open to opportunities and if I'm so focused on me and my workout that I miss an opportunity, God will deal with me (yep, God is going to correct that). Indeed, if you have a reputation around the weight room of "don't interrupt that guy when he's working out," then I suggest that you're communicating the exactly wrong thing. A guy who is serious about working out, but has the reputation of being willing to stop and talk is a guy that I want to be.
ReplyDeleteP.S. Don't you know you're supposed to run AFTER you lift?!?