Inconsiderate people at the gym

I go to the gym before work, so my time at the gym is limited. I understand that other people have to use the weight machines as well; however, a select few people will use a machine for a very long time when you are only supposed to do one set at a time. For example, one woman will do crunches (incorrectly) on the ab machine for over 10 minutes at a time!

I'm unsure of what to do. I am 18, so I don't have much authority. I also don't want to be THAT person who is a little tattle-tale, even though I see other people annoyed when waiting a long time for the machines. What would you guys do?

Ask the person using the machine to share it with you. That's pretty much your only option, and it's reasonable. If the person refuses (which seems highly unlikely), then tell a staff person. Don't worry about being that person.

I agree; ask the person occupying the machine to share.

Thirding the asking to work in suggestion. People have no right to be monopolizing something for 10 minutes like that. I don't care if you're 8, 18 or 80 just say "hey can I work my sets in between yours" and if she doesn't agree, definitely tell a staff member

We have a 30 minute limit on the cardio equip here at the weight room (city gym) and today this woman used the elliptical, left her stuff on and re-signed herself up.  I asked her if she was going to use it again and she got sheepish and said, "you can use it, I'll ride the bike". 

Yep, that's what I thought. 

I can understand your feelings and I agree with sharing 100% but.......

One part of my leg routine is my warmup on the leg extention machine. It involves 15r, then 1x to failure, 2 min rest, 1x to failure, 10 sec rest, failure, 10 sec rest, failure, 2 min rest.... repeat X 3. It gets increasingly difficult to get off the machine and back on by about the 2nd 2 min mark. I do it if someone is waiting, but it is hard. I try to do my legs when there are very few people in the gym because my whole routine takes so much time on each station. Sharing the squat bar and the deadlift station is not an option , as the big boys lft so much heavier than I do right now.

I can see the OP's point, especially when I watch a couple ( husband and wife) jump from this machine to that machine and back to this one and over to another one.... they flit around the gym with no purpose and tie up the machines for an hour., and have the audacity to get pissed if someone uses one of the 5 machines they are using.

HA!

Gotta love people like that!  I saw a man sign up two treadmill slots under his first and last name pretending it was two people.  Now, I am 37 and outspoken.  So when I saw that he didn't leave after the first session was I asked him if he was "John or Lee" and he said both....when I stood there waiting for further explaination he said, "I'm done now" -- yeah, you are buddy!

Selfish -- and when its adults who behave that way I am astonished, though I guess I shouldn't be.

I now run the indoor track when I need an indoor run, its just easier.

I always try to find different ways of completing the same activity, though, so my time isn't wasted.  I can do three different squats now, though I am sure they're not ENTIRELY the same, they are at least close and better than waiting, since I can only drop the kids off for 2.5 hours max.

The general rule at the gym I go to is use the machine until your done your sets. This can take a while, but the person was there first and as long as they're only using that one machine I have no problem with that. If anybody really wants to use is right away they usually ask to work in, but asking how many sets they have left will guarantee you get the equipment after them. 

I believe the "circuit" people are far more annoying. They can monopolize several machines and due to the nature of circuit training they can do this for an hour! 

use free weights whenever possible! helps avoid this. i go at a peak time after work and don't really have this problem. the circuit people are easy to avoid as they tend to travel in herds. like sheep. listen... you can hear them bleat...

the problem i do have is when Sweaty Betty decides supersets are all the rage and takes over two machines without wiping them down.

my fitness buddy sent me this today.  I usually do calesthenics rather than weight machines with my trainer, and free weights if we do weight lifting because it works more than just one muscle .....afterall......we generally use more than one muscle in natural motion anyway.

http://www.bestlifeonline.com/cms/publish/bes t-body/10_Machines_You_Must_Avoid.shtml

My gym has a 20 min limit on cardio equip "when people are waiting" and our gym is extremely busy, so people are always waiting when I go after work.

If you need to share with some one usually what you ask is "can I work in my sets with you" and then during their rest period you get to go.  Any (real)fitness mag will tell you the same

ladylyz,

That magazine article was very interesting. I use everyone of those machine and have for years... Now I 'm concerned that I've been doing everything incorrectly. I lift weights so that I can burn more calories, do you or anyone have any suggestions on what is the best training regiment?

Interesting article, but their alternatives were a bit off. In particular, the alternative exercise for machines 1,5,6,7,8,9 and 10 are a complete waste of good advice - weighted barbell squats replace all of them.

 The ones you want to replace, anyway - stay the "#¤"#"#% away from exercises designed to flex, twist and rotate the spine. Best way to herniate a disc is to rotate, flex or twist the spine under load.

 The seated military press you replace with regular barbell military press - dumbbell alternating press is an auxiliary exercise that you can do if you need more shoulder training than the standing military press gives you.

 The seated lat pulldown behind the neck you replace with pulldown to the chest, and regular chinups. The exercise they describe in there sounds more like an inverted row than anything - while rowing exercises are good, they're horizontal pull, not vertical pull and thus doesn't replace what the article writer thinks it does.

 The seated pec dec you replace with barbell bench press, and possibly dumbbell flyes if you need extra pec training. Pushups -only if you are can't do more than 10-12 pushups in a row. Once you start doing more than that you're crossing into endurance training rather than strength training, and strength training is where it's at to lose fat.

 Any of the List of weight training programs from the FAQ will do, as long as you're using mostly free weights in your training.

melkor, quick question - I thought I remembered reading in New Rules of Lifting about twisting exercises - are there some that are ok?

 Mm, I may have been a tad hasty in saying you should never do the twist - cable woodchops and other natural motions leads mostly to  thoractic spine movement and that's okay; your thoractic spine is designed for mobility.

It's your lumbar spine that's not supposed to move - How Not to Warm Up has a lot to say about the various ways to mess up your spine by moving in a way it's not supposed to ;)

That's why I go to the gym at 9-10, it's less crowded, but it's a 24 hour so it still has people in it. Usually I'm the only girl that's there, and there's all guys but I use free weights anyways and no guy wants to be seen using 10 pound weights, lol. My favorite is when I'm doing free weights and everyone stares because the girls are all doing the machines always, there will be guys who "have" to use the machine RIGHT behind where I'm doing squats or deadlifts....perverts. And they will do the whole motions like they're working out, but they aren't really they just like to stare.

Boys are funny.

 

wessdogg:  now that I've been doing mostly calisthenic exercises, and free weights, that I dont like doing the machines.  But i'm really weird, and i like to do as much as possible to make sure that i'm using my own total body strength to support myself as possible, rather than a machine.  If I can lift more with a machine than i can with free weights, then i feel like my core support is probably not enough, and that's why I can't do as much.

to me, doing one muscle at a time is kinda silly, because when you move your muscles all work together.

yah you can isolate muscle groups, and focus on them, but that's different from using a machine to hold the rest of you still!! LOL!  Take it from me, i'm a bellydancer, the best way to isolate is to practice over and over again and teach your body to support itself so you can do it right!

Geeze, that article depicts every single piece of equipment I use.  I guess it is time to switch to free weights and pilates or something.