What I hate the most with guys working out (especially college guys who think they are absolutely perfect) is when they sit on a free weight bench and basically never get off it. They'll use it forever and ever! Even worse is the guys who stand really close to the mirror and check themselves out as they workout (whether or not they are actually lifting)... ranting as well

The website of your university should list the fitness director or some such title. I would find that person's name and e-mail him or her if you have complaints.

I hear ya. My gym has an area near cardio specifically dedicated to circuit training and it's away from the other weights. It's intended for those of us who are trying to get in a weight training workout in a short perioed of time. It's called Circuit Express. The machines are numbered in the order one is supposed to use them. Now, if someone wants to do a more intense workout and/or just on one machine, I have no issue with that as long as he (& for some reason, it always seems to be a guy who makes it an issue) respects the purpose of the circuit express and doesn't prevent those of us who are using it for a Circuit Express from using it as intended. Hey, even if they plop right down on the machine I was going to use next, I'll just skip to the next one to keep the circuit flowing. But when they monopolize it for half an hour (and 50% of the time is spent resting between weights while checking a Blackberry/newspaper), that's when I get annoyed. I tried asking one if I could work in after I had done the rest of the circuit and Mr. Blackberry said "one more set". I gave up, but if it happens again, I'm getting someone from staff.

Another time, I came in and 2 trainers & a client were by the beginning of the circuit. I went to the middle, so as not to disrupt them. When I went to finish up the ones I hadn't done, another client was on machine no. 2 & the trainer was lounging on machine no. 1. She had the nerve to give me a dirty look when I asked if I could use it!

This am, someone either left their towel on machine no 1 or was gone for over an hour. I went to machine no. 2 (thinking the person was going to be right back). When I finished the 2nd machine & they hadn't come back, I took the towel and put it on a nearby table. It was still there after the circuit and 40 mins. of cardio.

Oh boy do I hear yah on this topic. I USE to go to a co'ed gym. I didn't like how it to became a meeting place to pick up girls. Men trying to impress other men and lifting more than they can handle. That is why I just switched to a church ran gym and its a whole lot less than the other one I was going to. Try to hang in there or is there any other gyms around you?

There are but having one on campus is so convenient for me. I just go right after my classes...no excuses. For the most part I DO enjoy having it...it's just things like this that drive me insane.

Just so I don't appear to be completely anti-men, I have to tell everyone:

Today a girl left her newspaper and ID card on a bench for about 20 minutes while she moved between machines. Granted I didn't say anything because the gym was pretty empty since it's the Easter weekend and I had a bench of my own BUT I have seen her before and she does do this a lot... So it's not only men, some people are just jerks.

Have a good Easter everyone!

I used to think that people were just jerks when things like this happened at my gym...but it was really me. I was expecting the guys on the weights side of the gym to read my mind and just know when I wanted to use a piece of equipment, instead of speaking up. Once I decided to speak up and actually address the guys, I discovered that they're not so bad at all. I've found that I ask if I can work in with them, or if they're using a machine, they'll usually let me work in or they say they're done using it. If they've got one last set and want me to wait, I'll go do something else for a few minutes and come back. I also go to a University co-ed gym

People shouldn't be leaving their stuff on the equipment period. Then it's up to the person who wants to use it to either figure out who it belongs to and ask or the person has to wait, say 5 minutes or so to make sure someone isn't just getting a drink at the water fountain, and then move the stuff and risk the wrath of the person who put the stuff there. Either takes time from a workout. And a lot of people are pressed for time. It's hard enough to fit a workout into one's schedule without having to deal with rude inconsideration such as people leaving their stuff on the equipment. The only time I have for working out at the gym is in the am before work. And the transit schedule limits how early I can get there. I should not have to waste my valuable workout time figuring out who left their towel on the equipment.

In contrast, if people haven't left their stuff on the equipment, someone can get in & do the exercises they want to do easily. They don't have to wait or hunt anyone down.

And aside from resting between sets, no one should be on the equipment if they're not using it. Again, to determine that someone's not just resting between sets, it requires time and observation. Personally, I don't want to rush/bother someone who's just resting between sets (as opposed to lounging on the equipment). So, again, this takes time to ascertain. Unless it's one's own personal gym, there should be respect and consideration for other gym users.

Yay! I want to share a complaint! Since it's still cold here (**sigh**), I run at the track inside the recreation center. Not my favorite thing to do, but better than the treadmill. On Saturday, a lot of families with kids and older people were walking on the track. Theoretically, the rule is that runners should be on the outside track and walkers are on the inner two. But it just doesn't work out that way. Kids and groups of walkers will often block the track and make it challenging to get around them. It's slightly annoying, but most hear me coming and group together so I can get by. A woman was walking with her daughter and mother (I think), and they were taking up all three lanes of the track. I moved to the inside to try and get around them by squeezing up to the barrier by the basketball courts, where it looked like there was a little more room. When I did, I saw the mother saying something to me. I removed my earbuds, and she repeated, "Runners are supposed to be on the outside track!"

Not a big deal, but I was annoyed. They take up all of the lanes and then complain at me because I was trying to find a way around them on the inside rather than the outside? Wow.

Not a gym rant per se but an everyday rant that the above post brings to me. When people are walking on a sidewalk or mall or something in a group you often HAVE to go single file.

I was in Las Vegas once and there were two women walking side by side on the sidewalk taking up the entire sidewalk. It was a street where cars were coming right next to the sidewalk. They saw me coming and easily could have moved one in front of the other. They continued to take up the entire sidewalk. I got over as far as safe and turne somewhat sideways but I was not going to simply stop as they were doing nothing and I knocked into one.

And they gave ME a dirty stare. And I glared back. I will not tolerate simple unthinking selfishness in a social situation. If they had done ANYTHING remotely civil I suppose I could have stopped completly but they still would have hit me frankly cause to them the entire sidewalk belonged to them. The only way to have people not hit them was to I suppose throw yourself in front of a car.

People sadly think the world centers around them everywhere. You do not even want to get me started about tail-gating or people who do not signal in their cars. Are you kidding me....literally not being able to lift a finger to be civil and safe to those around you? We all need to be better drivers, much more selfish not signaling or tailgating than anything anyone can do in a gym.

Wow...yea, buying into a gym membership means that you are using the "GYMS" equipment. Sounds like these people are trying to place ownership on something that isn't theres. Too funny tho...stands over you and watched you until you are done! I haven't run into any major problems at the gym with this. Maybe it's because I go later in the evening when most people are home. LOL!

I would have threatened his a$$ with harassment and marched my Diva behind to the manager!

Yea...def bring it up to management's attention! You pay for membership...you have to be happy with it!

Luckily, I haven't had that problem. Probably because I go to the gym at the end of the week, when it seems like people are just dropping off like flies. Have you ever been in there on a Friday or Saturday night? My gym is DEAD!! There are like 10 people in there, TOPS, and they have a pretty big fitness room. My gripe is when people don't wipe off the equipment. They've got signs posted all over the place and there are some that still don't follow the rules. I don't want to be working out in any one else's funk but my own. Wipe off the machine!!! Is it really that hard?!

Gaah! I also share the gripe with people not wiping..

Also, to add to the rant.. I really get annoyed at people who have no respect for my time with a machine when I have it reserved. After asking this one girl to wrap it up in a few since I have the treadmill reserved, she actually had the audacity to let me know that her workout was not finished and to come back in 15. Whhaat? ....Since I was in shock, I ended up speechless (and spineless) so I waited for her to finish up and ran for only 15 minutes until the next person kicked me off for their reserved session. >_<!!

I think we used to be able to reserve treadmills at my gym and that's part of why they changed that. We don't get assigned specific treadmills though, so I'm not really sure who I would kick off...Haha.

I've never done weights at night because I really don't like to. I know I need to get my workouts in right after my classes for the most part so I don't have time to think about it and not go. I know I'm setting myself up here, but I don't think I should have to inconvenience myself and change my schedule to workout.

Plus, it's not that few people at my gym late at night. The weight area is quite busy, but cardio equipment is dead.

Wow...you have to reserve your machines...that would be annoying! Sounds like you go to a fairly smaller gym with fewer machines? How about next time she's still on the machine when its your time..you just kick the plug and kill the power. :-p