Do you all ever find yourself thinking about the other people at the gym when you're there? Like, when I see an overweight person at the gym, I think "Yay! They are doing awesome, it is so great that they are trying to get fit," and when I see a severely thin person (I go to a university gym) I worry that they are anorexic or exercise bulimic or something (I think it is a widespread problem at my university) and think they should not be working out so hard.

I saw this guy the other day who cracked me up. I was in the weight room doing my thing, and he comes in and pickes up two dumbells and does the most ridiculous looking "exercise" I have ever seen really fast, and with this weird screwed up expression on his face. He does like 8 reps, then throws the dumbells onto the floor (so it is really loud and they bounce), then takes a cocky walk around the room, comes back and checks himself out in the mirror, then leaves, comes back 10 minutes later and does the same thing. I seriously wonder what that guy was thinking!

He was thinking "I'm bad, I'm bad, and everyone else thinks I'm a dork". As for the really thin, it's good that they exercise too. Especially if it's weights. Thin needs muscle. And weights can help them to actually bulk up a bit.

I know that thin people need exercise too -- the ones who I worry about are these girls who look like they are starving to death (ribs sticking out, sticklike arms, sunken cheeks), who are huffing and puffing on the elliptical before I get there, then I'm there for an hour or more, and they are still on that elliptical when I leave. Their arms are so skinny I can't imagine that they are doing any weights. Watching them on the elliptical actually kind of frightens me.

Sometimes if I am doing my cardio and I do not have something to read, I make up things about the people in my head. Like a young adult thinking "I wish they'd play some Coldplay on the soundsystem," or a old man thinking, "back in my day, we didn't need to go to the gym for exercise. We milked cows and shoveled snow. Damn whippersnappers!" OK, the actual things I think are better than that, but I give people personalitites and voices, even if I have never seen them before. Of course, this is on the rare ocasion when I do not have something to read.

Haha, I do the same thing Marilyn! There is this one old man who I always wonder what he is thinking. He always falls asleep during his stretches!

I was at the gym not to long ago and this muscled man is lifting weights by me in front of the mirror. After much huffing and puffing he puts the weights down, gives himself a loving glance, and blows his reflection a kiss. I had to move cuz I was either going to or . Cracked me up!!!!

On a different note...
I hope I'm not the only one, but I have a tendency to stare at people's butts when working out. It's not that I admire or covet them (Okay, some I do ) but I just have to concentrate on something while working thru the pain, and dang it they're just everywhere!! I've tried looking at the ceiling or the floor but they're like magnets to my eyes!! It can get embarrassing when I get caught !!

Paperclippy,
There is an old man at my gym who bounces about 10 times on one of those inflated exercise balls, and I always think of Tigger's song (from Whinney the Pooh) - "I'm bouncy, bouncy, bouncy, bouncy, fun, fun, fun, fun, fun. The wonderful thing about Tiggers is that I'm the only one." I don't know what he is trying to do, but that always puts a smile on my face.

Sometimes at the gym I compare myself with the thin folks (most of the time I'm the largest on in the aerobics or weights class), but I have to tell myself that at least I'm there trying. It makes me feel better to know your thoughts toward heavier people at the gym are positive.

Great stories!!! The gym I used to work at there was this older lady named Shirley and she was tiny and MEAN. She would chase the big guys down and tell them to wipe their sweat off the machines, it was priceless!!!

Jennifer, I look at people's butts too, LOL, and I don't know why!

I love watching people's workout faces, I am always wondering what's going through their minds!!! Like the big guy doing lat pull downs who throws his whole body weight into it to get it down to his chest, I imagine he is thinking "Damn, I am so strong and sexy" with the Rocky theme song is playing in the background!!!

Hiya all, I'm new here, this is my first post. This thread reminded me of when I first joined a gym. I was using the elliptical machine, and a guy to my right was very obviously looking in my direction. Almost non-stop. I thought, wow, I must look pretty good up here, sweatin', red-cheeked, gasping for breath. I started smiling, looking back at him, thinking how glad I was that I finally joined a gym.

It wasn't until I was leaving that I saw the mirror that was to my left.

Oh goodness this thread is funny.
I'm always thinking about what other people are thinking, but especially at the gym.
I worry about scary-skinny girls too. Yesterday while I was waiting for my class to start this little girl came up and asked about the pilates class. I'm sure I was like... gawking at her but she was TINY. She said she was over 18 (you had to be to sign the waiver) but she had the body of an 11 or 12 year old. I actually wondered if maybe she had some kind of illness or something, but she was also anorexic-size skinny, so who knows.
I love seeing people my size or bigger at the gym, even though there aren't very many of them. I don't know if they are scared or they just don't feel like working out, but I am usually the biggest person in the facility which isn't usually true in like.. class or at the mall.

I don't think I stare at butts but when I see really muscular people I am so captivated. Our cardio floor is like a loft over the weight floor so when I'm doing my cardio I'll watch people lift weights and stuff. I'm sure people would think I was creepy if they noticed, but I'm just so impressed by really fit, toned people-male and female.


Welcome chaps!! How funny! I see a lot of guys like that at the gym. Something about working out makes them fall in love with themselves.

glad im not the only insane one here....

my only thought is don't talk to me, don't break my concentration.