“Stupid is as stupid does.” - Forrest Gump
Since returning to a commercial gym after 25 years, I am shocked by the current gym culture. Few members understand the basic concept of “gym etiquette”; unloading bars, re-racking weight plates and dumbbells and just generally cleaning up after themselves. Moving about the gym in an iPod induced stupor; these spoiled suburban brats seem totally aware and unconcerned how their actions affect the gym experience and training quality of those around them. Examples have been recorded on various forums and websites for years but until I witnessed the stupidity, I thought that they were exaggerating for comic value and the shock effect. I was wrong. It is worse than I thought it could ever be.
As a hardcore, old school lifer, personal trainer and strength coach, I’m actually more applauded by the lack of knowledge regarding the very basics of fitness training and the total absence of technical skill, body awareness and focus when performing exercises. Not only do they have little regard for others but they seem bent on wasting their own time with dumb exercises and poorly designed workouts. The concept of proper technique eludes them. They continue to “punch the injury shark” in nose, workout after workout, oblivious to the pain and frustration that awaits them.
A Russian coach that I studied under said that you have to let people be as dumb as they want to be. When it comes to the “big lifts” (deadlift, squats, bench press, power cleans, etc.), I find it hard to resist at least trying to assist someone to get it right. Whenever I see someone in the squat rack, I stop what I’m doing and watch. The question flashes through my brain, “Is he the one?” Is this person going to do a technically correct squat? In three years at the gym, I’ve only seen two people perform a proper squat. Let me repeat that, two people in three years.
Yesterday, while warming up, I noticed someone standing near the squat rack. It got my attention because Sunday mornings the squat rack is my “office” and none of the regulars have any interest in using the rack. I could be in there for hours and no one would care. I watched out of self-interest to judge how long the rack might be tied up but also the coach in me was asking, “Is he the one?” He seemed to be ill at ease. Just from his movements, I sensed that the upcoming squats were not going to impress me. Without warm-up reps, he loaded 225# on the bar. I thought that he was either an idiot or farm-strong. He then proceeded to buckle a lifting belt. Why? If he could properly brace by engaging his core he wouldn’t need a belt but I had to give him the benefit of the doubt until he actually did the lift. He dove under the bar and racked it too high with a wimpy grip and poor wrist position. He started to stand up with the bar but he lost the neutral arch of his L-spine and backed out of the rack with a round back. Ouch! As he started to descend, both knees shifted inward in a valgus movement. With his back rounded and his knees buckling inward; he barely got to ½ squat depth and back up to his starting position. I was surprised and grateful he completed the rep without tearing up his knees or blowing out his low back and that I didn’t have to give first-aid until help arrived.
True to the spirit of gym stupidly, he continued to “punch the shark” for two more reps, each not as quite as deep as the one before it. My question was answered. He was not “the one” but at least the nightmare was over or so I thought. I turned my back to the crime scene and was shocked to hear the sounds of plates sliding on a bar from the direction of the squat rack. Yes, you guessed it. He was adding plates to the bar. I couldn’t watch the slow motion train wreck any longer and walked away shaking my head in disbelief.
And true to form, the suburban spoiled brat also left the weight plates on the squat bar and later on a bench press bar.
As Forrest Gump said, “Stupid is as stupid does”. Thank you Forrest, you nailed it.
