New Year, New Me! Going to the gym, as always, seems to be returning to people’s New Year’s resolutions. While the internet makes fun of the “January 1 newcomers that will stop coming after one week,” the gym itself is already flooded with interesting activity-doers. The environment is comparable to a mini New York City. Attention will be caught unintentionally by some people. Here are a few of the interesting characters we have noticed.
The Usuals
These gym-goers are pretty self-explanatory. For them, the new year is just another day at the gym. Nothing outrageous. I’d like to say they make up 90% of the gym’s population, and my respect goes out to them. Keep up the great work.
The Teenagers Who Come in Packs
This is me at times. It can be cute when teenagers come in groups to work out together while having fun. However, what is not cute is when the crowd grows and expands into a mosh pit around equipment, keeping people from their own sets.
The Max Volume Moaners
Although I’m always immersed in my own world listening to music with noise-canceling earbuds, some sounds are loud enough to break through the advanced technology and reach my eardrums. It can be hard to stay muted at the gym when heavy weights, perhaps body weights are being lifted, and the grind is respectable—no pain, no gain. But absolutely moaning at the top of your lungs is something else—I’d think I walked upon something inappropriate. . Sorry. Maybe it’s a default for the dedicated heavy-lifters. Who knows, maybe those sound effects will get unlocked inside me too when I become capable of benching 100 pounds.
The Social Butterflies
For the social butterflies, it isn’t all about the grind: it’s about having a good time, too! The social butterfly is pretty much in the name. They are the type to start chatting in between and during sets trying to make connections with their fellow gym goers (even if the people they bother aren’t as enthusiastic about the interactions).
The Equipment Hoarders
This easily recognizable title is awarded to one of the most aggravating kinds of people at the gym. Sometimes you can find them stocking up on dumbbells for their extensive list of exercises, even if they aren’t going to be using some of them until the end of their workout. They can also be caught resting at a machine for extended periods of time, claiming that they are going to start their set soon, even though they never do. No matter what they are doing, they manage to annoy the entire gym with their border-kleptomaniacal behaviors.
The Dumbell Slammers
Curling 30 pounds? Insane! Let the entire gym feel the vibration of your dumbbell dropping, please. We will clap for you, great job! Aside from the dedication, dumbbell dropping is indeed a way to communicate with those who wear noise-canceling headphones. Believe it or not, the sound of dumbbells dropping on the ground triggers people to lose balance, especially during Bulgarian split squats. So, while it’s great that you are achieving your goal weights, please remember that it’s not a flex anymore if you feel the need to announce it to the entire gym.
The Bottom of the Barrel
Lastly, we have the people who do not clean up after their extraordinary workouts. Not putting back weights? That’s fine. Not returning the machine to its original form? It’s okay. But not cleaning up after entirely drowning the bench in sweats or leaving ashy, dusty footprints ON the bench? Why? In my opinion, it says everything I need to know about them, and it is where my respect for them vanishes. If you are one of those and are self-aware, please, teach your children not to do this.
Nonetheless, the gym is a great place for self-development. There is always a first time for everything and no matter who you are out of these characters—energetic or questionable—the consistency is regardlessly admirable. But please try to be more like “The Usual” for everyone else’s sake.
