Weight dropper

[bhskittykatt]

We have a new guy at the gym I have dubbed "Droppy McDropperson", because he seems to love to drop weights. I can hear it over my headphones every five seconds. Thunk. Thunk. Thunk. Rest a bit, then again. Thunk. Thunk. Thunk.

(1) It's against gym rules, because
(2) It's tough on the equipment. Those weights aren't designed to be dropped.
(3) It's obnoxious, and finally
(4) If you're lifting so much you can't lower it with proper form, you're lifting too much. When you do finally get injured, that's karma biting you in the ass.

It's a small gym, and he's dropping the weights hard. And it's loud.

Furthermore, he does his deadlifts without his shoes, and he does them on the raised platform that actually has a smooth laminate surface (most of the rest of the gym has a rubbery floor surface). Socks + smooth surface + lifting more weight than you can control = bad idea that is probably going to catch up with him someday. Just...you really think that's a smart thing to do?

And finally, while he had no problem racking the little 10lb weights, he so thoughtfully left the 45lb ones lying out in the middle of the gym floor for everyone to trip over. Not even on the floor next to the rack. No, he had to leave them right out where people walk through.

I'd like to see him come in during staffed hours and try this stuff. (It's a 24 hour gym, and there's no staff on duty at the hours we are there...though this morning Hubby finally fired off an email to the gym manager, because it's getting to be that obnoxious.)

I know there was a thread recently in Off Topic about being self-conscious at the gym, and the overwhelming advice was that other people aren't watching you and are too involved with their own workouts. I note this one exception. If you're an obnoxious ass who loudly drops weights every five seconds then not only are you being watched by others, you are being glared at with a stare of death!

[Aethian]

Yea I would really make sure that employees knew he was doing this. Most 24 hour places I know have some type of cameras up so hopefully they will be able to tell exactly who this is.

[bhskittykatt]

Yea I would really make sure that employees knew he was doing this. Most 24 hour places I know have some type of cameras up so hopefully they will be able to tell exactly who this is.

Cams, and records of our key swipes. So they should be able to figure it out with the info Hubs gave them (dates and times).

I would much rather my gym membership money go toward things like new equipment or better amenities (just got our shower/changing room a much-needed remodel) than replacing cracked weights because some numbnut kept abusing them.

[mjr]

We have a new guy at the gym I have dubbed "Droppy McDropperson", because he seems to love to drop weights. I can hear it over my headphones every five seconds. Thunk. Thunk. Thunk. Rest a bit, then again. Thunk. Thunk. Thunk.

I don't want to sound like I'm defending the guy (I'm not) but what kind of exercises is he doing? Some exercises (power cleans, for instance) require the weight to touch the floor before performing the next repetition.

Furthermore, he does his deadlifts without his shoes, and he does them on the raised platform that actually has a smooth laminate surface (most of the rest of the gym has a rubbery floor surface).

He probably has on "no slip" things that look like socks. I powerlifted for a season in high school, and when I deadlifted I wore these sock-like things. And you do have to be extremely careful when you're setting the weight down so you don't, you know, set a couple of hundred pounds on your foot (or toes).

And finally, while he had no problem racking the little 10lb weights, he so thoughtfully left the 45lb ones lying out in the middle of the gym floor for everyone to trip over.

Ugh. I haven't been to a gym in years, but I'd think that re-racking weights is common courtesy.

I note this one exception. If you're an obnoxious ass who loudly drops weights every five seconds then not only are you being watched by others, you are being glared at with a stare of death!

I think the dude wants to be watched. Maybe he thinks he's "showing off". Kinda like the old adage about the buff beach guy who walks around asking guys, "How much can you bench??"

[sms001]

I weighed in on the other recent gym thread so you probably know I managed at one for over a decade, so know this is sincere: thank you. Even if this wasn't Hard on the equipment, hard on the floor, and hard on the patron, it's extremely distracting for others and it's great that you are calling it to management's attention. We had graveyard staff members (I can't imagine what the liability is like w/o them! ) but it was a huge four story building and the best moderators are the members themselves. Hope they follow up.

[Eevie]

Ugh, that would be why I stopped going to the local gym. Not only did you have a bunch of weight droppers, but the management didn't seem to care. I believe that particular gym closed actually. Please keep us updated!

[bhskittykatt]

I don't want to sound like I'm defending the guy (I'm not) but what kind of exercises is he doing? Some exercises (power cleans, for instance) require the weight to touch the floor before performing the next repetition.

It's everything. I know he does deadlifts, but most people do them on the rubberized floor and/or put mats down to cushion the weights, and most do a bit of controlled lowering before the drop. He picks the one spot with hard floors to drop, and it's loud, not to mention tougher on the equipment and that floor.

But it's everything else, too. He'll do a set on a machine, for instance, and when he's done he'll just the weight from height. Or he'll do rows with a 50+lb dumbbell and then drop it when he's done. It doesn't matter what he does, it always ends in a loud clank or thunk. And it's highly annoying.

I think the dude wants to be watched. Maybe he thinks he's "showing off". Kinda like the old adage about the buff beach guy who walks around asking guys, "How much can you bench??"

I would think this, but it's a 24-hour gym when few people are there. The other day we walked in on him dropping weights when literally no one else was there. If he's trying to show off, he doesn't have much of an audience.

[fireheart]

I don't want to sound like I'm defending the guy (I'm not) but what kind of exercises is he doing? Some exercises (power cleans, for instance) require the weight to touch the floor before performing the next repetition.

Generally though I'd imagine that for exercises like that, you'd control the drop.
]
This sounds more like the guy has just picked it up and let go.

[wolfie]

IOr he'll do rows with a 50+lb dumbbell and then drop it when he's done.

Somehow I suspect that the dumbbell weighs far more than 50 pounds. I hope he has "man boobs" - and that someone demonstrates putting weights on the rack.

[dalesys]

Somehow I suspect that the dumbbell weighs far more than 50 pounds. I hope he has "man boobs" - and that someone demonstrates putting weights on the rack.

Using the loops in his nipple piercings, of course...