The Gym is one of my favorite places to people-watch. It is filled with all types of people from all types of backgrounds which truly makes it fascinating. In a place where self-improvement is the main goal, the gym has a weird and uncanny ability to reveal the true colors of a person. Over the years, as a regular gym-goer, I have seen my share of interesting people, and like other favorite people-watching locations, such as the airport and the mall, it makes the experience very interesting. And most of the time, these interesting people are highly annoying. With that said, the following Pondering 10 is a list of the most annoying people you will find in any gym in America.
10. Your Shadow Person – Ever work out and notice someone looking at you from the corner of your eye? Ever notice a person that engages in a specific exercise immediately after you finished it and does this for your entire workout? How about that person that tries to peek over at your treadmill or elliptical to see your exercise info/results on the screen? Yes, this is that annoying person that is nosy and feels the need to shadow you. You’ve somehow become their unintentional trainer. However, it is creepy, and at times, very annoying.
9. Extremely Exhausted Person – This person feels the need to let the entire world know they have just had an exhausting workout. This person will sprawl out across machines, exercise areas, or locker rooms either out of sheer laziness, or to convince the world, more so than themselves, that their workout was an intense one.
8. The Unofficial Trainer – This person feels the need to let you know what you are doing wrong. Now, there are times when this is beneficial, helpful and even necessary. However, the unofficial trainer is usually a slacker that is in worst shape than you are and feels the need to give you advice on what you ought to be doing and eating.
7. The Grunter – That guy that feels the need to let everyone in the entire state-radius know that he is repeatedly lifting something heavy…grrrraaah!
6. The Self-Reflecting Lover – Those mirrors on the wall aren’t for you to constantly check yourself out. There are there so you can make sure your form and technique are correct. The Self-Reflecting Lover doesn't believe this. This person will go through one set, and then get closer to the mirror to find the supposed "instant" results. Get over yourself.
5. The Fashionista – New uggs, sunglasses, fitted hat, lip gloss, and other dress-to-impress clothing is not gear for the gym. You’re not here to look cute. You’re here to look like a disaster when you leave. Only then have you accomplished something.
4. Mr. (or Ms.) Anytime Minutes – How in the world can you work out while on the phone chatting it up? What’s worse is I can hear you over the pound of my feet on the treadmill. Over everyone else’s feet pounding on their treadmills. Over the house music. Over the music humming through my headphones. And over my own thoughts of how annoying you are.
3. The Gym CEO – This person feels they somehow own the gym. They will claim eight different machines and claim to be rotating through them all. One at a time buddy. Others have work to do as well.
2. The Gym House Party Person – This person is usually part of a group that like to hangout and socialize while getting fit. No harm in that. It’s great that you all can encourage one another. Super! However, once your group begins taking over a portion of the gym, even to the point of hindering others from their workouts, it now becomes a problem. If you’re using one machine, please don’t lounge around on the other machines and/or workout areas. Thanks – greatly appreciated.
1. In Need of Therapy Person – And finally, this person is the most annoying person in any gym. I enjoy a good chat here and there with those who I see on a regular basis at the gym. Afterall, we’re all on the same schedule, and we see one another every day. It’s only natural to be courteous, and often times, become friendly. Chatter of course consists of small talk – weather (why is that always so relatable?), sports, local news, workouts, injuries – minor stuff. Usually, the house televisions with most of these issues help spur the conversation.
However, it is you, In Need of Therapy Person, who everyone avoids in the gym. You’re the person that comes over and feels the need to hold lengthy conversations with no boundaries. I don’t need to hear about your personal illnesses, your troubles with your wife, your boss, or anything of that nature. Really, I don’t know you! This person keeps you from your workout, throws you off mentally, and ultimately is just downright annoying.