Gym Watching…

Alright, I think that besides the Foxwoods Atrium, the gym is my favorite place to people watch.  

There could quite possible be more stupid people per capita at the gym then any other place I can think of.  And it doesn’t even matter what gym, they will be there.  I would like to give some props to people getting off the couch to work out, but maybe they should do some research before they decide to start lifting weights.

I know how to work out.  I am an orthopedic physical therapist, so it goes with the territory.  This makes people watching all the more fun.  

I usually start on the treadmill.  Today, some kid decided to pull up on the treadmill next to me.  In Vans.  VANS!!!  WTF?  Please, please, please don’t ever run in Vans!  First, because they are just horrible for your feet.  Second, YOU SOUND LIKE A CLYDESDALE ON THE TREADMILL.  All the dirty looks in the world could not get this kid off the treadmill.  When I can hear your feet over my headphones, it is not good.  And I want to kill you.  I was contemplating moving treadmills, which is the total pits because you don’t get an accurate idea of what you have done.  I decided if I just turned up the volume, maybe I could tolerate this kid.  He could only run about 1 minute before he had to put his hand on the rails and take a break.  I was giving him 10 minutes, figuring he couldn’t last much longer than that.  I could do this for 10 minutes.  Then, a woman jumps on the treadmill to my left.  While I am shooting daggers at Vans boy, I smell cigarettes.  This woman smells like a freaking pack of cigarettes.  Why do you smoke a cigarette immediately before you get on the treadmill?  Oh yeah, because you are STUPID!  So, I moved.  Grrrr.

The most common place to see stupid people?  The lat-pulldown machine.  I don’t know who started this “pull the bar behind your head” business, but whoever that person was is STUPID.  For God’s sake, the directions are right on the machine!  Pull in front!  I just want to leave my card right by that machine with a note that says “If you are pulling the bar behind your head, please call me when you can’t feel your arms and/or turn your head anymore”.  

According to my gym motto, I am apparently not supposed to be judging people.  Oops.  Lucky for me, they can’t stop what goes on in my head.  And it is a lot.  And if you are at the gym, just know that I am probably watching you.  And if you aren’t at my gym, just know that someone else is probably watching you.