‘What are the most annoying habits you see at the gym?’ – 21 stupid actions from people who put the ‘dumb’ into dumbbell

Unless you’re one of those freaks incredibly committed people who naturally love exercise, you’ll know how hard it is to regularly go to the gym. So when you finally get there, the last thing you want to find is a bunch of people acting like idiots.

Unfortunately, it seems to often be the case. User gggggenegenie posted this on the AskUK subreddit:

I’ve been thinking about this lately since I’ve established a really good gym going habit for the first time in 30 years. What are the worst and/or most annoying habits you see at your gym?

For me, there’s two things. The blokes who do the needless incessant deep breaths out when they’re just in the shower or steam, room. I, can cope when they’re making the sound effects while doing their reps, but ffs you’re just sitting in a warm, steamy room.

Secondly, it’s the bench hogs who spend most of their session sitting on their arses on their phones for minutes at a time.

And it prompted lots of answers from people who have encountered similarly irritating gym-goers.

1.

‘Performative grunting, followed by dropping weights and war cries.’
–daniscross

2.

‘I can’t stand people who pace back and forth like they’ve got carpets under their arms between sets.’
–concretepigeon

3.

‘There’s guys who stand in front of the dumbbell rack doing these shoulder shrugs, but it prevents you being able to go and select your own dumbbells. If you’re at the gym, presumably to get stronger, take the weights a few fucking steps back so other people can get in.’
–Odd-Loan-5704

4.

‘Those blokes who somehow manage to monopolise two or three bits of equipment at a time. Or pricks, as I like to call them.’
–I_love_sloths_69

5.

‘Using a random bit of equipment as a shelf for their water bottle even though there’s a proper water bottle holder on the bit of equipment they aren’t using.’
–concretepigeon

6.

‘People who don’t put their weights away will be first in the firing line under My Glorious Rule.’
–deadliftbear

7.

‘Tripods and recording themselves yet creating me extra obstacle, and potentially I could be captured in the camera that I am not comfortable with. I wish gyms were against that policy.’
–TheTrentorWoodman

8.

‘TikTok scrolling on full volume. Any hygiene issue like spitting or snotting.’
–blueskyswim

9.

‘People in pairs or groups meaning the occupy the same piece of equipment for ages.’
–Appropriate-Dig-7080

10.

‘Some grunting is fine, moaning like you’re in labour? Not so much…’
–CranberryRosa

11.

‘Can’t speak for women, but in the men’s changing rooms it’s dickheads hogging the fucking mirrors to record themselves shirtless.’
–TheNathanNS