If you missed my last story about one of the exercises I saw in a commercial gym you can read about it in the post below.
But this one blow even that away. My friend ended up visiting that same gym the next day. And this is what he saw. This is no April Fools joke!
A man came over to the dumbbells and picked a 100 pounder. Using two hands he lifted it off the rack and set it straight on the floor. He then rolled the weight halfway across the gym to the bench he was using.
From there he wrapped his wrist straps round and round to make sure his hand was secured on the dumbbell. And then his set of partial one-arm rows began. They had to be called partial because he wasn’t even getting halfway up.
I wish I had seen this one first hand, but I’m afraid if I did I would have burst into laughter. And it definitely would have distracted me from my workout.
Now I know the chances of this guy reading this are very slim. However here’s just a few pieces of advice I’d give him. Perhaps you can benefit from the lessons.
First off, ever hear of a farmer’s walk? It’s a great exercise and all it involves in carrying a weight hanging by your side. Normally you use two weights, one for each hand, but you could do it with just one. Even a little work on this will save you the embarrassment of rolling weight across the gym.
Secondly, if you can’t hold onto a weight you shouldn’t be using it. Yes, in some extreme cases like a hands and thigh lift I can understand the need for straps, but in general you should be able to HANDle the weights you use. If your hands are weak make them stronger.
And lastly use a full range of movement. Many people like to cheat themselves in the efforts to use a heavier weight. Considering this guy couldn’t even carry or grip the dumbbell, this was obviously too much for him.
There is a time and place for partial movements as part of more advanced training. But in general, always go full range even if you have to use less weight to do it.
If you’ve got any stories of commercial gym insanity I’d love to hear them so send them in.
In strength,
Logan Christopher