lol that's kinda funny cause I was in my last set of front squats and a guy goes out of his way to ask me if he can use some 5 pound plate that's lying on the ground in the rack next to me... didn't get quite so mad though

in general I find people FAR too nitty about worrying whether or not you're using equipment.

This would make me angry as well.

Definitely true but I think there's a general sense of not wanting to piss someone else off in the gym. This is certainly the case in my University gym where you often get younger guys just starting out in the weight room, training in the same area as more experienced lifters who are significantly bigger. The little guys are sometimes even scared to ask how many sets someone has left, they'll just wait it out.

The gym is also potentially a dangerous place with plenty of pieces of equipment that could cause some damage if a disagreement escalated physically. I'm surprised I've not seen it kick off in all the years I've been going, I've only seen one 'incident' and both guys agreed to take it outside the premises first before a bit of pushing and shoving in car park.

How are you surprised?

How often do you see people fight without it involving alcohol, drugs, ****ing the other guy's gf or some other shenanigans like that you're unlikely to see at the gym? I've never in my life seen anyone fight at school (ok being 7 year old doesn't count) or workplace, why would gym be any different? And those places have far more social interaction (ie. reasons to fight) than your avarage gym has.

Even if I'm 95% sure someone isn't using something I still ask most of the time, it doesn't hurt. It's also an effective and polite way of saying GTFO the way, today two people were having a conversation right next to the bench and then later someone had hung their gym bag on the dip station, both times I just said "are you using this?" and everything was fine.

I do the same eg. asking if I can deadlift (the platform is right next to squat rack) or do chins (on the rack) when somebody is squatting and standing on my way between sets. You expect the answer to be yes (if not, then you have legit reason for that gym fight ggo) because it shouldn't really bother them, but that's just more polite way to say gtfo.

yeah, im with you guys on the better safe than sorry approach, but sometimes i'll be like doing deadlifts in the middle of a set and someone comes and asks me if i'm using the calf raise machine 8 feet away lol it's a little silly. can't stand people talking to me in the middle of a set

For you people getting talked to mid-set, do you actually respond? I can't imagine breaking my focus to answer their idiotic lack of awareness with anything more than a scowl and naturally finishing my set. Then once I'm done, going and giving them a lesson about gym etiquette.

That sucks. Correct thing for you to do is just not GAF about hitting the other person. If they get in the way and get hurt it is their fault.

Steroids though.

This is one of the best reasons for wearing headphones and going to the gym at 0400. Luckily the people I do run into (powerlifting area of the gym) know enough not to talk to someone mid-set.

I've always lifted at gyms where nobody even lifts and I've never been talked to mid-set and never seen that happen to anyone else either. >99% of people probably get that it's something they should never do.

yah, talking mid-set is ******ed and I just ignore people that talk to me (usually have headphones on so it's easier too)

I got interrupted in the middle of a set of heavy squats by a lady telling me to put some shoes on and that I wasn't allowed to lift in socks... Yeah. Because that was the health and safety risk there, not you interrupting someone with a big moving weight on their shoulders...

Good looking tall blond woman, ~30yo with okay form, slim, and intimidating huge, and very likely natural breats, doing DB-frontraises for many sets.
Managed to say "Hi" while actually needing to pick up some DB's of the rack in front of her. Next time, I'll give her the tip to do it alternating instead of parallel for better balance, to start a conversation. Almost got her, I think...

ugh... that terrible hyper vigilance that hovers over your entire workout because you see 15 year old chicken arm load up 2 plates on the bench without a spotter, and each times he accidentally adds an extra inch to his 3 inch range of motion and barely racks the weight (or goes for more "reps"), your workout is constantly plagued by the potential interruption of having to abandon your set to save his life. Am I alone in knowing this terrible feel? The fact that he tells all his friends that he reps 225 doesn't bother me, but ****, please, check yourself before you wreck yourself, 'cause big weights crashing on your face are bad for your health.

nah i feel you. i worry approx infinity times more about what everyone else is doing at the gym than id like to.

Overheard a pretty hilarious conversation between a middle age Indian man who barely spoke English and a skinny very effeminate sounding black dude.

Indian dude is on some sort of bench press machine thing, black dude comes over

"Excuse me, how many more sets do you have?"
"Sets?"
"Yeah how many more do you have?"
"Twenty."
"Twenty sets? Do you mean reps?"
"What?"
"You said twenty sets, did you mean twenty reps?"
"Eleven?"
"... I'll just come back later"

It was all I could do not to bust out laughing.

Confusing ending. What did you do to not laugh?

I'm gonna troll someone like that next time when they can't seem to process my pretty clear first statement.

"How many sets?"

"About 8, most are warmups and will be quick, want to work in?"

"Ummm, 8 sets?"

"Ok, evelenty sets."

"Reps, you mean reps?"

"Sure, 17 sets."

etc.

I like turned and walked the other way stifling the laughter.

Yeah he said eleven like a question out of nowhere, he clearly had no idea wtf he was being asked.

Classic.

Was it anywhere near 11AM? Maybe he gave up on understanding the sets/reps thing and just decided to say when he'd be done, lol.

You obviously went to a better school than me.

Like something out of a sitcom.

lol language barriers.

I always answer "about 15 minutes" which they hear as enough time to work at another station.

people emulate the exercises you do after beeing done.

I had the opportunity to do this yesterday. I know the person that asked (I was on last set of bench) and only said this is my last set. If it had been one of the high school kids that came in to do some random stuff (medball, jumping, etc.), after they had done go-up-on-your-toes presses and 3/4 squats in the other room, I would have gone into that routine. I think they would have been seriously confused.