Fitness Goals Support Group
This community is dedicated to group support around achieving fitness goals, whatever they may be, through personal training, athletic activites, or other strenuous activity. Whether you are trying to get fit to treat a health problem, boost your mood, relieve stress, or tone your body, this group is a great place to meet other like-minded people who have similar goals.
...how do you decide which treadmill-elliptical-stairmaster to use?
A couple years ago a very amusing set of e-mails circulated about which stall in the bathroom men would choose, based on the proximity of other males in the facility. I didn't realize the choice was so biologically driven!
And then, last week, I was walking on a treadmill, one of about 30 my gym has, arranged in several rows facing suspended televisions. One row faces the main floor, feels a little public. The runners like to use that one, I choose not to trail in their sweat spray. Not that I mind sweat, lord knows I'm a heavy sweater myself, just call me Cardigan. It's a little more gross when it is coming off someone else though.
The row I go to faces a wall, I'm the only person in a row of about eight machines. I don't take the end one, but the one next to it.
10 minutes later a woman gets on that end treadmill. I can't help myself, I feel a little creeped out, invaded. I know at times I am more territorial than I think I am... Get a grip, I tell myself, this is a public place and my personal space does not include the machine beside me; but with so many empty ones so far away, why is she right next door? This Is Too Close For Comfort.
It started me thinking, so how do *I* choose? Sometimes it's facing the channel I want to be distracted by on the ceiling TV. Other times it's because Mr. Inspiringly Fit is two rows ahead and if I'm that far back behind him he won't notice if I happen to glance at him more than once.
If there are two empty treadmills between two other exercisers, do I use the one next to the runner (female) or the walker (male)? If I use the one next to the walker (male) I might be perceived as invading his Testoster-Zone, if I take the one next to the runner (female) I may be perceived as having undue interest. On the other hand, walking next to the runner might prompt me to push my heart-rate harder. Walking next to the walker might be safer for my knee. Solution? Use an elliptical in a different row.
So, does anyone else go through these mental gymnastics, or is it just me?
A couple years ago a very amusing set of e-mails circulated about which stall in the bathroom men would choose, based on the proximity of other males in the facility. I didn't realize the choice was so biologically driven!
And then, last week, I was walking on a treadmill, one of about 30 my gym has, arranged in several rows facing suspended televisions. One row faces the main floor, feels a little public. The runners like to use that one, I choose not to trail in their sweat spray. Not that I mind sweat, lord knows I'm a heavy sweater myself, just call me Cardigan. It's a little more gross when it is coming off someone else though.
The row I go to faces a wall, I'm the only person in a row of about eight machines. I don't take the end one, but the one next to it.
10 minutes later a woman gets on that end treadmill. I can't help myself, I feel a little creeped out, invaded. I know at times I am more territorial than I think I am... Get a grip, I tell myself, this is a public place and my personal space does not include the machine beside me; but with so many empty ones so far away, why is she right next door? This Is Too Close For Comfort.
It started me thinking, so how do *I* choose? Sometimes it's facing the channel I want to be distracted by on the ceiling TV. Other times it's because Mr. Inspiringly Fit is two rows ahead and if I'm that far back behind him he won't notice if I happen to glance at him more than once.
If there are two empty treadmills between two other exercisers, do I use the one next to the runner (female) or the walker (male)? If I use the one next to the walker (male) I might be perceived as invading his Testoster-Zone, if I take the one next to the runner (female) I may be perceived as having undue interest. On the other hand, walking next to the runner might prompt me to push my heart-rate harder. Walking next to the walker might be safer for my knee. Solution? Use an elliptical in a different row.
So, does anyone else go through these mental gymnastics, or is it just me?
But I always take machines that are away from people.
At the other gym, I tend to use the treadmill farthest away from SIGHT. Since i'm just getting started running. But the other day I was forced to use one between a man who was literally hauling ass and a female who was barely breathing! She couldn't have going more than 2.2...seriously.
I feel the same way about lifting equipment as well though too. I hate it when folks "invade" my space. Like when i'm doing a circuit. Clearly, i've taken the time to set it up with a method to my madness, if you will. Then some dumbass totally jumps in, without asking and he and his buddy start a marathon set on my stuff!!! OOhhh, that just gets to me! I have a real problem with people that have no gym etiquette. But that's a whole other topic entirely!
In answer to your question...yes...I think i'm going to try to just open my own gym and sell memberships by invitation only!!!lol:)
but I hear ya, I'm like that in my classes. ...like this is my space so I arrive early to get my spot lool
I'll start with spinning. There are two rows and I must have the first one in the row closest to the door. It's #10 and I go to the gym an hour before the class, just to be sure I get it. If I don't, I must have the one right in front of it, or I will have trouble even doing the class. I don't know why I pick that spot or bike.
I can't run as my knees will make me pay, so I do walk briskly on treadmills. There must be a TV in front with something like CNN or a news channel, or else something that I can tolerate watching. I pick news because I can put on the captions and see what's being said. I get upset if the gym cannot produce one of the remotes so I can change the channel. If the TV can't be changed, I won't use the machine in front of it. I have a thing for the number 6. I prefer to use a machine that is 3rd from the end, only because it's half of 6, and there are no TVs in front of machine 6.
The same goes for the elipticals that are at the far end. I use number 3 but only if the TV has something good on it.
If I am going to be walking for 100minutes or so, I want to be staring at something good to pass the time.
I don't have much issues with the people on machines near or beside me because I basically block out others around me when I workout. If they are noisy, I just put on my iPod to block them out.
There are different levels in my gym and there are cardio machines on two levels. I like the machines on the main floor but prefer the bikes on the top floor. Again I don't know why.
Even the locker I use is the same and I am really stressed if it's being used by someone else! Again with the numbers. It's #339 which adds up to 6. Now I have to find a free one with a number that can be reduced to 6.
I wonder if all this means that we are addicted to fitness and developed quirks about it?
I don't belong to a gym but work out at work or at home which there is very little company either and so there is no competition and no other users in "my space". But there used to be this gal at work that started working out after I did and she would get on the eliptical that I liked and I started getting dressed and getting down there early just so I could beat her to the machine. I only have a limited amt of time to work out cuz I had to pick up my dtr and geez that was "my machine"...LOL