Today was definitely one for the books. Pull Up Redemption, Stolen equipment while i was using it, and a near fist-i-cuff over a broken piece of equipment. So yeah for a Silver Back Saturday it was nothing short of intensely awesome! OK trg break down first and then the stories. Everything is done in a semi-no-rest-circuit style. I simply move form Exercise to exercise with purpose and stop for a drink before every pull up set.
Pull Ups 3 x 16
Bosu Sit ups 3 x 25
Push Ups 3 x 15
Head Harness 3 x 15 x 30 lbs
Lunges 2 x 5
So i leave the rack to go get a drink. A friend of mine stops me briefly to ask me a question (hip was cramping during Bench) and i see out of the corner of my eye someone walking into the back spin room with a Bosu Ball. I knew there was only one in the whole room. I glance at the rack where i had all my stuff and...MotherFucker! They took my (the one i was using anyhow) Bosu Ball! So i walk down to the door of the spin room, and in my best passive aggressive behavior, i open the door and lean to tell the woman:
"No its OK i was not finished using that but go ahead i will adjust and do something else."
She responds with "Oh i guess i should have asked."
In her defense it was on the right side of the Squat rack surrounded by my stuff as opposed to inside the squat rack and barricaded in by all my chalk and bands and stuff. What ever, i let it go and decided to do Side bends instead this week. Carrying On.
Pull Ups 5 x 10
Push Ups 5 x 15
Side Bends 5 x 10 (L&R)
Head Harness 5 x 15 x 30
Rev Hyper 5 x 10
Lunges 3 x 5
So somewhere during my 2nd and 3rd set of pull ups one of the regular Saturday morning guys came. A dude in his mid forties. Nothing special about him, but i see him in the gym regularly. He is one of the guys who will forget from time to put stuff away and just comes in to "work out". I usually ignore him and the rest of his ilk.
Well today he came in pull a pin from the Incline bench, inspected it, then tossed it in the center of the weight pyramid. Then pulled a pin out of the flat bench, inspected it, and used it as a replacement for the one he just tossed away. OK whatever, i will only use 3 bars in the whole weight room so i get this mentality to a certain extent.
But 5 min goes by and the nimrod has still replaced what he removed. Which is annoying because i can picture someone coming in later and not being able to use the bench because they don't know where the pin is. I try to let it go. But the phrase "never pass a fault" echoes in my head.
So after a set of Rev Hypers i grab the pin, throw it back in the bench, and put the bar back up. Now at this point i should explain that the incline bench nimrod is using is directly in front of the flat bench. So he sees me do this. (Passive Aggressive behavior again i know). As i circle around the bench to head back to the squat cage to do pull ups i see nimrod get up quickly. I pull out my head phones expecting some sort of brief comment to see the look of incredulous disbelief and rage in nimrod's eyes.
What happens next i do not fully recount but it was something like this: (he used a lot of expletives right from the start, i am not intentionally cleaning up his language i just cannot remember every curse word he used.)
Nimrod: "What are you doing? that pin is broken. someone will get hurt."
Me: "How? It fits in there and gravity holds it in" (pins go in at 45 deg angle)
Nimrod: "It is broken (pull pin out to show me). See! there is no stopper" (he means a metal plunger ball embedded on the side of the pin)
(His volume is starting to go up at this point, from talking loudly and angrily to a low yell)
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| One of these should have been in the side of the Pin to hold it firmly in the rack (7lbs of force to remove the pin instead of 4 lbs) |
Me: "The pin is held in by gravity, it is not going to come out"
nimrod: "No it will! I had one come out on my and ended up getting 15 stitches."
(points to the top of his skull which i see nothing as he has a full head of hair)
"You guys always put stuff back that is broken and that is how people fucking get hurt in here. "
He actually raised his volume again during that last sentence, i am talking with intent but not yelling at this point, i realize i have slid into a defense stance as nimrod is in my face and only getting more angered. Which puzzles me, i get his point and after the stitches argument i am willing to concede the argument to him.
I also question if i am going to get to finish my Pull Up session which would a waste of the last hour and 10 min if i don't finish my assignment.
I am in no way afraid of a physical altercation with this guy as i don't feel physically threatened.Although The possibility of a physical altercation is rising so i decided to watch my words as to not personally insult or attack him which would probably trigger him at this point. I am actually trying to remain on the moral high horse. Which i will explain why in a minute.
Me: "Ok fair enough. But throwing it in the fucking corner doesn't help. You should take it up to the front desk."
Nimrod: "I am not taking it up to the front desk"
Me: Why Not? If you don't tell them it is broken they will not know and they can't fix it. Have you even fucking tried?"
At this point i have decided i will take the pin up front, actually from the moment he showed me the problem i was willing to take it. i have also ceased to see the point of his aggressive argument. he complained people get hurt, proved it. But will not even try corrective action.Also please realize i am cursing but not yelling. i curse on a daily basis in normal conversation because i am part cro-mag-non man.
Nimrod:(SCREAMING at this point) "WHY DON'T YOU FUCKING TAKE IT TO THE FRONT DESK?!"
Me: "Why Not?"
Nimrod: "BECAUSE THEY WON'T FUCKING DO ANYTHING!"
Me: "Actually i was planning on it. Fine I will"
Turning towards the door i realize everyone has stopped and is watching us. I am sure he felt like a total nimrod at that point. I actually start smiling at the lunacy of the whole altercation.
I get to the front desk smiling from ear to ear. Both the guy and girl working no me as a gym regular and talk to both of them regularly. The guy is a regular lifter and understands when i show him the pin. I explain the altercation story to both of them. They immediately know exactly who i am talking about. The guy comes back to the weight room with me. I go back to doing Pull Ups.
Pull Ups 2 x 7 (done fast an explosive, adrenaline is great! that and i had a fifteen minute rest)
Push Ups 2 x 15
Seated Calf Raises 4 x 15 x 70 lbs
Head Harness 2 x 15 x 30 lbs
TKE's 3 x 20
Banded Tricep Extensions (225 reps)
45, 45, 30, 30, 40, 35
So while i was finishing up the gym guy (employee) goes over to nimrod who at this point is doing decline bench (because you must train all 3 parts of your pecs!) and nimrod has a similar discussion with gym guy. Not to the same volume he had with me of course. Then as gym is walking away nimrod shouts out "it is not like you are going to do anything about it anyhow".
Which leads me to question if you hate this place so much why are training here?
Talking to the staff on the way out i also found out:
-Nimrod has a pending lawsuit against the gym, apparently a cable broke on a Tricep Pressdown machine and he had to have stitches on his face from the cable breaking.
-He is continually complaining about something.
-this is not the first the pin has gone missing in the weight room. the staff has had to go looking for it before.
-nimrod is not a gov't employee and other than the fact he pays his membership dues has no reason to be there. he is allowed in as a privilege that is extended to all non-government people in the city.
Now i mentioned the moral high ground. Did i curse? Yes but only after he started yelling and cursing at me. This dude came at me with anger in his eyes and violence in his heart. Shit like that gets me fired up and engaged. But i also will not escalate first. I train in a gov't facility. That has a wide range of people in it. I am a gov't employee. The facility is there for me to train in and maintain a high level of physical fitness. If i cause shit i can get myself in a lot of trouble at work. This nimrod was not worth it. But hit me or make me feel like you are going to do me harm and i will engage fully. Fully and truly i wanted to finish my Pull Ups plain and simple. Breaking my hand on some asshole's face on impedes my trg for weeks.
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| Keep Moving Forward, Keep Getting Strong(er) |
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