If you've been lifting for more than a minute you already know exactly what to expect as soon as January hits. It's like a switch flips and suddenly the gym is wall-to-wall people at every hour of the day. All the racks are occupied, machines have a line and good luck finding a matching pair of dumbbells because their scattered all over the place by people who have zero spatial awareness. Its a total mess while the regulars are just trying to get through there workout like they do every other month.
Look I’m not hating on anyone for wanting to start a fitness journey. We were all the clueless new guy at some point right? The part that actually gets under my skin is just the total lack of gym etiquette. People sitting on a machine for twenty minutes scrolling their phones, not re-racking anything, or trying to film a whole cinematic masterpiece while five people are waiting to use the equipment. When training is a huge part of your day-to-day that stuff really kills your momentum.
For those of us who actually live this lifestyle the gym isn't some seasonal hobby or a resolution. It is just part of our routine and how we stay sane so it’s naturally a bit frustrating when everything gets disrupted. It isnt even about ego it's just that I dont have all day to wait around for a bench.
The good news is we all know how this ends. Just give it like three or four weeks and the crowd starts thinning out big time. The people who are actually consistent stay and the ones who were just riding that temporary motivation wave usually vanish by February. If your new and actually want to stick with it then awesome-just learn the rules and respect the space. But if your just here for a quick phase you'll probably be gone soon anyway.
As for the rest of us we just gotta keep our heads down. Put the headphones in, adapt to the chaos, and just keep grinding until things get back to normal.
man i feel this deep in my soul. i went in at 5pm yesterday and literally every single barbell was taken by people doing weird circuit training stuff. i just ended up doing some random cable work and leaving because the vibe was so off. counting down the days until february 1st lol.
the filming thing is what really gets me. i dont mind if you are checking your form but when you have a tripod set up in the middle of the walkway and get mad when people walk through your "shot" it is just too much. like bro i am just trying to get to the water fountain not star in your tiktok.
honestly i just started going at 5am this week to avoid the madness. it sucks waking up that early but it beats waiting 15 minutes for a squat rack while someone text their girlfriend between sets. the resolutioners usually arent dedicated enough to hit the gym before the sun comes up so it is way more peaceful.
The "gym resolution" crowd is like a natural disaster we have to prep for every year lol. I’ve just been going at 5am lately because I can’t handle the 5pm crowd of people filming TikToks in front of the dumbbell rack. Hang in there man!
It’s the phone scrolling that gets me the most. Like bro if you’re gonna sit there for 10 minutes between sets just go home and sit on your couch. I’m just tryna hit my superset and get to work.
I’m already seeing the "resolutioners" starting to fade out at my local spot. Yesterday there were actually open benches at 6pm and I almost shed a tear of joy. February 1st is basically a national holiday for regulars.
Spot on about the "cinematic masterpieces" lol. I almost walked through someone’s tripod today and they looked at me like I was the jerk. Sorry I’m trying to actually lift weights in a gym?
We really were all that clueless new guy once but man I remember being terrified of doing something wrong so I was extra careful to re-rack my weights. Now it feels like people just don't care at all.
I just switched to a hardcore basement gym for this exact reason. No AC and the equipment is 30 years old but at least there aren't any "seasonal" lifters taking up space. Best decision I ever made for my sanity.
The "wait three weeks" rule is the only thing keeping me going right now. I’ve been doing way more bodyweight stuff and weird machine variations just because I can't get to a rack. Adapt or die I guess lol.
Honestly if you’re new and you actually put your weights back and don't sit on your phone I’ll be your biggest fan. It’s the lack of respect for the space that makes the regulars grumpy - not the new faces.
My gym currently looks like a bomb went off in the dumbbell section. Every 25lb plate is missing and there's random 5s everywhere. It’s like a scavenger hunt just to find a matching pair of 80s.
Put the headphones on, hat down low, and avoid eye contact until March lol. That’s my strategy for surviving the New Year rush. We’re almost through the worst of it!
