Let’s be honest. Whether you’re squeezing in a 30-minute workout in-between classes or heading to Zumba with your roommates, you always run into certain people at the gym (and most of them tend to give you a headache). Even though the University of Iowa has the 3rd nicest recreation center according to Best College Reviews, there’s no avoiding these types of people…
1. The meat head
We get it, you like to work out. You need to make sure everyone knows you like to work out. You spend hundreds of dollars on weight gain supplements and are probably injecting something illegal into your thigh in order to be that big. But hey, you could probably pick me up with one finger after I just ate a huge Chipotle burrito…and that’s pretty cool.
2. The president
All hail. Mr. Prez spends his “workout” walking around the gym, talking to all his “friends”. He seems to know everyone and can strike up a conversation with complete strangers. Often, these presidents aren’t in the best shapes of their lives. Want to know why? You guessed it-by the time they’re done chatting, their hour at the gym is up and they leave without touching a single weight.
3. The American Idol
This is the reason why you finally upgrade your Apple headphones to the new Beats Earbuds, which block out all noises and make it sound like you’re in a nightclub. This is the person that no matter the song on their iPod, they sing at the top of their lungs. These people are the worst around the holiday season. Who wants to hear someone belting out Michael Buble’s Christmas album while doing crunches? We don’t care if it’s a classic, a pump-up jam or even Beyonce’s new album (unless it’s Drunk in Love or Partition). Please stop singing!
4. The hoarder
This is the person that waltzes around the gym to collect every weight, plate and barbell because they NEED it RIGHT now, even if they don’t use it until Friday’s workout. So if you’re looking for that second pair of five pound weights, check under their sweater next to their purse…because who knows what other equipment you’ll find stashed over there?
5. The in-your-face expert
Listen, buddy, if I needed a trainer, I would’ve spent that ridiculous amount of money and hired one. These are the people that walk around the gym like a know-it-all, busting out random tips and tricks to strangers “straining their back with a weighted bar” or “running too fast on the treadmill”. These people think they know everything there is to know about working out and won’t hesitate to come and tell you what you’re doing wrong!
6. The model
You’ll be sure to see this girl in the gym in booty shorts and a cut-out tank top. She’ll spend most of her time pretending to lift free weights in front of the mirror, but really just using that as an excuse to check herself out. This is the person you’ll later see on Instagram with a selfie of her abs. Did your workout really happen if you didn’t take a picture? Pics or it didn’t happen!
7. The noise machine
That guy that grunts, snorts and breathes heavily, even through his warm-up, regardless of how much weight he’s actually lifting. Hate to break it to you, but we know you’re making such noises so that every cute girl in the weight room is aware of how strong you are and how “cut” your cut-off tank really is.
8. The territory claimer
Good luck finding a set of dumbbells or a weight machine whenever this person is around, even if there are dozens. This is the person that leaves their towels, clothing, protein shakes and water bottles on every machine because clearly they’re using all of them. Because, obviously, who doesn’t workout with 15 machines and 20 sets of weights at once?
9. The beauty queen
The beauty queen is the type of girl that comes to workout in full makeup, hair done, and clothes that obviously aren’t meant to sweat in. As she gets into her workout, you can’t help but laugh as sweat begins to “melt her face off”. Smarter girls look at her and think, “girl, working out in makeup gives you pimples…duh!”
So yes, we know that running into these 9 types of people at the gym makes you want to pull your hair out! But hey, it’s the end of September. Spring break is in 165 days, so stay at the gym and do your best to ignore them!