Have you ever been at the gym and noticed someone using the equipment for a purpose other than what it was designed for? Or seen someone taking up an entire machine for a simple exercise that could be performed elsewhere? Whilst there is absolutely nothing wrong with this, at peak times it can be annoying when you have to wait or alter your routine because of inconsideration. Here are some of the most annoying issues with gym fitness equipment:

Cable equipment being used for bodybuilding exercises
One of the great things about cable machines is that they have moveable arms and pulleys or they’re multi-vector. This allows you to perform an incredible range of exercises and movements, as all you need to do is adjust the arm. Many people, however, find it annoying when others use cable machines to perform exercises that there is other equipment for – why do crossovers when there’s a peck deck nearby?

Using too wide of a grip when performing lat pulldowns
Unless you’re over 6 foot tall, you really have no reason to have a wide lat pulldown grip. Often, people do this because they’ve heard that going wider gives you a wider back and going narrower gives you a thicker back, but these are complete myths. Using too wide a grip actually means that most of the movement isn’t occurring in your lats (which you want to work) and it causes you to constantly elevate your shoulders.

Using medicine balls for crunches
Medicine balls have become increasingly popular since the 1990s and they’re now found in every gym. In the opinion of many experts, this sort of gym fitness equipment should mostly be used for power movements (such as throwing them against a concrete wall). They shouldn’t be used to load the ab crunch. Wouldn’t a dumbbell suffice for this? In actual fact, they’ll be much easier for you to keep hold of.

Boyfriends teaching their girlfriends how to lift
Whilst you may not think there is much of a problem with this – after all, it’s nice of the boyfriend to help his girlfriend out – it’s important to keep in mind that many men actually workout like bodybuilders. Is this really what your girlfriend wants to be doing (and it could potentially ruin her body)? If you don’t think you know enough about toning or the exercises your girlfriend wants to do, send her to an expert.

Televisions in front of cardio equipment
These days, many people are going to the gym to watch television and workout – they pick the treadmill or exercise bike with a television, plug their headphones in and travel at a 2.5 pace. After half an hour, their cardio workout is complete and they haven’t even broken a sweat! This actually causes these people not to lose weight, as they’re exercising at a pace that allows them to concentrate on the television.

We hope that this article has given you a little chuckle because you’ve experienced similar issues at your gym. And, if you’re the kind of person who does some of the above things, we hope that it causes you to think twice the next time you go to use gym fitness equipment. At the end of the day, there’s nothing you can really do if someone decides to use the equipment inappropriately – they pay for their membership and are completely within their rights.