5/10/21
“Oh, did you want to use this”, he says to me.
“Yeah, I was going to do some pullups.”
“I was just doing some abs”, and in a hurry picked up his water bottle, phone, and started to schedaddle.
I sense that he thinks he has to clear out.
I’m seeing him doing so.
So I say…
“Dude, just work in. It’s cool.”
“Oh. You, you don’t mind?”
“It’s fine man, I’m not running you out the spot, we can alternate sets.”
Then we did so, me doing a set of pullups, him some hanging leg raises, then repeat for a second round.
Now two sets in, for me at least, as he had been at the bar first, he told me that he was done on the bar, and thanked me. I thanked him as well.
I always allow the work in. You, I, we don’t own the equipment, it’s a public gym.
I want the place to be cordial, and hate being an equipment hog.
99% of the time five or six people could easily share a piece of equipment.
There’s no need to sit for lengths on a machine, stand directly under the pullup bar, or block the dip bars.
I’ve made acquittances, friends, and training partners by allowing the work in.
Today it blew my mind that I was simply looking for the work in, and the kid (a chubby, 22-25yo, better on hanging leg raises, and grip by extension than I expected) was gonna clear out of the spot simply because I wanted to hop on the bar as he rested.
It blew my mind that he was thanking me for allowing the work in…when I was the one working in.
A funny gym floor happening it was. And I too noticed interesting looks aimed my way as this was going on.