Gym Rules - Dropping Dumbbells

[mrplunkey]

... huge crash the whole gym could hear....

Hmm... could always go with plan "B" and let the gym interpret and enforce their own "No Dropping Weights" rules

 

[ghettostudmuffin]

I agree that there are times you have to drop the weight. Not for show, but for safety reasons.

If I do a top set of DB bench and I can't sit up with the weight, or if I fail on a rep then I will drop them. That's like maybe a 2 foot drop, maybe.

If doing seated DB press when I finish a set I kinda hammer curl swing them down, but I'm reppin 65's right now, so if I was doing 100's I probably would drop them, but sorta control drop them ie., hold onto them as I drop them and let em go before they hit the ground to decrease impact.

I've dropped a few deadlifts before. I notice that when you start getting heavy you kinda got to drop them because it's a pain in the ass slowly lowering when you're pulling heavy and fatigued. EAsy way to get injured.

 

[esurfer]

I'm relatively new here, so my opinion may not be worth as much - I think the key issue is 'how' or 'why" you are dropping the weights. When I do heavy DB bench and can't get the weights back to my knees, I do my best to gently drop the weights one at a time from my chest to the floor. I think thats acceptable. On the other hand, if somebody is doing DB shoulder press and just flinging the DBs down after the last rep, that's unacceptable IMO. Bring the weights back to your knees or get a spotter. Basically I consider an "okay drop" one that doesn't damage the DB or shake the whole gym (yes, that's all relative) and a bad drop is one that could be prevented (again, relative) or damages the weights. My .02

 

[androjunkie]

If you're using weight you need to drop, even on the last set, then it's too heavy for you and you're probably using crappy form anyway.......in my opinion of course.

Not true at all.

 

[androjunkie]

I see a lot of bent dumbells, 120lbs. Because some dumbfucks drop them, and now they are unusable. A person can drop the weight lightly, but not so that whole fuckin gym notices it.

What he said.

 

[The_Monster]

If youre offended by bent dumbells, maybe you should be training at a "fitness center"? The worst possible bend in a dumbell isnt going to seriously affect it to any degree... the handle isnt long enough to have a bend affect overall stability of it.

The gym I left when I moved had dumbells up to 225, and the owner was a welder by trade. If I set the 180s down to hard and it poped the end off, he would put it on a dolly, roll it out back and weld it back up. The dumbells were butt ass fukin ugly, but to us they were works of art!
The moral of the story is... Im sorry, but the "big dogs" have earned some rights that the lightweights have not. A controlled "drop" (like from the knees or below, any higher is excessive) is going to happen when youre using 120's and up and training to failure. At certain weights a spotter isnt even practical.
Im not going to hold two 180lb dumbells on my chest while I wait for two people to struggle to remove them from me... and risk having them dropped on my chest while people fumble with them. Its stupid and unneccesary.
For as much as I pay (as we ALL pay) for gym dues a year, they can afford a couple of washers and bolts from time to time.

And dont get me going on "noise".

 

[cwick0]

I see a lot of bent dumbells, 120lbs. Because some dumbfucks drop them, and now they are unusable. A person can drop the weight lightly, but not so that whole fuckin gym notices it.

If you are going to drop the weights, WHICH I DO REGULARLY, you have to learn how to drop them properly as to not bend or break the dbs in half. If they land on one end, that is when they bend/break. However, if they land flat, then they are perfectly fine. I try to ease them down as much as possible, but when im repping the 120's ill be damned if im gonna blow a shoulder out trying to gently set them down. To me, as long as they land flat and dont bend/break them, i could care less.

 

[eat big]

yeah its how and why you drop them. when i drop them they usually roll sideways. i drop them on both sides evenly.

 

[gymtime]

Shit, the corner gym that I go to has a sign that says not to make loud noises, "drop" weights (the definition of which is unclear) and not to use chalk among other things. I am sorry GymTime, but there are times when all three are necessary. I am not saying that people should show off, but when I am busting some 5 rep max box squats I am going to make some noise. I am not a monster at DB press but the times when I use 90 or 100 lbs. DBs, I "drop" those bitches to the floor. The same with shoulder press, I do not use 120's, but when I do use 70's or 80's I "drop" those also, I can't imagine someone using 120's and not dropping them. Chalk is also something that must be used, and actually increases the safety of a lift. If I am trying to do heavy deads and I do not use chalk, my hands often get cut. Now would it not make more sense and disobey the posted rules to use a product that would increase my safety.
From the nature of your post you seem like you are older than most of us, which could contribute to your sense of following the rules. I am not saying it is right, but to 20-somethings like myself, rules are followed that matter. If I drop a weight and the owner of the gym says something, that is what matters. If someone else says something those would be considered "fighting words." I have never assaulted anyone, but the only time I came close was when a 40-something guys interupted me mid-workout, while I was wearing headphones, about some stupid shit. I would caution you to getting in peoples face when they are working out, and I question the intenstiy of your own workout if you take time to neurotically dwell on shit like this.
My 2 cents.

Oh where to begin...

Drop those bitches to the floor huh? Wow...that's really impressive. Yes, I have no doubt that I'm older and don't concern myself with looking cool in the gym anymore. And I don't remember complaining about chalk either. I'm not sure where you got that, but I don't give a shit about chalk. I see no reason not to use it and there's no rule against it. Nor do I care about noise in general, especially on a squat or bench. But then, a shortcoming of your age group is to invent conflict where there is none, so I'll let that go. My only concern here is equipment abuse, equipment I help pay to maintain.

And if you really read what I was saying, I'm far from "neurotically dwelling on shit like this." If you paid attention, you'd have read that in the years that I've gone to my gym, I've never complained about anything or anyone. But if you chose to abuse the equipment that I pay to maintain, then yes, you will hear about it. I'm not some old fart out there making sure all you little angels follow the rules. I simply would like to keep the equipment I use every week in some sort of decent shape. The fact that you've been conditioned to believe it's a safety issue is of no concern to me. Come to my gym and I'll show you how to put those little 100s away with no thud, and no harm to your shoulders. It's not rocket surgery boys, truly. Of course, I'll be using the 120s and 130s

As for getting in someone's face, again, your reading comprehension is way off. I never got in anyone's face. I dont' do that. I don't bother anyone. But if you're going to launch the 90s off your shoulders from a military press, yes, I'm going to say something. And believe me kiddo, you would be no exception. Judging by what kind of weight you're putting up, I'd suggest you take equal care in who choose to beat up for interrupting your "intense" workout. So you almost got into it with some old guy for that huh?? Impressive. If, I had a dime for every time I heard someone say they almost kicked someones ass, guys like you would be fincancing my new mercedes.


Monster - I agree with you. We are talking about two different things here. I've seen guys "drop" weights as you explain and it's really no big deal. I have no problem with that. Especially with the weight guys like you are putting up. That's expected. What I take exception to is simply dropping a handle-able weight from full extension for no reason.

"Sending the weight home"...LOL...that's beautiful. I'm totally stealing that one.

 

[mrplunkey]

Oh where to begin...

Drop those bitches to the floor huh? Wow...that's really impressive. Yes, I have no doubt that I'm older and don't concern myself with looking cool in the gym anymore. And I don't remember complaining about chalk either. I'm not sure where you got that, but I don't give a shit about chalk. I see no reason not to use it and there's no rule against it. Nor do I care about noise in general, especially on a squat or bench. But then, a shortcoming of your age group is to invent conflict where there is none, so I'll let that go. My only concern here is equipment abuse, equipment I help pay to maintain.

And if you really read what I was saying, I'm far from "neurotically dwelling on shit like this." If you paid attention, you'd have read that in the years that I've gone to my gym, I've never complained about anything or anyone. But if you chose to abuse the equipment that I pay to maintain, then yes, you will hear about it. I'm not some old fart out there making sure all you little angels follow the rules. I simply would like to keep the equipment I use every week in some sort of decent shape. The fact that you've been conditioned to believe it's a safety issue is of no concern to me. Come to my gym and I'll show you how to put those little 100s away with no thud, and no harm to your shoulders. It's not rocket surgery boys, truly. Of course, I'll be using the 120s and 130s

As for getting in someone's face, again, your reading comprehension is way off. I never got in anyone's face. I dont' do that. I don't bother anyone. But if you're going to launch the 90s off your shoulders from a military press, yes, I'm going to say something. And believe me kiddo, you would be no exception. Judging by what kind of weight you're putting up, I'd suggest you take equal care in who choose to beat up for interrupting your "intense" workout. So you almost got into it with some old guy for that huh?? Impressive. If, I had a dime for every time I heard someone say they almost kicked someones ass, guys like you would be fincancing my new mercedes.


Monster - I agree with you. We are talking about two different things here. I've seen guys "drop" weights as you explain and it's really no big deal. I have no problem with that. Especially with the weight guys like you are putting up. That's expected. What I take exception to is simply dropping a handle-able weight from full extension for no reason.

"Sending the weight home"...LOL...that's beautiful. I'm totally stealing that one.

Interrupting someone's workout in the name of enforcing any gym rule unless you part of the management team is just rude IMO. Doesn't matter if it's how they handle the weights, how and when they use workout towels with the equipment, the technique they use for lifts, the amount of residual chalk on their lifting straps, etc. etc. If someone asks what you think about any of the above, it's all fair game -- if not, why bother them?

If these weights are crashing so the entire gym can hear, why not assume the gym management would interpret and enforce their own rules their own way?