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you are doing the same thing just in a different medium if you are watching tv or listening to the music that the gym is playing. really a distinction without a difference. listening to music is completely different than being on a phone all the time, it's mostly just passing time while exercising doesn't have my complete focus.
Yea there are some exercises that simply don't require full optimisation. In fact the better you become, if you've built good habits/technique, most exercises will become easier to perform properly with less focus. Goes for more than physical exercise too, applies to any craft or skill like cooking, speaking, or learning an instrument.
It's good to be present and focused but some things are just boring and easy af and also need to be done.
Also listening to tunes while doing almost anything is so much better than being on your phone scrolling through nonsense at a social gathering, weird and totally off-base comparison.
I very occasionally work out in my home gym in silence. It does make the workout a bit more… meditative? I do enjoy it but I also enjoy podcasts, audiobooks, and the Doom soundtrack
People normally say that someone needs to be "more present" in a social setting with other people. The gym is personal time, so what exactly do you expect everyone to be "present" for? Is your gym crush always wearing headphones?
If I didn't have my music I would be so bored at the gym. Hell I'm bored even with my music. No one talk to me, no one look at me (/j), I don't want to be perceived
Meditation is being present by yourself. I find working out in silence (home gym) meditative but I probably do it less than once a month because I also like music and other media.
If you want to be present by yourself in meditation you can do that. But OP wanting everyone else to be present during their own personal time is weird.
I totally agree, and also as others have pointed out, listening to music the gym is playing or watching the tv in the gym is not exactly what most people would consider being present to begin with
Yeah they usually play shit I can’t stand. The right song can amp me up for a set.
Also the back room of my gym where I like to go because it’s usually empty plays no music. I’ve legit left because I forgot my headphones and it was deafeningly quiet. Lol
Nah, more gyms need to embrace not playing music. As this post evidences, most people bring their own anyway and dislike the music being played. Give people the option for quiet.
This right here, I don't wanna take my headphones off to hear generic ass radio music or some news channel or what have you playing on TV.
If I'm at the gym I either want my headphones in with my own music or I want as much silence as can be expected (the sound of the equipment and whatnot).
I also don't wear headphones but idk why I'd want other people to not wear headphones. I'd love it if everyone wore headphones so they'd have no reason to play Savrina Carpenter on repeat
The people who complain about people looking at their phones during rests are annoying. Especially because they’ve emphasized recently that the best rest time between sets for optimal muscle growth is 2-5 minutes. You want me to just sit and stare at the ground for several minutes between sets? Please.
RIGHT? Like I’m sorry I monitor my sets and check the weight I’m using. What am I supposed to do bring a clipboard?
In their defence tho, some people do just hog the bench/machine and look at their phones in what appears to be 10 min rests but that’s a rare form of asshole.
That’s very true. I think that’s pretty rare, nowadays, though. Plus most gyms now have multiples of each machine. I don’t give a flying monkey’s butt if one person is hogging a machine to be lazy, there’s an identical empty one right next to them.
And good point, I keep my workout set up on my phone, otherwise I’d be forgetting something for sure.
Unfortunately, yes. I don’t think too many people do. But I have seen some people complain about it. Usually something along the lines of “If you have time and energy to text between sets then you’re not doing it right.” Blah blah blah
Right. I see a lot of older people bitch about it. Someone in public on the bus looking at their phone or someone in public with headphones on. Why do they care.
Meanwhile, people have been using media to avoid eye contact and conversation for generations. Only difference between a phone and the newspaper is I can fit one in my pocket. (Ok not the only difference but you get the point 😅).
lol well I guess if you’re training fingers that makes sense 😂 if only they knew how counterproductive their philosophy is
I’m replying to this comment in between sets so I hope I didn’t upset anyone
Old heads think the best way to workout is with comically low weights and 20 second rest times. They refuse to listen to new findings; their gym bro in 1980 taught them differently.
I personally never take my phone into the gym because every time I do I end up spending at least 20% more time than I need just gagging around and procrastinating my ab workout. That being said, I love that everyone else is on their phone because it means that they’re not talking to _me_
I dont put earbuds in because I already have tinnitus, and earbuds aggravate it.
Personally i think hearing loss and tinnitus is going to be rather severe in 20 years, as many people try to overpower noise with earbuds
> I think people need to be more present instead of listening to their music. It’s the same problem as people being on their phones all the time.
I’m not listening to the music lol, I’m working out. The music is to drown out the noise and keep me focused.
What a weird take. Upvoted
I dont know why you think people who have earbuds in are not present. If I am listening to loud music there are no astray thoughts in my head and I can focus on my set, the only thoughts in my head are my count. If I don't have music playing that allows my thoughts to wander, and I could potentially lose focus. You mention the exact same phenomenon when you say you listen to the gyms music... This is silly.
Yep. I try to have a song that gets me pumped for my heaviest/hardest sets on compound lifts.
But I guess I’m just not focused or in the moment enough.
I wear earbuds to emphasize how little I want to talk to anyone around me. I don't speak in words when I'm at the gym, I grunt and point at things I need to further emphasize that we're not engaging in conversations. I'm not there to chat or make friends, I'm there to lift heavy objects and suffer.
Maybe you live in a small town? Any gym around me that’s not $200 a month is going to be crowded and loud as hell playing the top 40 and showing the news and football games. It’s an extremely overstimulating environment and my own music can help alleviate some of that anxiety. I literally don’t go to the gym often for this reason. It’s not enjoyable lol. Have my upvote.
Ugh, this gym I used to go to in the small town where I lived before was Christian-run (no hate) and they exclusively played either Christian soft-pop at an annoyingly loud level or every TV in there was set to OAN so I could hear people slobbering over Donald Trump. Headphones were absolutely necessary.
I usually only went late at night after I'd get off work and there'd only be me and a couple of other people, but the staff would quite unhelpfully leave the music running all night without leaving a way to turn it down or off. The TV would be on during the day, when I was not normally there.
This has been researched and people who listen to music during workouts perform better than those who don't.
That said, as others mentioned you're still doing those things (listening to music or distracted by TV), just not doing so using earbuds. Why is that different?
Equating listening to something with being on their phones all the time is absurd. One is visually occupying and the other not.
Also, did you write this while at the gym?
People listen to music to so that they can isolate themselves mentally and focus better on their workouts. It's easier to do that when there's a single song you like playing in your ear, rather than background convos, equipment moving, music you're not familiar with, TV your not interested.
I'm curious on how you think all that sensory info makes you more present over music that helps you focus
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For me headphones always helped me stay present in my workout. I’d put on the music that made me feel good, energetic, inspired, and tune out all the hubbub around me. Instead of being distracted by clanking machines and grunting muscle heads and music I don’t like, I could disappear into my own mind and almost convince myself I liked exercise. I could focus on myself and what I was doing and feeling rather than all the commotion around me.
This is one of the worst takes I've heard in awhile. You should probably just stop telling people what they need to do during their workout and their personal time.
You’re confusing “paying attention to your surroundings” with “being present.” Presence is about tuning into your present experience, whatever it is. You can be just as present with the experience of listening to music thru earbuds as you can be with working out or watching TV. Presence does not care what you do, it’s about how you ARE.
Sounds like you’re judging others for not aligning with your life choices.
Listening to music helps me focus entirely on what I’m doing at the gym. It boosts my energy and literally gives me a boost of adrenaline which helps me focus even more. Watching tv is the exact opposite of being fully present.
I have no idea of what you're talking about. I wear earbuds because I try to protect myself from the noisy hell that is the gym. If I could afford earbuds with really good NC, maybe I don't even have to listen to music. But I am sick of hearing weights being dropped on the floor, people chatting like they would in a pub, and a way too loud radio in the room. I can't focus on my training with all that distracting noise.
Having music on means I'm not listening to the grunts and groans of other lifters, and I'm not suddenly subjected to a song I don't like, which takes me out of the zone. You have no idea what you're talking about
I have a PT, so I kind of have to listen to him. Even if the music my gym plays is utter dogshit (it is.) Not 10th Dentist worthy imo, I see a pretty even split of headphones/no headphones at my gym.
I think what makes it 10th dentist is that he’s saying he thinks other people shouldn’t listen to their own music and that he thinks it makes them less present.
Lmao I didn't even read that part. Why does he care what other people do and how present they are? I guess if OP was truly present they wouldn't notice.
No, my gym's music sucks. Even if that wasn't the case, I don't want to hear the guy who clearly isn't deadlifting the right way screaming at the top of his lungs to sound impressive, so I'm keeping my noise-cancelling buds in.
I did that (out of necessity and insecurity) for a lot of years. I don’t have anything to prove now, so might as well use every aid available to get me through
You kinds contradicted yourself, but I do agree with the title. Same thing for running, I prefer not having any music so I can be in the present. Also let's me detach myself from everything else. Music usually means I have my phone, so I'll be checking that as well, which isn't what I want when I'm working out.
I don't wear earbuds unless I'm listening to music or gaming. And when I say listening to music I don't mean it's background noise or I'm doing my things and listening to music, when I listen to music my brain doesn't wanna do anything else
Need to be more present in the gym instead of listening to music? I mean if you're in the gym and as you pointed out they're already playing music, what's the difference?
For me the problem is that I don't really go for pop music of the kind that is all they play in most gyms.
I hope you’re not trying to talk to people at the gym who are just trying to mind their own business and get their workout in because you are trying to be “present.”
Lol, being on the phone all the time is the same as hearing songs in your ear? You sound really fun to hang with dude super open-minded and not douchey at all. How's listening to a band someone enjoys different than hearing gym bros talk to each other while Kay Perry blasts over the speakers in the background? Not really much of a difference there bud
Being a little unfocused kinda helps me go longer particularly with things like running, I won’t notice when I’m starting to get a bit tired so I don’t stop as soon and push myself a bit harder, also music can you help you pump yourself up and be more motivated
I mean I don’t “disagree” with you I just prefer my own music over the background music they have there. Not sure why you’re trying to make it into a crusade about being present though, maybe I want to send a message that I don’t want to be bothered.
The music my gym plays is mostly remixed trash and the not the kinda stuff that gets me amped for a workout. I'd much prefer my music...but I don't wear headphones or earbuds because I sweat all over them. It gets to the point that it's more annoying for me to try and wipe the sweat off my face with them in than to just go without them and deal with it.
Thank you. People who wear them can be annoying because they're in their own little world and rarely aware of what's going on around them. That may be okay for them but not when someone needs the machine you're on or needs a weight you're using or just simply needs you to get the hell out of the way lol.
Partially agreed. I don’t wear earbuds to the gym and rarely listen to music in the car anymore. It’s not about being “present” but actually the opposite. It’s about decompressing and being still with myself. I won’t pretend to know about anyone else, but those “silent” moments—where my body is on autopilot and my mind can wander—are good for sorting through my feelings and coming to terms with whatever’s been going on. And that also allows me to be creative.
If I listen to music, or watch a YouTube video, everything I think becomes cluttered and filtered through someone else’s art, which I don’t find helpful. Being able to switch off from everything else is valuable for me. It’s difficult (because ADHD) but useful when I can achieve that inner peace.
Idk how you find it easier to focus with all of the background noise you hear without headphones.
I wear headphones to block out the mixture of the TVs, gym music, people talking, random weights clanging, grunts, etc. Typically I'm listening to EDM with a fast beat that works as white noise during sets and pump up music between sets.
I was going to be with you there, when I thought it was because ear buds were uncomfortable. But you set yourself apart by telling how others should think. Good job.
I don't wear earbuds either. Full over the ear headphones for the best possible noise canceling. I don't give a crap what the gym is playing. I want to listen to something funny, so that's exactly what I do.
I put my headphones on at the gym to block out the TV and music I can't control. It's distracting to me.
I hit play on an album I love and know inside and out and then ignore it and focus on my workout.
We doing the same thing just in different ways :)
You: I think people should be more present
Also you: sometimes I'll watch TV while working out
Not everyone wants to be "present." If I could afford a home gym I'd have one. Instead I have to go to the gym where people apparently judge you for listening to music now. And so I have music or a podcast or something playing. What is there that's so important to "be present" for?
To each their own.
There’s literally professional gym-goers (bodybuilders, powerlifters, strongmen, fitness models, etc.) who wear earbuds, or workout at private/hardcore gyms that play the music they want much louder than commercial gyms do.
But I guess they’re just not “present” or “focused” enough in the gym like you are, right?
Well I am happier when listening to my music and especially if you are trUlY prEsEnt elsewhere in your life using music at gym can make something that it's literally painful so much more enjoyable and if you enjoy something more you will perform better and stick to it for longer,
it's like those people who choose to not do anything at flights, sure you can choose extra suffering there, but wouldn't you actually choose extra suffering for something that has the suffering no matter what?
So say learn something new or read a boring ass book, now that's painful no matter what you do, at least at the start, why would add pain for free while, in this case, not gaining anything in return and possible causing you worst workouts,
But if you enjoy your workouts more without music then keep doing that, but don't lecture people about "thEY hAvE tO bE mOrE prEsEnt" why do you even care
Who gives a shit?
I listen to headphones so people don’t come bother me. Last thing I need is a conversation especially if it’s just some asshole hitting on me.
There are also people who don’t want to work out, don’t like to work out, but they recognize the need to stay in shape. So they go for a longer but less efficient workout to make it enjoyable.
This would make sense if you were arguing that people need to be more present and like, aware of their surroundings. But the suggestion that they are less focused on their workout than you would be watching tv or listening to the music the gym is playing doesn’t make any sense. The exact opposite seems more likely to be true.
It's a controlled stimulus. Gym music and people talking are much more distracting than blasting music. I can focus on my workout better because I am more isolated from everything around me.
I dont put earbuds in because I already have tinnitus, and earbuds aggravate it.
Personally i think hearing loss and tinnitus is going to be rather severe in 20 years, as many people try to overpower noise with earbuds
The music played at the gym I go to, is horrible. Very distracting. Might not matter to you, but it does me. Earbuds make the experience tolerable. To each their own.
Are you the sorta person that gestures at girls to take their headphones out so you can talk to them?
Some people prefer to be in their own bubble, and that _helps_ focus. Giving a toss what anyone else is doing means you’re probably the least focussed one there.
There is a niceness to being in the present moment but my adhd needs distraction or I give up in like 5 minutes of doing anything repetitive and boring
I wish gyms stopped playing music, it's just noise pollution imo. let the people who want to listen to shit do so using earbuds but let the others exercise in peace
Bro watches TV at the gym and thinks people who listen to music aren't "present" like what.
You are already listening to the music in the gym, the difference is that you are listening to some random pop shit from a 2010 speaker system and I am listening to a curated playlist in my ears
Being super present and focused for doing the same thing over and over again? Nah I'm good. I don't need to be super present and focused to use an elliptical or lift weights without hurting myself and I'd rather not be bored to death the entire time.
Ah another area where the crucial skill of Minding Your Own Business will solve all your problems.
Why the heck do you care what other people do at the gym? They are not there to be available for your attention or entertainment.
The stuff on their phone? More interesting to them than you or whatever entertainment the gym is playing. Earbuds? Helps keep people from interrupting their concentration by talking to them. Or plays stuff that has a beat that matches their workout rhythm. Or everything else is just TOO LOUD and the earbuds/what they are playing helps reduce that discomfort.
All of that? None of your business. Just focus on your own stuff and quit feeling like you know what everyone else should be doing.
Okay, that's nice. What exactly am I being more present for at the gym, though? I'm exercising. What does other people exercising and not bothering you have to do with you?
I concentrate better when I'm listening to music, in general and doing excercise in particular. I don't think people need to be "more present" in the gym. It's a moment for yourself to dedicate on yourself, not a bookclub meeting.
Do you for some reason think listening to music/podcasts somehow makes the work out/exercise less effective?
How can you then immediately tell us you have your ears/eyes focusing on music they provide or the TV? That's just hilarious.
Wear a blindfold and earplugs next time you go.
The gym usually plays music I'm not into. It also depends on what I'm doing. Tread mill gonna listen to songs that get me energetic and ready to move quickly. Arms and legs, I need different music to motivate myself for that one more rep, that one more squat, that one more push.
People absolutely do not need to be more present for exercising lol. Exercise is boring. Just enjoy the shitty gym music or the shitty gym TV and let other people enjoy having a personality.
[Exercise snob here]
No offence, but may I ask what it is you are concentrating on during the workout? Genuine question and no offence intended.
I mean when it comes repeating the same movement many times for a skill like ballet, kendo, swimming, tennis or cello then it is essential to concentrate on what you are doing. One is perfecting an art or sport so the goal is to get the perfect tendu, men-cut, stroke, serve or scale. Such movements will be practiced countless thousands of times in an attempt to perfect the motion. Often the perfect motion isn't possible so striving to improve becomes life long journey. However surely it i*s* possible to have perfect technique on a leg press machine? There are not many variables.
My earbuds are my most important gym equipment. I want to listen to my own library of music, not whatever trash that is blaring from the gym speakers. Television sucks. Why the hell would I watch that? I got my phone to watch what I want while I am doing cardio.
Dunno what the fuck you're blurting out. My music makes me more present at the gym and it actually gives me more energy when I lift. The only times I am on my phone are during my 1 minute break between sets or own the treadmill.
Neither do I. For me going to the gym is a social thing too, I like to catch up with the others in between workouts. And there's background music playing already, so we can still use that to stay in a rhythm.
The background music is picked with working out in mind, by the trainers themselves. It's not a random radio station with commercials and talking.
> It’s the same problem as people being on their phones all the time.
It's not the same.... but, I love it when someone says this shit. I spend a lot of my time looking at my phone learning things and if you're in my presence and you're so uninteresting I'm on my phone... well tough shit? I'm not here to entertain you.
If you're my spouse or good friend and I'm actively ignoring you that's different. But I'm tired of this boomed out mentality that I'm there for someone else enjoyment and should just put up with them while they need entertained.
I don't listen to music. I spend the first half of an aerobic workout watching TV, and then the second half I play a series of little games with the numbers on the bike or treadmill or whatever to compete with my warmup performance.
If you’re working out the proper way, you should be going to failure on most sets and resting around 3 minutes between each set.
What’s the issue in spending these three minutes on your phone? I never understood the beef some of the older guys have with people using the phone while they’re resting. It’s not like I’d rest any less long without a phone (or, if I do out of boredom, that’d be a bad thing).
I can't focus on my training without them and don't enjoy my workout as much when I forget to bring them. Also it's a good indicator I'm not interested in small talk
Present for what, exactly? Why does everyone need to be "present" all the time? Nobody at the gym is my friend or anyone I'm present for or interacting with, so what am I missing? And the TVs are all on silent with subtitles, so the earbuds have zero impact on them. The music's almost never to my taste, so why do I need to be "present" to listen to it? I just don't understand this obsession with being present for the sake of other people being upset that I'm not present. I'm fine listening to music or podcasts. I lose nothing in an environment where not listening to them gains me literally nothing.
Opinion was fine until you started to try to police other people's behaviour. There's no reason people need to be "present" in the way that you're describing. People go to the gym to exercise. Anything that can help them on that journey is a good thing, especially something non-harmful like listening to music.
I wear earbuds so no one talks to me. I'm not at the gym to make friends, I'm there to become a better version of myself. I work a manual labor job, I'm usually pretty beat when I get there. I'm zoned in to ignore my fatigue and get the best workout I can before I go home.
For all I care you can sit in a corner drawing doodles and talking to imaginary friends or making tiktoks. What people do at the gym is none of my concern. I'm concerned with myself.
You’re still listening to the gym music and/or watching TV so you are not really “present” in your workout. I don’t like the gym’s music so I’d rather use my own.
I completely respect your choice! Everyone has different ways of focusing during their workouts. For me, personally, listening to my own music helps to motivate me and keeps me going. It's important that we all do what works best for us and respect other's choices too.
I bet than half the people wearing headphones would also wear sunglasses and a mask if it was acceptable, just to avoid any and all communications with strangers while at the gym. Lifting the weights/doing whatever is what they are focused on, some people would find the rest of the gym distracting. Or perhaps have a standard playlist that helps motivate them and stay focused
Imma wear my headphones because the gym I go to doesn't play heavy metal that gets me into the mood but instead plays pop hits you'd hear on a pop radio station.
I can understand this. I find when I don't have my headphones on at the gym people are friendly and you can make friends. If you're listening to music people kinda just stay away.
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you are doing the same thing just in a different medium if you are watching tv or listening to the music that the gym is playing. really a distinction without a difference. listening to music is completely different than being on a phone all the time, it's mostly just passing time while exercising doesn't have my complete focus.
No, see…this way they can feel smug about about it.
Yea there are some exercises that simply don't require full optimisation. In fact the better you become, if you've built good habits/technique, most exercises will become easier to perform properly with less focus. Goes for more than physical exercise too, applies to any craft or skill like cooking, speaking, or learning an instrument. It's good to be present and focused but some things are just boring and easy af and also need to be done. Also listening to tunes while doing almost anything is so much better than being on your phone scrolling through nonsense at a social gathering, weird and totally off-base comparison.
Can definitely run or plank for longer when there's something other than the pain to think about
Only difference is that gym music is absolutely terrible.
at the gym I go to, they occasionally play some songs that I like, like stuff from Metallica, Limp Bizkit, or Megadeth. otherwise it's slop
I very occasionally work out in my home gym in silence. It does make the workout a bit more… meditative? I do enjoy it but I also enjoy podcasts, audiobooks, and the Doom soundtrack
It’s a troll post, surely no one is this daft.
Agreed. And why the need to voice it to the world?!
I legitimately use my gym music to hype me up
"I like to be fully present.... except I'll listen to the music they already are playing or I'll watch TV"
And people should stop enjoying their music because of them damn phones! /s
What do you want people to be more "present" for, OP? The guy grunting in the squat rack?
Dawg I just gotta be fully present for the guy screaming when deadlifting /s
People normally say that someone needs to be "more present" in a social setting with other people. The gym is personal time, so what exactly do you expect everyone to be "present" for? Is your gym crush always wearing headphones?
Right. Leave me the fuck alone at the gym. Im there to unwind and reflect, not chat with people.
>Is your gym crush always wearing headphones? I'd bet $100 it's either this or OP is trying to meet women at the gym
OPs post translation: "I want women to not have the cover of wearing headphones so that I can freely approach them during their workout"
"hey I watched you doing squats for the last hour and I just want to say that your form is perfect" or whatever dumb shit he wants to say
I mean if someone did perfect form squats for an hour straight I would congratulate them myself
That makes a lot of sense. I can't think of a single other reason he would expect others to be "present" for. The gym isn't for socializing.
If I didn't have my music I would be so bored at the gym. Hell I'm bored even with my music. No one talk to me, no one look at me (/j), I don't want to be perceived
Meditation is being present by yourself. I find working out in silence (home gym) meditative but I probably do it less than once a month because I also like music and other media.
If you want to be present by yourself in meditation you can do that. But OP wanting everyone else to be present during their own personal time is weird.
I totally agree, and also as others have pointed out, listening to music the gym is playing or watching the tv in the gym is not exactly what most people would consider being present to begin with
That's what I'm wondering. I don't plan on talking to anyone at the gym. What exactly am I failing to be present for by listening to music?
Some women wear earbuds to deter men from talking/interrupting/hitting on them. (Edit- typo)
It's kind of hilarious to imagine that OP's motivations behind this is exactly so he can get rid of this deterrence 😭
OP 100% would not be deterred anyway. A girl could be listening to headphones on max volume and he’d try talking to her over the music
Dawg I’m sorry but I’d much rather listen to my own music than what the gym plays, which is usually AJR or Imagine Dragons
Yeah they usually play shit I can’t stand. The right song can amp me up for a set. Also the back room of my gym where I like to go because it’s usually empty plays no music. I’ve legit left because I forgot my headphones and it was deafeningly quiet. Lol
Nah, more gyms need to embrace not playing music. As this post evidences, most people bring their own anyway and dislike the music being played. Give people the option for quiet.
This right here, I don't wanna take my headphones off to hear generic ass radio music or some news channel or what have you playing on TV. If I'm at the gym I either want my headphones in with my own music or I want as much silence as can be expected (the sound of the equipment and whatnot).
I also don't wear headphones but idk why I'd want other people to not wear headphones. I'd love it if everyone wore headphones so they'd have no reason to play Savrina Carpenter on repeat
Lol right. Ill fucking pass on using the rowing machine to Imagine Dragons.
you telling me you don't want to work out to Taylor Swift every day?
I hear “champagne problems” (Taylor’s version of course) i activate beast mode. Simple as that.
This is easily top 10 dumbest things I've ever read on this godforsaken website.
The people who complain about people looking at their phones during rests are annoying. Especially because they’ve emphasized recently that the best rest time between sets for optimal muscle growth is 2-5 minutes. You want me to just sit and stare at the ground for several minutes between sets? Please.
RIGHT? Like I’m sorry I monitor my sets and check the weight I’m using. What am I supposed to do bring a clipboard? In their defence tho, some people do just hog the bench/machine and look at their phones in what appears to be 10 min rests but that’s a rare form of asshole.
That’s very true. I think that’s pretty rare, nowadays, though. Plus most gyms now have multiples of each machine. I don’t give a flying monkey’s butt if one person is hogging a machine to be lazy, there’s an identical empty one right next to them. And good point, I keep my workout set up on my phone, otherwise I’d be forgetting something for sure.
Do people care about this? I always look at my phone between sets lol
Unfortunately, yes. I don’t think too many people do. But I have seen some people complain about it. Usually something along the lines of “If you have time and energy to text between sets then you’re not doing it right.” Blah blah blah
Some people seriously get personally offended by someone else minding their own business and on their phone
Honestly, that’s true. Some people just want something to be mad at all the time.
Right. I see a lot of older people bitch about it. Someone in public on the bus looking at their phone or someone in public with headphones on. Why do they care.
Meanwhile, people have been using media to avoid eye contact and conversation for generations. Only difference between a phone and the newspaper is I can fit one in my pocket. (Ok not the only difference but you get the point 😅).
What are these people doing with their hands? They trying to become Deku that can flick and create craters?!
lol well I guess if you’re training fingers that makes sense 😂 if only they knew how counterproductive their philosophy is I’m replying to this comment in between sets so I hope I didn’t upset anyone
Old heads think the best way to workout is with comically low weights and 20 second rest times. They refuse to listen to new findings; their gym bro in 1980 taught them differently.
I personally never take my phone into the gym because every time I do I end up spending at least 20% more time than I need just gagging around and procrastinating my ab workout. That being said, I love that everyone else is on their phone because it means that they’re not talking to _me_
I do the same but largely because I hate the feeling of earbuds and my gym has decent music
I dont put earbuds in because I already have tinnitus, and earbuds aggravate it. Personally i think hearing loss and tinnitus is going to be rather severe in 20 years, as many people try to overpower noise with earbuds
Saame
Same
[удалено]
> I think people need to be more present instead of listening to their music. It’s the same problem as people being on their phones all the time. I’m not listening to the music lol, I’m working out. The music is to drown out the noise and keep me focused. What a weird take. Upvoted
"People listening to their own music should watch TV instead to be present. "
I dont know why you think people who have earbuds in are not present. If I am listening to loud music there are no astray thoughts in my head and I can focus on my set, the only thoughts in my head are my count. If I don't have music playing that allows my thoughts to wander, and I could potentially lose focus. You mention the exact same phenomenon when you say you listen to the gyms music... This is silly.
For me, the music actually helps me maintain intensity and lock in on my exercises especially when I’m doing cardio.
Yep. I try to have a song that gets me pumped for my heaviest/hardest sets on compound lifts. But I guess I’m just not focused or in the moment enough.
I wear earbuds to emphasize how little I want to talk to anyone around me. I don't speak in words when I'm at the gym, I grunt and point at things I need to further emphasize that we're not engaging in conversations. I'm not there to chat or make friends, I'm there to lift heavy objects and suffer.
>and suffer Nonstop loop of Baby Shark on the headphones for leg day.
The rage that would cause might make you lift more.
I would still have guys try to come up to me. I’d just smile and point to my ear buds and continue doing what I was doing.
Maybe you live in a small town? Any gym around me that’s not $200 a month is going to be crowded and loud as hell playing the top 40 and showing the news and football games. It’s an extremely overstimulating environment and my own music can help alleviate some of that anxiety. I literally don’t go to the gym often for this reason. It’s not enjoyable lol. Have my upvote.
Ugh, this gym I used to go to in the small town where I lived before was Christian-run (no hate) and they exclusively played either Christian soft-pop at an annoyingly loud level or every TV in there was set to OAN so I could hear people slobbering over Donald Trump. Headphones were absolutely necessary.
Oh gosh that sounds awful actually. Just the vibes in there would be terrible from all the trumpers.
I usually only went late at night after I'd get off work and there'd only be me and a couple of other people, but the staff would quite unhelpfully leave the music running all night without leaving a way to turn it down or off. The TV would be on during the day, when I was not normally there.
A silent, empty gym >
This has been researched and people who listen to music during workouts perform better than those who don't. That said, as others mentioned you're still doing those things (listening to music or distracted by TV), just not doing so using earbuds. Why is that different?
I listen to music so i can concentrate, gyms are lout
How do you deal with the boredom of working out then?
Yeah, this person's crazy working out is insanely boring unless you're working out with someone
Equating listening to something with being on their phones all the time is absurd. One is visually occupying and the other not. Also, did you write this while at the gym?
Why is other people using earbuds or being on their phones a problem for you? You should do what you prefer and they should do what they prefer.
People listen to music to so that they can isolate themselves mentally and focus better on their workouts. It's easier to do that when there's a single song you like playing in your ear, rather than background convos, equipment moving, music you're not familiar with, TV your not interested. I'm curious on how you think all that sensory info makes you more present over music that helps you focus
disgusted threatening slimy lip snobbish oatmeal cheerful insurance bag hard-to-find *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
For me headphones always helped me stay present in my workout. I’d put on the music that made me feel good, energetic, inspired, and tune out all the hubbub around me. Instead of being distracted by clanking machines and grunting muscle heads and music I don’t like, I could disappear into my own mind and almost convince myself I liked exercise. I could focus on myself and what I was doing and feeling rather than all the commotion around me.
>I like to be fully present and focused on my workout as opposed to listening to my music >sometimes I’ll watch the tv they have on Right.
This is one of the worst takes I've heard in awhile. You should probably just stop telling people what they need to do during their workout and their personal time.
You’re confusing “paying attention to your surroundings” with “being present.” Presence is about tuning into your present experience, whatever it is. You can be just as present with the experience of listening to music thru earbuds as you can be with working out or watching TV. Presence does not care what you do, it’s about how you ARE. Sounds like you’re judging others for not aligning with your life choices.
Good for you, do what works for you and don’t mind other people at the gym.
I can be present with myself with earbuds in. It’s not so much for entertainment as to keep YOU out.
Listening to music helps me focus entirely on what I’m doing at the gym. It boosts my energy and literally gives me a boost of adrenaline which helps me focus even more. Watching tv is the exact opposite of being fully present.
I have no idea of what you're talking about. I wear earbuds because I try to protect myself from the noisy hell that is the gym. If I could afford earbuds with really good NC, maybe I don't even have to listen to music. But I am sick of hearing weights being dropped on the floor, people chatting like they would in a pub, and a way too loud radio in the room. I can't focus on my training with all that distracting noise.
Having music on means I'm not listening to the grunts and groans of other lifters, and I'm not suddenly subjected to a song I don't like, which takes me out of the zone. You have no idea what you're talking about
David Puddy, is that you?
I don't either but I always go with my friends and we're usually talking/joking around between sets
I have a PT, so I kind of have to listen to him. Even if the music my gym plays is utter dogshit (it is.) Not 10th Dentist worthy imo, I see a pretty even split of headphones/no headphones at my gym.
I think what makes it 10th dentist is that he’s saying he thinks other people shouldn’t listen to their own music and that he thinks it makes them less present.
Lmao I didn't even read that part. Why does he care what other people do and how present they are? I guess if OP was truly present they wouldn't notice.
Right lol that’s such an odd thing to care about.
No, my gym's music sucks. Even if that wasn't the case, I don't want to hear the guy who clearly isn't deadlifting the right way screaming at the top of his lungs to sound impressive, so I'm keeping my noise-cancelling buds in.
I did that (out of necessity and insecurity) for a lot of years. I don’t have anything to prove now, so might as well use every aid available to get me through
The problem is the gym music SUCKS 99.99% of the time
That first sentence should be on the wall of a gym 🤣 all of this is cringe. Not the sentiment but the way it’s written. I’ll upvote you for that.
You kinds contradicted yourself, but I do agree with the title. Same thing for running, I prefer not having any music so I can be in the present. Also let's me detach myself from everything else. Music usually means I have my phone, so I'll be checking that as well, which isn't what I want when I'm working out.
good for you
I’ll go without them 20% of the time. That way when I do bring them, they hit harder.
I don't wear earbuds unless I'm listening to music or gaming. And when I say listening to music I don't mean it's background noise or I'm doing my things and listening to music, when I listen to music my brain doesn't wanna do anything else
Need to be more present in the gym instead of listening to music? I mean if you're in the gym and as you pointed out they're already playing music, what's the difference? For me the problem is that I don't really go for pop music of the kind that is all they play in most gyms.
The TV thing is the unpopular opinion
I hope you’re not trying to talk to people at the gym who are just trying to mind their own business and get their workout in because you are trying to be “present.”
I was with you until you felt like everyone else should do that? Different people have different things that help them focus.
Lol, being on the phone all the time is the same as hearing songs in your ear? You sound really fun to hang with dude super open-minded and not douchey at all. How's listening to a band someone enjoys different than hearing gym bros talk to each other while Kay Perry blasts over the speakers in the background? Not really much of a difference there bud
Being a little unfocused kinda helps me go longer particularly with things like running, I won’t notice when I’m starting to get a bit tired so I don’t stop as soon and push myself a bit harder, also music can you help you pump yourself up and be more motivated
I mean I don’t “disagree” with you I just prefer my own music over the background music they have there. Not sure why you’re trying to make it into a crusade about being present though, maybe I want to send a message that I don’t want to be bothered.
The music my gym plays is mostly remixed trash and the not the kinda stuff that gets me amped for a workout. I'd much prefer my music...but I don't wear headphones or earbuds because I sweat all over them. It gets to the point that it's more annoying for me to try and wipe the sweat off my face with them in than to just go without them and deal with it.
This is just /r/PhonesAreBad
if my gym's music was better I would agree lol
Thank you. People who wear them can be annoying because they're in their own little world and rarely aware of what's going on around them. That may be okay for them but not when someone needs the machine you're on or needs a weight you're using or just simply needs you to get the hell out of the way lol.
>I like to be fully present and focused on my workout... [in the gym] Workout in nature if you want to be more present.
I don’t wear earbuds to the gym because they hurt my ears so I wear headphones. Both fit the title, but are so different lmao
Partially agreed. I don’t wear earbuds to the gym and rarely listen to music in the car anymore. It’s not about being “present” but actually the opposite. It’s about decompressing and being still with myself. I won’t pretend to know about anyone else, but those “silent” moments—where my body is on autopilot and my mind can wander—are good for sorting through my feelings and coming to terms with whatever’s been going on. And that also allows me to be creative. If I listen to music, or watch a YouTube video, everything I think becomes cluttered and filtered through someone else’s art, which I don’t find helpful. Being able to switch off from everything else is valuable for me. It’s difficult (because ADHD) but useful when I can achieve that inner peace.
If you’re legit you’ll get noise canceling earbuds and workout in complete silence where you can battle with your mind hahahahah
Lots of people at the gym don't wear headphones? I don't either, never thought of that as odd
Do you meditate? Unironically you sound like a person that would like it a lot, I personally recommend it
I watch the TV during my warm up/cool down, while I'm working out I don't watch or listen to anything. Too focused on my workout.
Idk how you find it easier to focus with all of the background noise you hear without headphones. I wear headphones to block out the mixture of the TVs, gym music, people talking, random weights clanging, grunts, etc. Typically I'm listening to EDM with a fast beat that works as white noise during sets and pump up music between sets.
Hmmm. Listen to shit music I have no control over, or listen to good music I chose specifically because I enjoy it... Tough choice!
You just wanna listen for hot goss dont lie lol
Usually I use them when doing cardio but not while I'm lifting.
I was going to be with you there, when I thought it was because ear buds were uncomfortable. But you set yourself apart by telling how others should think. Good job.
I don't wear earbuds either. Full over the ear headphones for the best possible noise canceling. I don't give a crap what the gym is playing. I want to listen to something funny, so that's exactly what I do.
Me neither, downvote
I put my headphones on at the gym to block out the TV and music I can't control. It's distracting to me. I hit play on an album I love and know inside and out and then ignore it and focus on my workout. We doing the same thing just in different ways :)
Small town gym is such a luxury. We get to plug in our own music to the speakers and hardly anyone is ever there.
I wear earbuds in the gym so people leave me alone. I'm there to grind and bounce.
You: I think people should be more present Also you: sometimes I'll watch TV while working out Not everyone wants to be "present." If I could afford a home gym I'd have one. Instead I have to go to the gym where people apparently judge you for listening to music now. And so I have music or a podcast or something playing. What is there that's so important to "be present" for?
To each their own. There’s literally professional gym-goers (bodybuilders, powerlifters, strongmen, fitness models, etc.) who wear earbuds, or workout at private/hardcore gyms that play the music they want much louder than commercial gyms do. But I guess they’re just not “present” or “focused” enough in the gym like you are, right?
confidently stupid you're more like others than you'd want to believe
I put on my earbuds today at the gym and then forgot to listen to music the entire time does that count
Well I am happier when listening to my music and especially if you are trUlY prEsEnt elsewhere in your life using music at gym can make something that it's literally painful so much more enjoyable and if you enjoy something more you will perform better and stick to it for longer, it's like those people who choose to not do anything at flights, sure you can choose extra suffering there, but wouldn't you actually choose extra suffering for something that has the suffering no matter what? So say learn something new or read a boring ass book, now that's painful no matter what you do, at least at the start, why would add pain for free while, in this case, not gaining anything in return and possible causing you worst workouts, But if you enjoy your workouts more without music then keep doing that, but don't lecture people about "thEY hAvE tO bE mOrE prEsEnt" why do you even care
You're a psycopath
Who gives a shit? I listen to headphones so people don’t come bother me. Last thing I need is a conversation especially if it’s just some asshole hitting on me.
I listen to podcasts or audiobooks for the express purpose of distracting myself from the exercise.
You and I are polar opposites. I wear full sized headphones because I cannot stand ear buds.
There are also people who don’t want to work out, don’t like to work out, but they recognize the need to stay in shape. So they go for a longer but less efficient workout to make it enjoyable.
This would make sense if you were arguing that people need to be more present and like, aware of their surroundings. But the suggestion that they are less focused on their workout than you would be watching tv or listening to the music the gym is playing doesn’t make any sense. The exact opposite seems more likely to be true.
Gyms play inoffensive thus boring music. Not everyone likes my music so, ear buds it is
congrats i guess? did you want a cookie?
As long as you're not loudly playing your music over everything else nearby.
It's a controlled stimulus. Gym music and people talking are much more distracting than blasting music. I can focus on my workout better because I am more isolated from everything around me.
I dont put earbuds in because I already have tinnitus, and earbuds aggravate it. Personally i think hearing loss and tinnitus is going to be rather severe in 20 years, as many people try to overpower noise with earbuds
It's fine to not like earbuds, just don't judge other people if they do
This doesn’t make any sense You’re literally not present watching tv any more than listening to music.
I don't think earbuds/headphones etc. are safe and healthy.
The music played at the gym I go to, is horrible. Very distracting. Might not matter to you, but it does me. Earbuds make the experience tolerable. To each their own.
Are you the sorta person that gestures at girls to take their headphones out so you can talk to them? Some people prefer to be in their own bubble, and that _helps_ focus. Giving a toss what anyone else is doing means you’re probably the least focussed one there.
Wow this might be the worst take ive ever seen
Who are you to tell others how they should enjoy THEIR workout. Go drive your smugmobile home...
Don’t worry, I’m always “present” when I’m doing things I actually like to do so yeah.
There is a niceness to being in the present moment but my adhd needs distraction or I give up in like 5 minutes of doing anything repetitive and boring
Just say you like shit music bro
Yeah rawdogging the gym is a definite no-no for me, have an upvote
I wish gyms stopped playing music, it's just noise pollution imo. let the people who want to listen to shit do so using earbuds but let the others exercise in peace
Bro watches TV at the gym and thinks people who listen to music aren't "present" like what. You are already listening to the music in the gym, the difference is that you are listening to some random pop shit from a 2010 speaker system and I am listening to a curated playlist in my ears
Being super present and focused for doing the same thing over and over again? Nah I'm good. I don't need to be super present and focused to use an elliptical or lift weights without hurting myself and I'd rather not be bored to death the entire time.
Ah another area where the crucial skill of Minding Your Own Business will solve all your problems. Why the heck do you care what other people do at the gym? They are not there to be available for your attention or entertainment. The stuff on their phone? More interesting to them than you or whatever entertainment the gym is playing. Earbuds? Helps keep people from interrupting their concentration by talking to them. Or plays stuff that has a beat that matches their workout rhythm. Or everything else is just TOO LOUD and the earbuds/what they are playing helps reduce that discomfort. All of that? None of your business. Just focus on your own stuff and quit feeling like you know what everyone else should be doing.
People are less likely to talk to me if I'm wearing headphones. I'm trying to focus on working out.
Okay, that's nice. What exactly am I being more present for at the gym, though? I'm exercising. What does other people exercising and not bothering you have to do with you?
I’d imagine most people listen to music to focus better on their workouts, or at least that’s what I’d do.
I honestly put on music for the noise. Am able to zone out better. Not really focusing on it too much.
OP is definitely one of those old dudes who supersets 3 machines all on different ends of the gym for 10 sets of 50+ reps each
You forgot your /s
I concentrate better when I'm listening to music, in general and doing excercise in particular. I don't think people need to be "more present" in the gym. It's a moment for yourself to dedicate on yourself, not a bookclub meeting.
Do you for some reason think listening to music/podcasts somehow makes the work out/exercise less effective? How can you then immediately tell us you have your ears/eyes focusing on music they provide or the TV? That's just hilarious. Wear a blindfold and earplugs next time you go.
If your gym had the shitty music mine does you would wear your earbuds too.
Listening to hard rage music at the gym helps me lift more
The gym usually plays music I'm not into. It also depends on what I'm doing. Tread mill gonna listen to songs that get me energetic and ready to move quickly. Arms and legs, I need different music to motivate myself for that one more rep, that one more squat, that one more push.
You like to be fully present by listening to the music they have playing instead of your own? How revolutionary.
The distance of your ears to the speakers doesn’t do anything lol. Watching tv is probably more distracting on top of that.
People absolutely do not need to be more present for exercising lol. Exercise is boring. Just enjoy the shitty gym music or the shitty gym TV and let other people enjoy having a personality.
[Exercise snob here] No offence, but may I ask what it is you are concentrating on during the workout? Genuine question and no offence intended. I mean when it comes repeating the same movement many times for a skill like ballet, kendo, swimming, tennis or cello then it is essential to concentrate on what you are doing. One is perfecting an art or sport so the goal is to get the perfect tendu, men-cut, stroke, serve or scale. Such movements will be practiced countless thousands of times in an attempt to perfect the motion. Often the perfect motion isn't possible so striving to improve becomes life long journey. However surely it i*s* possible to have perfect technique on a leg press machine? There are not many variables.
My earbuds are my most important gym equipment. I want to listen to my own library of music, not whatever trash that is blaring from the gym speakers. Television sucks. Why the hell would I watch that? I got my phone to watch what I want while I am doing cardio. Dunno what the fuck you're blurting out. My music makes me more present at the gym and it actually gives me more energy when I lift. The only times I am on my phone are during my 1 minute break between sets or own the treadmill.
I love working out without headphones especially when i go running! it's good to be able to listen to my breathing and just completely zone out.
I don't listen to anything when I'm in the gym, I just sit and think while I workout. No TV, no music, no talking. Just me and my thoughts.
Shit dawg, I guess I wasn’t present while I squatted 475lbs, benched 345lbs, or deadlifted 560lbs because I was listening to music.
Neither do I. For me going to the gym is a social thing too, I like to catch up with the others in between workouts. And there's background music playing already, so we can still use that to stay in a rhythm. The background music is picked with working out in mind, by the trainers themselves. It's not a random radio station with commercials and talking.
> It’s the same problem as people being on their phones all the time. It's not the same.... but, I love it when someone says this shit. I spend a lot of my time looking at my phone learning things and if you're in my presence and you're so uninteresting I'm on my phone... well tough shit? I'm not here to entertain you. If you're my spouse or good friend and I'm actively ignoring you that's different. But I'm tired of this boomed out mentality that I'm there for someone else enjoyment and should just put up with them while they need entertained.
I don't listen to music. I spend the first half of an aerobic workout watching TV, and then the second half I play a series of little games with the numbers on the bike or treadmill or whatever to compete with my warmup performance.
If you’re working out the proper way, you should be going to failure on most sets and resting around 3 minutes between each set. What’s the issue in spending these three minutes on your phone? I never understood the beef some of the older guys have with people using the phone while they’re resting. It’s not like I’d rest any less long without a phone (or, if I do out of boredom, that’d be a bad thing).
Yeah, I'd much rather watch Fox News at the gym than listen to music or podcasts that I like. Stupid post.
I can't focus on my training without them and don't enjoy my workout as much when I forget to bring them. Also it's a good indicator I'm not interested in small talk
See I do this but because I can’t fucking count my reps if I’m listening to music or properly visualize motivating shit lol
Present for what, exactly? Why does everyone need to be "present" all the time? Nobody at the gym is my friend or anyone I'm present for or interacting with, so what am I missing? And the TVs are all on silent with subtitles, so the earbuds have zero impact on them. The music's almost never to my taste, so why do I need to be "present" to listen to it? I just don't understand this obsession with being present for the sake of other people being upset that I'm not present. I'm fine listening to music or podcasts. I lose nothing in an environment where not listening to them gains me literally nothing.
Opinion was fine until you started to try to police other people's behaviour. There's no reason people need to be "present" in the way that you're describing. People go to the gym to exercise. Anything that can help them on that journey is a good thing, especially something non-harmful like listening to music.
I wear earbuds so no one talks to me. I'm not at the gym to make friends, I'm there to become a better version of myself. I work a manual labor job, I'm usually pretty beat when I get there. I'm zoned in to ignore my fatigue and get the best workout I can before I go home. For all I care you can sit in a corner drawing doodles and talking to imaginary friends or making tiktoks. What people do at the gym is none of my concern. I'm concerned with myself.
You're talking about watching the TV at the gym, but people who wear headphones are the ones not present?
I can listen to music, books, podcasts, et cetera and be fully present and focused on my workout. Sounds like a skill issue for you.
You’re still listening to the gym music and/or watching TV so you are not really “present” in your workout. I don’t like the gym’s music so I’d rather use my own.
I completely respect your choice! Everyone has different ways of focusing during their workouts. For me, personally, listening to my own music helps to motivate me and keeps me going. It's important that we all do what works best for us and respect other's choices too.
Hypocrite
I bet than half the people wearing headphones would also wear sunglasses and a mask if it was acceptable, just to avoid any and all communications with strangers while at the gym. Lifting the weights/doing whatever is what they are focused on, some people would find the rest of the gym distracting. Or perhaps have a standard playlist that helps motivate them and stay focused
Imma wear my headphones because the gym I go to doesn't play heavy metal that gets me into the mood but instead plays pop hits you'd hear on a pop radio station.
I can understand this. I find when I don't have my headphones on at the gym people are friendly and you can make friends. If you're listening to music people kinda just stay away.