Screamers

[belly-be-gone]

Hello, my first post here on Off-Topic and I have a personal observation I'd like to share. When I'm at the gym, I've noticed that some guys scream so loud that you'd think someone is ripping out their limbs, slowly. While I can understand that they scream in order to psych themselves up when lifting heavy, why would they do it when the weight they're lifting is not even that heavy? It kind of makes me lose my focus because while I'm trying to concentrate on what I'm doing, I continue to hear these guys scream as if they were a human-siren. What do you guys think of "screamers"?

[CinnamonGirl]

I dislike screamers for the same reason you do -- they distract me from my focus. I put them in the same class as the folks that drop the weights on the floor when they finish a set -- wait -- they ARE the same folks who do that!

[ms_irreverent]

Luckily we don't have too many of those at my gym. Or if we do, our paths don't cross. But I'm glad, because it would make me nuts.

[Riverhorse]

Years ago, I was competing in a meet and one of the other lifters was getting ready to do his first deadlift. The guy began an intense screaming routine coupled with voluntary body convulsions. I was standing with two guys and one of them says "This guy really likes to get psyched up" The other guy, who was a runner-up in the Junior Worlds replied " Psyching up" is what guys do when they lack confidence in the first place"

not a bad statement.

[Bobcat]

What do you guys think of "screamers"?

Not much.

An occasional bellow with a maximum weight may help some people--and I understand some of the martial arts encourage noise for a purpose--but what your're describing is literally a lot of hot air. I can't remember one of those birds ever moving big weights in serious compound lifts.

Of course, with my hearing, they bother me a little less than they used to. :wink:

[belly-be-gone]

The loudest "screamer" that we had at my gym actually stopped coming a few months ago. He would literally scream at every rep, it was truly getting ridiculous and I guess he didn't mind the negative attention he was receiving. One of the trainers told me that one of the managers had actually asked the guy to stop the screaming because he was disrupting the other club members. I'm not sure what was said or done but the guy never came back. I saw a guy drop a 45lb plate on his foot once (he was trying to grab two plates at once off the barbell) and it looked REALLY painful, but not even he screamed nearly as loud.

[srh]

Some top lifters screan as apparently it actually helps them. However, I have see it done before and upon observing the individual (almost exclusively men), the are looking around so they can get attention of those in the gym to "look at them". Apparently some form of satisfaction is dervied from it. Many times its confined to those who are not at a elite level of competition. For example, yelling and screaming to get reps with 70 pound dumbells in the bench press.

Its like the individual I saw the other week who just got out of a gym and had to do a semi-lat spread while doing a 360 to see if anyone in the parking lot was going to challlange him before going into a sub shop.

It takes all kinds.

[Lorrie]

It doesn't take all kinds. We just got 'em.

[paperboy]

When I'm doing double snatches, I need to grunt to give me an extra "push" to get the weight above my head. I only scream AFTER the set is done and I'm on the floor in the fetal position.

[Tom]

I always try to scream a lot when doing curls in the squat rack. The ladies really go for that sort of thing. Helloooo, ladies!
:lol:

[ms_irreverent]

LOL! Was that you I heard this morning? :mrgreen:

[paperboy]

LOL! Was that you I heard this morning? :mrgreen:

Depends, are you interested? :wink:

[ms_irreverent]

;)

[onecoolmama]

It doesn't take all kinds. We just got 'em.

http://www.clicksmilies.com/s0105/lachen/laughing-smiley-014.gifhttp://www.clicksmilies.com/s0105/lachen/laughing-smiley-014.gifhttp://www.clicksmilies.com/s0105/lachen/laughing-smiley-014.gif

[Bobcat]

I heard a bellower yesterday evening in the gym. He was taller and thinner than I--though most people are--and he was doing pull-ups for reps with a York 25 attached to a dipping belt. That is, he was doing a respectable exercise in a habanero-hot gym and he only let loose on the last rep. :shock: I may have to reevaluate.

[Marty]

Another reason I train at home...Oh the stories I could tell....

one that comes to mind was a kid we didn't like and decided to fork with...we had nacho del grande tell him that the boys on the "A" platform were noticing him and if he could draw a little more attention to himself, nacho felt sure he'd be invited to sit at the grownup table...now to lift with us you had to squat and dead 600-plus and bench 400 because the plate changing was too ridiculous (who wants to strip a bar down from 800 down to 315?) so he would show up at the same time we did (Monday squats and bench - thursday deadlift) and go through his routine thinking he was auditioning - nacho told him to really 'let loose' and even offered to spot him....he'd work himself into a lather for a 405 squat (sky high wearing more gear than a mummy) and then strut like Mussolini afterwards - it was great comic relief and went on for several months until - I kid you not - he developed throat nodes and had to have them operated on - the hardest part was stiffling our laughter - he was a used car salesman and took a job in another city - always wondered what happened to him...

[ms_irreverent]

LOL you guys were awful. But I love it. :lol: