Noises While Lifting

Grunting, screaming, moaning, yelling, or whatever you do while working out (if you do it) should be done with consideration to the type of gym you’re in and the people in the gym. As with everything else, you’ll probably want to exercise due discretion in how you workout.

Obviously, in body building gyms where you’ve got serious, serious weight lifters hitting big time weight all the time, you can go all out, yell and scream and no one is going to blink. Shifting to a more brisk atmosphere of a Bally’s where you’ve got advanced weight lifters, but also kickboxing classes, and then others going through the motions, you need to take in mind the diversity of the workout crowd. It’s one to scream on every rep at a muscle gym with hard rock going in the background. It’s another to yell upon finishing the completion of every set at a place like Bally’s. Still, it’s not completely out of place.

On the lower extreme, you have my gym. A health and fitness outlet for the local hospital. The average age of the member group is probably 50, maybe even more. The atmosphere is close to dead whereas a Ballys would be lively and an old school Gold’s would be hardcore. When I say dead, I mean there is a slight mention of an off beat radio station in the background and usually nothing else besides idle chatter, if that. I’ve literally been in there by myself with not a sole in the entire gym section during open hours.

On a regular day, you won’t hear much else from me besides heavy breathing and counting of reps. Yelling in a gym with 5 other senior citizens, a 45 year old, and a few other stragglers would be strange. Besides, I’m not a big noise guy anyway.

And then there’s overkill. Check out the Ultimate Warrior overselling his workout.