25+ Gym members who worked out in unusual ways: 'Using a leg press with their arms'

Author image for Remy Millisky
Remy Millisky • Writer and Editor
Mar 12, 2025 3:00 PM EDT

The first time you go to the gym, you might be a bit overwhelmed by all of those machines. Even if you think you know how to work out already, there are some machines that look baffling upon first glance. There are all these weights and levers and straps and complicated steps… it's no wonder some people act kind of strange when they work out. 

One person used his arms to work the leg press… interesting form! A different dude decided to go for a long run on the treadmill while rocking flip-flops, which sounds like a recipe for blisters. And other people knew how to work the machines, but they just wore the strangest things to work out in. For example, one woman wore her work uniform while she ran! First of all, gross, second of all, why??

Check out a bunch of people who just had to be the strangest person at their local gymnasium, which at least made the people around them giggle. 

Next, read about the tenant who got back at their petty, jealous landlord who raised rent by 50%, costing him $20k: "Landlord is jealous of my income."

Add as a preferred
source on Google
Advertisement
  • 01
    Cheezburger Image 10478923776
    via Getty Images For Unsplash+

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • 02
    What's the strangest thing you have seen someone do at the gym?
    via u/Pokkirimon
  • 03

    They aren't wrong, but I wish they wouldn't do that

    Weak-Pound-26... High schooler using an old salsa jar as a water bottle
    via u/Weak-Pound-2694
  • 04
    Argument_Enthu... At my gym there was a guy who would blindfold himself with his beanie. He pulled it down over his eyes to concentrate. Good coordination but so funny to watch.
    via u/Argument_Enthusiast
  • 05
    WickedPizt I had an older gentleman, late 60s, ESL, from the Phillipines, very thin, come up to me and ask me in broken English if he could watch me workout. So I let him. He followed me to every exercise and would take notes, smile, and say thank you after each set. At the end of my workout he came up to me and asked what days and times I go to
    via u/WickedPizt
  • 06
    the gym. This started getting more weirder by the moment. But I was truthful with him. Fast forward to the next day. There he was doing the exact workout I did the day before. He came up to me and said hello and asked to watch me again. He did this for a few days straight. Basically he had no idea what to do for workouts, or how to ask for help/assistance with them,
    via u/WickedPizt
  • 07
    so he wanted to use mine. Totally creeped out at first. But that dude still goes to the gym to this day and he always says hi to me. He even got the same headphones as me now. And always has a huge smile on his face. Weirdest but most sincere compliments I've ever had at the gym.
    via u/WickedPizt
  • 08
    Living_Bath4500 One of my first jobs was working in a gym daycare. Honestly a great job. You could drop your child off for a maximum of 2 hours but we were really relaxed with that rule. Rarely did anyone go over that and if they did it wasn't a big deal. Until we got this one mom.
    via u/Living_Bath4500
  • 09
    She'd drop her baby off and literally leave the gym. She'd be gone for 4 hours sometimes and we had to get the manager involved. Her husband showed up one day looking for her. Shocker, his baby was there but not his spouse. Turns out she was cheating on him. And I got to witness the confrontation first hand.
    via u/Living_Bath4500
  • 10
    I literally just wanted to take care of the kids and babies and somehow got sucked into a love affair.
    via u/Living_Bath4500
  • 11

    Keeping up your strength

    Lyeta1_1 Drink several things of tomato soup over the course of their work out.
    via u/Lyeta1_1
  • 12
    GenomeXIII Dude at my gym (YMCA) comes in and does about 20 minutes of normal looking calisthenics before busting out into some extremely vigorous Irish dancing all around the gym. Everyone just stopped what they were doing and watched with their mouths open. Turns out he works there.
    via u/GenomeXIII
  • 13

    She didn't think it through

    chrishelg95 Not particularly super strange, but I once watched a women use the elevator to beat the one flight of stairs, to then proceed to hop onto the Stair Master Imfao.
    via u/chrishelg95
  • 14
    C.. Watched some guy crouched on the floor use the treadmill with just his arms.
    via u/CandyCertain4719
  • 15
    SillySub2001 He was just doing a normal leg routine. The strange thing is, that must be all he does. Waste up he looked like a lanky 110 pound kid. Legs down he looked like an absolutely jacked professional hockey player.
    via u/SillySub2001
  • 16
    mayorsenpai Some dude that kept coming over between sets and taking weights off my bar instead of off the rack next to him, then acting annoyed when I asked him to stop.
    via u/mayorsenpai
  • 17
    I... Some older dude next to a buddy and I would keep saying sh to himself while working out. Stuff like: "Im the lion, I'm not a sheep". "I'm a animal, you can't stop this".
    via u/Icy_Bottle2942
  • 18
    Weird stuff like that. It was pretty funny because this dude was locked in and de d serious
    via u/Icy_Bottle2942
  • 19
    whatevenisthisn... saw an old man in china run 10k on a treadmill in the spa-offered flipflops.
    via u/whatevenisthisnow
  • 20
    FauxPasHusky Put water in the Pringles holder on the treadmill
    via u/FauxPasHusky
  • 21
    BattleSausage Older man in his 70's, doing squats in slacks, long sleeve button-up, dress shoes and gardening gloves.
    via u/BattleSausage
  • 22
    sweet-cutiepie Using a leg press...with their arms? I dunno man
    via u/sweet-cutiepie
  • 23
    docbobm Worked at college as IT guy. Fixing a computer one day in the gym area and was watching the security monitors. Lady was trying to lift weights, guy posed in the mirror in front of her. She moved, he moved and posed again. This went on for 5 minutes before she left.
    via u/docbobm
  • 24
    RaoulDukex There is an older dude I see sometimes that kinda interpretive dances with the elliptical machine. He never just gets on and uses it he hops on one side and does a couple pumps, then hops off and pushes a couple rotations with his hand, then hops on backwards, the hops off and kinda dances. He just keeps going at it for 30 mins or so randomly
    via u/RaoulDukex
  • 25
    using the machine in every way except how it was intended to be used. I have not seen him use another machine, just pace around. I once saw him in the parking lot and he was parked at a very odd angle to a planter bed that was not a parking spot. Dude is definitely marching to the beat of his own drummer.
    via u/RaoulDukex
  • 26
    rubybike Guy with towel draped over his head neighing like a horse during spin class
    via u/rubybike
  • 27

    Gotta break those shoes in somehow

    Hb1023_ I have known multiple guys who work out in dress shoes. Like full leather oxfords.
    via u/Hb1023_
  • 28
    Puddles22 My gym has a guy in his 50s who brings his VR headset and does (what I'd imagine) boxing classes. There's also a guy who shows up in a full Wolverine cosplay outfit to workout in. He also has Deadpool and Captain America outfits but usually wears the Wolverine one. And no, he's not jacked.
    via u/Puddles22
  • 29
    ☐ ☐
    via Getty Images For Unsplash+

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • 30
    justaguy095 This one guy on the treadmill was yelling and grunting like a anime character in their training arc
    via u/justaguy095
  • 31
    DoubleB8411 i saw bite marks on the pad of a machine right before i was about to start using it.. i picked up my things and went to a similar machine instead lol
    via u/DoubleB8411
  • 32

    Trying to sweat out some extra calories?

    Bernhelm An eccentric older lady in my neighborhood would regularly be doing the circuit at my gym wearing a fur hat and a short fur coat.
    via u/Bernhelm
  • 33
    Roger_Roger27 Bring a parrot in and have it on the handles of the treadmill as he casually walked on it This was 2015, so the staff let him do it because he had a prescription for a comfort animal, or whatever the h I they call that
    via u/Roger_Roger27
  • 34
    Of course it was a Planet Fitness. Same guy grabbed the bird and headed over to the stack of free pizzas and was on slice #3 by time I was walking out.
    via u/Roger_Roger27
  • 35
    Justbeingme_92 An awkward gal that carried around a tripod with her phone mounted to it an had someone on FaceTime for all of her workouts. Never could figure out if she was talking to a remote trainer or just what. But she spoke to no one in the gym and acted like it was totally normal.
    via u/Justbeingme_92
  • 36
    The-Distant-Blue I once watched a woman on the stationary bike ride for an hour. Except she had leopard print legging, matching top and leather jacket on while doing it. The piece do resistance to is all were the aviator sunglasses.
    via u/The-Distant-Blue
  • 37
    Heavy_Direction... I'm always amazed at the number who go to the gym but sit (often on an apparatus) looking at their phones instead of working out.
    via u/Heavy_Direction1547
  • 38
    Misses_Ding Using the assisted pull up machine... As a leg press
    via u/Misses_Ding
  • 39
    HEALTH CLUB
    via ŞULE MAKAROĞLU on Unsplash+

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • 40
    FatheroftheAbyss writing an essay at my school gym hahaha. ripped a set then put his laptop on his chest and wrote.
    via u/FatheroftheAbyss
  • 41
    sisdivine Once had a woman do squats literally less than 2 inches from me while I was on a yoga mat doing stretches. Had no clue if she didn't see me, was coming on to me, or was some kind of dare, either way was odd.
    via u/s**isdivine
  • 42
    drpepper1992 Two girls were using a barbell as a microphone for makeshift karaoke, they were carrying the bar everywhere with them while annoyed gym goers wanted to use it
    via u/drpepper1992
  • 43
    explorer_humor Older woman would get on the treadmill on her way to work at Cracker Barrel? How do I know she worked there? She always wore her while apron. I always assumed she was training to get those biscuits out as quick as possible.
    via u/explorer_humor
  • 44
    xsamsta Saw a guy working out with a personal trainer and during his resting period, he would chug from a 2 liter bottle of coke.
    via u/xsamsta

Want More? Follow Us and Add Us as a Preferred Source on Google.

Tags

opinion ask reddit gym workouts funny stories workout treadmill askreddit gym rat gyms weight lifting funny gym bro opinions
Scroll Down For The Next Article