Gym in dispute with manufacturers over broken dumbells.

ethan · 15 Feb 2013 at 20:31

Dwindling supply of dumbells at my place. 35kg's, 37's and 40's all broken. Think some of the 50+ are also damaged. Anyway, as title, manufacturer refusing to repair them stating they are being missused (which to a certain extent they are). Wonder what the policy is with other gyms concerning this along with user experiences?

Edit: I should add I suggested the manager invest in some rubber mats to go on the cushon flooring to prevent breakage, but his attitude is one in which he thinks the mats will just encourage people to slam them more?

Morba · 15 Feb 2013 at 21:08

Most kit can withstand a bit of throwing around. The manager is a muppet if he doesn't have some form of decent matting

One More Solo · 15 Feb 2013 at 21:20

Who is the manufacturer out of interest?

Pigeon_Killer · 15 Feb 2013 at 21:21

People dropping the weights is a massive pet hate. Ours are constantly broken and it's the same muppets over and over again :mad:

Our gym fixes them but if it were my gym and I saw how they were treated I'd ask the individuals to pay for them or drop kick them out of the gym for good.

Delboy · 15 Feb 2013 at 21:24

I don't condone the misuse of equipment but by being a member are you not already paying for stuff like this with your membership fee?

p.s I also hate to see muppets dropping 20kg weights to the floor like they just lifted the equivilant of a bus.

ethan · 15 Feb 2013 at 21:32

One More Solo said:
Who is the manufacturer out of interest?

I don't know but could find out. The gym is DW. Tbh I think the manager is a muppet: especially when you take the following in to consideration

http://rhinofitness.ca/articles/article_dropweights.html

Saying that, it would be nice if people treated the equipment with a bit more respect.

etom · 16 Feb 2013 at 18:47

i always drop them with deadlifts, should this be avoided? when anywhere near 1rm i physically can't lower it with good form. No probs not dropping it with any other lift though. Not sure on etquitte on this as not that many people deadlift (heavy) in the gyms i've been to. can't see why you would drop dumbells ever, its daft

Morba · 16 Feb 2013 at 18:50

etom said:
i always drop them with deadlifts, should this be avoided? when anywhere near 1rm i physically can't lower it with good form. No probs not dropping it with any other lift though. Not sure on etquitte on this as not that many people deadlift (heavy) in the gyms i've been to. can't see why you would drop dumbells ever, its daft

Controlled drop, don't just drop a heavy barbell.

etom · 16 Feb 2013 at 18:54

Morba said:
Controlled drop, don't just drop a heavy barbell.

yeah i generally try to do this i think, lower it half way down my shins then drop it, still makes a loud noise / annoys people

grudas · 16 Feb 2013 at 18:56

theres one guy at gym and hes clearly full of it.. he throws the dumbells around like its a ball.. they literally bounce around the gym(we have rubber mats on the floor) i felt like slapping him so many times.

i only drop the barbel but thats about it.

BennyC · 16 Feb 2013 at 20:13

My gym tends to have an instructor wandering around the pit now making sure people put their weights back and I should imagine also ensuring DB's aren't slammed around.

Our's look pretty durable with totally rubber ends and no visible fixings.

That said if gyms enforced better etiquette it'd be more enjoyable for all.

When I worked at the gym near me before I moved we had quite common rubber dumbells with bolts underneath the end cap, they needed regularly tightening and you could do it yourself by hand by twisting the weight. You'd have to be a fool to use a DB that was obviously about to fall apart but didn't stop someone (who didn't actually have a membership, snuck in on a friends card) having a 40KG DB fall apart on his face brekaing his nose and fracturing his eye socket :rolleyes:

'Wes · 17 Feb 2013 at 11:08

I workout at home and even i don't drop the weights, i slowly lower them to the floor.

King Damager · 17 Feb 2013 at 11:22

I occasionally drop the barbell faster than it should be if my grips about to fall apart. I tend to lower it faster than perhaps I should rather than dropping it completely (again on DL) - We also have rubber plates, and proper rubber olympic plates, so it isn't something that worries me.

I can't believe the gym wouldn't bother putting rubber mats down though...

We have the same Dumbell kind of system as Benny as well, you can just twist the weight to tighten it on quite easily.

kd

Erich Kriegler · 17 Feb 2013 at 17:28

You sure people aren't doing this in your gym?

WKN · 17 Feb 2013 at 17:37

grudas · 17 Feb 2013 at 17:57

http://www.healthandfitnessireland.com/image/cache/data/Dumbbell Kits/ziva_dumbell_5_5-228x228.jpg

these are dumbells we have.. cant see them breaking

same with barbels

Mr-White · 17 Feb 2013 at 19:06

What makes people think that'll be a good safe workout ? lol

MW

WKN · 17 Feb 2013 at 19:47

grudas said:
http://www.healthandfitnessireland.com/image/cache/data/Dumbbell Kits/ziva_dumbell_5_5-228x228.jpg

these are dumbells we have.. cant see them breaking same with barbels

At my gym they are like that, And someone has managed to break the 25KG one :rolleyes:

I see people throwing them on the floor from shoulder height (Seated shoulder press)

ethan · 17 Feb 2013 at 23:26

kcon1 said:
You sure people aren't doing this in your gym?

I've seen them stand on a power (shoulder) press and try to shrug with it and a poser (who was incidently in very good shape) do upside down leg raises on the chinning bar

mistercrabb · 18 Feb 2013 at 11:56

At our gym someone managed to put an actual crater in the concrete floor (through an impact mat) with the barbell. Presumably the same person who bent the bar so it rolls away when you try to deadlift it.

Don't think anyone has ever broken a dumbbell at our gym though.