From the Brickyard | Subject: A funny observation from the trenches
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The gym is a jungle—and every jungle’s got its wildlife.
Two of the most interesting species I’ve seen?
The Camper and the Flitterer.
You’ve probably spotted them before…you just didn’t have names.
Well, now you do.
The Camper
The Camper is a guy who sets up basecamp like he’s staying overnight.
Squat rack? Leg press? Preacher curl bench? Doesn’t matter.
He’ll sit there for 20…30…45 minutes, sometimes over an hour.
If he’s doing serious work—say, a 10×10 German Volume session with intensity and purpose—respect. That’s legit.
But most of the time? He’s just…sitting. Scrolling. Chatting. Daydreaming.
Meanwhile, others are circling, waiting for their turn.
Dude, this ain’t your personal campsite—it’s a shared training ground.
As Musclebuilders, we hit our sets hard, rest with intention, and move on. We show respect and consideration. Personally, I try not to tie up a piece of equipment for more than 5–8 minutes, all business.
The Flitterer
The Flitterer is the opposite of the Camper.
He bounces from thing to thing like a pinball on pre-workout.
One set here, one over there, then a new exercise just because it’s open.
Leg press…curl machine…dumbbell press…overhead triceps extension…calf raise…and out.
One “meh” set per movement. No structure. No intensity. No overload.
And here’s the kicker: it doesn’t work.
Research consistently shows that multiple hard sets per muscle group far outpace one-off “sampler” sets for both size and strength gains (Schoenfeld et al., 2017).
If you want real results, commit to a lift. Milk it for all it’s worth. Then move on.
Now I’m not saying you can’t move around—but flittering without focus is just motion without meaning.
Bottom Line: Don’t Be a Camper or a Flitterer
We train in the gym like it’s our sacred space—because it is.
But sacred doesn’t mean selfish, and beast mode doesn’t mean brainless.
We Musclebuilders:
- Train with intention
- Train with intensity
- Rest with purpose
- Respect the space
So leave the campsite cleaner than you found it. And for the love of gains—don’t flitter.
Brick by brick.
-Brickwall
Sources
Schoenfeld, B.J., Ogborn, D., & Krieger, J.W. (2017). Dose-response relationship between weekly resistance training volume and increases in muscle mass: A systematic review and meta-analysis. J Sports Sci. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27433992/
American College of Sports Medicine (2021). Resistance Training Progression Models for Healthy Adults. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19204579/