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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Asked to move at the gym

336 replies

CatamaranViper · 22/03/2024 20:16

Firstly, the way our gym is laid out, you walk in and all the cardio equipment is either side of you, facing the walls. The equipment is all in pairs so it goes two treadmills, two rowing machines, two cross trainers, two bikes, two treadmills etc on each side.
When I came in, all CTs were free so I hopped on one. I usually do a 40 min program which is customised on my profile. All the cardio equipment has a big screen and you can watch netflix etc if you want. I usually do watch something.

So I was on the CT with my headphones in, facing the wall and about 10 mins into my workout. A lady taps me on the shoulder which made me jump and asks me to move machine. I gestured to the one next to me (I was a bit out of breath) and told her that it was free. She then told me that her and her friend like to do it side by side so I'd need to move for them. I was only 10 mins into my workout and I was quite settled where I was and she was rude. I said no, I'll be 30 mins or so, you can use it then.

One of the other pairs of CTs had a bloke on one so there weren't any two free together, but plenty other equipment was available and in pairs.

She demanded I move again and I just put my headphones back in. A few mins later a staff member comes over and asks how long I'll be. The screens shows I have about 25 mins left now, he sees this and off he goes. Next thing I hear a bang and one of the ladies has stormed out the gym. The other one is glaring at me and saying something I can't hear.

I mean, I could have moved to another CT but i always find it difficult if I stop and start again on those machines and there were other free CTs, just not two together. I don't think I did anything wrong but thought I'd ask on here. So WIBU to stay on my machine?

OP posts:
Montybrie62 · 24/03/2024 17:49

Happened to me once , names chalked up on the board in a queue but ladies were doing other stuff .. Got on to do my workout … absolutely no way was I getting off for them to have a natter … She was furious I got on with my serious workout :)

Pelsall116 · 24/03/2024 17:47

YANBU - good for you to have stood your ground; they were a pair of entitled CF's

Tamarapiano · 24/03/2024 17:37

Life can be tough can’t it. I guess it’s important to not let oneself get consumed by this sort of stuff and just try and get on with one’s day. Better not to expend energy on this . All the best. Saving energy for the important stuff is the way forward

Tamarapiano · 24/03/2024 17:35

Life can be tough can’t it. 😎

Sneezingdust · 24/03/2024 12:55

TerfTalking · 23/03/2024 18:43

Totally pointless post then? I’ll give you a double 😀😀for that backleddling.

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It wasn’t pointless at all. What “backledding”? I literally used the exact same phrase as I did in my original post “many people”. I’ve made my point very clear.

I’m not sure why you don’t get it or are making an issue of it either way but tbh at this point I really don’t care if you don’t understand my point 😂

It’s not as if i’m presenting it as a hard statistic. I’m posting in a chat forum that I think you’ll find many people in the gym may be dealing with anxiety etc and I’ve given my reasons to support this. My point still stands.

You may not agree that there are, but neither of us can necessarily “prove” that there are OR that there aren’t, as per my previous posts. End of.

Tattletwat · 24/03/2024 12:38

lljkk · 24/03/2024 09:07

From what OP says, she was barely paying attention to the pushy women & would have no idea if they asked the bloke to move because she wasn't interested in what the pushy women did.

They may have not asked the bloke I've seen weird people in the gym who have to use the exact same positioned machines everytime and they won't use others even if empty.

lljkk · 24/03/2024 09:07

From what OP says, she was barely paying attention to the pushy women & would have no idea if they asked the bloke to move because she wasn't interested in what the pushy women did.

Newestname002 · 23/03/2024 20:34

ThursdayTomorrow · 22/03/2024 22:02

You could have moved OP - it would have been the kind thing to do.
I find it sad how people only care about themselves now a days.

I wonder why they were so keen (enough to get staff involved) rather than ask the man on the other CT machine opposite if he would move so they could use 'his' machine and the one next to him? Or being, supposedly adults, they didn't just use the two CT Machines which were free rather than disturbing people already working on their programmes? 🌹

IsthisthereallifeIsthisjustfantasy · 23/03/2024 19:53

This was so rude of them and they were absolutely right. The cheek of getting a staff member to ask you how long you'd be when there were free machines available!

The trouble is, I've been in a situation at the gym before where two friends get on a treadmill either side of me and just talk loudly across me as if I'm not there, which is also pretty rubbish.

Original poster
CatamaranViper · 23/03/2024 19:48

Iwantamarshmallowman · 23/03/2024 18:52

the is why I now work out at home

I've come to realise that I need a gym environment to work out. Like I also need an office environment to work. I just can't do it from home without getting distracted by housework or people getting in the way

OP posts:
Iwantamarshmallowman · 23/03/2024 18:52

the is why I now work out at home

TerfTalking · 23/03/2024 18:43

Sneezingdust · 23/03/2024 08:24

And to be clear by “many people” , I’m not necessarily saying most. As per my previous post, it would be hard to quantify exactly how many do or equally how many don’t.

Edited
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Totally pointless post then? I’ll give you a double 😀😀for that backleddling.

Original poster
CatamaranViper · 23/03/2024 17:51

SoupChicken · 23/03/2024 16:00

Yeah, I’ve found the behaviour is a lot better at my bodybuilder gym than when I used to go to the local leisure centre one.

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I think I'm too much of a gym novice to go to a bb gym!

OP posts:
FrenchMustard · 23/03/2024 16:40

WalkingonWheels · 23/03/2024 11:56

"There's a treadmill over there. You can use it to jog the fuck on."

This this this. Well done OP for not backing down. We have these annoying people in the spinning classes at my gym who absolutely cannot survive without being next to each other, then literally spend the entire class talking. Couple of weeks ago the instructor asked in front of everyone if they were ever going to shut up and their faces were a picture 😂

CactusMactus · 23/03/2024 16:16

They sounds like kids who want to use the swings together!

SoupChicken · 23/03/2024 16:00

defendher · 23/03/2024 12:26

This is why I go to a bodybuilding gym. Most people here are seasoned gym goers and just understand how to behave

Yeah, I’ve found the behaviour is a lot better at my bodybuilder gym than when I used to go to the local leisure centre one.

RaraRachael · 23/03/2024 15:44

ThursdayTomorrow · 22/03/2024 22:02

You could have moved OP - it would have been the kind thing to do.
I find it sad how people only care about themselves now a days.

Buf surely these two women were just thinking of themselves?
I find it sad how so many people nowadays are entitled arseholes.

Italiangreyhound · 23/03/2024 14:27

You were right. I would have moved but then I am a people please-er, and I also do not go to the gym!

ConsuelaHammock · 23/03/2024 14:27

Well done you!

Rewis · 23/03/2024 14:24

TonTonMacoute · 23/03/2024 12:43

On this occasion there were two CT machines free, they just weren't side by side. These two women could both have done their session without waiting if they hadn't decided to behave like a pair of 12 year olds.

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Yep. Which is what I said in my original comment and one after that. Then this went off topic when I started to respond back. I should have known better 😅 But defo. No need to move. I don't like gyms or people in general so I try to go in after 10pm when possible😄

Original poster
CatamaranViper · 23/03/2024 13:47

potato57 · 23/03/2024 13:26

Honestly I'd not be happy paying as much as gym memberships cost for them to not have enough equipment and to be interrupted by another customer. You're paying for a service and not receiving it. If they have specific busy/peak times listed and everyone going at those times knows they're taking a gamble that's a bit different.

But then I only go to gyms where there's usually max 5 people 😂 And I've never paid more than £30/m, I hear the big names are busier ones.

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Mine is £35 a month and has an online booking app so you can see how many people are there anyways. I always go when it's less than 50% full.

OP posts:
potato57 · 23/03/2024 13:26

Fillybuster · 23/03/2024 13:14

Really interesting reading all the responses to your post OP (and for once I have actually RTWDT!). You were 100% NBU, and it’s totally out of order to interrupt someone mid-exercise in any way, let alone by bloody tapping them on the shoulder and probably startling the crap out of them.

But….for all of those talking about waiting for machines in use….at my gym, it’s considered perfectly good etiquette to ask if you can jump in between sets. Obviously, you don’t interrupt them during their set, and it might not work if the level of effort required to de-rack their weights to change over to yours takes longer than the actual set, but otherwise it’s considered a) fine to ask and b) pretty rude to say “no” unless you’re about to finish or doing supersets.

I had the opposite the other day and am still pretty irritated. Someone asked how many sets I had left, I said 4 and she turned to leave so I told her she could jump in between mine. She did, but didnt say thank you, kept changing all the settings but not changing them back (also bad etiquette if someone has offered to share) and when she finished before me just walked off, again without saying thank you. Sounds super petty when I write it out like that, but it really annoyed me at the time 😂

Honestly I'd not be happy paying as much as gym memberships cost for them to not have enough equipment and to be interrupted by another customer. You're paying for a service and not receiving it. If they have specific busy/peak times listed and everyone going at those times knows they're taking a gamble that's a bit different.

But then I only go to gyms where there's usually max 5 people 😂 And I've never paid more than £30/m, I hear the big names are busier ones.

Brefugee · 23/03/2024 13:25

Rewis · 23/03/2024 11:17

If there were two people waiting and two machines available then no need to move. If there is someone waiting and no machines available then doing 40min is exessive. Wether there are written rules or not. Same with all equipment.

In this case no need to move.

no, it isn't. If you pay to go to the gym (especially one where the staff programmed that 40 minute work out) then doing a training session isn't excessive. You finish your programme, and they either wait or they do something else.

potato57 · 23/03/2024 13:21

You had a lucky escape, no doubt if 2 machines had been free next to you they would have hopped on, walked very slowly and had a long loud chat.

PablosTescoBar · 23/03/2024 13:19

ThursdayTomorrow · 22/03/2024 22:02

You could have moved OP - it would have been the kind thing to do.
I find it sad how people only care about themselves now a days.

Interesting logic. So, where do we draw a line with that level of entitlement? “Ooh, that burger you’re eating looks great, I want it and can’t be bothered getting my own, so you need to give it to me.”

The OP should not have moved and I’m glad she didn’t. It has fuck all to do with being kind. These women were spoilt and entitled cheeky fuckers who also seem a bit pathetic if they can’t stand to be separated for an hour at the gym 🙄.

I’m just waiting for the AIBU from the cheeky fucker herself. “Rude lady at the gym wouldn’t give up her machine for me after I asked her told her to move because I wanted to work out next to my friend, AIBU?”

Honestly, this is why I hate people.

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