To be fed up with machine hoggers at the gym?

Don’t sit on the equipment between sets in this case 🙄

I go to a female only gym. Its great! And I choose the right time which is after work at 4. Plus Saturday afternoon, i get the whole place to myself.

wide range of ages frequent, but i do notice the young females are the ones scrolling the phones, like they are chilling in a cafe. I. An be there for an hour and they do some exercises, chill, move machine, chill then leave.

I work hard there and often wonder if they there just for instagram.

I stopped going to my very small local gym because of this. One lady was using the cycle machine for ages, reading a book, when I finally got on it she hadn't even set the tension and was basically pedalling against fresh air. She also started trying to save one of the 2 running machines because her mate would be coming along shortly.

I use my phone to measure rest time and record weights and reps, otherwise I’ll forget and like to know how I’m progressing. Not everyone is on social media between sets. Also adequate rest time between sets is important.

@Glindaa you think they’re “selfishly scrolling” but they’re doing their workout. I think you need to go at a different time or be more tolerant of other members. They have as much right as you to do the workout they need to do.

@Glindaa what sort of machine - plate loaded? And when you say they "don't allow it", what do you mean? A flat out "No" when they are on fairly easily adjusted pin machines, or a "I've just got a couple of sets left" when it is a set up that will require re-rigging?

I've barely ever had to ask to work in when it was reasonable to do so, as people usually offer first, and so do I, IYSWIM (but if someone is squatting 250/300 kg I leave them be! - it does depend how much focus is needed as well as what the set up is) - what sort of a gym is it and have you used other gyms and found the same?

Oh, I wish!

A typo - I meant to say 60 kilos

But whatever = the etiquette still stands. I'm doing the workout I need to do - my main compound lift sets/reps will generally take half an hour or so, with warm up and rests between the heavy sets. If someone gets impatient with that, it's their problem.

Plenty of times I've been in the gym to do a programmed work out and a machine or station I want is being used. So I do a substitute exercise, and/or switch around the order of my workout.

None of us knows what's going on with other people. The two hours on a treadmill might be because that person needs to do a long run for a marathon training plan, & maybe it's late, it's raining, a woman who's been harassed while running outside - whatever. They are members of the gym just as much as I am.

The gym etiquette I’ve used for about 10 years or more is that if someone is on a machine or squat rack or lifting platform, it is “theirs” for the time they’re using it. Thats not a problem.

So it’s just basic politeness to ask if you can work in.

If someone “stood aside” in between sets it would be difficult to see that actually they’re using the machine.

I think you need to be a lot less impatient and a lot more tolerant of other people’s ways of training, even if they’re different from yours. Or go to a different gym.

Yes, totally agree on the pin-loaded machines it is obviously fine to work in and people should let you, and be polite. If I've only got one set left I might say that tho, just because the other person might prefer to wait and take time with settings, seat height etc (I'm short).

If a machine or rig is regularly in use then maybe the balance of the gym kit is wrong? I train in a very strength-focussed gym so people do stay on the squat racks, bench etc for a while but there are several of them and it isn't normally a problem and everyone expects that you might be on for a while for the big compound exercises. I think heavy lifting has become more popular especially among women which is brilliant but maybe the gym management have not updated the kit?

Re gym partner work - I reckon we take slightly longer than one of us would solo but that's both of us done - sometimes someone else will jump in too (small, friendly gym). When we are doing high volume/short rests we go solo as that wouldn't work.

My gym is quite a gym bro place so it's the weights that get busy. I'm there plodding away while my daughter lifts.

I also hate being gym shamed.

I feel if I ever go over to use the weights, the rippling male and female bodybuilders look down on me.

My male friend won't go to the gym at all for this reason

It depends. A couple of mind rest between sets is fine and I don’t like the idea of jumping on between someone's sets with them standing over me.
Whars happened in my gym a few times have been two girls/lads sat on the same machines next to each other having a good old chat between sets. Really selfish when they could take turns on one.
i also hate the dickheads who use several pieces of equipment to superset- like move onto a private gym if this is what you want. The local busy gym is not it for this kind of shit

The last time I went to use a treadmill, they were all taken.

I just went and did sit ups and weights and came back in an hour.

I really had to keep my eye on them though, so when someone got off, I ran over straight away

TBF I've never seen all the treadmills full and I wouldn't go there if I had to wait around for one.

In my opinion , I think an hour max is OK. As the other person can go and do something different for an hour. And then come back.

However I've seen people go on treadmills and stay there for 2- 3 hours. It's a bit much.

I’m not shy about asking to share the machines if folk are sitting on them scrolling! I’ve actually made gym friends this way - if you ask politely most folk, in my experience, are happy to swap in and out?!

Agree it’s different for squat racks etc

Similar to a PP I tend to train with a partner but possibly we are seen as a nuisance for hogging the rack for longer!!

Disagree with the woman on the treadmill for 2 hours being selfish - sounds like that gym doesn’t have enough treadmills!

Use the treadmill as long as you want if no one else is waiting to use it.

I go on for an hour. There's 12 of them. I wouldn't get off though if someone was waiting because their need is not greater than mine and it's why I pay my membership.

I do think gyms need to be better organised.

Like if you go to a spa, you have to book a timelsot, so not too many people are in at the same time.

Gyms let any amount of people in, until they are absolutely crammed with too many people

Use the treadmill as long as you want if no one else is waiting to use it.

However I think it's a bit selfish to use the treadmill for two hours when you can see that other women are waiting for one.

I've seen this happen

I lift heavy, like @LittleBigHead , and sometimes need 4/5 mins between sets. That is completely normal if you are doing heavy sets (low reps, high weight) so yes 3 or 5 sets can take 15-25 mins. I sometimes scroll my phone in that time. This isn't all the time, sometimes I do higher volume (10-15 reps) lower weight sets and then only need a minute or two rest.

https://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/how-to-build-your-own-workout-routine/#step_4_build_your_own_workout Here is just one of multiple sources (including some peer reviewed ones but this is readable) talking about 3-5 minute rest for heavy sets for strentgh and power.

I often work with a gym partner to maximise use of equipment, and would always ask someone if they wanted to work in if appropriate (depends on the set up, how much re-racking etc - obvs pin loaded machines are fine)

I've trained in multiple gyms and have never been to one where you stand aside during your rests, and would find that very confusing about who was on what kit. There often isn't space anyway.

If you are only taking 30 sec rest between sets then you are training something different which is completely fine but it is not necessarily other people who are out of line then.

And yes often it is men who do the heavy lifting because women have traditionally been told it is not for them - but that's rubbish and it is very good for us.