Full face of make up and hair done for the gym???

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Yes, I am being old and grumpy and judge before anyone says.

I've just got back to the gym after about 6m off, I stumble in with hair in a greasy ponytail and no makeup - because why would you, you're going to get sweaty and gross.

But it seems like a new species of gym goer has appeared in my little infancy gym. I swear, some of the younger women have full makeup on including lippy and contouring.

Wtf? Why? Are these Instagram people? Why would you bother? I look like a shiny tomato after the gym, doing 50 mins cardio followed by some weights.

It appears that some people now go in dolled up, do 15 minutes of fuck all, and then take photos of themselves standing with heavier weights than they used to work out.

Stop sitting on the fucking machines just to take selfies, I want to actually use them!!!

Ugh, I'm so old and grumpy.

I'd think they're probably just professional influencers. It's the way some people make their living.

I'm just pleased I don't need to bother. Although I don't attend a gym, I run and do resistance exercises etc at home/outside.

My gym doesn’t allow photos. I can’t imagine working out somewhere that does! It would feel like an invasion of privacy.

Because it IS annoying.

I am in my early 40s and totally comfortable with politely asking [telling] people, male or female to get off the machine they're hogging, but the 'tchuh' and eye-roll that frequently follows tells me that I'm probably not damaging their precious little fee-fees by doing so.

Much like the OP, I pay as much in membership and I think my time is every bit as valuable as those who use the gym as an Insta studio.

Yes Instagram people. Just doing it for the likes. Pathetic really. I was in the gym along with a group of similarly sweaty women when one of these girls came in. Working out with a PT. She genuinely was putting in no effort and lots of hair swishing going on.

Most people have limited time to get round their workout plan. Getting held up because someone wants a photo is ridiculous.

Yes you can ask them if they've finished or they could notice that others are waiting (but they'd need to get off their phones to notice I suppose).

I don't think anyone should be taking photos in public gyms.

that I'm probably not damaging their precious little fee-fees by doing so.

Whats a fee fee?

Some of these replies are hilarious. OP is a misogynist for saying women attending the gym with perfect hair and makeup just to take selfies are a bit ridiculous?

Feminism isn't about supporting everything women do just because they have ovaries. If anything this kind of vapid vain behaviour is anti feminist.

I don't mind the contouring etc although I side the whole insta homogeneity however it's the selfie taking, when I'm waiting not so patiently for my turn on a machine.

Tbf the big muscle men who spend about 20 mins preparing for their set & then 20 min in between each one also annoy me.

@Redyellowpink

Same as PPs have said. You sound very judgemental and frankly quite misogynistic. Try and have some compassion for the amount of pressure young women face to look perfect and flawless in this fucked up patriarchy we live in.

And referring to women as 'species'

You think the OP has an ingrained hatred for all women because she's irritated by poseurs hogging the gym machines for insta-likes?

Yeah that seems like a reasonable deduction

Hogging machines and not actually using them would piss me off. A lot. What they wear? Meh. Don’t care.

I wear light makeup (concealer, tinted moisturiser, eyebrows) because I’ve put it on to get there and I’m always freshly showered with my hair washed within the last day. I don’t mind sweating, which I do, copiously, but I don’t want to smell ripe.

Try and have some compassion for the amount of pressure young women face to look perfect and flawless in this fucked up patriarchy we live in.

By encouraging them to take selfies?

I'm glad I'm not completely insane and some people get where I'm coming from.

I think I might be out of touch with feminism these days if I'm considered a misogynist based on this. It seems a bit depressing to go to the gym dressed up for the purpose of taking photos of yourself. But hey ho, in my day it was all hairy legs and women's literature so what do I know.

I also use a women only gym as I don’t have time for men’s bullshit.

I'm over 40, closer to the other number... very overweight by about 6 stone, and I have to admit I put make up on and shower. Not doing it for anyone except to make myself feel better

YANBU. It’s bad for your skin to be sweating under a layer of makeup.

You seem to have hit a nerve OP.
It seems quite obvious that there's a difference between a woman working out, who happens happens be wearing makeup, and a woman I a gym, not working out, wearing a full face of make up and taking endless selfies.

I'd think they're probably just professional influencers. It's the way some people make their living
Given how many there are in most gyms, I doubt it. If they're anything like the person I know who does this, they'll be MLM hunbots who need to do a motivational post about how their knock off perfume makes them smell like a summer's day in the gym, their manky coffee has given them energy, and how their questionable oils and smoothies have helped them lose 19lbs in a week.

@Whattheactualfk

Some of these replies are hilarious. OP is a misogynist for saying women attending the gym with perfect hair and makeup just to take selfies are a bit ridiculous?

Feminism isn't about supporting everything women do just because they have ovaries. If anything this kind of vapid vain behaviour is anti feminist.

I suggest you go and read up on internalised misogyny. If you’re going to comment on feminism you should really educate yourself

@Wandav That is an enormous cognitive leap, but thanks for your input.

I fucking hate these people in the gym, they boil my blood. I always went after work so had make up on, but I dont wear much anyway. I also weirdly don't sweat even if my heart is pounding, genetics I think as mum is the same. My gym was a real hot spot for this and I've since left to do home workouts after having a baby as I really cba with all the posers now!
I wish there was a gym that had strict rules about this to cut out the posers from the ones who wanted to train, I.e no photos on gym floor, no speaking on the phone on gym floor, tops on at all times, as I'm old no under 25s ideally. Wouldn't that be a wonderful place.
Now I'm thinking about it another thing I used to hate was the gym workers playing their own music horrendously loud on the speakers to the point I couldn't hear headphones. And eating in the gym, the fucking hate that too. So no, yanbu haha!

Ugh, I hate these kind of threads.

I’m early (closer to mid) 30s. Before lockdown I’d go to the gym after work: full face makeup because I’d wearing it all day. No washing off first as it feels a bit silly. I am not in that position anymore (in fact I don’t even go to the gym anymore and am back at home exercises) but if I go back to the office I could imagine I would be.

Contentious point but Im also all for influencers in the gym encouraging others to join. If a young person can glamourise getting fit in the face of youth obesity why is that a bad thing?

We were getting a lot more selfie takers in my gym. Luckily the novelty seems to waning now the gyms have been open a while, so a lot have stopped coming.
The worst one I've ever noticed was actually a guy, 10 grunty, clanging reps, wander to mirror, admire, back for 10 more.

I go straight from work, so I’m wearing make up etc. I can’t be arsed to take it off, so I sweat away then shower. What’s the big drama?

Contentious point but Im also all for influencers in the gym encouraging others to join. If a young person can glamourise getting fit in the face of youth obesity why is that a bad thing?

I don't think it works like that.

I think to tackle youth obesity you need to look at more PE in school, cooking lessons etc not influencers taking gym selfies.