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Original poster

Annoying people in exercise classes

109 replies

Surewhynot · 04/09/2021 15:38

I did Pilates this morning and the teacher is fab. I love her classes. But there was a new person in the class today and ALL she did was question the teacher.

‘I’ve been doing Pilates 30 years and we were never taught this way.’

‘Are you sure? I was always taught to have my arms this way.’

‘How long have you been teaching? My previous teacher said it should be done like this.’

AAARGH! SHUTUP SHUTUP SHUTUP!

Then we got to the stretches and she was literally moaning as though she was having an orgasm. It was really odd and rude.

And don’t get me started on the men who breathe competitively in Pilates. Grin

OP posts:
caughtinanet · 04/09/2021 18:28

After lockdown I decided to try some new classes at my local leisure centre. I'm not new to classes but hadn't been to the leisure centre before and a patronising man took it upon himself to "helpfully" tell me what to do

No, if I'm doing it wrong the instructor will tell me, she didn't and I didn't go back

If any men in exercise classes are reading, no need to involve yourself with keeping anyone else right

CurbsideProphet · 04/09/2021 18:33

I'm now quite glad that my nearest gyms / health clubs are too expensive. I had been hankering for juggling the finances, but this has reminded me that it wouldn't be worth the gauntlet of pool hoggers and fitness class police.

Original poster
Surewhynot · 04/09/2021 18:37

Absolutely loving some of these. Steve of the clapping push-ups sounds like one of those annoying men who ask you how many reps you do then says ‘well, I do at least triple that’.

Also, yes about people in body pump setting up really close to you! It’s less of an issue now because of COVID, but previously there was always someone who turned up late then crammed their step into the only space 4 inches from yours.

There was someone in my body pump class last week who spent the whole class facing the side mirror so she was at 90 degrees to everyone else. I assume she wanted to check her form but spending the entire class looking at yourself from a foot away and your back to the instructor was a bit unusual I thought.

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Stovetopespresso · 04/09/2021 18:39

these stories are great! the combo of co-existing with sweat, competition, with added yogic spirituality is toxic!
we occasionally get oddballs in our yoga class, making noises, doing extreme contortions, once not waking up from the relaxation bit so we had to step over her on the way out!

we are a tolerant bunch on the whole.
but once on a retreat there was a full-scale revolt with one pupil walking up and down lecturing the instructor on the MOOOLAH BANDAH and bemoaning the lack of headstands. excruciating. I just breathed through it.

Original poster
Surewhynot · 04/09/2021 18:40

@Funnylittlefloozie

Oh dear god, I have literally just joined a gym to do Bodypump classes... I was looking forward to my first class but now I am worried that I'll stand in someone else's special space or upset everybody by being a bit shit.
Oh god no, don’t be put off. The majority of people in the classes I go to are really helpful and nice. No-one has ‘their’ spot or is horrible to new people. We’ve all been that person who couldn’t work out how the plates fitted on the bar. 😂
OP posts:
2et2font5 · 04/09/2021 18:40

@Foxyloxy1plus1

Any recommendations for free yoga and Pilates online. I used to pay monthly for exercise classes and enjoyed them, but I need to save the money now.
Yoga with Adriene on youtube. Brilliant, free, and Adriene is not at all annoying.
Stovetopespresso · 04/09/2021 18:43

@2et2font5 and @Foxyloxy1plus1 I like Adrienne too but have recently branched out to Liv in Leggings

skodadoda · 04/09/2021 18:46

@TaraR2020

There's a random hippy (male) in my yoga class who wears such loose, barely there clothing you can see /everything/.

It makes me sound like a prude, but I don't want to be flashed by either his nipples or his junk

🤣🤣🤣 we had one of those a while ago in a 50+ aerobic class of all women. Strangely he stayed with the class for longer than most of the men who joined. We must be very fortunate in our gym, we have a lot of fun but don’t suffer from too much territorialism 😆
2et2font5 · 04/09/2021 18:46

@Stovetopespresso That looks good, thanks, I've book marked her.

OhWhatFuckeryIsThisNow · 04/09/2021 18:55

Good this was one of my best friends. Me and another mate went to yoga for ages, lovely, not competitive, then another two friends joined us. One was fine, but the other, god I love her, but I wanted to strangle her. It was mainly women 45 plus, and we took it at our own pace. She barrelled through everything, pushing everything further. We were working our way towards head and shoulder stands. This is her party trick, so straight into it. She’d never been to yoga before. She also has a very low boredom threshold, so when we got to savasana, she sighed and twitched and sighed. It was so embarrassing. Sadly, she decided it was giving her migraines, so we went back to our lovely peaceful sessions.

Lorw · 04/09/2021 18:57

It’s the really competitive women who must be at the front for me 😂 does my absolute nut in, even when you clearly don’t want to be at the front - they will walk in normally late, in a clique like the mean girls and everyone just moves from ‘their’ space at the front and then are super pals with the instructor- puts me off 😂

Polkadots2021 · 04/09/2021 19:00

I've taught exercise classes for years, most kinds, and all I can say is I recognise all these clichés. I love the freelancers though who just go for it and do their own thing. It makes me laugh and I like their lack of self consciousness and individuality. They're exercising like noones watching Grin

LawnFever · 04/09/2021 19:06

Oh god there was a guy in my weights class the other week who kept on adding more and more weights to his bar but not securing them, and flinging the bloody thing about so I kept thinking they were going to fly off and smack someone.

It honestly made me feel really nervous and I couldn’t concentrate because I thought I was going to be hit by a flying weight at any point Shock

Stellaris22 · 04/09/2021 19:06

I must be really lucky as I've been to several different classes and NEVER experienced any of this behaviour.

In Pump classes we turn up, get equipment ready and just do the class. Instructor will ask if we want to do shoulders or triceps and we have a little chat to decide.

LBT is fun (although it was just me and the instructor last time), it's just a standard gym chain as well.

You get the usual grunting men in the free weights area, but that's it.

Shannith · 04/09/2021 19:07

@Foxyloxy1plus1

Any recommendations for free yoga and Pilates online. I used to pay monthly for exercise classes and enjoyed them, but I need to save the money now.
Yoga with Adrienne on you tube. Every possible video for every level. She's awesome. I love her.
DoYouLikeOwls · 04/09/2021 19:12

@Lorw

It’s the really competitive women who must be at the front for me 😂 does my absolute nut in, even when you clearly don’t want to be at the front - they will walk in normally late, in a clique like the mean girls and everyone just moves from ‘their’ space at the front and then are super pals with the instructor- puts me off 😂
Yes this has always amused me more than anything.
Stopteasingme · 04/09/2021 19:14

Funnylittlefloozie

Oh dear god, I have literally just joined a gym to do Bodypump classes... I was looking forward to my first class but now I am worried that I'll stand in someone else's special space or upset everybody by being a bit shit.

Don't worry! Just get there early and try chatting to a couple of people. I've started new classes and just been totally upfront, asked if I'm standing in anyone's space etc. I normally position myself towards the back so that I can follow everyone and get a feel for what the class is like. It took me two years to pluck up the courage to join and I so wish I'd done it years before! Good luck!!

PilatesPeach · 04/09/2021 19:19

I teach various classes and this happens - wtf come then? Plus if you are in my yoga or pilates class and doing your own stuff, then don't expect my insurance to cover you. I offer modifications and adaptions for those who might have issues although I ask at the beginning of the class and sometimes find none are declared then halfway through someone tells me they have a broken toe. I have someone in my cardio classes who insists on doing squats when we are running on the spot. Don't get me started on those who tell others to "move because you are in my spot".

Simonjt · 04/09/2021 19:24

I go to an outdoor yoga class, I was told off by someone as when she arrived I was in her spot, she then moaned that she couldn’t do it and would insist the instructor positioned her every time. The instructor was incredibly patient.

I used to go to a class specifically put on for our rugby club, there was a guy who every Wednesday without fail would try to join the class, so every Wednesday coach had to waste ten minutes essentially telling him to fuck off.

NeonJellyBaby · 04/09/2021 19:25

I used to go to a Zumba class years ago and there was a harem of women who used to always stand at the front and chat and flirt with the very obviously gay male teacher. They took it all so seriously and it was like they were auditioning for a Broadway show, one of them even worse jazz shoes.

Fleetw00d · 04/09/2021 19:26

The only classes I find bearable are spin classes if you have a good instructor who's music you like. Everyone just sticks to their zone.
I've now come to really hate people abd find majority very irritating and distracting, Les Mills on demand is great, can do it by yourself or a friend in your own home and also try out classes that are otherwise intimidating in a gym.

Not so much in classes but generally in the gym, the posers who come in, do a few sets and then take photos of themselves. Fucking hate these people!

TheRebelle · 04/09/2021 19:48

I was once in a circuits class where part of it was push ups and because I had a shoulder issue I quietly asked the instructor if I could do squats instead, another woman overheard me and started telling everyone you could do what you liked at that point and the instructor told her off like she was a naughty 7 year old, it was hilarious!

GloriaSilver · 04/09/2021 19:59

I have the perfect annoying person!
I do lots of spin classes over many years. Mainly women attending always, ratio prob 10 women to 1 man.
Always the person who wants everyone to know how hard they are working is male, making grunting noise and groans etc.

CovidCorvid · 04/09/2021 20:04

@GloriaSilver

I have the perfect annoying person! I do lots of spin classes over many years. Mainly women attending always, ratio prob 10 women to 1 man. Always the person who wants everyone to know how hard they are working is male, making grunting noise and groans etc.
Yes, we have an idiot like this in spin.

Last week 20 mins into the class he said to the instructor “I’m still waiting for the hard work to start”. I felt like shouting at him “pedal faster if you want it harder you fuckwit”.

LawnFever · 04/09/2021 20:07

The most annoying person ever was a male spin instructor who spent half the class flirting with the simpering regulars and the rest of it going on about how his class was the hardest you’d ever do, blah blah.

His wasn’t even half as tough as the one taught by a woman later in the week who was in her 60s and absolutely incredible.