AIBU to get fed up with people on their phones in the gym?

[questionsandquestions]

These days it feels like between sets or reps, instead of taking a 30 second or whatever, and getting back to it, people get onto their phones and sit there tapping away for ages, lengthening the amount of time you have to wait.

I find it hard enough to get to the gym anyway, but lately I find myself getting the rage and thinking why the fuck are they in there? AIBU? Maybe I should be doing yoga instead, and focusing on my "personal path to peace" eating ice-cream and reading

You're not allowed to take your phone in to the gym I go to.

I wondered why but maybe this is the reason...

I use notes on my phone to track the work out as I go... and I record
Stats. Not everyone is texting!

Maybe they have an app on their phone that countdown the reps and shows they which exercises they should be doing?

I'd be so annoyed if I couldn't take my phone to the gym, not for texting, but it's where my music lives

Yeah same fash

Meh. I use mine as it's got my programme on there. I also skip music tracks, if it's something that's nearly finished or isn't going to spur me on then I skip it. If someone is sitting on their phone for a long time on a machine or whatever then I generally ask if I can work in with them between sets. That gets them moving.

Wanderwall not allowed to take your phone to the gym? Don’t 90%of gym goers listen to music on their phone whilst they work out? Our gym says no calls whilst in the gym but no one takes any notice

I think stats and music are fine, and it feels like people have done this for ages (remember iPods) but it's the intensive typing, scrolling, or taking long calls that seems to be new to the last couple of years. People used to leave the machines/equipment to do this but now it just seems as though they think they're on a bus or train and can just sit there on their phones, not using the equipment they are sitting on for up to ten minutes at a time.... I'd say something but at the gym I go to, I am in the minority, everyone's doing it.... Happens at all hours too.

YABU.

i take 2-3 minute rests between sets, sometimes im choosing a song, or texting, or scrolling instagram. if you want to use the equipment, then ask to work in.

if you dont ask to work in then go use a different machine/piece of equipment until the other one is free 🤷🏻‍♀️

YANBU! I'm sick of waiting for machines where someone is sat there looking at their phone for 5 minutes between sets.

I leave my phone in my locker when I go into the gym so I can focus on what I'm doing. I know some people use them for music but there are so many people just sat in the gym scrolling.

It happens at my gym, but it doesn’t irritate me. If someone is on a machine that I wish to go on, then I go to a different machine and wait till I see it’s free to use. A few times I’ve had to stop mid exercise to reply to messages as they’re are important and can’t wait till I leave to reply, and I won’t get off the machine as I will lose my stats. Unless your gym bans phones or puts a rule in place, this is a fight that is impossible to win.

esk1mo

Thanks for your reply. I was genuinely hoping to see the other perspective and you've provided it.

To me, 3 minutes of you/someone scrolling, instagramming etc per set, 3 sets on the equipment, that's 9 minutes someone like me now has to wait around, vs. a couple of years ago, when you'd take 30 seconds break between each set, and stare into space for a bit, stretch a bit, look around and notice someone else is waiting a bit (Maybe I am a dinosaur, this is what I still do).

I don't want to ask to work in with you/someone, because first off, most people in my gym have their phones and do what you do and second, I think "working in" is basically me being passive-aggressive and saying hurry up. I don't want to say that unless am sure I am not the one BU but I sense I am...

I do look for other equipment, but often there isn't any because I have to stick to about 8 machines and there's one of the 9 minute instagram/texters on all of them.

I guess I am answering my own question, I should suck it up and maybe bring my own phone in. I like the break from the phone though! Or I used to do.

I feel as though maybe the answer is gym culture is changing and I'm not? Hope this thread gets some more replies!

I use mine for music and stats but I do agree in general, some people do generally need 5 minutes between sets, but like others its those constantly scrolling messaging between sets that piss me off, they usually are the first type to dive onto a free weight bench at the first opportunity as well and take the piss even more..

crazycatgal

Glad I am not the only one! I like cats too (in fact mine is "helping" me type this and would also prefer I don't go to the gym.

YANBU.

Drives me up the wall when people sit on the machines on their phones or taking selfies. If you need 5 minutes between reps, move away from the machine!

I’ve happily let people work in with me if they are hovering near something I’m using. I’ll offer them! More often than not we’ll get chatting and I’ve learnt some stuff too.

It doesn’t hurt to ask. If not ask how many sets they have left. Some people just need a gentle nudge

YANBU about people being on phones doing things like taking calls, that would annoy me too, I don't understand people who can't live without their phones for an hour

But YABU thinking people should only take 30second rests vs 2/3 minute rests to because it entirely depends what they're doing!

I used the squat rack for 15 minutes on Tuesday because I was strength training and building up my 5 rep max, this requires 5 sets with a minimum 90 second rest in between...... nothing to do with being on my phone though!

If you really don't want to wait you need to learn to ask to work in I'm afraid.

I went on the gym floor the other day for the first time in ages, I usually do classes. I was astonished to see that everyone that was on treadmills/running machines and the like, were all doing it while scrolling through FB/social media. It’s baffling to me this level of phone addiction that people have gotten into. Every day I see people crossing the road, in a queue, paying at a till and they can’t quite take their eyes off their phone for even a moment with just their own thoughts for company. It freaks me out!

I do two different work outs at the gym.

1. Hard session, no phone

1. I'm essentially working on my phone, but might as well do it on a static bike. I don't go fast, but it's instead of sat in a chair working.

Just remembered, I also do a lot of interval sets on the treadmill, heart rate up, heart rate down. Two mins fast, two mins walking looking at phone. And repeat.

but what difference does using a phone make if they’re still taking long rest periods?

its very normal and common to work in with
someone, ive been lifting for 5 years and its totally normal, its not passive-agressive at all. there’s only a limited number of machines and a lot of people so its completely understandable when someone asks

Walked in the gym this morning, bloke sat on a bench having full on conversation on his phone - I thought of this thread and raged chuckled----