Is this normal exercise class behaviour these days? days?

[Jobs4kids]

I've recently started a new exercise class after a few years away.

I've noticed that people seem to arrive early and mark their place on the floor with their weights, water bottle etc meaning that, despite arriving in good time, I can struggle to find a decent spot. This morning, I turned up more than 5 minutes before the start of class and was greeted by rows of well spaced markers despite it not looking overly busy people-wise. After scanning the room a couple of times, I found a spot but it was a bit stressful! Another woman walked in just after me, who is also quite new, and had similar trouble. We exchanged comments about "towels on sunbeds" and agreed it was ridiculous. Class starts and a couple of minutes later one of the regulars rushes in late. One of the others said "OMG Susie, I thought you weren't coming so didn't save your space!" proving that people are clearly saving spots for others as well as themselves and explaining why quite a few regulars were missing when I arrived yet miraculously had spaces once the class started.

As I said, it's been a few years since I last did exercise classes so wonder if it's the norm now or if these people are just twats?

This thread has validated my reasoning for not home workouts !

I love body pump. I don’t go to a gym anymore though, it’s got so expensive. I do the body pump through the Les Mills on demand app. Love that I can do it in my own living room and can do it when suits me

This happens at my gym too. Class is at 6.30am. A couple of regulars are there at 5.55am setting out all the mats for their friends, a group of about 6. On my first day I stood at one of the mats and was told it wasn't free, it was for Denise. So I had to stand right at the front, bloody Denise never turned up, yet the space was kept free for her.
I started going at 5.45 for the class just to get a space and eventually got so fed up trying to beat the mat hoggers that early in the morning that I gave up the class.

YANBU. Happens at my gym as well. A particular group of women will do this at all the classes, arrive early stand in the same place every time and set up equipment for their little clique of friends. One time I dared to stand in one of their spaces and was told quite abruptly that I needed to move because ‘Jill’ would be arriving soon and needed to stand there. I should have told them to fuck off really. They love to act like they’re best friends with the instructors, try share in jokes with them and will flirt outrageously with the male instructors despite being old enough in some instances to be their grandmothers. They all also moan if a different instructor takes the class and loudly whinge that ‘Sarah doesn’t do it like this’ throughout the class.

Hmm. Actually, it does tend to happen more at some classes more than others and I think the common denominator is a certain group of women. There's one class that they don't attend and it isn't an issue there. It's quite late in the evening and, as they are most likely retired, they tend to go to the daytime or early evening classes when, unlike many of us, they aren't rushing from work so can arrive extra early. Of course, once they've marked their places, everyone else feels they need to do the same and so it goes on....

I like to be under the AC vent and to the side rather than out in the middle. It's preference. But I don't mind if I have to change one day.
I have no problem with people bagging their favourite spot, but I don't like people reserving sports for others. That's just rude.

Twats? You sound delightful. People are creatures of habit . They like their space and it's not unusual them to exercise next to friends. Perhaps arrive a little earlier with a more positive attitude.

Yes it's normal, but some gyms are worse than others. Mostly females that do it so if you have a class with a good mix of male and female, it is less common.

Yes it's normal, but some gyms are worse than others. Mostly females that do it so if you have a class with a good mix of male and female, it is less common.
That's my experience. It's not been very common, but the classes that stand out to me with this as a problem were almost entirely female and late morning to early afternoon.
I moved my pilates to a morning class and found the men and women in that class were much more relaxed, arrive 10 mins before and don't try to save spots for their friends.

It’s towels on the sun bed from me as well.

The classes I go to at my gym have classes before them that end 10 minutes previously so you cant get into the studio before that time. I usually arrive 3 to 5 mins before and there's room then.
If people come later, the instructor will usually help ensure there is a space. But people do have their favourite spots- I think that's human nature. It's a small friendly club so people are generally considerate anyway.

😂

Yes, I recently did aqua aerobics (better time slot than Lane swimming). Everyone waits outside the changing rooms until a member of staff does a register. Group of women with one moaning about someone using her locker last time. Then everyone seemed to have their favourite space.

I think this behaviour sounds annoying, but luckily don't recognise it from my gym.
Though, like most people, in the only class I do where you tend to mostly stay in your spot, I tend to have a regular-ish position. But if I find other people there, I just stand somewhere else.
(Thinking about it, we broadly stand in a wide semi circle, with the people with the lightest weights on the right and those who use the heavier weights on the left. I only realised this when a real beginner stood on the left hand side. I noticed quietly though, and as far as I am aware nobody minded or commented!)

Bet you work in HR

Quite surprised how many of you don't see this as selfish behaviour.

I attend a similar sounding class to OP (Zumba with no setting up required) and I would hate to feel pressurised to arrive extra early just to ensure a half decent spot. Would struggle anyway as usually coming from school run.

At the classes I do, most people turn up 5-10 minutes before the start time then hang around the edges of the hall chatting or looking at our phones before taking up our places just before the class is due to start. Yes, most people tend to stand in roughly the same spot (I like the back!) so hang around that area so can move into my favoured spot easily. Sometimes the classes are pretty busy but we just budge up until everyone is accommodated. Sounds like the "place markers" at OPs class are well spaced so it's hard to do that. While "reserving" a space for yourself is bad enough, saving for others who haven't even arrived is definitely not on! OP said there are often more places taken than people actually present so she IS there before others, yet still struggles to find a spot. If she's new, it's awkward to ask someone to save a space for her as suggested.

OP, could you have a quiet word with the instructor, telling them it's off-putting to you and other newbies. There's already one person who feels the same and I would bet there are others!

Quite surprised how many of you don't see this as selfish behaviour.
Hogging spaces for a clique is selfish, but people getting to a class early because they know they prefer a certain spot is one of those things.

I used to prefer being towards the back of my pilates class near a mirror to check alignment. It wasn't the best spot in the room, but it was my preference. Other people seemed to go to similar places each week because humans are creatures of habit.

YANBU, it is twattish behaviour - but then that's how more and more people are these days.

It's a post Covid thing in my experience.

I think the problem is that the markers are well spaced out so while you could get say 7 in a row they've only left room for 5.

If others are having to squeeze into rows of 8 or 9 to accommodate this groups selfishness then you need to say something to the instructor / reception. I say reception because clearly the instructor isn’t very proactive. Safety should be coming first over cliques, this wouldn’t have been tolerated in the gym I worked in. The instructors were pally with the regulars but they held them to higher standards than the new attendees tbh.

I love my spot and don’t feel right the whole class if I can’t stand in it but I’m not delusional enough to say anything if someone gets there first.

It can mess with the instructors head too when people stand in different places. I sometimes change sides of the room if 'my' side looks busy and it gets noticed if I'm a regular in the class. Sometimes a wee change is good

I'm not aware of spaces being saved but you do need to get there early to find a space. Everyone's booked on though, they do a register, so they're booking too many people for the space.