Asked to move at the gym

[CatamaranViper]

Firstly, the way our gym is laid out, you walk in and all the cardio equipment is either side of you, facing the walls. The equipment is all in pairs so it goes two treadmills, two rowing machines, two cross trainers, two bikes, two treadmills etc on each side.
When I came in, all CTs were free so I hopped on one. I usually do a 40 min program which is customised on my profile. All the cardio equipment has a big screen and you can watch netflix etc if you want. I usually do watch something.

So I was on the CT with my headphones in, facing the wall and about 10 mins into my workout. A lady taps me on the shoulder which made me jump and asks me to move machine. I gestured to the one next to me (I was a bit out of breath) and told her that it was free. She then told me that her and her friend like to do it side by side so I'd need to move for them. I was only 10 mins into my workout and I was quite settled where I was and she was rude. I said no, I'll be 30 mins or so, you can use it then.

One of the other pairs of CTs had a bloke on one so there weren't any two free together, but plenty other equipment was available and in pairs.

She demanded I move again and I just put my headphones back in. A few mins later a staff member comes over and asks how long I'll be. The screens shows I have about 25 mins left now, he sees this and off he goes. Next thing I hear a bang and one of the ladies has stormed out the gym. The other one is glaring at me and saying something I can't hear.

I mean, I could have moved to another CT but i always find it difficult if I stop and start again on those machines and there were other free CTs, just not two together. I don't think I did anything wrong but thought I'd ask on here. So WIBU to stay on my machine?

Ha. I’d have taken a good deal of pleasure in telling them to get to fuck.

The audacity of some people is astounding. How dare they interrupt your bloody work out. Fucks sake. I’m wound up on your behalf now 🤣

hugely relieved you didn’t move, I don’t think I’d have coped otherwise!

So so glad you stayed put! So many folk use the cardio machines to warm up so presumably someone else would have finished using one (so a pair free) before you

I agree with that. I don’t think two machines should be allowed and no more than two sets of dumbbells/weights. I can understand two different sets of dumbbells because you might be doing supersets. Or start with one weight and then drop down.

@Gensola I can't believe they allow little kids into the gym, at a posh one as well. Surely all machines have an age and or weight limit/minimum?
I used to have to politely excuse children who are just lingering on the rusty old CT at the park gym, haha. Wouldn't complain as it's free but I wouldn't want that at Nuffield or other expensive place.

Christ, is she 4 years old???
Yes good for you for not moving.

Honestly I’d have told them to bugger off. If they need company, they can go to the coffee shop. I find these type of people half-heartedly exercise while chatting continuously. You were there first, they can either wait or get on something else!

Yeah I mean I often take 2 sets of dumbbells or 1 set and a kettle bell if I'm doing supersets. But I do try and be mindful.
I never really go on the weight machines anymore because I find it too difficult to plan a workout around what equipment is free.

Have those two women never been to the gym before?! You do not ask someone mid-exercise to move. You were completely right OP good for you.

YANBU, I’ve rarely went to the gym with other people - prefer going solo - but on the rare occasions I did back in my early 20s, I wouldn’t have dreamed of asking people to move so I could be next to my mate. Are they like 6 years old!? How entitled, bizarre and rude of those women!

Well done for sticking to your guns!

I honestly have no idea. I'm not much of a people watcher, especially at the gym. I'm a head down, in and out sort of person. I don't even use the changing rooms

I kind of get that when people are sitting and relaxing on it with a towel round their neck between sets, but actively running on a machine, seems to be an obvious acceptable use!

I've never been to a gym with a rule like that, 40 minutes to over an hour is perfectly normal imo, especially if training for a half marathon/marathon.

You know you were reasonable

The world is full of nutters

They can jog on

Those 2 women were not joined at the hip so therefore they had no right to ask you to move machines, first come, first served........it's life and they had better get used to it.

If she had a brain, she'd be dangerous.

The staff member should have used better judgement and told them "no".

If you had moved machines, your workout would have been ruined so you were right to stand your ground with them.

Yep, something like a CT or treadmill seems reasonable to be on it for an hour. And most gyms have multiples of those machines anyway.

I used to go a gym where a lady there would spend hours on a stepper. She would spend ages on the machine, and write stuff on a tablet. Turns out she was was a published poet, and did her best works in the gym.
Still would not class her as hogging, as she was still working out.

YANBU

Next thing I hear a bang and one of the ladies has stormed out the gym.

Ha ha ha.

People should not go to gyms together as what is the likelihood if A is ill/injured/on hols/CBA going that B attends alone?

The same goes to weight management/loss groups like WW SW etc. Been a member of both and seen this loads of times where friends come in together but I have never seen these friendship pairs etc go alone.

You did right staying put. Those women need to GAFL and GU

You could have moved OP - it would have been the kind thing to do.
I find it sad how people only care about themselves now a days.

Are you being sarcastic?

The women OP mentioned wanted her to move so they could work out on machines next to each other. They were not being prevented from working out.

But was it not unkind of them to demand I move and show they only cared about themselves?

Ah I do sometimes go with a friend. We will work the whole session together but have never ever demanded other people move to accommodate us. Also doesn't stop either of us going on our own. Sometimes it's nice to have a friendly face

Yes, thinking about themselves is exactly what those 2 women were doing. It's a gym not a social club and there were 2 other CT machines free 🙄

No, the two women were being unkind. It was completely unnecessary for anyone to move and once they’d been told no it was quite bullying to try and get a staff member involved.

They may want to socialise too, but it’s a gym and they should really be focused more on exercising. And if they’re not fine that’s up to them, but they shouldn’t be disrupting others who are focused on their exercise routine

Not saying this applies to OP but generally speaking many people at the gym are very depressed or anxious, and it’s taken a big effort for them to come to the gym and get on a machine. Exercise is medicine for them.

Disrupting someone’s routine in that manner for no good reason, could’ve led to a more vulnerable person just feeling so discouraged they just cut their workout short and leave altogether after you’ve make them feel like they need to move out the way.