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?

Oh lordy, the #bekind idiots are back

Nah, I genuinely think he was doing what he's been told to do in that situation and 'fact check' before he intervenes. At that point he wouldn't know if I pushed in front of the women on the machine, stole it from them or had been one for three hours already.

YES!! @AngelQuartz This, all of this, exactly this.

@CatamaranViper you were right not to move. You’ve done nothing wrong.

@ThursdayTomorrow - the 'kind' thing to do would be not to tap someone on the shoulder who is clearly focusing on what they are doing, with earphones in, to potentially cause them an injury because you and your friends need to be together like 6 year olds on a playground, should trump everyone else.....

What the hell? More proof that "be kind" actually means "be a massive doormat"

Interrupting somebody's workout because you demand to use that particular cross-trainer - when there's another one actually free - is MASSIVELY entitled and not "kind" in the slightest.

How pathetic that those women refuse to workout unless situated right next to each other, like a pair of six year olds.

Sorry your gym session had all that argy bargy! Bit awkward for you.

YADNBU. I'm glad you stood your ground - hopefully they'll be less inclined to bother someone else next time. Assuming they were older than 4, they should have known that if you can't wait your turn, you don't get a go! 😂

I don’t understand on what planet someone must be on to think they were in the right to do this. Blows my mind. I’d be complaining to the gym about her and the staff member. Absolutely unbelievable. I’m really glad you stood your ground, they cannot be getting away with such rude & entitled behaviour!

I’m missing something here because I can’t see it makes the smallest difference who’s on the next machine to you?

Handled well by you and the gym staff.

Some people act like gyms are they own private equipment

Doesn't sound like there is. The staff at the gym were the ones who gave her the program to do.

So personally I’m in Homer Simpson’s camp but I don’t think you were unreasonable. They asked, you said no and that should have been that. The fact they had a staff member come over after you’d refused to move and then stropped off in a huff is ridiculous and immature.

i can understand wanting to workout with a friend for motivation and to be social (sorry, but I refuse to say for fun 😂) but you take the risk that you won’t always be able to get on the equipment right next to eachother.

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This. It's very unprofessional for a gym staff member to have disturbed your workout. They should have directed them to the free machines or advised them to wait for adjacent machines to become available.

No way would I have moved, it's rude and entitled for them to expect you to.

You did the right thing OP, F*ck em!

You were fine, first come first served on the gym machines.

Don't get me started on men who leave their towels on machines they aren't presently using but want to use shortly. One day I'm just going to move the towel.

What an odd woman, it’s really not on to ask someone to move so you can be next to your friend, it’s really quite pathetic.

I’ve only had this once at my gym, a man came over to me and said he was using the weights machine I was on, I said ‘well I’m using it now, I’ll tell you when I’m finished’ and he looked astonished that I didn’t give it up for him, but as I’d had time to change all the settings and the grip he couldn’t have been using it or he would’ve seen me. Some people are just rude.

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
Interested to know how you know that? It doesn't seem credible to me.

Women in general need to stop even doubting or questioning themselves

Obviously the woman (& her friend, also female) who asked OP to move didn't doubt selves. And OP didn't move. I'd say that's minimum 67% of women in this situation did not doubt or question themselves.

A gym is a place where you work out, and get fit, not a coffee shop to chat to your friends. There is no way I would've moved. What's more, I go down the gym to work out hard, with my headphones in. If you interrupted me once I'd be annoyed, the next time I would lose it. I would've also had a go at the gym staff for coming over too.

I have had a few men thinking they are more entitled to be on the machine/ use the weights I am on and ask me, "how Long are you going to be", to which I always reply, "as long as it takes".

So maybe check if there is such a rule at your place because 40 mins sounds like a long time to me

If there are free machines, you can stay on yours for as long as you like.

Wow they were completely rude and I can’t believe they got a member of staff to speak to you. Unbelievable

@SoupChicken that's great! I'm going to try that: "Now I'm using it".

A firm abrupt "no I am in a session" was in order here. If people want to chat while exercising they should go for a bloody walk.

You should make a formal complaint about her and the member of staff. They should be told NOT to interrupt members when they are training, especially if other equipment is free.

😃

I've had people hover before, it's really off putting.

As for these two they can use machines that aren't next to each other it won't kill them, but to then storm out making a scene is just pathetic.

@CatamaranViper so glad you stood your ground! I have been a gym member for years and it’s only in the last 18 months or so that I have started to see this level of entitlement creep in.

In my case, I have been asked how long I’ll be but have noticed that person won’t ask the man on the equivalent equipment to me! On the last two occasions I have challenged the person over this, assertively but not rudely, and they quickly skulked away. I won’t tolerate it, I put 100% effort in, mostly work out alone and once I am in the zone, I just want to be left to get on with it! Quite frequently I have to wait to use a particular machine and just adapt my workout accordingly. I would never have the audacity to harass someone over their time on a piece of equipment!