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?

(though I guess they couldn't jog on 🤣 )

Yanbu. Good for you

YANBU. I would have done exactly the same.

Those women are entitled and rude. Imagine getting so cross about a CT that you storm out of a gym! She's got other issues and you shouldn't worry about it.

I’m pleased you didn’t make way for this entitled pair OP and stood your ground. First come first served!

I went to a my first and only step class (many years ago!) and new people were told to grab the smaller steps and go to the front so we could see which I did. A gaggle of late-comers, all dressed to the nines in fancy gym wear and make-up, the “in-crowd”, came in and one of them demanded my steps as “I need them” (her friends glared at me when I hesitated) and I gave in and ended up at the back on larger steps and couldn’t see so well.

If there were two people waiting and two machines available then no need to move. If there is someone waiting and no machines available then doing 40min is exessive. Wether there are written rules or not. Same with all equipment.

In this case no need to move.

If they were there to actually train, they wouldn't have the breath, focus or energy to have a conversation as they are on a CT, so they were there for a leisurely exercise and chat and demanding you facilitate that. No way!

Even on the weight machines, if people are having a little break between sets while sitting on the equipment, it's sometimes needed, never mind someone working out on a machine at that very moment.

Entitled CFs I say.

Jesus. They're crazy

Why is doing 40 mins excessive?

40 is not excessive. Its average.

Some people don't exercise enough, and it really shows!

Someone with genuine gym anxiety would not have stormed out of the gym making a huge fuss/scene about it so thats utter BS for starters.

She's clearly monumentally pissed off that you wouldnt immediately bow to her demands. Well tough shit- entitled twat. Good for you OP!

I just think if there is queue then 40min is a long time. My routine involves 30min on treadmill and if there are people waiting i hop off after 15min and then ginish later. If no queue then stay as long as you want. But obviously there is no need to move at all if you don't want to 🙂

Similarly my (small) work gym has one freeweight area. If nobody else is there I stay there as long as I want/need. If there are others then I prioritise what I need to do and cut the rest. Unfortunately some people just take it for an hour and I don't get to work out that day. But such is life 🤷🏼‍♀️

What a pair of entitled twats

Good for you for standing your ground. people are so bloody entitled these days!

I just think if there is queue then 40min is a long time. My routine involves 30min on treadmill and if there are people waiting i hop off after 15min and then ginish later. If no queue then stay as long as you want. But obviously there is no need to move at all if you don't want to 🙂
Similarly my (small) work gym has one freeweight area. If nobody else is there I stay there as long as I want/need. If there are others then I prioritise what I need to do and cut the rest. Unfortunately some people just take it for an hour and I don't get to work out that day. But such is life 🤷🏼‍♀️

All four squat racks were busy today when I needed them, did I stand around in a 'queue' and put pressure on those using them? No, I went and did something else.

It's crazy to queue for something at the gym, and it's doormat behaviour to move from a machine or piece of equipment before you're finished.

Cheeky of them ask you in the first place and then be annoyed but I would be very unhappy with the staff member. You are a paid customer I would complain about this person they had no right to approach you and ask how long you would be.

Doormat or considerate. Depend on the point of view I guess. And I'm not talking about literally standing in a queue. You can tell of someone is waiting even if they're going something else and people ask. It is a very "you do you" situstion and we can all do what see fit. Doesn't really matter if people have differnet views

But obviously in op's case there was no need to move since there were free equlments.

Not blaming men for what happened to the OP. The two women were ridiculously entitled and OP was right to decline to move.

But in general I have found that it is men who feel waaaaaay more entitled in gyms and in swimming lanes then women. And it is men who are waaaaay more likely to barge into women because they didn't get out of their way on a shared pavement/path/walkway/etc. And it is men who are waaaay more likely to become aggressive and threaten women in driving 'incidents' ... only turning tail and retreating when they discover a man in the other car.

"There's a treadmill over there. You can use it to jog the fuck on."

But doing 2 x 15 minutes runs on the TM is different than doing 1 x 30 min run. Especially if you've psyched up for doing a 30 min run.

I've never, ever gone to the gym and stood idle waiting for a piece of equipment to free up. I just do something else instead.
If the CTs are in use I go on the bike or the rowing machine. Or the stepping machine if I really want to kill myself.

That is absolutely the response needed.

I'm using that next time

These people who have to do gym things in pairs are pathetic. We had 2 at our gym and one would come in early and "book" one machine by putting her bottle and locker key on it and then her friend would come in about 10 minutes later.

Then there was rowing woman who would stand with her arms folded staring at anyone who dared to use a rowing machine. If there were teenagers on them she would tell them to get off. Needless to say everybody ignored her.

This is why I don't do gyms, whenever I've been to them you always get the gym etiquette which people seem to think they own/are entitled to. I can't be doing with that drama/entitlement when all I want to do is work out!

I had that recently at a swimming pool. Was swimming happily not in a lane just up and down then got someone glare and speak to me about it something about me not doing something properly (can't think what). I said, I'm not in a lane, I'm swimming fine, the way I always do! I mean I do sometimes swim in a lane. And then what really irritated me, there's a sauna and steam room there, I had people chat to me or try to. I'm not there to chat and make friends, I just want sauna and steam etc.

This is why I go to a bodybuilding gym. Most people here are seasoned gym goers and just understand how to behave

I'm not there to chat and make friends,

This is me. I'm so glad of the invention of headphones. I just want to do my own thing and ignore everybody else. My sister can't understand me - she wants to go to organised classes so she can meet new people. My idea of hell!