New Year Gym Goers upsetting the equilibrium

[NewYearStillFat]

I'm a regular gym goer - usually putting the kids in clubs and using the gym is an opportunity to relax at the weekend. Everyone gets some exercise and I can workout, have a decent shower and maybe grab a coffee.

But it was utter chaos today, it was a nightmare getting on any equipment - people hogging several sets of dumbbells whilst on cable machines, maybe doing supersets or whatever but looked like they were just reserving them.

Changing rooms so busy - people occupying space they weren't in - so on changing benches but also at dressing table etc rather than move their stuff so someone else could use. I was waiting for the straighteners as a woman was literally half chatting on the phone and half straightening her hair - in the end I had to ask if she was still using them as it wasn't clear and then realised there were two other people eying them up after me.

Chaos! What's usually my place to relax was so stressful.

Good to vent, everyone starts somewhere but it would be better if they could also be considerate to other users.

I hate the videos going around of people ranting that ‘their’ gym is full. Everyone needs to start somewhere.

YANBU, but you'll be told you're a gym snob @NewYearStillFat The sprawling all over the change room & talking on the phone are just rude & inconsiderate. With hogging machines and dumbbells to superset - just ask to work in. Someone was working in with me the other day on the sled - he just took off the plates for his sled runs, and put them on again when he'd finished (ha ha! a real sex-reversal! ) .

My gym is an independent one, so less affected by the January rush, but it was still really busy yesterday morning. But members of my gym are a dedicated lot & always polite, so we work around each other - except for one woman who was setting up for hip thrusts almost on top of me, when there was space elsewhere and a hip thrust machine - although she was only using 5 k plates, so the machine was probably too heavy for her.

They'll fade away ... but if there are really obvious incursions of the gym rules and guides to behaviour, have a word with Reception staff - they're usually onto these things, in my experience.

Beat me to it 😂.

The thought of using communal hairstraigteners with crispy fried nits stuck on the plate, OMG 😲.

Supersets aren't selfish. Your "policy" is rude. If a piece of equipment isn't available because another gym member is using it in a legitimate way, re-order your workout, or train at a different time. If I hit my gym at 6pm, I expect to wait for a squat rack (and there are 7) because it's a busy time and other people are using them.

Absolutely they do. I welcome new members but just like I expect in any other shared space be considerate to other users.

You were new once, @NewYearStillFat ! Were you perfectly versed in the gym etiquette from your first day?

@LittleBigHead I did team up with a regular and we worked in together on some stuff. Usually I can just find something else and if all else fails rely on dumbbells but even they were gone today!

Why all the horror at the thought of communal hair straighteners? Don't any of you go to the hairdressers? Sit on a public toilet seat? Wash your hands using bar soap?

The newbies at the gym is annoying but if my gym is anything to go by, it'll be back to normal by 1st February

It's the same in my yoga centre. Chaos! It'll be over in a few more weeks.

I don't think you need to be well versed to recognise that when a space is busy - ie the changing rooms, abandoning your belongings and going to another area is inconsiderate, or when there are 3 women all eying up the straighteners keep placing them down to chat, do a curl, send a text, do a curl and so on and so fourth... is pretty rude.

I know I'd rather share straighteners than toilet seats. People use them after washing their hair and you can always wipe them first if you're bothered.

@LittleBigHead pre kids I used to workout very early but now at weekends go at peak times so the kids are in clubs. I would love to go at a different time!

I'm glad I'm not the only one fixating on the grim shared straighteners!

I’m not offended by communal straighteners, I’m very offended by selfie spots! Thankfully I’m a member of a gym full of older people (average age is about 50) and I’ve never seen anyone take a photo or video. I don’t think I could join one of the gyms full of youngsters now!

Guys they don't make you straighten your hair before you leave 🤣 if it's off putting you can dodge them!

They'll be gone mid Feb and will continue financially supporting the gym while they don't go. View it as them part paying your membership!

David Lloyd by any chance? 😂

I’ve had a miserable experience there both days this weekend. Had to wait 10 minutes for a parking space today and then every single treadmill was taken!

I agree that a lot of this is caused by ‘regulars’ changing their sessions/ coming more often.

I try to remember that we all start somewhere and take a deep breath, frustrating as it can be. Fundamentally we’re all paying our memberships and everyone deserves to be there- it’s incredibly frustrating when people hog equipment though. If it is David Lloyd, actually having staff on the gym floor would help this immeasurably.

Yeah it’s annoying but it happens every year. Most of them will drop out soon. I try not to complain because I started going to the gym as a New Years resolution about 7 years ago. I was one of them once!

Yes they could do with having gym staff returning equipment etc.

What is 'grim' about shared hair straighteners?

It's literally just hot metal/ceramic 😂

What alien super-germ is surviving the heat from the plates on a set of hair straighteners 😱 please tell me these only exist in gyms?!

My gym did this as well as banning filming in the gym (phones already banned in changing areas and pool quite rightly so). Unfortunately it's a pain in the bum but most of these newbies will be giving up there new year's resolution to get fit by the end of Jan or early Feb so the gym will be peaceful again. Classes tend to be better at this time of the year in my experience as they are managed by the instructor.

Right? Do people think the hairdressers crack out a brand new pair for each client?

Sadly a lot of people on here are very, very preoccupied with contamination and spend a great deal of time thinking about it.

The old MN competitive cleanliness derail.

Bloody love that my gym is so expensive and you have to sign up for a year - stops is being overrun by January Joiners!

Bloody love that we have GHD straightens and Air Wraps too!

Have the germaphobes never been to a hairdressers?!