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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Woman went ballistic at me in the gym

200 replies

JennaR · 23/03/2026 17:48

My gym had a big refurb recently, all brand new kit etc and it is really nice.

The issue is that there’s now very little ‘free’ space where you can place mats and do work on these.

The only space is directly in front of 3 of the machines (chest press etc) where there is a mirrored wall, there’s room for about 3 people to be working on mats in a row and the machines are about a metre away. This space is intended for mat work and it’s where they are hung up.

Yesterday, I was working out on one of the mats with ear pods in. There was a man using the machine directly behind me.

After being there for about 5 minutes, I noticed a woman walk over to me so took my ear pods out. She started ranting at me saying I was trying to get her boyfriends attention and why was I being so attention seeking by exercising right in front and ‘bending over’.

I quite firmly explained I was using the space as intended. She kept going on and then said I can do what I want because ‘she’ll be the one fucking him tonight’.

The man was silent throughout and once she finished going on, they walked off together.

Another member nearby came up to me and checked I was okay.

I’ve told a couple of people this today with mixed views - one thinks I probably shouldn’t have been there and it’s a stupid design, and the other says the woman was out of order.

Would welcome any views - it’s a hotel gym with regular members and I didn’t recognise them so am hoping they were guests and I won’t see her again.

OP posts:
ChickpeaCauliflowerSalad · 23/03/2026 18:07

This reply has been deleted

This has been deleted by MNHQ for breaking our Talk Guidelines.

👍🏻

AnAppleAWeek · 23/03/2026 18:08

The man was silent throughout and once she finished going on, they walked off together.
Another member nearby came up to me and checked I was okay.

He should have been the one checking you were ok. I can’t believe he let her speak to you like that!

Notprying · 23/03/2026 18:16

This reply has been deleted

This has been deleted by MNHQ for breaking our Talk Guidelines.

SooPanda · 23/03/2026 18:17

Perhaps he was ogling you and she caught him!! LOL.

Have a word with the gym that this new layout isn’t suitable -I’m sure many people wouldn’t want to do mat work right in front of the machines! Ask them to turn the machines around maybe?

JennaR · 23/03/2026 18:19

Bloody hell I wished I didn’t bother posting with some of these replies. I’ve read MN for years, had previous account(s) where I’ve long forgotten user names/passwords and it took seconds to sign up to post this. I can assure you it’s not a work of fiction.

Thanks to those who’ve given serious replies.

OP posts:
AgnesMcDoo · 23/03/2026 18:20

She’s mental. I’d have complained about her to reception. Appalling behaviour.

2chocolateoranges · 23/03/2026 18:20

Wow, she sounds so insecure.

poor guy.

id complain to management about her behvaiour.

JennaR · 23/03/2026 18:20

I didn’t say anything to staff at the time because the woman left and I’m not sure what they could have done.

OP posts:
Miyagi99 · 23/03/2026 18:24

Report her, she needs to be banned. There will be CCTV.

Newusername0 · 23/03/2026 18:25

Czerwonitz · 23/03/2026 17:56

I would not be shocked if she were filming something for engagement farming on social media

This sadly wouldn’t surprise me

WonderingWanda · 23/03/2026 18:32

Wow, she is nuts! There are people like this out there though who are so insecure about their relationship. You were 100% not in the wrong but even if you were showing off your body and think he was fit...so what, that would still not be wrong. If he looks at another women's body that's on him.

BillieWiper · 23/03/2026 18:32

You should've burst out laughing and said 'how awful for you. And him.'

PonyPatter44 · 23/03/2026 18:34

There are times when "fuck off, you mentaller " is the perfect response. This is one of those times.

MaidOfSteel · 23/03/2026 18:34

Wow! She’s insecure as hell! Take no notice of her. You did nothing wrong, OP.

SaffronsMadAboutMe · 23/03/2026 18:38

Dartania · 23/03/2026 18:01

So many ‘crazies at the gym’ posts lately. 🤔

There's almost two of everything lately.

A thread pops up about a certain weird thing and another very similar one will pop up anything from an hour to a day later.

AdoraBell · 23/03/2026 18:42

I would speak to the staff about this. She sounds unhinged, also the design of the gym seems odd.

TaupeFox · 23/03/2026 18:44

She sounds an absolute looney tunes. 🤣Her hubby/partner (or he is hen pecked and a wimp) doesn’t sound much different if he didn’t apologise on her behalf. It’s more than likely she has said stuff like that before to other women and he knows what she’s like.
If it’s a respectable sort of place and members only I would report her to the management. If you give them the time and date they will more than likely know who they were. Inform them that she was threatening and you felt uncomfortable and vulnerable. If the gym is upmarket they definitely won’t want members like that around lowering the tone of the place and giving them a bad rep.
She is obviously unstable and was most likely jealous of you were more attractive/younger than her.
To be honest if it happened to me I would find a female only gym to feel more comfortable. Going to the gym as a couple gives me “swingers vibes”. 😬

MyDeftDuck · 23/03/2026 18:44

She is either very insecure or he has history for cheating……or maybe both! Speak to the management, you’re a costumer and shouldn’t be made to feel uncomfortable.

JulietteHasAGun · 23/03/2026 18:44

Dartania · 23/03/2026 18:01

So many ‘crazies at the gym’ posts lately. 🤔

Maybe. But there are also random crazies about. There’s a couple who have recently joined my branch of David Lloyd and the female half went crazy in a yoga class, screaming at her male partner that he was ogling another female member. Swearing at him, and then the other woman. They joined on a three month membership, DL refused to ban them because they said they’d be leaving soon. That was last year. They’ve just reappeared and have been allowed back. 🤷‍♀️. She spends the whole time eyeballing people in classes and walking up to them aggressively and swerving away at the last minute. I see plenty of bonkers behaviour in the gym to believe posts.

JennaR · 23/03/2026 18:46

It was most bizarre, I think perhaps it was an insecurity thing - she was a bit ‘plump’ (trying to use a kind term!) compared to me - then again she wasn’t short of confidence when ranting at me so who knows!

OP posts:
TheChosenTwo · 23/03/2026 18:48

Not sure why you need validation from our views, if it happened the way you told it then why on earth are you giving this mental outburst any headspace?

Itsmetheflamingo · 23/03/2026 18:49

I would’ve put a complaint in to the gym about her. No way am I paying to get yelled at like a 14 year old Catherine Tate character

WhereYouLeftIt · 23/03/2026 18:54

JennaR · 23/03/2026 18:20

I didn’t say anything to staff at the time because the woman left and I’m not sure what they could have done.

The only thing I can think they could do is to make it clearer (signage, 'map' of the floorspace) that this space is intended for mat work?

Which might be no bad thing.

ImFinePMSL · 23/03/2026 18:56

JennaR · 23/03/2026 18:46

It was most bizarre, I think perhaps it was an insecurity thing - she was a bit ‘plump’ (trying to use a kind term!) compared to me - then again she wasn’t short of confidence when ranting at me so who knows!

Oh it’s definitely an insecurity thing. No doubts about it!

You won’t be the first woman she’s accused of trying to get her man’s attention. He’s probably cheated on her in the past and she’s now resorting to combat her paranoia by intimidating other random women.

Properly report it to the staff. With it being a hotel I’m sure they’ll have CCTV in and around the area so they’ll be able to figure out if they’re guests or not and be able to ban accordingly.

Lunaballoon · 23/03/2026 18:57

It does sound like very poor/odd use of space that you have to place a mat in close vicinity to a machine.