Men, taking dominating yoga/groups.

[SpongeBobJudgeyPants]

I've just come back from what should have been a chilled yoga class. Half way through, a man enters, announces he thought it started later, but he will join anyway. Rather than just quietly join in, he bangs his stuff about loudly. I found myself tutting. He settled down for a bit, but then during relaxation at the end, he has to competively exhale. No one else's breathing audible but his. I realise his entrance was a "A man has come, all hail the man, women" and I have seen it many times, being an old bird. But what do they actually get out of it? Surely it doesn't produce results? Or are they just satisfied when they've done it regardless? I've seen/experienced this in about every excercise class/reading group/whatever I've ever been in, and am a tad vexed about it tbh. In fact, if there is a womens only yoga class, I go for that. Any answers please? And anything I can actually do rather than passively agressively tut, or have a word with the tutor? Probably not. It's just soooo tiresome!

I can imagine that was disappointing. I've had a similar thing happen a few years ago in a Freedom Programme. The person was also allowed to join the group about half way through the course, so disruptive even without all the other stuff tbh.

Still not sure how sex or gender allows one to get on the high horse over another

That is an excellent ad for yoga! I take it it has so far worked?

My husband would be like this- though he'd never dream of joining a class of any kind. Just that he's terminally noisy. Stamps rather than walk, huffs and puffs. Sneezes as though he's trying to blow the walls off the house.

It's absolutely not any attempt at dominance in his case. Just a terminal obliviousness to the people around him and the noise he makes.

I think some men simply weren't ever told to shut up and be considerate and make themselves as small as possible, in the way that so many women were.

Which is odd, as boys are 'renowned' for noisiness. Perhaps it's tolerated in boys as being unavoidable.

I definitely practiced my ninja skills in trying to avoid catching my mother's attention. Perhaps DH's mother was just nicer than mine.

Of course both men and women can be annoying but it’s generally men who do the “I’m extra special because I’m a man in a room of women” thing. (See also MNers who begin their posts with a jaunty “Man here!”)

Women in a majority male class don’t tend to do this.

That's a good point Pickle. Spanky, I take it you are either a Man, or spectacularly missing, or choosing to miss, the point. Or maybe a man who is missing the point. I won't be engaging any further.

Waiting to go into yoga flow class. Women standing quietly, the one smelly man doing squats and grunting loudly.
Hot yoga class. One man who jogs there. His feet stink so much people move away if they can. Performative grunting throughout. Another man who stares at women in sports bras.
Yin yoga. The woke hippie man who talked over the teacher and 'corrected' her.
Website. Man complained about a female teacher because she'd told him to move out of her actual teaching space.
The entitlement is never ending.

Yes, the entitlement. I can't see it ending in my lifetime unfortunately, but I'm sure as hell not just going to roll over. @deeperthanallroses I've managed to keep out of prison thus far, but never say never

I was in a yoga class where a man promptly fell asleep and snored. Why oh why didn’t the yoga teacher wake him up.

quite a few men in my local one and they manage to behave very well so it’s definitely possible

"It's absolutely not any attempt at dominance in his case. Just a terminal obliviousness to the people around him and the noise he makes."

It's not an attempt at dominance, it's an assumption of dominance.

Mmm. Not sure. He's the least alpha male there is. Totally unself aware.

Selfish, possibly.

@TheInebriati

Brilliant quote - that is so relevant to my work and am going to use it! Thank you

No instructor should be allowing anyone into a class without them being there for the warm up.

you’ve got an instructor issue there. Their insurance is at risk if anyone has an injury because they haven’t been adequately warmed up for the class ahead

I mean, really? Have you ever visited earth and observed the dominance that men exert over women in every aspect? What an ironic thing to say.

Anyway, obviously anyone reasonable knows that men or women can be annoying in exercise classes. I think that's a given. In my experience, and almost everyone else's, it's almost always a man. When I go to the gym, it's always a man being performative on the weights or treadmill or whatever else, grunting and 'oosh'ing and clanging everything about and getting in everyone's way and looking around to see who is watching fawningly. When I go swimming, it's always a man splashing everyone else in the lane or sitting arms splayed at one end of the lane chatting to their mate like they are in a Roman baths so nobody can turn. When I go to martial arts it's always a man who won't be told if they are holding the focus pad wrong or break falling wrong and who explain how to do everything to the female higher grades.

I worked with two very popular hippy guys (both complete arseholes and creeps but women love them as it's all 'tongue in cheek')
They went to yoga class and talked openly about a great way to ogle and meet women.
Has made me wary of men in these sorts of groups ever since (have met many similar over the years)

This thread seems to be a place to slam men for going to the gym!! How does this create a culture of equality. Yes I have no doubt there is a small minority like you describe. I also regularly come across a lot of woman who have annoying gym habits and more than often do the things you describe. I try not to be so negative about people going to the gym as they are getting fit, healthy and doing good for themselves and cannot see any problems with that. There are bigger things to worry about and if anything we should be encouraging gym classes.

@Spanky123 how about you go start a thread about the women that annoy you, or how exercise should be encouraged generally if these issues are eating away at you.

You're quite right, Spanky. That's why there's a call for men only gyms and gym sessions.

Oh, wait...

There are bigger things to worry about and if anything we should be encouraging gym classes.

For someone who thinks there are ‘bigger things to worry about’, you sure can’t seem to stay away from this thread, @Spanky123.

If you have bigger things to worry about, go and worry about them, and leave the conversation to the people who want to have the conversation.

It's the attitude of misandry in these posts that's my issue, which if directed the other way, or to any other groups wouldnt be tolerated. Have a nice evening.

Misogyny towards women is tolerated ALL the time.

Bore off Spanky. Yes @CoolerThanIceCream . It is.

I do loads of yoga and have done for 15 years in all sorts of places and settings.

Honestly, when I see a man/men in the lineup for the class, I inwardly groan. The competitive exhaling (spot on, OP!) the straining to hit positions, the snoring, the smells, the (shudder) bare chests.

Some men are, of course, unobtrusive (I don’t care for “lovely”, there is generally very little interaction between participants in classes) and that’s fine.

I’m not judging all male yoga participants, but I do definitely feel you on that experience OP!!

Also this thread isn’t about “gym” it’s about yoga class. There is a massive difference and if you don’t see that difference then you don’t understand the nuance of the OP’s original post.

Do you not have bigger things to worry about than derailing a thread on the internet in the defence of all men?