Snark at the gym

thisismynickname2

My gym is very small and like many gyms, it's busiest from 5:30-8pm or so Mondays through Thursdays.  FI and I decided to work out this past Friday around 6pm. It was fairly empty.

He was getting irritated because by chance, everything he wanted to do was taken by others- a sad irony of a mostly empty gym.  

I went to an empty machine and as I was adjusting the weights, the young woman using the next machine over (I mean actively using it) tapped me on the shoulder and nicely said, "Oh, I'm using both of these but I'll be done in just a minute!"

I was so taken aback I snottily said, "Ohhhhhh KAYYYY" and stalked off. 

Who does that? Two machines at the same time?  Small gym? I know it was Friday but if she pulls that shit any other evening I may need a word with management. Seriously?

What bothers you at the gym?

LabLove86

I probably wouldn't have been that nice. I more than likely would have just used it and gotten up when I was done. She was using the other one.

I like to swim laps - and it annoys the crap out of me if I have to share a lane. It is inevitable and it happens from time to time. But I hate having to do it.

AddieCake

 I hate inconsiderate people b/c I always go out of my way to be considerate, often inconveniencing myself in the process, which then makes it seem like such a slap in the face when others around me don't reciprocate. 

tammym1001

People at the gym I used to go to did that all the time with the machines because they were alternating sets on each machine. It is really annoying.

The most annoying thing to me (and the reason I quit above mentioned gym) were all the kids running around and playing on the machines. By kids I guess I actually mean teenagers, but they would just be hanging out sitting on benches and talking to their friends and not actually doing anything. It drove me crazy. An hour work out would sometimes take me 2 hours just waiting on equipment.

climbingsingle

That's so rude. You can't take up two machines at the gym. Gah. 

Sadly, there's a lot about my gym that annoys me. The parking lot is a disaster. People park in areas that are not designated spots. And they'll stalk you for your spot even though there are 75 empty spots at the end of the lot. It's sunny and 70 degrees. You're going inside to exercise. Just park in the available spot! 

I constantly get stuck next to people that have phone conversations while on the ellipticals and treadmills. One guy on Friday actually had the nerve to put his phone on speaker. I could hear his entire conversation over my music. 

My locker room on certain days is overrun with teenage girls. Having to be subjected to their conversations is painful. And they'll stand THISCLOSE to me while I'm changing. Have you not heard of personal space? I don't need you all up in my lady business. 

ElcaB

AddieCake said:

 I hate inconsiderate people b/c I always go out of my way to be considerate, often inconveniencing myself in the process, which then makes it seem like such a slap in the face when others around me don't reciprocate. 

Me too, Addie. 

OP, if it happens again, I would say, "I'm sorry, but I'm here to work out, too. Unfortunately machines cannot be reserved & you can hop on as soon as I'm done." 

I have an alumni membership to my college gym, and tons of things drive me crazy there, such as:

• People who neglect to wipe down their machines after use. 
• People who talk on their cell phones while working out and/or stop their treadmill, elliptical, etc. to text 
• People who don't watch where they're going because they can't look up from their phones
• People who work out with a friend and talk loudly enough to make sure everyone else can hear their conversations (because I'm like, so totally interested in why like, Lisa made out with some totally hot guy at that party!) 

thisismynickname2

Elca, that makes me laugh and I'd be furious if I encountered that crap too! 

ClimbingBride, on a similar note, I totally don't get why people have to park so close to work out. My gym is in a basement and there are only escalators and an elevator. People who just worked out.... Don't walk up the escalator. They just stand there for the duration of the ride. I wanna get home for dinner, get out of my way. 

Phone conversations are just weird. I have to say, I was evilly amused when someone's phone fell off their elliptical ledge-thing and cracked. That's what you get!

Not wiping down machines is disgusting.  

VulgarGirl

People who sit at machines and text/play with their phones. If you aren't working out...get off your ass and let me use the machine!

Anyone who hits on me in the gym. I'm sweating, I'm focused (ish..), I am not interested in being your eye candy.

theartistformerlyknownas

Anyone talking on the phone, sitting on a weight machine playing on their phone, or half-assing it while reading a damn book. If you are exerting yourself so little that you can read a novel, you're doing it wrong. Get out of my way.

ETA a missing word. My bad.

pinkshorts27

tammym1001 said:

People at the gym I used to go to did that all the time with the machines because they were alternating sets on each machine. It is really annoying.

The most annoying thing to me (and the reason I quit above mentioned gym) were all the kids running around and playing on the machines. By kids I guess I actually mean teenagers, but they would just be hanging out sitting on benches and talking to their friends and not actually doing anything. It drove me crazy. An hour work out would sometimes take me 2 hours just waiting on equipment.

I try to only do alternate on free weights so I don't take up two machines. Sometimes I do with machines, but only in a really empty gym and if someone was grabs the other machine, I wouldn't say anything. 

pinkshorts27

lolo883 said:

Anyone talking on the phone, sitting on a machine playing on their phone, or half-assing it while reading a damn book. If you are exerting yourself so little that you can read a novel, you're doing it wrong. Get out of my way.

There are some sweet old ladies that come ride the bikes and read a book. Even if they are "half-assing" it, they are getting some exercise and it is good for them. I don't judge them. I bet they are there to enjoy some exercise and not push themselves.

zitiqueen

lolo883 said:

Anyone talking on the phone, sitting on a machine playing on their phone, or half-assing it while reading a damn book. If you are exerting yourself so little that you can read a novel, you're doing it wrong. Get out of my way.

So you're saying I should just not get any exercise at all if I'm not willing to duplicate your workout? I got on the treadmill before you, so you can bend over and kiss my fat ass while I'm reading my Kindle.

theartistformerlyknownas

zitiqueen said:

lolo883 said:

Anyone talking on the phone, sitting on a machine playing on their phone, or half-assing it while reading a damn book. If you are exerting yourself so little that you can read a novel, you're doing it wrong. Get out of my way.

So you're saying I should just not get any exercise at all if I'm not willing to duplicate your workout? I got on the treadmill before you, so you can bend over and kiss my fat ass while I'm reading my Kindle.

Whoa whoa whoa whoa I meant the weight machines. I missed a word. Not the treadmill or other cardio machines. Cardio always takes a long time. There's some lady who sits on one of the weight machines doing like a rep a minute with 10lbs while engrossed in a book. It couldn't possibly be doing her any good but meanwhile that's the only machine like that and I could get my set done in 3 minutes but I have to wait for her to get done using it as a La-Z-Boy.

pinkshorts27

lolo883 said:

zitiqueen said:

lolo883 said:

Anyone talking on the phone, sitting on a machine playing on their phone, or half-assing it while reading a damn book. If you are exerting yourself so little that you can read a novel, you're doing it wrong. Get out of my way.

So you're saying I should just not get any exercise at all if I'm not willing to duplicate your workout? I got on the treadmill before you, so you can bend over and kiss my fat ass while I'm reading my Kindle.

Whoa whoa whoa whoa I meant the weight machines. I missed a word. Not the treadmill or other cardio machines. Cardio always takes a long time. There's some lady who sits on one of the weight machines doing like a rep a minute with 10lbs while engrossed in a book. It couldn't possibly be doing her any good but meanwhile that's the only machine like that and I could get my set done in 3 minutes but I have to wait for her to get done using it as a La-Z-Boy.

oh, on weight machines that sounds downright dangerous. 

jules3964

MagicInk said:

Anyone who hits on me in the gym. I'm sweating, I'm focused (ish..), I am not interested in being your eye candy.

This. 

The hot tub at my gym has basically become a gentlemen's club. And awhile back in the locker room some poor scorned woman posted flyers everywhere about a lying married man who was sleeping around with a bunch of women from the gym. I don't really understand why it's such a meet market anyway, but I just want to get my workout done and get the hell out of there.

lovesclimbing

lolo883 said:

zitiqueen said:

lolo883 said:

Anyone talking on the phone, sitting on a machine playing on their phone, or half-assing it while reading a damn book. If you are exerting yourself so little that you can read a novel, you're doing it wrong. Get out of my way.

So you're saying I should just not get any exercise at all if I'm not willing to duplicate your workout? I got on the treadmill before you, so you can bend over and kiss my fat ass while I'm reading my Kindle.

Whoa whoa whoa whoa I meant the weight machines. I missed a word. Not the treadmill or other cardio machines. Cardio always takes a long time. There's some lady who sits on one of the weight machines doing like a rep a minute with 10lbs while engrossed in a book. It couldn't possibly be doing her any good but meanwhile that's the only machine like that and I could get my set done in 3 minutes but I have to wait for her to get done using it as a La-Z-Boy.

------box

Yea, I was going to say reading is perfectly fine. But on a weight machine?! That's impossible unless you have a thingamajig that let's you hang it a few inches above your face.

I don't have too many annoyances. My main annoyance is with gyms themselves. I really wish they'd put in private showers (just curtain dividers would be fine!) instead of a communal room. I'm extremely modest and also not too happy with how far I've let myself go the past year or so and really don't want anyone except H or the doctor seeing me naked.

sophhabobopha

Ugh I hate that too. Also the macho men who glare at me for being in 'their' weight room. Excuse me, I'm a member here asshole.

zitiqueen

lolo883 said:

zitiqueen said:

lolo883 said:

Anyone talking on the phone, sitting on a machine playing on their phone, or half-assing it while reading a damn book. If you are exerting yourself so little that you can read a novel, you're doing it wrong. Get out of my way.

So you're saying I should just not get any exercise at all if I'm not willing to duplicate your workout? I got on the treadmill before you, so you can bend over and kiss my fat ass while I'm reading my Kindle.

Whoa whoa whoa whoa I meant the weight machines. I missed a word. Not the treadmill or other cardio machines. Cardio always takes a long time. There's some lady who sits on one of the weight machines doing like a rep a minute with 10lbs while engrossed in a book. It couldn't possibly be doing her any good but meanwhile that's the only machine like that and I could get my set done in 3 minutes but I have to wait for her to get done using it as a La-Z-Boy.

Fair enough.

zitiqueen

jules3964 said:

MagicInk said:

Anyone who hits on me in the gym. I'm sweating, I'm focused (ish..), I am not interested in being your eye candy.

This. 

The hot tub at my gym has basically become a gentlemen's club. And awhile back in the locker room some poor scorned woman posted flyers everywhere about a lying married man who was sleeping around with a bunch of women from the gym. I don't really understand why it's such a meet market anyway, but I just want to get my workout done and get the hell out of there.

I call the hot tub at my gym the Old Man Stew.

My pet peeve is also locker room-related. I hate when somebody comes in, sees locks hanging on the lockers (my lockers), clearly denoting that THEY ARE BEING USED, and decides to use the lockers right next to them, instead of using one of the dozens of clearly-empty lockers that surround them. If we happen to be getting dressed at the same time, you'd better believe I give as much a damn about their personal space as they gave about mine. I'm a fucking brick wall. I won't move to give them a little extra space. Shitty choices have shitty consequences.

ElcaB

pinkshorts27 said:

lolo883 said:

Anyone talking on the phone, sitting on a machine playing on their phone, or half-assing it while reading a damn book. If you are exerting yourself so little that you can read a novel, you're doing it wrong. Get out of my way.

There are some sweet old ladies that come ride the bikes and read a book. Even if they are "half-assing" it, they are getting some exercise and it is good for them. I don't judge them. I bet they are there to enjoy some exercise and not push themselves.

I agree --- I don't mind if anyone is reading while exercising (or even texting, as long as they don't stop to do so) if it doesn't inconvenience anyone else. 

sophhabobopha

zitiqueen said:

jules3964 said:

MagicInk said:

Anyone who hits on me in the gym. I'm sweating, I'm focused (ish..), I am not interested in being your eye candy.

This. 

The hot tub at my gym has basically become a gentlemen's club. And awhile back in the locker room some poor scorned woman posted flyers everywhere about a lying married man who was sleeping around with a bunch of women from the gym. I don't really understand why it's such a meet market anyway, but I just want to get my workout done and get the hell out of there.

I call the hot tub at my gym the Old Man Stew.

My pet peeve is also locker room-related. I hate when somebody comes in, sees locks hanging on the lockers (my lockers), clearly denoting that THEY ARE BEING USED, and decides to use the lockers right next to them, instead of using one of the dozens of clearly-empty lockers that surround them. If we happen to be getting dressed at the same time, you'd better believe I give as much a damn about their personal space as they gave about mine. I'm a fucking brick wall. I won't move to give them a little extra space. Shitty choices have shitty consequences.

VulgarGirl

------box Yea, I was going to say reading is perfectly fine. But on a weight machine?! That's impossible unless you have a thingamajig that let's you hang it a few inches above your face. I don't have too many annoyances. My main annoyance is with gyms themselves. I really wish they'd put in private showers (just curtain dividers would be fine!) instead of a communal room. I'm extremely modest and also not too happy with how far I've let myself go the past year or so and really don't want anyone except H or the doctor seeing me naked.

Wait like just one big communal shower? Like on prison shows? Or like one big communal shower area with separate stalls? Because...outside of my elementary locker room I have never seen a communal shower in real life. And no one used the one in elementary school, it was a storage area. 

My gym has a shower area, and then there are separate stalls with shower curtains hanging up.

VulgarGirl

I'm not sure if my gym has a hot tub or not. But I'm not gonna go find out now! We do have a sauna (one in the men's locker room, one in the woman's) I've never used it but there is a group of older ladies who will hangout in there butt ass naked for hours. They wander around the locker room naked too. They don't really bother me, I'm just not sure what they're doing naked all that time for. And I love being naked. But locker rooms aren't that fantastic.

Also...what the fuck with the underlines? I'm not doing this. 

sophhabobopha

zitiqueen said:

lolo883 said:

zitiqueen said:

lolo883 said:

Anyone talking on the phone, sitting on a machine playing on their phone, or half-assing it while reading a damn book. If you are exerting yourself so little that you can read a novel, you're doing it wrong. Get out of my way.

So you're saying I should just not get any exercise at all if I'm not willing to duplicate your workout? I got on the treadmill before you, so you can bend over and kiss my fat ass while I'm reading my Kindle.

Whoa whoa whoa whoa I meant the weight machines. I missed a word. Not the treadmill or other cardio machines. Cardio always takes a long time. There's some lady who sits on one of the weight machines doing like a rep a minute with 10lbs while engrossed in a book. It couldn't possibly be doing her any good but meanwhile that's the only machine like that and I could get my set done in 3 minutes but I have to wait for her to get done using it as a La-Z-Boy.

Fair enough.

Everybody reads where I go. I use my college's gym because it's free for students. People bring textbooks to read while cycling or whatever. But on the weight machines? Yeah that's stupid.

abbyj700

My current gym doesn't have much that is snark worthy. It is a rec center for our town so the people who go typically are there to get their thing done and get out - conveniently and affordably. 

For about a year I was a member to a fancy gym in a more upscale area. It made me furious on most days. Here I am huffing and puffing, turning red and sweating my ass off in my free t-shirts and walmart shorts as women in full make-up with their hair down are stretching or calmly walking on the treadmill while talking to their friends. Of course they are wearing expensive workout gear. Of course they are not even close to breaking a sweat. And of course - they weighed roughly 12 lbs. It used to make me want to yell at them. "If you wanna talk and look pretty with your friend - go to a Starbucks!"

And uck...getting hit on. It always used to drive me nutty. New place is the best place I've been at for not getting hit on - everyone is just there to workout and half the time their kid is downstairs playing basketball and their wife is on a machine nearby, on the walking track or playing tennis, etc - so they aren't looking to do that.

ElcaB

abbyj700 said:

My current gym doesn't have much that is snark worthy. It is a rec center for our town so the people who go typically are there to get their thing done and get out - conveniently and affordably. 

For about a year I was a member to a fancy gym in a more upscale area. It made me furious on most days. Here I am huffing and puffing, turning red and sweating my ass off in my free t-shirts and walmart shorts as women in full make-up with their hair down are stretching or calmly walking on the treadmill while talking to their friends. Of course they are wearing expensive workout gear. Of course they are not even close to breaking a sweat. And of course - they weighed roughly 12 lbs. It used to make me want to yell at them. "If you wanna talk and look pretty with your friend - go to a Starbucks!"

And uck...getting hit on. It always used to drive me nutty. New place is the best place I've been at for not getting hit on - everyone is just there to workout and half the time their kid is downstairs playing basketball and their wife is on a machine nearby, on the walking track or playing tennis, etc - so they aren't looking to do that.

This made me LOL. 

thisismynickname2

"Old Man Stew" is one reason why I quit my old gym.  I have a few old gyms actually.

The nice ones that I loved just got too expensive and I couldn't justify the cost for amenities I barely used.  The best one had the hot tubs and saunas in the respective locker room areas so I only sat with a few other women.  A much cheaper gym I went to after that, which I quit because it's too dirty, had one large hot tub next to the pool where both sexes congregated.  I just wasn't comfortable sitting there with old men.  

I'm also not down with so much nakedness in locker rooms. My new gym, which is tiny, cheap, and newly built, is a bare-bones "dry" gym and most people just stow coats and boots in the lockers. All showering is at home, thank goodness!   I haven't had anything to snark about until Little Miss Two Machines came along. 

I never get hit on at the gym. Something's wrong with me.  

VulgarGirl

We do have a hot tub at our gym! I asked FI because she sometimes swims laps there and she'd know. She says it's usually either empty or has older ladies in it who spend a lot of time talking about various medical issues. She never bothers with it, we've got a hot tub at our condo complex anyways.

beethery

thisismynickname said:

"Old Man Stew" is one reason why I quit my old gym.  I have a few old gyms actually.

The nice ones that I loved just got too expensive and I couldn't justify the cost for amenities I barely used.  The best one had the hot tubs and saunas in the respective locker room areas so I only sat with a few other women.  A much cheaper gym I went to after that, which I quit because it's too dirty, had one large hot tub next to the pool where both sexes congregated.  I just wasn't comfortable sitting there with old men.  

I'm also not down with so much nakedness in locker rooms. My new gym, which is tiny, cheap, and newly built, is a bare-bones "dry" gym and most people just stow coats and boots in the lockers. All showering is at home, thank goodness!   I haven't had anything to snark about until Little Miss Two Machines came along. 

I never get hit on at the gym. Something's wrong with me.  

Naw!

I never got hit on at the gym either. In fact, it is INCREDIBLY rare that I get hit on because I have the popularly-termed 'Resting Bitch Face'. It becomes active bitch face when some idiot tells me to smile.

The closest I've come to being hit on at a gym was when some creep sat down at a machine across from the ab cruncherizer that I was using, and stared down my shirt. I yelled, "HEY" and flipped him off. He left. You want to look at cleavage? You go fuck around on the treadmills and watch The Bachelor.

ashley8918

STARERS. I want to throttle people who STARE at me at the gym. I mean, it's not like I never glance at another person, or make quick eye contact, but come on. But when they just sit there and stare at me or make prolonged, creeptacular eye contact? STOP IT! I know I look ridiculous. And I know that my ass is jiggling like an earthquake just hit. Jesus. ETF Paragraphs... or maybe not. Ugh.

SeaCaptainOtter

ashley8918 said:

STARERS. I want to throttle people who STARE at me at the gym. I mean, it's not like I never glance at another person, or make quick eye contact, but come on. But when they just sit there and stare at me or make prolonged, creeptacular eye contact? STOP IT! I know I look ridiculous. And I know that my ass is jiggling like an earthquake just hit. Jesus. ETF Paragraphs... or maybe not. Ugh.

SITB:

So creepy! Especially that moment between when you think they were just looking around and when you realize they are an stare-er. Staring back sometimes works...