Man at the gym tells me he is "using" the equipment I'm on when he was no where to be found

GymEtiquette? wrote:

You, and many others on here, truly lack reading comprehension skills. That was in response to the person who said he asked what the lady removing the 45s was doing.

Point still stands about how the bench was in use and you need to learn about gym etiquette.

Anyways, 8.5/10, I was a little enraged reading about how indignant and oblivious you are and about how sure you are that you're right (why would you even ask here? for validation?)

OK, but how is the bench in use if you're not on it? Can someone please explain to me how it makes sense for someone to say they're using a piece of equipment they're not on? How is it cool to hog equipment like that?

GymEtiquette? wrote:

OK, but how is the bench in use if you're not on it? Can someone please explain to me how it makes sense for someone to say they're using a piece of equipment they're not on? How is it cool to hog equipment like that?

I'm not sure you understand how a lot of lifting routines work (although if you think you know enough to superset, you should, and supersets mean you are holding down two pieces of equipment at the same time if you are doing them right so you're being hypocritical if you know what you are talking about). If you know so much about lifting you've heard of Stronglifts 5x5. The most universally respected beginner's/novice's program. 3 lifts, 5 sets, 5 reps, 90-180sec rest in between. This is the standard. But you say that if someone takes a three minute rest you should derack their bench and hog it for as long as it takes you to do your sets. Hypocrite, much? They beat you to it. Show up earlier next time.

If you finish a set, you have a reasonable expectation you can walk away for a moment or two and not have your stuff moved and weights deracked. It's just how it is at the gym. You might get angry at some guy who takes 4 minutes between sets, the same way you might in a long line at Starbucks, but it's just how it is and how it's always been. Feel free to try to start a revolution and civilize all the gymbros. You do you.

Thanks for mansplaining this to me. I do know how supersets work and unfortunately, oftentimes, when I am supersetting, someone will hop on the equipment I was using for my superset. But because I am NOT a hypocrite, I don't say anything. I wasn't on the machine at the time; therefore, I'm not entitled to it. Instead, I go work on something else and exhibit some flexibility in my routine. I recognize that the gym is not my home and that other people need to use the equipment, so I'll either wait until it's free again to use it, or go work on something else.

Lifter wrote:

I agree with the Gym woman. If you leave your bench you are no longer using it. An important point is the Gym was busy.

I agree - assuming there was no towel or other equipment left on the bench. I think the only way you can claim a piece of equipment is in use and leave it is if (for some reason) you can't wait for a drink from the water fountain. But in that situation you'd need to leave your towel/keys or something on it making it obvious that you'll be back in a sec (and be as quick as reasonably possible if the gym is busy)

Leaving a bench with no towel etc on it for more than 30 seconds in a crowded gym (especially gyms where people don't remove plates when finished) is likely going to end in someone starting to use it.

GymEtiquette? wrote:

Thanks for mansplaining this to me. I do know how supersets work and unfortunately, oftentimes, when I am supersetting, someone will hop on the equipment I was using for my superset. But because I am NOT a hypocrite, I don't say anything. I wasn't on the machine at the time; therefore, I'm not entitled to it. Instead, I go work on something else and exhibit some flexibility in my routine. I recognize that the gym is not my home and that other people need to use the equipment, so I'll either wait until it's free again to use it, or go work on something else.

First off, most lifters have a routine and want to follow it strictly, so you are an anomaly, not the norm.

However, I'm starting to see your point of view now. You essentially don't agree with how things often are at gyms, and want to change it. You don't like the fact that even if you walk away unofficial gym law means no one else can use it because chances are you are coming back for another set and you are taking a short rest. You aren't necessarily entitled or anything, just oblivious to general gym etiquette.

You left out a piece of information in the original as well, as you failed to mention if the bar still had weight on it. If it did, that's a no go.

And by the way, you have a typo in the beginning. I think you meant to say "Thanks for explaining things to a ten year old", because that's how you're acting.

old guy 72 wrote:

I'm hoping most of these replies are sarcasm.

No, they were just a sign of the usual LRC stupidity.

doesn't take that long wrote:

How do you even have time to leave the equipment during the rest period? Do you also wander away from the track during the 1-3 minute rest between repeats?

Why would a person need to go get water while occupying equipment? Three sets with a long recovery will take you ~8 minutes. You can't wait 8 minutes to get a drink?

Only 3 sets and you're assuming a short rest period? Do you even lift, bro?

Was the guy a meathead? The correct thing to do was drop a 45 weight on his balls when he laid down on the bench.

jim from the gym wrote:

You left out a piece of information in the original as well, as you failed to mention if the bar still had weight on it. If it did, that's a no go.

And by the way, you have a typo in the beginning. I think you meant to say "Thanks for explaining things to a ten year old", because that's how you're acting.

She did say it had weights.

1) superset at your own risk, if you go do another exercise you have left claim to the previous piece of equipment. No one gets to occupy more than one piece of equipment at a time.

2) never sit between sets . you may be willing to allow someone to work in, but let this fact be known by standing up. if you're not willing to let people to work-in, you're a dick

3) if you're running to the water fountain, don't expect anyone to know that you were still planning on using a piece of equipment if you didn't leave a towel

4) return all equipment to where you found it. If you found it out of place, bonus points for returning it where it actually goes.

Actually your etiquette is precisely right. The least he can do is put an object on the bench if he's running to the bathroom quickly to signal that he will be right back.

You really don’t know how to read, do you? In my very first post I admitted there were weights on the machine but that people often don’t rerack in my gym so it doesn’t mean much.

Also, it’s really not my problem that people have strict routines. Go get a home gym if you are so rigid that you cannot handle other people using gym equipment. We are all paying to use the gym. If this is truly the culture at gyms, you’re right, I’m not into it, but clearly a few people on here agree with me so maybe it’s more about a few dudes who think their workouts are more important than everyone else’s and they should be able to dominate equipment without actively using it.

GymEtiquette? wrote:

Thanks for mansplaining this to me. I do know how supersets work and unfortunately, oftentimes, when I am supersetting, someone will hop on the equipment I was using for my superset. But because I am NOT a hypocrite, I don't say anything. I wasn't on the machine at the time; therefore, I'm not entitled to it. Instead, I go work on something else and exhibit some flexibility in my routine. I recognize that the gym is not my home and that other people need to use the equipment, so I'll either wait until it's free again to use it, or go work on something else.

I am going to gaysplain this to you, and I am only going to do it once. Try playing a video poker machine at a casino and see what happens. You have to LAY CLAIM to that piece of equipment. If you don't do that then it is open season on that piece of equipment. Laying claim would include hanging your workout towel upon said piece.

This is like the guy is doing 400m intervals over hurdles. You come along and move one of the hurdles out of the way because nobody was using it.

99.9% of gym users have a bottle of water beside them. Who ever heard of going to a water fountain, never mind expecting to find your last equipment still free when you went back?

Nope, because it is fair to assume he is or will be actively engaged with all the hurdles and there is a person on the track using them. In this case, no one was at the machine (which is isolated from other equipment mind you). If I removed the bench while he was stacking weights to the rack, or perhaps removed some dumbbells he had next to it or some weights from the bar, this would he comparable.

The comparisons you guys are using are not at all similar. You should maybe try studying for the LSAT to understand how logic works.

lady it's like you want us to hate you. he probably wasn't mad or rude or anything but your terrible personality made it into a big deal. why'd you come here if all you wanted was validation? ask your friends (if you have any)