I (22F) go to a small local gym with only one hip thrust station, Its super popular especially during peak hours and there’s always a wait when its busy.
last night around 7 pm a group of 4 teenage girls (around 18-20) had taken it over, one was doing very slow sets (maybe 4-5 reps every 5-10 minutes) while the other three were sitting on/around the bench scroling on their phones showing each other videos laughing and barely lifting.
I waited about 15 minutes doing other exercises nearby (kickbacks on the cable machine, squats on the smith) but after 40 minutes total and a couple other people glancing over waiting too I walked over politely and said
“Hey girls mind if I work in on the hip thrust? i’ve been waiting a bit and it looks like you’re taking a long rest”
the girl on the bench said “we’re still using it just wait” her friend added “yeah we’re mid-workout”
I replied calmly “I get that but its been 40 minutes and many poeple want to do hip thrusts as well, there’s only one station and people are waiting could you wrap up or let someone work in?”
they rolled their eyes one muttered “chill girl” but they didn’t move. after another 5 minutes of nothing happening I asked again “seriously can you free it up? the gym’s small and this is the only hip thrust machine”
a staff member noticed and came over. I explained i’d been waiting and asked to work in. the staff asked the group to either lift properly or let others use the station. they grumbled slowly packed up and left.
my boyfriend (who was on the other side of the gym) later said I should’ve just talked to staff first instead of asking them dierctly and that I might have come across as pushy.
I feel like I was polite and just wanted fair access but what my boyfriend said is giving me doubts. AITA for asking them to move/share after waiting so long?
NTA, people don’t know how to act in the gym anymore. stand your ground
Your bf is a wuss, you acted like an adult. NTA
I’m ngl what he said was very annoying at the time
Yeah, normal adult communication is talking to the person first because most people in my opinion aren’t assholes and won’t try to be an inconvenience deliberately. It’s only when respectful and direct communication doesn’t work that escalating to a person with authority becomes the right thing to do.
NTA, I would feel worse if the staff had to pull me without anyone asking me? I let people work in all the time so if someone didn’t ask me and went straight to staff I’d feel really bad… just cause they don’t know gym etiquette doesn’t mean you have to act outside of it, that’ll just get confusing
NTA. You did everyone there a favour. This is how you learn how to be a courteous gym user. You were extremely patient. Your bf is wrong. I would have done the same thing.
If you’d gone to staff first your bf would have given you crap for not asking the girls first 🫠
NTA. It’s a shared space, not a hangout spot. Long rests are fine, but 40 mins during peak? Nah.
naw 40 minutes is egregious
Why is it if a dude asked that, they’d be direct…but a woman is being “pushy” every time?
NTA. They weren’t using it properly and were hogging it. It’s reasonable to approach and ask them to finish up and free it up…and then go back when they still refused to.
Getting the staff member involved *should* have been a last resort…and for a guy, *would* have been.
NTA, but I’ve come to the conclusion that I will ask politely once and then he a manager. It’s not worth dealing with and that’s what they are there for
NTA. You did the right thing trying with them first. It’s passive aggressive to go direct to staff before you even try to address people directly.
Ask once then ask the staff to intervene. This is part of the reason I changed gyms. Teenagers chatting while monopolizing the equipment.
NTA. But next time, ask once, and if you get attitude, go to the staff for help. It’ll be better for everyone that way and you don’t have to deal with their BS.
Why’s your BF commenting on how you handled your shit?
You handled it.
BF needs to shut the fuck up and stay out of it.
(I’m a dude)