This Gym-Goer Refused to Move for a Video Shoot, and Oh Boy, the Internet Has Some Strong Feelings

Gyms are turning into places where people often film their workouts for social media. One gym-goer has a frustrating story about this. They faced a tough situation and ended up getting a little bit of revenge. This story shows how gym culture is changing. Now, it’s hard to tell where personal space ends and public display begins.

Here is the story in u/Striking-Stick-2355 own words.

“Working out is a pillar of my everyday life, and it has been for the past ten years, and I’m at the gym every day of the week.”

“Now, I don’t go to the gym to talk to people, make friends or make funny videos. I go to train and go home. However, now with the new video trends, many folks want to record their exercises to post on social media. This is their business and not mine, they can do whatever they want, but I also don’t think I need to stop doing my own work-out to accommodate them.”

“Last night, I was doing squats on the smith machine. I work out with head-phones and didn’t notice someone trying to get my attention. I suddenly felt a tap on my shoulder mid-squat, and only then I noticed a woman with a very annoyed expression.”

“She barely allowed me to finish the movement to start talking, which was muffled due to headphones. Long story short, she was annoyed because I was training in the smith machine, as she wanted to record herself doing regular squats.”

“However, she said the best spot was in front of that smith machine (there’s more than one), and she didn’t want me on the frame, so she wanted me to stop my series for her to record.”

“Now, usually, if someone comes to me with a good attitude and asks if it’s ok for me to stop for a series or two for them to record or even move machines, I would absolutely not mind and comply. That woman did nothing of the sort, being extremely arrogant and honestly, extremely annoying.”

“So, I was petty, and told her to record once I was done, and proceeded to do every single exercise I could on the same smith machine. Squats? Smith. Hip Thrust? Smith. It was petty, and I know I shouldn’t have done it. But I felt very vindicated, seeing her annoying expression.”

“That being said, a few people said I was an a**hole for doing that, as there were other machines I could use.”

The users were split into different camps, expressing different opinions:

“I think there was a better way to handle this. We’re living in a world where creating content is a primary source of income for some people. Yes, she could have asked nicely, but by choosing to hog the machine, you escalated things unnecessarily.”

“Your reaction to the situation in the gym was excessive. While the woman’s approach might not have been polite, responding by deliberately occupying the machine for longer than necessary was petty.”

Some users defended the writer saying:

“First off, who interrupts someone mid squat? A lot of gyms have a no recording policy where I live. In my last gym, these people just got reported to the fitness manager.”

Another user said:

“My jaw dropped when I read that. I would in all seriousness be at risk of jail with my reaction if someone did that to me”

What do you think about this situation? Let me know in the comments below.

Rowing Machine King Founder and Author.