Gym Bro Gets Accused Of Breaking Gym Etiquette After Standing Near An Occupied Flat Bench To Wait In Line While A Woman Was Using It

A woman was on her last set of hip thrusts when he approached her to ask a question

Chelsi

• Published in Interesting
• March 31, 2023

One of the first questions I asked at the front desk when I signed up for a gym membership is which time their facility is typically least populated. It is expected that gyms get most of their members coming in early mornings or late afternoons.

At their peak hours, there is no other option but to patiently wait for your turn to use the most popular equipment. A Redditor was doing just that, waiting for his turn to use the flat bench at his gym.

A woman was using it for hip thrusts, so OP approached her and asked how many sets she had left to do. OP decided to wait by the side after the woman told him that she would be done after one set.

This is how you "fall in line" when waiting to use an occupied piece of equipment at the gym. The woman asked OP to do another exercise until she was done.

OP replied he would just wait for her to finish her exercise instead. The woman accused him of being impatient and breaking gym etiquette.

OP retorted that maybe she shouldn't be doing hip thrusts on a flat bench, a popular piece of equipment if she didn't want people waiting in line. Naturally, the woman reported OP to the staff.

The staff was sympathetic with OP

However, he was told that members can do any exercise using any of the machines

OP said he was well aware of this, but he doubts if he did the right thing since two other people told him he was being rude

A commenter said that if four people already told OP he was wrong, then the logical conclusion is he was wrong

OP defended himself and said patiently waiting was exactly what he was doing. He stood near the equipment to signal others that he was next in line for the flat bench.

It could be an atypical exercise to do on a flat bench but, as the staff told OP, members are free to do whatever exercise they want

OP did find it odd initially that she was doing hip thrusts on a flat bench when people at his gym do that using another equipment, but he wasn't wrong for how he waited in line and asking the lady how many more sets she had left

To be clear, this is what irked OP:

OP didn't break protocol like the lady accused him of, he was actually observing the unspoken rule

Commenters were going back and forth if OP did behave like an a**hole

One pointed out that the woman deserved to use that space like any other gym-goer

They said the woman wanted some space to do her sets in peace and OP broke that by standing nearby

People who sided with OP couldn't see why the others were up in arms when OP followed gym etiquette to the T

OP said he wasn't bothering her, he was just waiting near the flat bench like others would, since she said that she only had one set left

The comments that gave OP a YTA verdict were more popular, and that vote won. Still, the NTA comments were correct to point out that OP didn't behave rudely.

He only replied curtly when the woman copped an attitude with him. How about you, do you think OP broke gym protocol?

Chelsi