Ridicule at the gym?

turryandsally

Thanks for your post and encouragement.

vamaena

I've never had a bad comment directed at me while at the gym. It's more of a fear projected onto yourself.
I met some personal trainers for my gym at the Ottawa's woman show and really liked what they were saying about how they view fitness/nutrition so I booked a meet and greet session. I almost cancelled that session because I was terrified I would hear negative comments from other members. The gym specializes in personal training for professional athletes. I knew I was close to 340lbs and all I could think of was "I'm overweight and slow and out of shape" I went anyway and I'm really glad I did. I signed up and booked 36 sessions with them. My first workout I was terrified again at what people would say, nobody noticed me. It was wonderful. Over a couple of months I noticed that some of the usual gym goers were observing me as I worked out and would cheer me on as I did it too. (they still do).

Everyone there is super nice and friendly, they're all willing to offer help and advice/tips. I noticed over the past few months that when I go on weekday evenings it's only the owner or other personal trainers who are working out as most of the members tend to go during the day. On weekends because I go so early in the morning I usually get more trainers and the occasional body builder. People have noticed the change and improvement and its just more motivation to keep on going.

Kalikel

I was never insulted. I never heard anyone else insulted.

I see lots of posts from people who are afraid to enter a gym and it's crazy. The whole world really doesn't care as much about them as they seem to think. You aren't the first fat person to enter the gym. You won't be the last. Fat people in the gym - it's not an uncommon thing. Just get over yourself, because everyone else was over you before you even got there. They really don't care about you.

Early_Riser

I never had issues, but I don't usually pay attention to others too much.

JeffInJax

Its mostly all in the persons mind like others have said. There was only literally one time that ive been witness to anything like that happening which was at a low cost kinda heavy duty gym with a lot of serious lifters. The cardio room was packed and some high school punk said something very harsh to a lady on a treadmill so she would get off, and he could use it, in about 1/2 a second he was given the option to walk out or be removed from the gym and was banned from ever coming back.

formerfatboy1

I invested in a Home gym in my garage. This November will be 3yrs I been in it day in and day out. if someone was to approach me in a mean manner or something to that nature I would go straight for the face with all I got end of story. have a bless day MFP!

Kate7294

I once joined Planet Fitness and a co-worker dragged me into a step-class. We were trying but not very coordinated. The teacher actually stopped and suggested we might do better or what not in the beginner class. That was pretty damn infuriating. I never went back.

I joined a family fitness center several months ago. I love it. Though yes I still avoid classes.

chadya07

i think more often than not i see posts about a FEAR of ridicule at the gym. or the perceived interpretation of a look someone gave them... and mostly i think it is projection of ones own insecurities. never have i been to a gym where anyone talks crap. i am sure there exists people who do talk crap, but for the most part everyone is in their own world and dont care.

however, in the beginning i did think people were looking at me and judging, and it made me run longer on the treadmill to prove them wrong. later i come to find out nobody was watching and i wasnt the center of the universe, even if i was gigantic in my mind.

mikeshockley

I'm 5'10" and 159lbs (last check, two weeks ago, probably less now). Anyways, I'm fairly small for my height. I had a guy on the elliptical next to me say "you better work harder, I've burned twice as many calories as you..."

Now...he easily had 100lbs on me, EASILY. So as a 260+ pound guy, he was doing LESS time, LESS speed, AND LESS resistance but was (per the machine) burning more calories due to his size.

I replied with "that's good for you though, looks like you really need it..."

It pissed me off though, it really did lol.

Good for you! What a jackwad for even commenting at all!

999tigger

everyone lovely at my gym and mostly more concerned with getting their workout done and get out. Also pretty quite so at times can feel more like your own gym as it never gets busy. No posuers and quite a few pensioners.

tturley

Some of the people here imagine that they're being bullied in the forums just because someone dared to disagree with them. I bet lots of folks imagine that they're being ridiculed at the gym, too. Maybe it's "obesity induced paranoia" .

Booksandbeaches

I've been to several gyms, large and small, military and non-military, I've yet to see people ridiculing anyone at the gym. I'm not saying it doesn't happen. I'm sure people aren't making it up when they say it happened to them. It's just not something I've witnessed at any of the gyms I've visited. Most people seem to be afraid that others are going to ridicule them or stare. I agree with the poster above me who said it's the FEAR of what people might say at the gym that stops some from going.

People are really nice at the regular gym I go to. You recognize the regulars who exercise at the same time of day you do. People don't hog machines or stare. My only gripe is that people don't wipe down the sweat on machines, but I suppose that's a First World Problem.

Followingsea

I've never been ridiculed, nor seen ridicule at my gym. Mine is actually next door to a physiotherapy place, so they get a lot of 'graduates' from pre or post surgery/injury, as well as the usual assortment of gymgoers.

Knowing that people really aren't ridiculing you isn't enough to stop insecurity, though. In my experience, nobody has ever been as mean to me as my own brain. I suspect the same is true of others.

MyChocolateDiet

I don't even know why people waste gas and time to drive to the gym to ridicule people when there is this perfectly free app right in the comfort of their own home from which to do it?

BTW...

Earbuds.

allie_00p

I've been going to a large gym for about 5 years now and I've only had a negative interaction with someone once in that time. Some enormous (in both muscle and stature) guy came up to me and said I shouldn't be doing the exercise I was doing (it was something dumb like lat pulldowns I think), he told me that "only professionals" should do it, and proceeded to show me what I "should" be doing... to clarify there was no asking if I would like advice or help, I was silent the entire time, and pretty intimidated, I think just by his sheer size and, um, very confident demeanor, he probably had a pretty intense pre-workout... I left immediately afterward.

I don't think he meant to be intimidating, he probably really thought he was helping me, but I felt small and foolish - even though I know pulldowns are a perfectly normal exercise!

But that's the only negative interaction I've ever had. I think it's pretty rare but when it does happen, it's memorable

ETA: everyone else at my gym is just there to put their work in and friendly all in all.

mank32

everyone lovely at my gym and mostly more concerned with getting their workout done and get out. Also pretty quite so at times can feel more like your own gym as it never gets busy. No posuers and quite a few pensioners.

same story here, pretty much exactly

marinabreeze

I have never had it happen to me in my 15 years on and off of going to the gym. Even at the gym I went to in college and grad school, full of young college students, no one has ever said anything to me, and if they commented about me, I had my headphones on so I didn't hear it. Besides, I tend to have an intimidating look when I'm minding my own business, so I rarely ever get ridicule from strangers in general despite my weight.

I don't think that the fear is completely unfounded. It's clear from some of the posts that it does happen - just very rarely. There's a difference between very rarely and never.

Snip8241

Years ago I was in the weight room regularly. When the high school let out for the summer I was very intimidated because the football players were now there and they all knew my son who was on the team.

One day I had just finished my leg workout and I saw them looking at me and talking...I asked them if I could help them...ready to be nasty back if they made fun of me....

They said....Damn Mrs R!!! Your leg workout is awesome!!!!!

Sometimes people look at you and think nice things.

:bigsmile:

bethanygordon5693

Hi,
im new to MFP have been using it a few days and would like to meet some new people for more support
21 13st and 5"7
im sick of being the big one!

caramelgyrlk

I have been at my same gym for 4+ years now. Many saw my transformation and I get commended to this day. I honestly believe when newcomers or Introverted individuals enter a gym they have the preconceived notion that everyone is looking at them and commenting. I am very observant and pay attention to things around me, thus the reason I may look up at someone. Many of us are there for the same reason, to get healthier, to maintain, become more sculpted, etc.. I would like to think that gyms in this day and age have some sort of protocol to deal with members who do not know how to behave and disrupt the atmosphere in the gym.