OMG!! Almost punched this guy @ gym!

Countryslove

This made me mad just reading it.
I am so glad that you stood up for yourself. You paid good money to work out there just like he did and should be able to use any of the equipment that you choose to.
It is jerks like that that make me glad that I work out at home.

susannamarie

Maybe he was trying to be funny but the joke turned out bad.

I could believe this. But he still needs to be told it's NOT funny and NOT acceptable -- because if someone didn't have a generally supportive community like MFP, it might very well convince her that yes, she should be doing cardio on the machines.

Kanohane

He needs to do his research...strength training isn't only for men...

thinclo

OMG! thats soooo rude! I've done a lot of research on strength training and this is still the ONLY thing stopping me from giving it a go its so sad that people should have to feel like that. If i ever pluck up the courage to try it, im not sure how id cope with feeling intimidated by these huge giant men who think women shouldnt be in the weights section. (im not saying all huge giant men are like that just some lol). good on you for standing your ground!

dododo123

what an a-hole! you are brave. i would have left because its easy to intimidate me but i would have gone to the staff and canceled my membership and make a scene until i got my money back so that they would be pissed off at the guy.

ivansmomma

All I can think of in this situation is the Planet Fitness commercial with the 'weightlifter' who "lifts things up and puts things down". About the same mentality as this no-couth person. I agree that you should report him, because he could do this to others and they may not stand up to him the way you did.

Anthonydaman

What a douche, I am always surprised to find other men who think like this. Keep working out and disregard neanderthals like this.

KatKatatrophic

You should've took the weight bar and ram it into his sprinkles xD My appropriate word for balls.
I'd continue to report it, maybe you could even get something free out of it like a one month thing. This happened to me one time, expect my bf came up to the guy and told him off, the manager came over, and he was watching the whole thing, and he gave me a free month.

Lolli1986

That is just horrible... I'm so glad you were able to keep it together and stand up for yourself in such a rational way. I think if someone had muttered something nasty about about 'knowing my place' i might have lost it a bit and actually said something insulting.

I've never used the free weights area (don't know how), but I used machine weights a bit. I live in an army town, and I have had guys sullenly stalk around my machine waiting for me to get off (I do NOT do many reps, I can't). Had I been a guy there is no way another guy would have been machine stalking in such a rude and blatant way.

Ugh, good on you for reporting him... that behaviour would go against the gym's equal opportunity policy. thankfully in 2012 we have some level of legislated protection (no thanks to the men in power at the time - thanks to the suffragettes and our other predecessors who fought for it). Yes, there are still things that we need to fight for, but thankfully we are mostly backed up by policy and law because that is the way society wants it to be.

emmaleigh47

Wow you handled that much better than most people would have. I would have probably just stared at him and had no answer to the comment. You at least made him think and put him in his place. We have a womens gym area at my gym and I have yet to check it out ... hmmm

good2bthaking

good for you for standing your ground. I admire all the people in the gym because They Are There. When I first startedworking with free weights I would get the stares because I wasn't lifting much weight.I just told myself" Screw you" because I pay my memebership like everyone else. But honestly, most the people are good people and are all just trying to get in shape. Glad you held your ground. Thank God it wasn't my wife they said it to because I would probably be posting her bond right about now.

astrampe

You should really report him to management - his either a born jerk or his poor little brain has been fried by all the steroids he needs to make him a big boy...

IvoryParchment

I'm no good in verbal sparring. I clam up when under stress. (It's generally a useful fault, so I don't make things worse by saying things I'll regret to people I love,) But that guy needed a timely dressing-down.

My fantasy retribution would be to take a photo of the guy with a cell phone, post it in the women's lockers with a quote of what he said to you, and provide a long sheet of paper asking the other women to suggest what you should have said to him. Then let groups of women at the gym start to snicker and point when they see him, and him not have any idea why.

Or I would have wished I said, very loudly (hey, you had your headphones on!) "I don't care that you'd rather look at men's bodies when they work out over here! None of the members of this gym come here for you to ogle their bodies!" But that would be disrespectful to gay men, so I would have been happy not to have thought of it at the time.

So yeah, reporting him to management is the best idea.

ShantiDey

I am so proud of you!!! You set a great example of how to handle this kind of cretin. Kudos!

Definitely report his ignorant self to management ASAP - as a previous poster noted, they probably have it on video so they can pick out the nutjob. However, depending on the technology used, the video may be "erased" or copied over on a scheduled basis - so the sooner you report him, the better.

Congrats also on your strength win! I have recently worked up to 50 lbs with a goal of benching 75 this year - you can achieve your goal! Keep working out & pushing yourself & overcome any obstacle - including Mr. Wimpypants who can't wait his turn for the equipment. :laugh:

mikajoanow

What a jerk!!!

bllowry

Definitely report him in writing. I had something similar years ago whilst using a weight machine. I was told the 'leg warmer brigade was downstairs' and to move my fat *kitten* so he could have the machine. I told him off loudly, telling him I had three more sets of reps and rudeness wasn't a compensation for a tiny penis.

peacefulsong

Wow you handled that much better than most people would have. I would have probably just stared at him and had no answer to the comment. You at least made him think and put him in his place. We have a womens gym area at my gym and I have yet to check it out ... hmmm

I doubt it made him think, it probably just intimidated him to be faced with a woman who would stand up to him.

tross0924

Yep. D!ck for sure. You did good though. Don't let it bug you too much. He'll probably never say anything to you again. You stood up to him; bullies don't like that.

If he does say something again just give him a flat stare and as soon as he's done talking. Ask him of he's done and put your ear piece back in and ignore him.

And great job on the bench! Women lifters rock!

capnwo85

Wow, what a D-bag. Probably drinks MONSTER MILK.

blueandigo

Damn now that's disrespect.

DRetel

Wow, what a jerk. I'm pretty crabby, and if that happened to me, I'd have stood up, got right in his grill and just STARE at him up close until he backed down.

Angela_Freeborn

Oh yea i would have soooo lost it on him and said something that prob would have been very un-lady like lol. Some people honestly got no class. And well he is obviously one of them.
Thats right hunny you stand your ground and dont let some low life mr know it all tell you any different. "pat on the back for you "

twinlaced

I've actually had someone treat me in the same manner. He did the exact same thing and pointed to the ellipticals, then proceeded to tell me I was too small to be lifting, rofl. I actually told the staff and I think they talked to him, never saw him after that, not sure what happened.

10036

OMG! Are you serious?? My jaw dropped when I read that! WOW.. I am speechless..

IKR... I mean I live in a teeny town in mid-missouri, Im sure the men here think woman shouldnt even be allowed in the gym, but most dont voice it. This guy was outrageous.

There is your problem, you are in missouri
Seriously though, as a male, I would never think that, nonetheless say that. It sounds like he is just an idiot.

I'm from Missouri too, near KC. Doesn't that guy know we're better than that? I personally might have been too surprised to do anything. May have just stared at him like...



then...



Nicely handled.

modernmom70

Oh my god what a douche bag! That is unreal. This is why I go to a women's only gym! And added bonus is there is barely ever more than one other woman in the weight room.

jenny95662

Wow this actually made me angry lol If I were you I prob would have hit him with my 35 pounds lmao I would have used some really mean words i give you credit for saying it the way you did lol After what I would have said to him he would no longer thing I am a lady lmfao glad you stuck up for yourself i go to the y too and its always men in weights but i like you go anyhow well really boys at mine lmao

coraliethomas

I've actually had someone treat me in the same manner. He did the exact same thing and pointed to the ellipticals, then proceeded to tell me I was too small to be lifting, rofl. I actually told the staff and I think they talked to him, never saw him after that, not sure what happened.

I would say Im glad Im not the only one.. but Im really not. Now that I think about it though, Im glad it happened.. its just motivated me to keep going and try even harder!

Ms2Cute

You did the right thing by speaking your mind to him...

jesska812

What a tool! Seriously if he's such a big time weight lifter why was he bothering to watch someone else's workout?? Maybe he's got self esteem issues and doesn't like women to see him struggle to pick up his 3kg barbell??

I wouldn't have even dignified his crap with a response, really what is he going to do, hit a woman? Gee that'll show all the boys how big and tough he is!

Hope you don't get anymore hassles from jerks like him - and keep up the weight training you'll start to see huge changes in your body shape.

Robin_Bin

I would have been so angry that I might not have thought of it at the time, but you should definitely report him.
The staff there should handle things like that. Even though you did a BEAUTIFUL job of defending your right to the equipment, this guy could continue to harass others. He needs to be told firmly by the staff that all members are entitled to use the equipment within the rules of that gym. Most gyms have rules about bothering others while they exercise, and this went beyond that.
You did great! Please don't let this discourage you from going back.