The Big Bad Gym Bully!

FACT - Staring down and barking at 115 pound 50 year old ladies doesn't make you a bad *kitten*. Just the opposite, really.

I'm going to put that wallet back in the bag, because it's obviously not yours. You know which wallet

When the so-called "Meat heads", "Bros" & "Soccer moms" all know the rules and follow them. Why should anyone get a pass. So you're saying only people who are a certain height & weight have to follow the rules?

Depending on their breast size, I let them break all the rules!

FACT - Staring down and barking at 115 pound 50 year old ladies doesn't make you a bad *kitten*. Just the opposite, really.

I'm going to put that wallet back in the bag, because it's obviously not yours. You know which wallet

When the so-called "Meat heads", "Bros" & "Soccer moms" all know the rules and follow them. Why should anyone get a pass. So you're saying only people who are a certain height & weight have to follow the rules?

I'm saying you don't have to resort to intimidation to get someone to follow the rules. The fact that you made a point to note how tiny and old this woman was tells me most of what I need to know.

Wake me up when this thread begins "So this guy was 6'3", 240 pounds, and his two lifting buddies were even bigger, and then I stared at him and yelled "RACK EM".... I think we know how that story ends tho.

Totally agree. I love the irony of a bloke whining on and on about how this woman doesn't understand how to be polite in a gym, so he sorts it being being incredibly rude to her.

FACT - Staring down and barking at 115 pound 50 year old ladies doesn't make you a bad *kitten*. Just the opposite, really.

I'm going to put that wallet back in the bag, because it's obviously not yours. You know which wallet

When the so-called "Meat heads", "Bros" & "Soccer moms" all know the rules and follow them. Why should anyone get a pass. So you're saying only people who are a certain height & weight have to follow the rules?

There was clearly no need to yell at her loud enough so that everyone in the gym turned around and looked at her. It was plain rude. You could have told her in a nice way. Yes, she should have re-racked the weights but you shouldn't have screamed at her to do it.

As everyone else has said, come back when you've told a guy who's 6'3 and 240 pounds to 'RACK 'EM'. My guess is that ain't happening.

As much as I can't stand someone not picking up after themselves, Bullying a 120 lb woman is just wrong. There may have been a different outcome too when you left the gym.

"Mr. 250 lb Bully, meet husband with Mr. 2 X 4."

My gym mostly has equipment with the sliding pin into weights so no racking required. It is not really a free weight gym with only a Smith Machine which I abhor. I have a cage and Olympic set in my garage for that. But the machines are decent and allows fast and just wipe away when your done.

Re-racking your plates at my gym is the RULE...which not all people follow. So, you were the Enforcer, not a bully.

The worst is when people (mostly men) leave 45lb plates on things. I had to de-load the squat machine once. It was pretty terrible. What made it worse was that some young guy was watching me struggle with this...and just smiling!!! I think he thought it was "cute" that I was pulling off all of these huge plates. He could have offered to help...but in all fairness, I probably would have been *****y to him.

There was another "enforcer" on /r/fitness a month or two ago who was looking at criminal charges being brought against him because someone didn't rack their weights and he "enforced" the gym policy. Verbally intimidating someone is one step removed from starting a physical altercation, but both are overreactions to someone not racking their weights. To each his own, but I see no reason to try and intimidate someone into racking their weights when a bit of common courtesy could have achieved the same result. I really don't understand being proud about barking at a small woman who just started at the gym in January, and I understand the people applauding this behavior even less.

Re-racking your plates at my gym is the RULE...which not all people follow. So, you were the Enforcer, not a bully.

The worst is when people (mostly men) leave 45lb plates on things. I had to de-load the squat machine once. It was pretty terrible. What made it worse was that some young guy was watching me struggle with this...and just smiling!!! I think he thought it was "cute" that I was pulling off all of these huge plates. He could have offered to help...but in all fairness, I probably would have been *****y to him.

There was another "enforcer" on /r/fitness a month or two ago who was looking at criminal charges being brought against him because someone didn't rack their weights and he "enforced" the gym policy. Verbally intimidating someone is one step removed from starting a physical altercation, but both are overreactions to someone not racking their weights. To each his own, but I see no reason to try and intimidate someone into racking their weights when a bit of common courtesy could have achieved the same result. I really don't understand being proud about barking at a small woman who just started at the gym in January, and I understand the people applauding this behavior even less.

See here's my issue with the situation...as someone who is 5 feet tall and a 120 lbs...having someone else leave massive amounts of 45lb plates on machines makes it nearly impossible for me to workout. I completely understand how frustrating it is to have to clean-up someone else's mess.

Everyone needs to re-rack their plates; it's the rule AND common courtesy. It is posted AT LEAST half a dozen places when you first walk into my gym...but it still doesn't always happen.

Saying something to someone is not even close to a physical altercation. The OP told the woman to re-rack her plates. BFD. She should have just done it and moved on with her life. She didn't feel "intimidated," it is more likely that she felt embarrassed for being called-out for doing the wrong thing.

I agree...that he didn't have to be super harsh, BUT how much do you want to bet that this lady re-racks her plates now.

FACT - Staring down and barking at 115 pound 50 year old ladies doesn't make you a bad *kitten*. Just the opposite, really.

I'm going to put that wallet back in the bag, because it's obviously not yours. You know which wallet

When the so-called "Meat heads", "Bros" & "Soccer moms" all know the rules and follow them. Why should anyone get a pass. So you're saying only people who are a certain height & weight have to follow the rules?

There was clearly no need to yell at her loud enough so that everyone in the gym turned around and looked at her. It was plain rude. You could have told her in a nice way. Yes, she should have re-racked the weights but you shouldn't have screamed at her to do it.

As everyone else has said, come back when you've told a guy who's 6'3 and 240 pounds to 'RACK 'EM'. My guess is that ain't happening.

Why wouldn't that happen again?

I find it comical there are threads on this site every day about newbies that lack self confidence being afraid to go to the gym and people rush to assure them that it's a great idea and no one will bother them. Now we have a thread where someone is loudly barking at a gym newbie to rack her 2.5 and 5 lb weights and being applauded for being an "enforcer" of the weight room. I'm with you on people should rack their own weights, but there's a right way to instruct someone about proper gym etiquette.

I'm with you, but what does being a "newbie" have to do with knowing enough to pickup after yourself?

I agree - whilst I would have thought racking weights would be common sense for most people, it obviously hadn't occurred to her. It probably doesn't mean she's the spawn of satan.

To be honest, when I first started at the gym, I'm sure I made loads of faux pas...if someone had shouted 'rack'em' at me I probably wouldn't even know what they meant, in my first few sessions. I was terrified of everyone at the gym for the first few months, convinced everyone was looking at me and judging and I would have been mortified if someone had shouted at me in front of the whole gym floor.

Yes, it is rude and inconsiderate not to re-rack your weights and I get massively frustrated when someone who can lift six times what I can doesn't rack up, but there's ways and means of talking to someone.