Welcome to Debate Club! Please be aware that this is a space for respectful debate, and that your ideas will be challenged here. Please remember to critique the argument, not the author.
Is verbal harassment common at the gym? And do women or men catch more of it?
Options
Replies
-
It's never happened to me and I am substantially overweight.
A couple of witches once made cracks about the outfit my (normal bmi) mom chose to work out in, and that made her feel hurt and angry, but that's the closest to harassment that I've heard of from anyone I know in real life.
BUT that was in a gym around my area that is kind of known as a "meat market". I have never sought a membership there. Something about that kind of environment CAN occasionally bring out the petty in people, in my experience.2 -
Hard to answer given that what constitutes "harassment" is subjective and in the eye of the beholder. One persons joke is another persons harassment. One persons constructive criticism is anothers harassment etc.
I am not a gym rat, it has been a while since i went to a gym to exercise...but when I did I didn't witness anything I'd personally call harassment.
I think the issue might be there are some out there who would consider a fit person grunting away as they lift their impressively heavy weight to be "harrassment" of a sort because it offends that person to be around that. Which is why gym's like Planet Fitness exist.6 -
Can't say I've noticed any harassment in any of the gyms I've been a member of back in the UK and now in the US.
I felt I had to mention my gym's rules on cell phone use the other week to a guy on the treadmill next to me. He was yapping on his phone while running and managed to drop it and he went flying off the back the treadmill. He nearly wiped out the woman who was walking past, and in avoiding him, she fell onto my treadmill. Luckily I was able to keep my balance and stay on my machine. She chewed the guy out, and he was outraged that she'd done this and told her she should be 'nicer' about it. I pointed to the sign right in front of him that clearly states no talking on phones while on treadmills. He just made lots of harrumphing noises, but did put his phone away.14 -
i've had a few stares at the gym that made me uncomfortable. i get a little bit more when i'm out running, but i run with two 50ish lb dogs so people don't approach me2
-
4
-
Stockholm_Andy wrote: »No not once in 25 plus years of training in various gyms in multiple countries...
IMHO For some reason it's something people how aren't familiar with gym culture worry about that really isn't and issue.
I've been using gyms since 1973 and never been harassed or seen/heard harassment.
Agree with some people having an excessive concern about something that's rare, probably based on feeling out of place or being judged.
My daughter felt uncomfortable using the free weights section of the gym and would stick to the cardio and weights machines as they felt more familiar and "safe". That's really on her and not the gym or the people training there though to be honest.
A couple of sessions training with me and setting up a routine got her past that.5 -
The only thing I've ever seen that looks like verbal harassment is partner motivation, and that's entirely between you and your training partner/spotting buddy.4
-
Creepy staring? Awkward comments? Yeah. Harassment? No. Though I've had disagreements over training methods, but I wouldn't consider that harassment, just some dude being a *kitten*3
-
I have never experienced any harassment at the gym ever. I dont pay much attention to others though because I am focused on what I am doing. I dont think people notice me much to be honest. Outside of the gym is another story....3
-
In and out of various gyms for most of my life...I've never seen, been a part of, or felt harassed ever.4
-
Wow lots of bonus questions... this test I just may pass!
1. No, I have never witnessed, participated in, or been a victim of, verbal harassment at my gym.
2. I think that if something like this happens, the gym staff should address it right away. If they don't address the situation in a timely manner... I would step in and stop it.
The member that is doing the harassment should be asked to leave and membership revoked. Perhaps give the member that was harassed, be given a free month.
4 -
Never seen this at my gym. There are always trainers (who are gym staff) around working with clients, so I imagine anything like this would get shut down pretty quickly.
I worked out at a really old school powerlifting gym on vacation last year that reminded me of the weight room in high school 35 years ago -- no AC, rusty plates and bars, lots of squat racks, multiple platforms). When I first walked in I saw the flags of a ton of military units plus various biker-related decorations, and --- based on my own preconceive notions -- I sort of wondered if the gym culture would be unpleasant. Turns out, it was exactly like my regular gym --- everybody minded their own business and did their thing. There were a lot of big, really strong guys there, but also people who looked like they were just starting out. Once I was there for a while, I noticed signed posters of local athletes of both genders and many ethnicities hanging on the walls, plus a big rainbow flag hanging among the military ones. Seemed like a place pretty much anyone would feel comfortable working out.17 -
I have felt very uncomfortable (harassment is kind of subjective, describing how the interaction made me feel seems more appropriate) at the gym recently. A man has made a few comments such as "you're looking good", "nice job", and winking at me when I got nearby him while doing walking lunges. I wasn't prepared for the comments or the wink. I shot him a confused look considering I've never spoken to this person before and my natural first instinct was to get away asap. I did tell my PT who just said he wasn't surprised. Which made me even more uncomfortable lol. I do my lunges elsewhere now to avoid another interaction with this man.
I am always self conscious about what I am wearing and how I act to try to reduce attention. It makes me feel very objectified which losing weight has only amplified this feeling.14 -
Harassment? No. Other than years ago with gyms pushing memberships and premium packages.
I don't think this it's so much about harassment and more about our general communication skills withering and dying. Like any muscle this needs to be worked and have resistance. It takes practice and multiple failures, but unrealistic expectations of perfection mixed with a tendency toward passive aggression make this challenging.
I do see a movement started pushing back against this - making a clear distinction between assertiveness and harassment.6 -
Nope. A few catty females who thought I was going to get bulky because I was lifting heavy and not going to their group power class.3
-
Back in 2012 starting out, my sister and I were stalked daily on our walking and later, our running routes by women who would hurl expletives, from "You (b)itches" to "men thieves" at us as we worked out. Going to the Caltech gym was a place of solace. Zero judgement zone. People mind their own business. Moving further south of Los Angeles, choosing to road run introduced a different element when considering bad drivers attempting to run red lights. We have escaped being run over at the traffic lights crossing over to run a trail VS actually running on road with no sidewalks.
You don't have to know people who will choose to assault you as you workout. An Italian male friend who also runs, witnessed a woman who would consistently attempt to run us over revealed to us, that at times, it's the individual's own sense of self hate transferred to those of us who commit to our lives of fitness, no matter the weather. We don't live in the world of it's too hot, it's raining, it's freezing out ... We knock it out. No excuses. In our cases, the weight room is a "me zone." Road running leaves you open to the general publics moods and physicalisation of those temperaments.9 -
no. thirty years ago women were really not welcome and men were very verbal about it....not now.3
-
I have never been harassed. Yes, hit on but they seem to take a polite "no" and then leave you alone. If I witnessed what I thought was harassment I would definitely report it to the manager.1
-
I've not been harassed and haven't witnessed it. I'm not going to comment on how often it happens to others though since I have only lived my own experiences.4
-
High school weight room, college weight room, local rec center and two for-profit gym memberships. I have never had an issue being harassed, sexually or otherwise.0
This discussion has been closed.
Categories
- All Categories
- 1.4M Health, Wellness and Goals
- 391.4K Introduce Yourself
- 43.5K Getting Started
- 259.7K Health and Weight Loss
- 175.6K Food and Nutrition
- 47.3K Recipes
- 232.3K Fitness and Exercise
- 389 Sleep, Mindfulness and Overall Wellness
- 6.4K Goal: Maintaining Weight
- 8.5K Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
- 152.7K Motivation and Support
- 7.8K Challenges
- 1.3K Debate Club
- 96.3K Chit-Chat
- 2.5K Fun and Games
- 3.2K MyFitnessPal Information
- 22 News and Announcements
- 920 Feature Suggestions and Ideas
- 2.3K MyFitnessPal Tech Support Questions