OMG!! Almost punched this guy @ gym!

coraliethomas
coraliethomas Posts: 336 Member
edited November 12 in Fitness and Exercise
So I cant believe that in this day and age, there is still stereotyping going on at the gym. I went to the Y today to do some strength training... I was doing some bench presses.. now Ive JUST started adding strength to my workouts, so Im still only doing 35lbs.. Im proud of my 35lbs press... I plan on increasing it soon, but I know it looks kinda dumb to those guys who can bench press a gajillion pounds.

So Im happy benchpressing away with my Ipod and this huge beefcake roidrage looking fool taps me on my shoulder.. so I put the bar up and pull my earphones out and say "Yes?"... Well he points to the treadmills and says "The cardio section is over there, where those girls are" so I say "Thanks, I knew that already though, today is my strength day"... so he actually has the balls to say to me "Little girl, this is the MENS area... I think you are lost"... So, I gather up my courage... look him in the eyes and say "NO, this is the 'everyone who pays to be here' area". He stood there looking at me like he might pick me up and carry me to a treadmill... and we have our little wild west stare down and he walks off muttering something about "knowing my place"...

I couldnt believe it!! Is this 2012 or what?? Any other of you lady weight trainers deal with this kinda crap?
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Replies

  • katie133
    katie133 Posts: 210 Member
    Lol wow.. glad you stuck up for yourself! I would have LOST it on him... My gym has all the cardio machines downstairs, and upstairs is where the weights are.. and generally its 95% men up there.. but i still use that area frequently and, sometimes get a few looks.. but to tell you the truth there are so many guys that dont know "machine etiquette", and are in much worse shape than i am... and then there are all the muscle machines that are always there, every time i go... ah well i guess every gym has its people!! If he gets in your face again there i'd say there is gunna be a problem! lol
  • meerkat70
    meerkat70 Posts: 4,605 Member
    I think I'd have been tempted to mention his inappropriate behaviour to the staff. It's borderline harrassment. Interrupting your workout. Calling you a 'little girl'. Not ok. Neanderthal.

    At my gym, the weights area is really male dominated (I'm usually the only woman), but the men are nice. I'm sorry you had to deal with such an idiot.
  • coraliethomas
    coraliethomas Posts: 336 Member
    I considered dropping the bar on his foot and then putting the girlie "Omg... it was just soooo heavy" act on! I think I held it together quite well considering my quick temper...
  • mrsbastone
    mrsbastone Posts: 83 Member
    OMG! Are you serious?? My jaw dropped when I read that! WOW.. I am speechless..
  • BlueEyesXoXo
    BlueEyesXoXo Posts: 99
    Hahaha... My boyfriend is the biggest guy at our gym. :) So no one says anything jerk-like to me.

    Really though, my gym is full of cool guys who welcome everyone, men and women alike!

    That guy is just a douche.
  • coraliethomas
    coraliethomas Posts: 336 Member
    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.
  • hbrittingham
    hbrittingham Posts: 2,518 Member
    LOL. I think it was worse when I was first reading it because I thought you were a guy! :flowerforyou:

    It would have pissed me off good if that were to happen to me. You were much more tactful than I would have been. And I am super proud of your 35 lbs bench press!
  • BigDfromNJ
    BigDfromNJ Posts: 22 Member
    Yes it's sad but it still goes on. I'm a 50 yr old female Mechanical Engineer. I graduated 28 yrs ago, and I still run into men (both younger and older than I) who question my abilities and feel that I have to prove myself to them. It's no different in the gym. I think you handled it very well, At my age, I've learned to tell guys like that to 'go to he_ _ . And then I'd put my ear plugs back in and continue what I am doing. I would have also reported him to the gym staff. Did you? You should, he has no right to intimidate any one who pays to be at the gym. He was a bully and needed to be put in his place. Don't let him do that again. If you see him do it to someone else, stand up to him for her. I'll bet he's scared other women away, and that's a shame. Weight lifting with free weights is a great way to get in shape and lose weight! More women need to pump the dumbbells!
  • JMarigold
    JMarigold Posts: 232 Member
    I can't believe this . . .

    Proud of you for standing up for yourself though and keeping your temper! Still I would perhaps file a written complaint to the manager. I know you don't know his name but you could still write it up and identify him later. It's good insurance for if he every bothers you again--not to mention any other woman he might harass.

    Seriously though???

    A little shocked right now. No body ever bothered me in any weight area. Even when I used to use the free weight, male dominated, area at the local gym (when I could afford the dues).
  • coraliethomas
    coraliethomas Posts: 336 Member
    I didnt report him.. I was too shocked to! However, if it happens again, to me or anyone else, I will report it. I came home and begged my hubby to go with me next time, he didn't seem to keen on the idea though..:grumble:
  • dHowe4406
    dHowe4406 Posts: 114
    Wow I can't believe he said that to you, what a jerk. Great job standing up for yourself!
  • erineddy81
    erineddy81 Posts: 43 Member
    hmmm...I've never had any issues like that, and I spend most of my workout time in the freeweights part of the gym...but then again I work with just as heavy if not heavier weights than a lot of the boys :) So they had better not mess with me ;) lol But yeah you were WAY more tactful than I would have been.
  • JMarigold
    JMarigold Posts: 232 Member
    I didnt report him.. I was too shocked to! However, if it happens again, to me or anyone else, I will report it.

    You can still write it up and give it a manger the next time you are there. I actually highly recommend you doing so. This way if it DOES ever happen again . . . or worse, there will be a paper trail. Just note the date and approximate time it happened. When I was younger I wouldn't have done this . . . but over time I've learned that DOCUMENTATION is everything--even if you don't want to think it will happen again (And most of the time it won't). Again the more of paper trail you have to back yourself up, the more any future allegations will be believed. It's just a better safe than sorry way of thinking.
  • mamamc03
    mamamc03 Posts: 1,067 Member
    I say every time you see him...do a little wave & say 'hey Patsy!! Nice to see you in the Men's section again, I am so glad society has moved past segregation, that way we can play with the big boys!!' end it with a teehee!!
  • coraliethomas
    coraliethomas Posts: 336 Member
    I say every time you see him...do a little wave & say 'hey Patsy!! Nice to see you in the Men's section again, I am so glad society has moved past segregation, that way we can play with the big boys!!' end it with a teehee!!

    :laugh: I wish I was quick enough to come up with something like that!
  • DFWTT
    DFWTT Posts: 374
    free weight area =DB area. I'm a dude and don't like going over there. Some smirk when I only load up single 45's for my deadlifts. Whatever, my membership is all paid up. Sorry bout your experience but know it happens to guys sometimes too.
  • tlhorsley
    tlhorsley Posts: 141 Member
    What a JERK! The nerve of some people!

    Happy that you stood up for yourself and you should be proud of your 35 pounds.

    The free weight area at my gym is mostly men too but I am over there a lot and never had any problems.
  • catattack13
    catattack13 Posts: 117
    what an absolute ****. I work at a ymca - report him and people like me will keep an eye on him and toss him out on his dumb *kitten* if he does that again ;).

    keep benchpressin', girl. you rock.
  • Zombriana
    Zombriana Posts: 764 Member
    You sh**ing me?? That made me angry just reading it.
    Way to stick up for yourself!
    I'd have tried to get em right in the balls, I mean, he WAS right there. :grumble:
  • craig1970
    craig1970 Posts: 139 Member
    Way to go for standing up to him. Some guys hey!
    And well done on that bench press too.
  • sammys1girly
    sammys1girly Posts: 1,045 Member
    Good for you standing up for yourself! Can you believe the first time I ever get up the nerve to bench press, an old fat guy came over and told me that I had the bench headed the wrong way and he thought I might hurt myself. I was SURE I had it right but it
    made me flustered and I just mumbled something. Well, ends up he was WRONG and I don't know if he was messing with me or just dumb, but wish guys like that would mind their own business.
    BTW, keep it up! I started benching around the same as you and am up to 55 lbs now...which still isn't alot, but it's a start...:wink:
  • Kanzaki3
    Kanzaki3 Posts: 656 Member
    That must have been a really scary experience. I would've been scared and mad at the same time. I'm glad my gym has nice members and staff. Makes me want to come every day. Kudos to you on standing up for what you believe in. =)
  • MB_Positif
    MB_Positif Posts: 8,897 Member
    That is insane! I belong to they Y as well and the only person who makes me feel unwelcome in the weight room is a girl who grunts and yells "f**k" when she is lifting. He was probably just trying to flirt with you and it came out horribly wrong. Some people lack social skills!
  • mrsjennifermaffei
    mrsjennifermaffei Posts: 469
    Report him and his actions and as to be compensated for the harassment. You should get free time at the gym or something for that.
  • luhluhlaura
    luhluhlaura Posts: 278 Member
    OMG! Are you serious?? My jaw dropped when I read that! WOW.. I am speechless..

    Same here...what year is he living in?! Ugh!
    Way to go for putting him in his place...he needs a reality check. beefcake :grumble:
    It was probably the next machine in his circuit and he wanted to force you off of it.
    I say you find out what machine he uses before that one and hop on the bench press every time you see him start to head over to it... lol
  • BeckaT79
    BeckaT79 Posts: 216
    Reading that just made me angry! You handled that beautifully, I would not have been that kind whatsoever....
  • tawny7
    tawny7 Posts: 276 Member
    Wow...that's awful! While I am intimidated in the free weights area of the gym I have never encountered anything like that!! The guys are all respectful and even helpful at times.
    I'm sorry you had to deal with that. If it happens again I would definately report him. A gym membership is too expensive to put up with crap like that!!
    Oh...and to me 35 lbs is great!! I'm slowly getting back into lifting after surgery last year. :smile:
  • vestarocks
    vestarocks Posts: 420 Member
    Did you point in the direction of the nearest zoo and tell him that that's where the gorillas belong.

    Just keep on truckin'. I don't know what I would have done if i were in your shoes. Well done you. On one hand I'd be tempted to report him, on the other hand I'd want to show him that I won't be intimidated and keep going.

    I applaud your coolness!
  • sydleibert
    sydleibert Posts: 8 Member
    Wow. I have a terrible temper. I would've been yelling and cussing at him and insulting him he would've gone crying to his mom (cuz he obviously won't get a girlfriend with that type of attitude). I have a quick temper though and I don't let anyone try to intimidate me or talk down to me. It doesn't end well for anyone who tries.
  • coraliethomas
    coraliethomas Posts: 336 Member
    They have cameras at the gym, I think Im going to go in there tomorrow and tell them about it, hopefully they can rewind the footage and see who it is! Ive never seen him there, but its only the 3rd time Ive ever been in the free weight area.
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