So here’s the thing. I get that people want to listen to music, or that some people use “fitness tracker” apps. That’s fine. Don’t have a problem with that. They’re not annoying anyone else. But I’m talking about this guy:
At any given moment in my gym, roughly 20-30% of the machines are occupied by people fucking around with their cellphones. I counted. I don’t mean taking a break between sets. I mean lounging on the machines, for several minutes at a stretch, sending messages or playing games.
I do really intense workouts, basically one long superset. I’ll use alternatives if I can, but realistically I can’t wait while somebody does his 1-minute workout and a 9-minute rest. So sometimes I’ll ask these people politely if I can use the machine, and they’ll either go away (because they’re not actually doing anything anyway) or let me cut in. I’ll do a 30-second set and they get back on. All is well.
Yesterday it didn’t go so well. Some entitled little git basically told me it was his divine right to sit there and piss around with his phone, and that he wasn’t going to let me cut in even for one set.
Question for the gallery: what do you do with people like this? He was endlessly in my way, occupying machine after machine that I really needed to use, doing nothing. Eventually I ranted at him (which made no difference, of course). I’m not a violent guy, but I was seriously ready to ram that phone somewhere painful.
Anyone ever resolved this by (say) getting the staff to do something? Or have you ever been banned for pulping somebody’s phone with a 20kg plate?
Much as I’d like to, no such place exists within a 40-minute commute of my house.
I was just wondering if anyone has successfully managed to get their gym to change and/or enforce a no-cellphones policy, or at least zero tolerance policy towards machine hogging. I suppose the fundamental problem is that lazy members are actually the ideal gymgoers. They pay their memberships and create no-wear-and-tear on the equipment.
I feel your pain. It’s annoying as all hell. It seems to be universal these days. I try to go in the morning when serious people get their arses out of bed to go work out.
This is actually my go-to solution at the moment, but there are two problems: 1) work and 2) people who think that because the gym isn’t crowded, they’re even more entitled to treat the machines like their favourite coffee shop.
I feel a slight pang of guilt chucking the fat ones off (even though I always ask them nicely) because they’ve obviously made half the effort. Sometimes I’d like to tell them, look, you’re totally wasting you’re time and money here, why don’t you just put the phone down and follow me through a proper workout?
World “Gym”. They have a lot of rules (including not hogging the machines, it’s written there in black and white). However the “trainers” spend all their time gossiping with clients (and getting paid for it - awesome work if you can get it) instead of reminding people of those rules. They used to have one manager who took things seriously but I haven’t seen him for a good while.
EDIT: unbelievable, I just googled Fitness Factory and there’s one right near my World Gym. Never even knew it was there. New, possibly. I’ll check it out. How much is the membership? Do they have different “packages” depending on what they think they can squeeze out of you?
Seen it and experienced this so many times and just like you, I always just go right to the person and on his face ask him - Are you using the machine? More often than not, the reply is a 不好意思 and…everything is fine and good. I have never encountered someone who fought over the right to occupy the machine just for the sake of using their cell phone.
And it is so annoying, especially in World gym where people are freaking playing games and watching stupid Taiwanese news and what all. Give me a break, just do your workout, go home and then watch/play whatever you want. There are a lot of serious individuals who like me are busting their ass and not there just to take pictures or chat around. However, like I said, those people are a minority and the majority of the people are just so much obsessed with their phones .
Regarding asking the staff or hoping that the gym changes its policies, ain’t gonna happen!! Because even the so called “Trainers” can be seen using their phones, so I do not think it is gonna happen. Your best option, either go in the mornings- fewer people, reduced waiting time and an awesome workout; the only drawback, getting up early in the morning , which can be tough especially for people like me with a 9 to 5 job.
What I do? I go a little late, nearly 9 and the weight training area isn’t as busy as let’s say 7-8 PM. And I am as direct as it goes, I would wait for 30 seconds and then my limit for being nice with those douchebags is finished.
Agreed. Just ask if they’re using it or if they can move.
I’m not a gym goer, so I haven’t experienced this issue first hand, but my advice is, just ask. Yeah, it’s hella annoying to ask every time. However, my guess is (and according to @madhawan 's experience) they don’t really mean to hog the machine, but highly probable that they are clueless (and/or unaware of their surroundings) that someone else is waiting.
This is my observation because it seems to be an on-going trend in Taiwan. The way some people are immersed in their phones while driving, scootering and walking is a good indication that it happens in other places and during other activities.
I was originally going to go to World Gym, went in and hate the casino looks. Shitty lights and carpet floors. Was super put off, still went through the introduction sit down with the lady.
Then they told me I need a credit card, and I said I have a debit card which they can debit order and they said nah bro you need a credit card. So she tells me to borrow my friends, so I said who the fuck is going to do that? So I said, ok let me borrow YOUR credit card and I will pay you monthly and she looked at me like I just massacred her family.
Anyways…
My first year was 1288 and you gotta pay 2 months upfront and some activation fee, seems you can’t escape that shit with whichever gym you join in Taiwan.
Then I took a year off and joined a gym which was 2mins walk from my house and I didn’t have to take the MRT for 25mins.
After that I moved and got a car, so I re-joined fitness factory at 988ntd a month and you get lifetime membership so I didnt have to pay any extras fees except for a new card, still 2 months upfront though,
I think they have packages which you can only go certain times, but I want to go whenever I want to go. I have gym’d at 2 of their branches and really like it.
Sounds great. Their packages appear to be price-matched with World Gym.
But yeah, the only reason I’m still at World Gym is that I thought I had no other options. I have a feeling I’m tied into my current package for a couple of months, but Fitness Factory sounds like its the way to go.
