@ronal2dduff That’s how I interpreted it as well
How my gym views women
- Thread starter debyfabienne
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- female fitness
@debyfabienne The one I got to has a male ex body builder trainer with many other studies and 2 coaches (also male body builders), the whole thing makes it so everyone is so focused on benching, reps, etc, that it has 0 posters or any absurd propaganda like that, plus there's usually more women than men.
It makes me feel better since no one really talks to you unless it's to take turns in a machine, but it's a chill enviroment compared to other gyms. It's still sad that so many other gyms have that "men only" or "alpha male" mentality though, I'm lucky I found this one cause I wouldn't have been able to be around that toxicity if it was the case, which has been a struggle for a Long time and kept me away from it or just giving up due to the lack of knowledge of how to work with women.
It makes me feel better since no one really talks to you unless it's to take turns in a machine, but it's a chill enviroment compared to other gyms. It's still sad that so many other gyms have that "men only" or "alpha male" mentality though, I'm lucky I found this one cause I wouldn't have been able to be around that toxicity if it was the case, which has been a struggle for a Long time and kept me away from it or just giving up due to the lack of knowledge of how to work with women.
@debyfabienne @PantalonesPantalones, this post came up on my feed and I just wanted to say the way you are moderating while being supportive has made my day. I haven’t been in the gym since COVID happened but if/when I go back, I know the sub that will make me feel most at home. 
@debyfabienne Get a new gym
joycebowling
New member
@debyfabienne I am lucky to have been to very inclusive gyms, but certain chains I am not very willing to venture into because they do give off a very gendered vibe. Hope you can find a different gym that works for you and your schedule. I don’t think I would have the time and energy to try to change anything from the ground up.
@debyfabienne I’d definitely email the owner of the franchise and corporate. The sign with the hi res female lifter looks like it could be an official gym brand sign and corporate definitely needs to hear feedback that it’s not hitting the mark and actually comes across as offensive. The other sign looks like someone printed it off Google images and is totally unnecessarily gendered/hetero. They could literally cut the female stick figure out of the image and it would accomplish the same goal. Honestly if it was me I’d probably bring a sharpie and just cross it out next time 
Let them print out another or just put up a sign that says “Put your weights back”!!
Let them print out another or just put up a sign that says “Put your weights back”!!byrightpaths
New member
litesave012
New member
@debyfabienne In my experience, the really serious hardcore bodybuilding gyms have the most women lifting. They're a minority of the membership, but there's more than you'll see lifting at most gyms.
Just now I go to a big chain that actually prioritises strength and there's a lot of women lifting all over the place.
Just now I go to a big chain that actually prioritises strength and there's a lot of women lifting all over the place.
seekntruth
New member
@need Yeah I go to a small off the beaten path independently owned gym in a warehouse building now. There are usually other women lifting, and even if there aren't it doesn't matter because everyone is just there to work hard and all the guys know (and are often trained by) women who lift seriously. I've never felt more comfortable asking a guy I don't know if he's using the bench his phone is sitting on lol
@debyfabienne Everything you wrote is valid, OP.
I’m really bothered by the commenters saying you misunderstood the humor.
No. No you didn’t. The humor is sexist, exclusive and old-fashioned. Women don’t need to be ok being used as a pawn to make men feel strong and motivated to do the bare minimum of putting their own weights away. Absolutely not.
I work out at a local US-based nonprofit called YMCA and generally these types of messages wouldn’t be permitted but the systemic messages are still loudly and clearly discouraging women and non-binary from participating in weight training.
I’m really bothered by the commenters saying you misunderstood the humor.
No. No you didn’t. The humor is sexist, exclusive and old-fashioned. Women don’t need to be ok being used as a pawn to make men feel strong and motivated to do the bare minimum of putting their own weights away. Absolutely not.
I work out at a local US-based nonprofit called YMCA and generally these types of messages wouldn’t be permitted but the systemic messages are still loudly and clearly discouraging women and non-binary from participating in weight training.
wizengeist
New member
@catd I also was confused and annoyed by several comments here.
Like yes, we acknowledge it’s sexist but only in the funny way? Or it’s not “that” kind of sexism?
Like is there a sexism/exclusion scale that I have to refer to before I deem something funny vs offensive?
What are these comments?
Using a woman as an example to shame a man into doing the right thing isn’t gross?
Like yes, we acknowledge it’s sexist but only in the funny way? Or it’s not “that” kind of sexism?
Like is there a sexism/exclusion scale that I have to refer to before I deem something funny vs offensive?
What are these comments?
Using a woman as an example to shame a man into doing the right thing isn’t gross?
joycebowling
New member
@catd I’m on your and OP’s side. Not in the mood to go over the pervasiveness of micro aggressions in all societies but… I personally don’t like being the butt of a sexist joke in any context. I wouldn’t tolerate anything like this in the workplace. So why is it different for a different place of business where I am a patron?
codywisenbaker
New member
@debyfabienne My old gym put up a sign once that said something to the effect of "put your weights away, your mom isn't here to clean up after you" and someone wrote below that "you're an adult, why is your mom picking up after you at all" and it spun out into like 5 or 6 comments about why the sign was sexist and shitty and the management took it down and posted an apology, haha.
It doesn't always work, but change does require people to stand up and say something. Kudos to you for taking that step and I hope you find a gym that's a better fit, soon!
It doesn't always work, but change does require people to stand up and say something. Kudos to you for taking that step and I hope you find a gym that's a better fit, soon!
@codywisenbaker The one gym I go to just hollers at you if you're being a jerk lol I prefer that method to posters, but I guess it only works in small gyms. The chain one I go to has posters, but they're not anything fancy (just generic text that says, "please put away equipment.").
codywisenbaker
New member
@harmony96 I think that was part of it too. The gym was very much not a poster-y place so it was weird and out of place and felt very passive aggressive. It really missed the mark haha.
@debyfabienne Oh my. At my old gym there was a poster of a woman benching quite some weight, at first I was "oh cool", then I read the text "if she can do it, so can you"...