Gym-goer hogs squat rack for 40 minutes, girls waiting rudely call him out while he refuses to shorten his workout: 'Okay, that’s fine. I’ve already been here 30 minutes; what’s another 10?'

Author image for JR Atkinson
JR Atkinson • Writer and Editor
Apr 6, 2025 10:00 PM EDT

Gym etiquette is not always obvious right away. It's full of tacit rules that you just sort of have to pick up on. Most of them are intuitive, like wiping down the equipment you used after you used it. But other rules of etiquette, like how long you're allowed to use a certain piece of equipment, have more grey areas. You just have to suss out what is appropriate at the moment, and you don't always know exactly what to do. Gyms are shared spaces, and though you might have a specific workout regimen in mind, you sometimes have to compromise. 

This is the trade-off of going to a public gym. You have to learn to share the space, even if that means sometimes compromising your ideal workout. Or else you should work out at home, or join a hyper-specific gym that suits your needs on a different level. That's the situation this person found themselves in during their workout. 

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    Cheezburger Image 10489233408
    via Unsplash+ (Getty Images)

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • Commenters were unsure who exactly was in the wrong though, in this tense gym litigation. Some thought it was wrong to hog a popular piece of equipment for that long, especially if you're taking 3-minute breaks. Others thought the girls waiting had a not-so-nice approach. Read on for the story.

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    AITA for not shortening my workout for two strangers?

    Yesterday at the gym around 5:30 PM, I started my leg day workout, which is usually the longest of the week. I was using the power rack to do squats, deadlifts, and good mornings, typically taking about 30- 40 minutes. There are three power racks, and I was using one of them. I take about 3-minute rests between squat sets since I'm doing heavy weight for low reps.
    via u/imfightingdemonsfr
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    While I was squatting, two girls, who I'll call Girl A and Girl B, started waiting behind me. Neither approached me to ask how many sets I had left, but they just hung around. When I finished squatting and began re-racking my weights to prepare for deadlifts, I could tell they assumed I was done. I walked up to Girl A and asked if she was waiting for me to finish. She said yes, so I explained that I still had deadlifts and another movement to do. She responded with "Ugh of course you do..." and
    via u/imfightingdemonsfr
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    As I set up and began deadlifting, both girls stood nearby, rolling their eyes and acting frustrated, as though I should be shortening my workout for them. I decided to be polite and ask Girl A what she wanted to do. She said squats, so I offered her the nearby squatting area, since I wasn't using it. She declined, so I kept going with my workout.
    via u/imfightingdemonsfr
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    Meanwhile, another guy using a different power rack offered the same to Girl B, but she also declined. A group of two women then came up, and the girls complained that they had been waiting for 30 minutes and it was "ridiculous." I ignored them.
    via u/imfightingdemonsfr
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    When I finished deadlifting, Girl A moved away to warm up. I approached Girl B and, before I could speak, she looked at me and paused her music, saying, "WHAT??? Hold on, I can't hear you." I told her I still had one more movement to do and would need 5-10 more minutes. She seemed upset and responded sarcastically, "Okay, that's fine. I've already been here 30 minutes; what's another 10?" I shook my head and walked away.
    via u/imfightingdemonsfr
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    As I started my next movement, I briefly considered shortening it to avoid further conflict, but then decided not to. I didn't want to reward their rudeness by letting them dictate my workout. I've been lifting since 2016 and have always tried to be respectful and kind to others at the gym. When people ask politely, I don't mind sharing equipment, but the way these girls treated me was unpleasant. I continued my workout as planned because being kind is free, and I wasn't going to let their behav
    via u/imfightingdemonsfr
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    Cheezburger Image 10489233664
    via Unsplash+ (Pablo Merchán Montes)

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    Commenters weighed in on who they thought was in the wrong.

    Fun_Milk_4560 . 22h ago NTA It was ride for them to try to pressure you off your work out, if someone is using the thing I want I go do something else until it's free.
    via u/Fun_Milk_4560
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    Normal-Height-8577 . 21h ago NTA. You weren't using the only power rack; you were using one of three. They could have used the other two while you were still going. They chose not to. They wanted sole use of the area between the two of them. That's an unrealistic expectation, and it's completely on them that they decided to wait rather than share.
    via u/Normal-Height-8577
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    bentscissors 20h ago • My gym always had a sign to let others rotate through if you have a long workout. YTA, especially three minute breaks and 40 minute sessions on limited machines.
    via u/bentscissors
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    AssumptionBitter418 • 20h ago YTA. I'm in the minority it seems. First off, good on ya for not skipping leg day and most likely being in better shape than me.
    via u/AssumptionBitter418
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    However, my gym etiquette is that I can offer another person to work in between sets if we're similar weight, or I expect the equipment to become available after that particular muscle movement (i.e. I would give up the machine after squats and then wait my turn again to do deadlifts).
    via u/AssumptionBitter418
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    Further, 3 minutes between sets would cause significant frustration for most people waiting. I understand you're lifting very heavy, but perhaps a powerlifting-specific gym is a better fit for you. G'luck and stay swoll
    via u/AssumptionBitter418
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    cambridge Liberal • 20h ago If you are taking 3 minutes rest in between sets, you could have invited them to work in. Plenty of time to change weights. Deadlifting doesn't require a rack. Good mornings do..
    via u/cambridgeLiberal
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    SlothenAround 20h ago • ESH. If someone is waiting for the rack and I need to do squats and deadlifts, I'll use the rack for my squats and then go deadlift somewhere else so they can use the rack. You don't really need the rack for deadlifts but you literally can't squat without it. You didn't have to move for her but you also could have...
    via u/SlothenAround
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    meowkittykat2652 • 19h ago NTA - several people seem to be missing the detail where you DID offer to let them work in, asking Girl A if she wanted to use the squat area while you deadlifted. That is working in. You offered for them to work in, as did two other people, per your post, and they declined. If
    via u/meowkittykat2652
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    you go to the gym at peak hours and want to use a popular piece of equipment, you don't also get to be picky about how you use it. Work in or come during off peak. Maybe they didn't want to spilt up and each work in on a different rack without each other. But again, if you go at peak hours, you get what you can. They were being totally unreasonable.
    via u/meowkittykat2652
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    ChocolateSnowflake ESH 18h ago Taking up one rack for 40 minutes at 5:30pm is bad etiquette and usually against gym rules. If you're lifting heavy enough to need 3 minute rests maybe you need to find yourself a more specialised gym.
    via u/ChocolateSnowflake
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    chandelurei 19h ago • I'm so glad my gym has a 30min limit. ESH
    via u/chandelurei
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    iiloveyoshii 18h ago YTA. Hogging a squat rack for an hour at the busiest time of day when there are other people needing it for actual squats is a move. And not forgetting to sit and take your breaks knowing people are waiting is super annoying.
    via u/iiloveyoshii
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    • definitely_zella 17h ago ESH. I'm a bodybuilder so I totally get where you're coming from, but it was peak time at the gym and you were on a popular piece of equipment. I think they were ride about it, but I would have made adjustments to my workout when I noticed people
    via u/definitely_zella
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    stacking up behind me. I'm a little confused about the setup, though would they have been - using the same barbell as you if they'd worked in? It's kind of a PITA to set the bar up, especially if you're using different weights.
    via u/definitely_zella
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    Jjustingraham • 18h ago I will say that you were on the rack for a really long time. Like, forty minutes is quite a while to use a single space. You could go squats and good mornings in it, then shift to the open floor for deadlifts, so it clears the space.
    via u/Jjustingraham
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    HOWEVER, you're NTA. They were rode and showed poor etiquette. Even hovering over someone waiting for them to get done is poor form.
    via u/Jjustingraham
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    hllozdemir 18h ago • ESH. They were offered space but they declined and kept acting passive aggressively, while you blocked access for too long. You are talking as if the equipment belongs to you while you work out but it belongs to all members. Some
    via u/hllozdemir
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    people might have only an hour in the gym and you would be blocking access to the equipment that whole time. You say nobody have complained before but it doesn't mean that nobody is annoyed. If you have long sessions, maybe try dividing it and use another equipment in the interval?
    via u/hllozdemir
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    • Open_Bake_8013 19h ago deadlifts dont require the squat rack. also just kinda lame to take one area for over 30 minutes at literally peak time. NTA but just inconsiderate
    via u/Open_Bake_8013
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    Mirvb 13h ago . YTA they were certainly r de but you're an for using the equip for so long This is not your personal gym. It's a public gym where people shouldn't constantly have to wait for equipment or ask to work in because you want to hog the area for 40 minutes.
    via u/Mirvb

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