Weight lifter gets in squat-rack-standoff with two women at the gym after hogging the rack for a 40-minute set during peak hours: 'I don’t mind sharing equipment, but the way these girls treated me was unpleasant'

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Brad Dickson • Managing Editor
Apr 10, 2025 12:00 PM EDT

Gym etiquette is a microcosm for decorum in the real world: Share, worry about yourself, and be considerate of others. And let's be honest, good behavior and polite consideration are a must when you're making awkward repetitive movements on stationary machines in a starkly lit room trying to avoid making eye contact with any one of the crowd of strangers around you who are doing the same thing.

Sharing is important, especially when the number of machines available is minimal… and taking up one of only three squat racks during peak hours for an entire 40 minutes is nothing short of criminal, especially when you move on to a lift that doesn't even require the rack. Sure the girls could have handled the situation a little more tactfully but clearly, this guy wasn't going to budge. His offer for them to "work in" to his rack in between sets does little to absolve him of his crime of hogging the rack. 

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

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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.
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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
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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 beha
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    OP has offered the following explanation for why they think they might be the ah le: 1. Continuing my workout and not shortening it to appease the two other people 2. Perhaps taking too long to finish my workout. I believed they might be right because it wasn't just one person upset, but there were 2 visibly upset with me. I think maybe I could have shortened what I was doing to be accommodating to the other people.
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  • It's interesting that not all responders seemed to agree with this take, with a good number declaring that he had ultimately done no wrong in the situation, while others agreed that taking up one of the only squat racks for that length of time was enough to squarely land him in the wrong here.

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    Fun_Milk_4560 NTA It was r de 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.
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    Normal-Height-8577 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.
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    bentscissors 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.
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    AssumptionBitter418 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. 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).
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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 (Edit: spelling)
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    cambridge Liberal 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..
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    Slothen Around 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...
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    meowkittykat2652 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 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 e
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    ChocolateSnowflake ESH 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.
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    iiloveyoshii 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 Imove. And not forgetting to sit and take your breaks knowing people are waiting is super annoying.
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    chandelurei I'm so glad my gym has a 30min limit. ESH
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    definitely_zella 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 werer de about it, but I would have made adjustments to my workout when I noticed people 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.
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    Jjustingraham 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. HOWEVER, you're NTA. They were r de and showed poor etiquette. Even hovering over someone waiting for them to get done is poor form.
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    SKG
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    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

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