Entitled jock keeps hogging 5 lb plates at the gym, guy gets even by making the plates disappear: 'I wait until he walks off and move one or two somewhere random'

Author image for Ben Weiss
Ben Weiss • Writer and Editor
Sep 26, 2025 2:00 PM EDT

It takes a certain kind of person to treat a public gym like their personal playground.

Here's the thing. For people like me, going to the gym is an accomplishment in and of itself. Willing myself to walk through those doors is often more challenging than an actual workout. After all, there are so many excuses I could use to justify not going to the gym. I could claim I need to clean my bathroom again. I could claim that I have too much work to allow for even 30 minutes of cardio. I could claim that the brief walk I took to the office that morning counts as my exercise for the day.

However, if I manage to overcome all of those potential excuses, my only hope is to have a decent experience at the gym. Hopefully, that means minimal interactions with strangers. Unfortunately, there are some gym rats out there who spend far too much time working out that they start to think that this public space with countless members is suddenly an extension of their home. It's possible that this self-involved way of behaving is an extension of our isolated time over the last five years. 

Regardless, now that we're socializing in public again, we have to be respectful of others in these spaces. That means not hogging all of the 5 lb plates, especially if you're barely using them and spending the vast majority of your time absentmindedly scrolling your phone while sitting on a machine. That's not exercise! Collecting all those plates doesn't mean you're actually lifting them. Besides, other people want to use them for their workouts. They likely do not have a desire to confront a stranger in a gym to ask if they can take a weight from them, but this author was left with no other choice since his local gym rat was using all the weights!

This ended up becoming a frequent occurrence, to the point that the author realized the only way he could procure some weights of his own was to take them one by one when the gym rat was away or looking in the other direction. Eventually, this guy was bound to notice that he was missing some weights, but more importantly, he needed to learn that his precious, performative "workout" is not more valuable than anyone else's exercise. Keep scrolling below for the full story and for the best reactions from members of this online community!

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  • I lift at a small gym in my town. It's nothing fancy. Two squat racks, a couple benches, and a row of treadmills that are always half broken. There are only about six of the little 5lb plates in the whole place, which makes them valuable if you're warming up or trying to ease into a heavier lift.
    via kissesandknivess
  • Black ab wheel with plates in a gym.
    via Evan Wise

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • There's this one guy who hoards them. Every time I see him, he has four or five 5s stacked on each side of his bar instead of just using a 10 or 20. He even puts them on one at a time like
    via kissesandknivess
  • he's building a tower. If you ask him for one, he says, "I'm using it," even if it's sitting on the floor by his feet while he scrolls on his phone.
    via kissesandknivess
  • Last week I had enough. I was done with my sets on the bench and noticed two of the 5s sitting there untouched. He was across the room at the cables, so I picked them up, carried them to the yoga corner, and slid them behind the foam rollers and mats. I pretended to stretch while I did it so it looked normal.
    via kissesandknivess
  • A few minutes later I saw him pacing around like he lost his wallet. He checked under benches, behind the dumbbell rack, even opened the closet where they keep cleaning supplies. After about ten minutes he gave up and used a 10 instead.
    via kissesandknivess
  • Now whenever he starts gathering all the 5s, I wait until he walks off and move one or two somewhere random. Once behind the sanitizer wipes, once under a window ledge, once on the kettlebell shelf. He hasn't figured it out yet.
    via kissesandknivess
  • Petty? Absolutely. But at least the rest of us can actually use the plates again.
    via kissesandknivess
  • A person prepares to lift a barbel at a gym.
    via Victor Freitas

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • Impossible-Way1 14h ago. • Why he gotta be like that, Love what you're doing +
    via kissesandknivess
  • The_Real_Mr_Bor... 14h ago . Next time you see him with 4-5 5lb plates just walk up with your phone and a 10lb plate. Ask to borrow one. If he says no, open the calculator app and make a big deal in front of everyone
    via kissesandknivess
  • as you show him 5+5 = 10. If you do not carry your phone in they gym just hold out your hand and say 'This many plus this many is 10.'
    via kissesandknivess
  • SadAbroad4 13h ago • Better to move them and leave him with an odd number so he can't balance his bar
    via kissesandknivess
  • epressedinthed... • $ 13h ago I'd just ask why he needs the 5's, are the ten's too much for you?
    via kissesandknivess
  • Wonderful-Put-2... • 13h ago Next, make some fake ones. Leave them around.
    via kissesandknivess
  • . Nunov_DAbov • 13h ago When all the 5s are gone, you need to start hiding the 10s. Then keep working your way up.
    via kissesandknivess
  • Skeggy-13h ago "But at least the rest of us can actually use the plates. again." Not if you hid them from everyone lol
    via kissesandknivess

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Tags

gym petty revenge entitled people karma mildly infuriating entitled gym bro entitled people
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