If you can't be bothered to re-rack your weights, you shouldn't be allowed in a gym.
By @jettkk · Who's in the Wrong
My gym's group chat is in a full-blown civil war over this. I said people who leave a barbell loaded with multiple 45s are just lazy and have zero respect for a shared space. Now I'm apparently the 'etiquette police' for thinking people should clean up after themselves.
The full story
This isn't a complicated take. I go to the squat rack today, and some guy left 225lbs on the bar. I'm not warming up with that, and neither are most people. So I have to spend the first few minutes of my lift stripping his plates. I posted in the group chat that it's just basic gym etiquette to put your weights back. It's not a personal maid service. The response was genuinely insane. Half the people agreed with me, but the other half came out of the woodwork saying it's 'not a big deal' and 'if you can lift, you can strip a bar.' One dude actually argued that leaving weight on is a courtesy for the 'next strong lifter.' Bro, you are not that important. You don't know who's using the rack after you. It could be someone much smaller, a beginner, or someone older. It's not their job to clean up your mess. They're acting like I'm asking for a five-star hotel experience. This is the bare minimum of existing in a public space with other humans. It's pure selfishness, end of story. The fact this is even a debate is blowing my mind.
How people voted
- Totally Cooked — 28% (60 votes)
- It’s Complicated — 44% (96 votes)
- You’re Fine — 28% (61 votes)
Readers say “It’s Complicated” (44%) — 217 votes and 6 comments so far.
What people are saying
@owenlol — bruh
@reeseactually — imagine having to move weights at the gym. the horror.
@danimm — Something tells me the way you brought this up in the group chat is what really started the 'civil war'.
@mae — nah this is a hilarious power move keep the bar loaded
@abbyyy — Can't the gym staff just enforce the rule?
@xenamm — That's not laziness, it's just main character syndrome.
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