Man's Note So People Don't Use Gym Equipment Sparks Fury: 'So Entitled'

Having a rest while working out is crucial, especially when lifting weights, but one man's approach to keeping gym equipment free has sparked outrage online.

In a viral Reddit post shared on May 6, user u/4ArgumentsSake shared a photo of a handwritten note that was taped to a squat rack. It read: "I'm in the middle of my power lift sets and I take 4-6 [minute] break[s] between. Be patient."

The post titled, "At the gym during the busiest time of day," has racked up more than 72,000 upvotes at the time of writing.

"I didn't expect the post to be so popular," the Colorado-based man told Newsweek. "I think it just shows how many people have been frustrated when they're just trying to work out and other people are hogging equipment."

A study conducted by a group of researchers from the Biomedical Center at State University of Rio de Janeiro in Brazil. Rest intervals between sets can vary depending on the person's goals; for maximum strength and power, one should rest for three to five minutes. To increase muscle mass, relax for 30 to 60 seconds; and 20 seconds to 1 minute for enhancing muscular endurance. These intervals optimize training effectiveness, efficiency, and safety.

Since sharing the original post on May 9, the Reddit user has shared the full story to the subreddit r/mildlyinfuriating. He said he started using a squat rack that appeared to be unused for a while. However, shortly after he began his exercise, he was approached by another man.

He said: "While he's giving his spiel I notice another rack has opened up, so whatever, I'm not [going to] point out how ridiculous it is that he left it unattended for 8+ minutes and expects no one to use it. I help him switch the weights back and move over to the other squat rack. He immediately leaves again and comes back a minute later with his spotter and this sign."

The poster wrote: "During my third set (with 2-minute breaks) dude comes up all perturbed that I was using 'his' rack. He essentially says what's in the sign and tells me he's [going to] have to ask for the rack back and tells me not to touch his weights.

The gymgoer added that the man spent his whole break on the other side of the gym, talking to people. During this time, the poster decided to take a sneaky snap of the note.

"After finishing with my sets I [grabbed] a staff member and ask[ed] them about the sign and their policies around reserving equipment and working in. They said it is not allowed and they went to talk to him about it."

Reddit Reacts

So far, the post has 2,700 comments, and the top one has more than 5,000.

It read: "I used to do powerlifting and

1. I remained by the bar
2. I was always willing to let people do a set or two during my rest

"People are so entitled nowadays. No sense of community."

Another user posted: "No. Equipment is vacant, if you want to return to it then you be patient and do so when I'm finished."

"Not even PLEASE be patient. This is some next level entitlement," added a third commenter.

Update 05/20/24 09:08 a.m. ET: This story has been updated with a comment from u/4ArgumentsSake.

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