Let me start by saying I am a regular at my gym, have been for YEARS (I was even on the pre-opening construction tour). I've been in the "big boys" area for the majority of my time (along with cardio, etc) - never been a big one for the machine area.
And the vast majority of men treat me fine, are at least polite. I've made friends, I've had run-ins every once in a while, but nothing bad... but today's run-in made me think about the whole issue of women and how some men act.
There is one bench that is slightly lower than most of the others, and it has uprights to do bench press. We also have THREE other racks that you can use to bench, and 2 of these were free. I like the bench I picked because it's also nice and stable for step-ups, which is what I was about to start, and hardly anyone uses it since the racks are nicer.
I put all my stuff on the end (log-book, pen, phone, water) under the rack and went to pick up my db's. This idiot guy (wearing a weight-belt for benching, throwing db's down hard onto the ground after each set) came over and said "are you using this?" (DUH!!!) and I said yes. So he picks up a 45# plate and starts to put it on the bar.
So I repeated "I'm using this" and he gets all annoyed and starts humphing and complaining, like I have no right to be there because I'm a woman??? He'd NEVER have asked a man, or tried to bully a guy off the bench, ya know?
I tried to point out the TWO other open benches, but he didn't want to hear it and he stormed off to throw db's around even more loudly (I was hoping one would land on his foot, he was slamming them so hard).
But it all made me wonder - do women who lift run into this attitude from men that we don't belong, that we should give up our equipment if they want to take it? I have noticed the "macho" crap is worst around 5pm (I'm almost never there at that time) when the hs kids are in along with the after-work crowd and it's very crowded. But I do run into it other times too - once had a guy refuse to let me work in because he was "in a rush" and couldn't share... while he sat there for 3 minutes between every set.
I know some women, especially beginners, can easily be intimidated. For me, this is my home turf and I get mad and don't back down... But is this common? Do you women run into this crap too - haven't men figured out that we have just as much of a right to the weights as they do?
P.S. This is NOT a dis on ANY of the wonderful men who accept women and would never be rude. It's just a rant about the macho idiots who haven't evolved yet.