Group exercise and fitness instructors, am I wrong? AITA?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:LOl - I’ve done years of group ex classes and there are always the aggressive spot stealers and space hogs, of all ages, races, genders, etc. Only you can weight how important it is to be aggressive in response. Sometimes it might be worth it to you and other times not.

I find the people that get there 20 min early, throw of pile of stuff down to claim “their spot” then leave and come back just as class starts. The floor doesn’t belong to you bc you sent a water bottle there, sorry

So grab an open spot if another one has stuff on it? What's the big deal the spots are all pretty much the same? If you don't care to get their early then you get what you get. The differences between spots are minimal. Just go, grab a spot, and do your work out. Being territorial about it is ridiculous especially when you can't be bothered to get there earlier.

[Anonymous]

If you keep moving ypur water bottle, she may think you just set your stuff down while you were talking. Stand on your spot of it is that important to you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:LOl - I’ve done years of group ex classes and there are always the aggressive spot stealers and space hogs, of all ages, races, genders, etc. Only you can weight how important it is to be aggressive in response. Sometimes it might be worth it to you and other times not.

I find the people that get there 20 min early, throw of pile of stuff down to claim “their spot” then leave and come back just as class starts. The floor doesn’t belong to you bc you sent a water bottle there, sorry

So grab an open spot if another one has stuff on it? What's the big deal the spots are all pretty much the same? If you don't care to get their early then you get what you get. The differences between spots are minimal. Just go, grab a spot, and do your work out. Being territorial about it is ridiculous especially when you can't be bothered to get there earlier.

Because what happens is you show up for class 5 min early like a normal person and arrive to a nearly empty room full of of water bottles all
over the floor saving spots. I don’t care where I go, but a water bottle doesn’t require the same space a person will occupy. Que 2 min before class and all the older ladies file in ready to take up “their spot” and then then get all annoyed you are encroaching their spot. Stink eye and rude side comments bc someone got too close to your saved water bottle spot is totally petty. It really shouldn’t be a big deal at all where anyone stands.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Because what happens is you show up for class 5 min early like a normal person and arrive to a nearly empty room full of of water bottles all
over the floor saving spots. I don’t care where I go, but a water bottle doesn’t require the same space a person will occupy. Que 2 min before class and all the older ladies file in ready to take up “their spot” and then then get all annoyed you are encroaching their spot. Stink eye and rude side comments bc someone got too close to your saved water bottle spot is totally petty. It really shouldn’t be a big deal at all where anyone stands.

This. I've been doing the same group exercise class for ten years. I move all over the room. I personally think it's annoying when people "claim" a spot with their water bottle and then wander around. Just go to the spot when the instructor has you move there. Don't try and reserve a place with a towel. After awhile, I came to dread the 8:30 class bc two women would practically shove others out of the way to get to their preferred spot. It's also better for your body to change it up. For me, I'm against any of this spot saving.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:LOl - I’ve done years of group ex classes and there are always the aggressive spot stealers and space hogs, of all ages, races, genders, etc. Only you can weight how important it is to be aggressive in response. Sometimes it might be worth it to you and other times not.

I find the people that get there 20 min early, throw of pile of stuff down to claim “their spot” then leave and come back just as class starts. The floor doesn’t belong to you bc you sent a water bottle there, sorry

So grab an open spot if another one has stuff on it? What's the big deal the spots are all pretty much the same? If you don't care to get their early then you get what you get. The differences between spots are minimal. Just go, grab a spot, and do your work out. Being territorial about it is ridiculous especially when you can't be bothered to get there earlier.

Because what happens is you show up for class 5 min early like a normal person and arrive to a nearly empty room full of of water bottles all
over the floor saving spots. I don’t care where I go, but a water bottle doesn’t require the same space a person will occupy. Que 2 min before class and all the older ladies file in ready to take up “their spot” and then then get all annoyed you are encroaching their spot. Stink eye and rude side comments bc someone got too close to your saved water bottle spot is totally petty. It really shouldn’t be a big deal at all where anyone stands.

My gym has numbers on the floor so if your water bottle is by the number that is clearly your spot. It helps people spread out appropriately.

[Anonymous]

Wherever you are standing when the instructor starts the class is your spot. A water bottle/towel on the floor 20 min prior to class in no way saves your spot or designates that no one else may stand near there

[Anonymous]

My gym has you reserve your spot in advance when you register for the class.

[Anonymous]

Um, why don't you STAY THERE and save your spot? Weirdo.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My gym has you reserve the spot for the class on the app. But still people take spots. Sometimes people will show the spot stealers on their phone that the spot is theirs or they just move. But the instructors hate squabbles about spots so don’t go to them for help.

Nobody needs an app for a spot, if you do you’re wayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy too high maintenance.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There's a class at my gym that I LOVE. Due to changes in my work schedule, I have not been able to go for some time. I now have a break and can go on this day/time regularly. Like most people, I have a preferred spot, and I like it for various reasons. But I wholly understand that it is not "my" spot and I do not own it. If someone else is there before I get there? Totally cool, I go somewhere else and give them space.

But for the most part, I try to arrive to this class early. Like a lot of people, I put my water bottle and towel down in my (empty) spot and make small talk with others. I do not wander far, maybe 2-4 feet away.

The past several times, an older woman comes in and stands like a statue about 4" from my water bottle. At first, I moved and let her have it.

But now, I'm tired of this. And I don't wander away. I've been a pushover and people pleaser for most of my life, but lately I've grown so tired of accommodating others, especially if I feel they're rude. And I reclaim my spot even if she walks in and stands right next to me.

Am I the ahole? Am I wrong? Am I being too strict with 'first come first serve?'

She's the a-hole but since she's not going to change, you need to park yourself in our spot if you want it. I would think that would be obvious to you by not but in addition to not being the a-hole, you're also not very smart.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My gym has you reserve the spot for the class on the app. But still people take spots. Sometimes people will show the spot stealers on their phone that the spot is theirs or they just move. But the instructors hate squabbles about spots so don’t go to them for help.

Nobody needs an app for a spot, if you do you’re wayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy too high maintenance.

Yeah its much better to whine about spots and move water bottles. Do you even pay for the gym or just waltz in like the bad ass you think you are?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My gym has you reserve your spot in advance when you register for the class.

I stoped going to a gym that did this. It’s ridiculous to have to pick your spot the day before the class. I like how Gold’s does it. Register for a “slot”, but choose your exact spot in class when you arrive. Also, I think OP is talking about a spin class, so spacing isn’t really an issue.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My gym has you reserve the spot for the class on the app. But still people take spots. Sometimes people will show the spot stealers on their phone that the spot is theirs or they just move. But the instructors hate squabbles about spots so don’t go to them for help.

Nobody needs an app for a spot, if you do you’re wayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy too high maintenance.

Agree. Show up at class, stand anywhere, workout. WTF is the big deal with where you think you must stand

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:LOl - I’ve done years of group ex classes and there are always the aggressive spot stealers and space hogs, of all ages, races, genders, etc. Only you can weight how important it is to be aggressive in response. Sometimes it might be worth it to you and other times not.

I find the people that get there 20 min early, throw of pile of stuff down to claim “their spot” then leave and come back just as class starts. The floor doesn’t belong to you bc you sent a water bottle there, sorry

So grab an open spot if another one has stuff on it? What's the big deal the spots are all pretty much the same? If you don't care to get their early then you get what you get. The differences between spots are minimal. Just go, grab a spot, and do your work out. Being territorial about it is ridiculous especially when you can't be bothered to get there earlier.

Because what happens is you show up for class 5 min early like a normal person and arrive to a nearly empty room full of of water bottles all
over the floor saving spots. I don’t care where I go, but a water bottle doesn’t require the same space a person will occupy. Que 2 min before class and all the older ladies file in ready to take up “their spot” and then then get all annoyed you are encroaching their spot. Stink eye and rude side comments bc someone got too close to your saved water bottle spot is totally petty. It really shouldn’t be a big deal at all where anyone stands.

My gym has numbers on the floor so if your water bottle is by the number that is clearly your spot. It helps people spread out appropriately.

You're getting flak for this, but I like the idea. Our gym has an app sign up so that the class doesn't get too crowded, but no one actually enforces it. The result is you have 40 people stuffed into a space for 25. If there were 25 spaces marked on the floor, it would be clear people are ignoring the sign up and maybe the instructors would do something about it. It might have been closer to 50 people this morning, and it was borderline dangerous (cardio kickboxing).

Even when it's not stupidly crowded, lots of people have no sense of space and get way too close. More than once, I've circled back to take someone's original spot because they were fully in my space.

[Anonymous]

I was using the same spot for months, without incident, when a former regular came back and told me I'd need to move. I truly didn't understand what she meant -- thought I didn't hear her properly - and stayed where I was. She did not persist.

I realized what she meant later when the instructor and several in the class welcomed her back. Too late. She lost her spot. No one else said anything.