She thought she was having a normal workout until a stranger decided her two minutes on a machine were already too long

Every gym has its own unwritten rules. Don't hog equipment, wipe down machines after using them, and be patient if someone is still finishing their set. But one young woman was stunned when an older gym-goer walked up to her in the gym and started accusing her of hogging a machine, even though the woman had been on it only for two minutes. In a July 20, 2026 TikTok video, a fitness influencer (@Jenna.fitness) shared her bizarre encounter, explaining she felt like marching out of the gym and returning home. Yet, she stayed put and responded with an intelligent argument.
@jenna.fitness “i want to go home” we all do😭outfit from @Paragon Fitwear code JENNAFIT to save🩵 #gymtok #gym #lifting #foryou ♬ original sound - jenna.fitness
This young woman was lifting weights on a machine when an older lady walked up to her and asked, “Excuse me, are you done?” The woman replied that she had two sets left. She had just gotten on the machine for about two minutes, but the older lady condemned her, saying she had been hogging that machine for the past 10 minutes. She accused her by saying young people take “forever” to complete their sets. With her eyebrows raised in shock, the young woman politely responded that she would just take another five minutes to finish her two remaining sets.

The older woman then insisted that she needed the machine immediately, saying she didn't have five more minutes to wait. “I need to go home,” she grunted. The young woman replied, “Me too!” While the older lady kept on insisting that she needed that machine, the young woman stood her ground and said she couldn’t stop her workout in between since she had already completed one set.

The older woman's behavior may be particularly frustrating for gym-goers who already find certain habits annoying. Garage Gym Reviews surveyed 2,000 gym-goers and discovered that staring or approaching a stranger is one of the most annoying (24%) habits people display in gyms, among others like playing loud music or hogging a machine. The survey also revealed that women are more likely to get annoyed by these behaviours, but men are 20% more likely to confront someone because of a pestering gym habit.


Viewers expressed contempt for the older woman and reassured the young one that her response was perfect. @caren.hates.you commented, “I would’ve busted out my favorite line, ‘well this conversation is taking us longer than what you're trying to do.’” @j_24769 said, “You were offering solutions- she was offering excuses.” @nikkimasseyshreve remarked, “Reminder that ‘No’ is a complete sentence.”
You can follow @Jenna.fitness on TikTok for fitness videos.
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