Working out is now an essential part of daily urban life. There are instances where one heads to the gym and has to deal with creepy signs from people who, instead of working out, make women uncomfortable.
Women on TikTok have now begun to film themselves while working out, to catch men ogling them at the gym. This has become a new trend, but people are divided over who is really at fault.
Calling Out #GymCreep And #GymWeirdo
The videos with hashtags ‘GymCreep’ and ‘GymWeirdo’ have been trending on TikTok for the last 18 months. This trend has gotten more popular in the UK and USA, as most videos have been uploaded by these countries’ users. The videos have amassed over 100 million views on the platform.
Fitness influencer, Heidi, uploaded a video that went viral at the end of 2021. It showed an older man watching her as she worked out. The man was staring at her midriff, and in a confrontation off camera, he said that he was just ‘looking around.’ Though, Heidi says, “he shut up real quick” when he got to know that she was filming her workout.
Fitness influencer and TikToker, Songeta also shared a video of herself being stared at by a gym creep in late 2021. The video clip has garnered 20,9000 likes.
US Influencer Gina uploaded a video where an old man is seen setting up gym rings right behind her. She said, “The gym was practically empty, and there are so many corners to be in, and he chose this one.” In the video, the man is seen moving one weight from side to side, close behind her. Gina felt so threatened that now she does not want to return to the gym.
Also Read: Breakfast Babble: Here’s Why I Genuinely Look Forward To Celebrity Workout Videos
Debates On Creepiness
A recent TikTok video has started a debate on who should be called a creep. The video uploaded by Jessica was filmed when she was preparing to lift weights, and she noticed a man behind her.
According to Jessica, she was stared at 5 times, and later the man also offered her help to put a plate on her dumbbell, which she kindly declined. She tagged the man as a weirdo and found his actions to be outrageous.
A fitness fanatic, Joey Swoll, started the debate by responding to TikTok posted by the ladies at the gym. Joey Swoll, a training coach, insisted that there is a big difference between someone simply looking or glancing at a woman and being an actual creep.
Responding to the video uploaded by Jessica, Joey commented, “Why did this man look at you? Well, you’re in front of him, a little off to the side, you’re in his peripheral. You’re also taking a video with your camera pointed directly at him, and you’re talking to yourself.” Joey agreed that there are women, who are harassed at the gym, but he did not find Jessica to be one of the victims.
This has left social media divided, and many came out in support of filming the videos, while many were against putting out videos tagging men as creeps. Kendra Lust tweeted, “There are creeps at the gym, but let’s not make every guy feel that way when he’s just being nice.“
Indian Scenario
In 2019, a female member of Bandra’s posh Gold’s Gym accused male members and trainers of sexual misconduct and the staff of not taking her complaint seriously.
A female gym-goer claimed, “I have had female friends tell me about this group of middle-aged men who often give dirty looks to women. They have changed their timings and attire, so they don’t have to deal with such things. They don’t feel comfortable wearing sleeveless tees, crop tops, or shorts in the gym.”
Wellness coach Sandhya Krishnan, also shared her plight on social media, where she wrote that several members have a habit of staring at women and making lewd comments.
She said, “Some, including trainers, stand too close for comfort.” There have been many instances where women have complained of the harassment they face at the gym.
In 2021, a survey by a US company, Run Repeat, found that 56% of women had faced some kind of harassment while working out. It’s time to stop the creepy culture and usher into a civilized world.
Image Credits: Google Images
Feature image designed by Saudamini Seth
Sources: Daily Mail, Mumbai Mirror, The Guardian
Find the blogger: Katyayani Joshi
This post is tagged under: Tiktok, harassment, women, men, creeps, weirdos, #gymcreeps, #gymweirdos, staring, lecherous, lewd, comments, ogling, wellness coach, trainers, India, gym, working out, trend, viral, explained, culture, civilized, video, filming, female trainers, training harassment, USA, UK
Disclaimer: We do not hold any right, or copyright, over any of the images used. These have been taken from Google. In case of credits or removal, the owner may kindly mail us.
[…] ‘The Gym Creep Trend:’ UK TikTok Exposes, India Needs Same Trend Too […]