Women Only
I have frequented two gyms in my time, and both have the bizarre practice of having a "women only" session.

The first time I encountered this, was one Sunday evening in Yorkshire, I had gone into the gym and requested gym and sauna, they said fine, swiped my card, and all was well.

I spent about 20 minutes in the gym before an instructor (all gym instructors are cunts, it's a fact, don't argue that), came and told me that I had to leave as it was 'women only'. Sheepishly, I nodded and left, to go to the sauna, only to be told about 2 minutes into that, that I wasn't allowed in there either.

The second time this happened to me was at my current gym. I was doing some ridiculously heavy weights, sculpting my guns, I had done about a thousand reps, when a gym instructor, came and waved two fingers in my face. I had no clue what she was on about, so carried on listening to my music and ignoring her. Then she came back and shouted "2 minutes" at me, before saying, "actually only one now". I looked confused, and another guy asked what the hell she was on about.

"It's women only from 7, so you all need to leave". We left, no use arguing with cunts.

This brings me to my point (sorry for the preamble)... Why is there a women only time in gyms?

This is not me going to complain that there should be a men only time, and that this is sexist. I asked my girlfriend, and she said it was because women felt self-concious with loads of men around.

SO!?!

I feel self-concious when there are loads of men around with bigger muscles than me, as well. I also don't think having a women only session once a week will do anything. Will it mean any woman who is intimidated by the men will come then? If they go then, and are intimidated by the men at all other times, then they surely aren't getting much excercise.

Why not just leave the gym open to everyone, all the time? That's what I pay for.

...And breath...

Right, I'm off to flex my guns and drive around town posing in my Honda Accord...
(The Kwyjibo A big, dumb, balding North American ape., Mon 13 Jul 2009, 12:56, 13 replies)

The "Women Only" sessions are for people who can;t do mixed gym due to their religions
mainly for muslim women.

They do "Men Only" sessions in predominetly Jewish areas for faith reasons too.
( Crap Little Monkey Deathstar, so good they built it twice, Mon 13 Jul 2009, 13:02, closed)

This isn't exactly true...
... but there could well be a good commercial reason to have women only sessions for people - OK, women - who think they don't want a mixed session.

They might not ever take advantage of it, but it's the sort of thing that might get them to part with a membership fee and, for the sake of an hour a week, no male member's going to withhold his.
( Enzyme is powered by sunlight, Mon 13 Jul 2009, 13:06, closed)

It's not just an hour
at my current one, it is a Tuesday night from 7.
(The Kwyjibo A big, dumb, balding North American ape., Mon 13 Jul 2009, 13:10, closed)

You seem to have missed the point of my post...
:)
( Enzyme is powered by sunlight, Mon 13 Jul 2009, 14:00, closed)

Fark
What a fucked age we live in.
(Vagajay, Mon 13 Jul 2009, 13:07, closed)

Where I lived in Yorkshire,
it was definitely not to do with religion. I was more likely to see a black face from coal mines, than I was to see one from an ethnic minority!
(The Kwyjibo A big, dumb, balding North American ape., Mon 13 Jul 2009, 13:10, closed)

I think perhaps the real question
is not why they have such sessions (it's totally what Enzyme said - everything comes down to money with gyms) but why they aren't advertised well enough for you to be able to schedule around them.

Surely there should be big signs and the person at the front should say "Remember you'll need to be out by 7 today!" etc...

Bastards, the lot of them.
(xanthine, Tue 14 Jul 2009, 5:17, closed)

In my old gym in Acton,
(A Fitness First if I remember correctly), they had a 'Woman Only' room.
It was open the whole time and meant that no men had to kicked out the gym. To be honest, when using weights I did feel more comfortable using the machines in the woman only room, but I don't agree with kicking paying members out because of gender.
(it's not hash mixed drops, Tue 14 Jul 2009, 7:58, closed)

Worse still..
There is a gym (Fatness First) near me which only allow women to join! My company offer huge discounts for this gym and I cannot use it.
(TheBDI is watching you..., Tue 14 Jul 2009, 9:48, closed)

That's what Gentlemens clubs are for.
Oh no, we're not allowed those anymore are we?


Hang on, I'm almost finished opening this can...


NO! Worms everywhere!
( Blind Meach Cautiously optimistic, Tue 14 Jul 2009, 9:57, closed)

What's good for the goose...
... is good for the gander. I tried to get a "men only" session/night at my local council gym but basically was told that the idea was abusive to women by telling them what hours they can and cannot do.

Irony much.
(Helo, Tue 14 Jul 2009, 15:15, closed)

Bwahahaha
Ah, the joy of unimaginative "by the books" folk.
(Scritty Bakerman., Thu 16 Jul 2009, 10:20, closed)

I'm pretty sure
Something like this could never be legally enforced by any gym. For them to ask you to leave because you are the incorrect gender when you are paying to use the facilities is surely illegal? Would surely be on the same page as having a 'blacks only' time of the day and a 'whites only'. am i right legal people?
(TheManWithThePlan cussed your mum on, Tue 14 Jul 2009, 17:00, closed)