Some weeks ago on a Friday late afternoon in May of 2008 (exact date to be inserted later), one of the owners, whose son plays for the Auburn Tigers, interrupted me in the middle of an upper body workout by standing to the front right of the machine, thus blocking my movement.
With a smug grin glued to his face, he said, “You’re getting too big.”
“Excuse?” I replied, not quite sure I heard correctly.
“I said, you’re getting too big.” He continued to smile.
I didn’t know what to say except thank you. As a female bodybuilder, it’s not necessarily an insult to hear feedback that you’re gaining size.
“I don’t think you understand,” he said, his voice taking on a slight edge. “You’re getting too big. You’re going to lose your femininity.” He shifted his body and leaned in a bit closer. “Let me ask you something. Why are you doing this? Why?”
I shrugged. “Because I like it?” I offered, still not sure what direction this intrusive line of questioning was headed.
“Because you like it?” he repeated. “When are you going to stop?” he demanded.
“Hmm. Well, let’s see. When my biceps and triceps pop out a little more and when my hams match my quads. Wouldn’t mind my back filling in more.”
“Stop,” he said. “Just stop.” The smile slid off his face, usurped by marked displeasure. “Do you realize you’re getting bigger than Cory Everson?”
“Cory Everson? The six time Miss Olympia champion?”
“Yes. I knew her, you know.”
I choked back a laugh. “I seriously doubt I’m getting bigger than her. You know, I’m only going to get as big as I can naturally, ” I pointed out, emphasizing the last word.
“Women’s bodybuilding went downhill after Cory,” he continued, oblivious to what I had said. “The girls were looking too big and too masculine.”
The implication was obvious. He was basically telling me he thought I looked too butch. And yet, I wasn’t bothered. I was still floating on air from a workout high. At least until -
“How much do you weigh? 140?” he asked, changing strategy.
“Yeah.”
“That’s what I thought. 140.” And then he said something I couldn’t believe. “You need to lose weight. Go down to 118.” He stared past me as he began calculating figures in his head. “Yeah, that’s it. 118. No, wait – make that 115,” he corrected, swiftly shifting his eyes back on mine. “115.”
I was floored. “That’s ridiculous! I was a bone rack at 115! I had flesh hanging from my body. I felt sick all the time, too. I mean, come on now!”
“115,” he repeated as he abruptly slid between another machine and myself and turned the corner towards his office, leaving me in a state of disbelief.
Did this conversation really happen? I asked myself as I grabbed my water bottle from off the floor and headed into the locker room. Did the owner of a gym unnecessarily harass me for being too muscular or fit – and on top of it – suggest that I lose what I pointed out was an unhealthy amount of weight?
What’s even sadder is that there was more to this conversation than I care to document but it still fell along the lines of disrespect.
Tags: Planet Fitness, East Falls Church Planet Fitness, Harassment, Cory Everson, Gyms, Fitness Facilities, Health, Fitness, The Owners of Planet Fitness East Falls Church VA, Harassment at a Fitness Facility, Misogyny
