Did you all enjoy that Workaholics reference? Good. Now, let’s get into it: Gym selfies are just the worst. Well, actually, selfies in general are kind of the worst, but that’s a whole different article, and I suspect you’d like to get home to have dinner with your kids tonight, so I’ll hold off.
Before anyone comes for me, I know there’s nothing inherently wrong with taking a gym selfie. Maybe you’re celebrating progress, showing off a new workout outfit, or documenting a personal milestone. Fine. My problem starts when your little photo shoot becomes everyone else’s problem. And I have a story about that.
I should probably backtrack a little bit, right? Okay, here we go: I was at the gym the other day, trotting along on the elliptical like a majestic gazelle because that’s how I look when I exercise, and definitely not like someone desperately trying to survive the next five minutes.
But, again, that’s not the point right now. So there I was, elliptical-ing along like the fit and trendy ~*basic-bitch*~ I am, and I decided that it was probably best that I move along in my workout process before I sweat all of the paint off of the machine.
So, I go to the little baby free weight section for people with little baby arms, trying not to get knocked unconscious by the bros dead-lifting massive barbells and staring lovingly at their triceps, and I can’t find any good mirror space to make sure my form is up to par. You know why? Because BETCHES BE TAKIN’ MIRROR SELFIES AT THE GYM.
I mean it. They were taking up the prime mirror space, preventing me from watching myself pump some serious iron, Arnold Schwarzenegger-style. And it was really freakin’ annoying.
And no, the locker room wouldn’t have been a better place for their photo session. People are changing in there, and nobody should have to worry about ending up in a stranger’s camera roll. If your gym allows photography at all, at least pick a spot where you’re not blocking equipment or accidentally photographing someone else.
Now, I know what a lot of you are thinking. “Sara, you just don’t like gym selfies because you’re jealous that all these other ladies look like glamorous beauty queens, and you look like a dripping, sagging beast when you’re done at the gym.” And you know what?
While that may be true, that actually has nothing to do with it. It’s more about my attitude toward working out and why I, and plenty of other people, go to the gym in the first place.
The vanity that sometimes comes along with gym selfies is something I find unpleasant, and it’s that kind of attitude that I don’t like being around when I’m working on my fitness.
It’s the same general idea behind Planet Fitness’s “no lunks” messaging. Nobody, regardless of their fitness level, wants to go to the gym and feel like they’re taking part in some pageant they didn’t sign up for.
It’s Not the Selfie. It’s the Gym Etiquette.
Look, I get that gym selfies can mean different things to different people. Some people take progress pictures to see how their bodies change over time. Others share photos with friends who encourage them to keep showing up. Not every mirror selfie is a desperate cry for Instagram attention, even if my inner cynic would love to believe otherwise.
Another perspective: Are selfies really as annoying as we make them out to be? Read our case in defense of selfies and decide for yourself.
But there’s a difference between snapping a quick picture and treating the weight room like your personal photography studio.
If you’re going to take pictures at the gym, check the gym’s rules first. Keep other members out of the frame unless they’ve agreed to be photographed, including people visible in mirrors. Don’t set up a tripod in a walkway, monopolize equipment while getting the perfect angle, or expect someone to stop exercising because they’re ruining your shot. And leave cameras out of locker rooms and changing areas entirely.
For anyone recording a set to check their form, the same courtesy applies. A quick video of your own lift is one thing, provided your gym permits it. Making everyone around you work around your camera is another.
And if someone’s photo session really is getting in your way? A polite “Hey, mind if I use the mirror for a minute?” is probably more productive than standing there silently plotting their downfall. Although I can’t promise I wouldn’t do a little of both.
Why Does Everything Need to Be a Photo Opportunity?
I think my irritation also speaks to our inability, especially in my generation, to keep anything to ourselves. Personally, I don’t really need people to know exactly what I’m doing when I’m doing it.
I’m not a fan of documenting every moment on social media. I don’t need to check in somewhere just to tell the Internet where I am, and, despite the fact that I write this column, I honestly don’t care whether or not people know how frequently or infrequently I work out.
Frankly, my life is nobody’s business, and I don’t really like the “pics, or it didn’t happen” mentality that so many people have. When did photo documentation become key to completing even the most inconsequential daily activities?
Related reading: Is taking selfies harmless fun or have we become a little too obsessed with documenting everything? Check out our article on taking selfies.
So yeah, maybe my frustration with gym selfies has more to do with my general frustration with the pressure to document everything. But guys, really, you’re supposed to leave all that crap at the gym door. Or at least keep it from interfering with the people who came to work out.
I hardly think the weight room is a sacred place, but I do think it’s nice to spend an hour doing something without worrying about what people see, what people think, and what people know about you. You can work out, sweat, look ridiculous, and go home without producing photographic evidence. It’s really not that hard to do.
And if taking a quick gym selfie makes you happy, that’s your business. Just remember that the mirror, the equipment, and the people around you aren’t props for your picture.
But then again, I love it when male celebrities take shirtless selfies after they work out, so maybe I’m just a huge hypocrite. Whatever.
