One man’s “insane” gym behavior exposes the importance of safety precautions — and basic etiquette — while working out.
A white man was caught on camera repeatedly slamming a dense medicine ball against a multi-purpose machine that was in use by a young Black man at a Crunch Fitness in Brooklyn.
The machine shook with each bounce of the workout ball as the Black man attempted a very difficult maneuver—an “L-sit” position pull-up with arms flexed and legs stretched out in front of him. Fortunately, he barely flinched at first, but he eventually began to shake as the onslaught continued in what viewers are calling a very “dangerous and threatening” situation.
@bletsgoout He REALLY didn’t have to violate him like this. #gym #whenyoureblackyoureneverreallyalone #gymtok #smh ♬ original sound – krissychula
The narration accompanying the video, posted to TikTok on September 18 under the handle bletsgoout, noted that “When you’re Black, you’re never really lonely because there will always be a white person all up in your business.”
Many of the 1.7 million viewers agreed. “We are constantly tested,” read one comment that resonated with nearly 60,000 people.
There was no question that the Black gym member “took it as a challenge and dominated it,” holding his position in mid-air. “Glad he ain’t fold, can’t stop the grind,” praised one, but commenters believe the white man’s “microaggressions” warranted consequences.
He seemingly went out of his way to disrupt the workout, despite the fact that throwing the ball was exhausting him. “He had to put in lots of effort to keep going,” quipped one viewer. “He was willing to suffer.”
Another baffling detail is the open wall directly behind the machine, where he could have thrown the ball instead.
Crunch Fitness has an anti-discrimination policy and requires all employees to undergo anti-discrimination training. One course of action would be to file a complaint with the local management.
But opinions are divided on what the best move would have been. “A gym employee should have stepped in,” said one. “Your workout should not put someone else in harm’s way.”
Others believe the police should have gotten involved. “So when are we going to stop ignoring everything and report, complain, and call the police… that was dangerous and threatening.”
Many thought the Black man’s total non-response to the harasser was the right move. “Y’all don’t get it. He was trying to get a reaction out of him so he can make him look like the aggressor,” wrote one. “He handled that perfectly. He didn’t give him what he wanted.”
