A 62-year-old woman asked to use a treadmill but a gym employee allegedly told her to get in shape first before kicking her out

A 62-year-old woman was allegedly turned away from a Crunch Fitness location on Whitsett Street after an employee reportedly told her to get in shape before she could join. As detailed by BroBible, the incident came to light after the woman’s daughter, Lizzie Buchanan, posted a video detailing the interaction that has since drawn nearly 398,000 views on TikTok.

In the video, Buchanan says the employee asked her mother about the type of weights she used and how often she planned to work out. When her mother explained that she simply wanted to walk on the treadmill, the employee allegedly responded, “Well, we don’t want people like you in here.”

Buchanan says her mother left the gym crying but returned later to see if they could start over. The employee reportedly refused the attempt and warned that police would be called if she came back, and Buchanan said her mother had done nothing but try to work out.

Commenters online shared their own frustrations with the chain

The account has sparked a broader conversation about gym culture across social media. One commenter claimed they were previously banned from a location for helping a friend with exercise form, saying staff accused them of conducting unauthorized personal training even though the two were simply working out together.

Complaints about how gym staff handles members have surfaced elsewhere recently, including a billing dispute over an unexplained charge at a Planet Fitness location that also went viral online. That incident similarly ended with the company publicly asking the member to reach out directly rather than resolving the matter in the comments.

Some viewers were skeptical of Buchanan’s account, pointing out that it is unusual for gym staff to threaten police involvement without a specific provocation. Others said the story reflected a pattern they had seen before at national chains.

Gym-related confrontations have become a recurring subject online in recent weeks, including a separate incident during a workout in which a woman said a man grew confrontational after she reacted to him staring at her repeatedly. Neither incident is connected to the Crunch Fitness case.

On the r/xxfitness subreddit, users echoed the sentiment that gym members should feel comfortable using equipment however they choose, particularly when it comes to cardio machines like treadmills. Several pointed out that large commercial gyms rely on members who pay for access but do not use every piece of equipment, effectively subsidizing the facility for others.

The Crunch Fitness location where the incident allegedly occurred declined to comment on the situation. Attack of the Fanboy was unable to independently verify the employee’s side of the story, as the account currently comes only from Buchanan’s video and the reaction it generated online.