Writer Robert Crampton recently published an article called “I’m in the gym with semi-clad young women. Where do I look? in The Times, and the internet had quite the reaction.
In his article, Crampton wrote, “At my gym, whose patrons are three-quarters women in their twenties and thirties, I often feel as if I’ve wandered into the girls’ changing room by mistake. The tank tops and sports bras far outnumber the yoga pants and ballet cardigans.”
“Were I a pervy old goat, it’d be happy days,” he continued. “But I’m not a pervy old goat; I’m a respectable married father of two, with a daughter similar in age, 26, to many of the youngsters sharing the space.”
Women Are Wearing ‘Workout Bikinis’ to Spite ‘Intimidated’ Men
After making that self-proclaimed statement, he then went on to say that “however honorable you may be, a room full of women in their underwear is still distracting.”
Crampton, aged 60, also recently penned an article called, “No one wants to see a fatty at the ballet. It just doesn’t stack up.”
Anyway…
Crampton’s article has sparked quite the discussion surrounding women in the gym—or, more specifically, what women are wearing to the gym. One such conversation happened during a recent Newstalk segment, where host Andrea Gilligan spoke with fitness instructors and gym owners to discuss Crampton’s controversial article.
During that segment, another man named Paul Byrne, director of Body Byrne training shared his opinion about gym dress codes.
“It was never really an issue … up until the last few years, when social media came in and a lot of people are filming themselves, the scanty clothing has boomed,” he told Newstalk’s “Lunchtime Live” with Andrea Gilligan. “We have a lot of young girls practically wearing bikinis when they’re working out now.”
What the Hell is a Workout Bikini Anyway?
By “bikinis,” he means workout sets that “show off their midsections.” Or, as he calls them, “workout bikinis.”
“It can be very intimidating in the gym for people as well,” he added. “It’s practically narcissistic. If someone has a great six-pack and young girls have amazingly shaped bodies that they are showing off basically, they should cover up a little bit, you know?”
Hmmm. Not sure I do.
As it turns out, many women—and men, really—pushed back on Byrne’s opinion.
Female fitness influencer Izzy Warner shared a video using an audio clip from the Newseek segment. In the video, she posed in a gym mirror, sporting workout shorts and a sports bra.
“Don’t mind me, just wearing my workout bikini,” she wrote over the video.
One male TikToker used the same audio over a video of him hiding behind a workout machine with the caption: “POV: You’re a grown man in a gym and an intimidating woman walks in wearing her intimidating gym bikini.”
Another shared a clip of herself looking over her shoulder while alone on a walk. Over her video, she wrote: “My shorts are intimidating, but your sexual urges against random women aren’t?”
One person clapped back with a TikTok that had the following statement: “How about we stop sexualizing women’s bodies? Maybe look at yourself in the mirror if you can’t refrain from looking at young girls?”
“Here’s a thought,” she continued. Ever consider that women DO NOT dress for the male gaze in the gym? Last thing, let’s remember that the only ‘intimidating’ thing about a woman’s body/outfit in the gym is the fact a man is looking at it.”
The post Women Are ‘Intimidating’ Men With ‘Workout Bikinis,’ Says Gym Owner appeared first on VICE.
