Gym users were unsure what exactly was wrong with the equipment.
Upon discovering an unoccupied squat bar in an otherwise packed weight room, gym goers concluded that the only explanation was that the equipment was, “some kind of sadistic trap.”
“It makes absolutely no sense,” said area man Alex Scranton who described himself as a regular at the recreation center. “It’s 5pm on a weekday. That’s peak lifting time and you’re telling me that squat bar is just sitting there unused? Seems pretty shady if you asked me.”
Another member, Ellie Dean, explained that she spent a considerable amount of time looking for a singular water bottle or sweatshirt to signal that the bar was actually in use but inevitably found nothing.
“I usually have to borderline fight someone for a spot at this gym,” Dean told reporters. “The squat bar just sat there empty for over 20 minutes though. Like, did someone throw up on it or something?”
The squat bar was reportedly eyed by several other gym members who opted not to try using it in the likely scenario that the whole thing, “really was just some kind of big joke,” or that someone would come running up and claim that it was in use the second they tried to use it.
Dean later told reporters that she ended up just using to the leg press machine as she didn’t want to take any chances.
