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An upscale gym that charges a $22,000-a-year membership has banned a longtime member for surreptitiously taking videos and photos of women doing deadlifts.
The man, described as a former ‘high flyer’, was allegedly caught by a number of women taking pictures of them performing the common weightlifting move, which is performed from a bent position using the knees to raise the barbell to the waist.
It led to the man being kicked out of the Sydney Sporting Club in the city’s inner east, which costs $5,000 just to join and boasts state-of-the-art exercise equipment, a 50m heated outdoor pool and a virtual golf studio.
“The individual’s membership has been suspended pending further investigation,” a Sporting Club of Sydney spokesman said. Daily Telegraph.
A woman performing a deadlift (generic image pictured), which involves lifting weights from a bent over position
‘The images were deleted immediately after the male patron was spoken to by the women involved and staff.
“We thank the female patrons for raising the issue promptly and engaging in conduct that is a clear breach of the Sporting Club of Sydney’s standards.”
An unnamed female gym user told the newspaper the man had been a high-flyer at the company but was involved in a ‘horrible car accident’ which resulted in brain damage and he now has a full-time carer.
“It’s no excuse, but it might explain why he did it,” the woman said.
‘He has been a member for 20 years and has never done anything like this before.’
Other unnamed female patrons of the gym, located at Allianz Stadium in Sydney’s inner east, also praised the quick response to complaints.
“They did everything they could, it was handled really well,” said one.
‘We can’t blame the club at all.’
There has been a general crackdown on access to the sports club, which has been incorporated into the newly rebuilt Allianz Stadium, to prevent tickets being shared between family and friends.
Patrons said the entrance had recently been cordoned off so cards could be checked manually before they got to the automatic tellers.
Sydney Sporting Club charges $5,000 just to join and has membership fees of $22,000 a year (stock image)
In early February, famed bodybuilding gym Doherty’s announced a crackdown on patrons videoing their workouts by banning racks and requiring ‘media passes’ in what the owner called a ‘sacred place’.
Dohertys, which has three locations in the Melbourne area and one in Perth that attracts super-lovers from all over the world, issued a notice that “filming on tripods will no longer be permitted on its premises”.
‘It is our duty to ensure to provide security protection and privacy for all our members. Tripods have become a tripping hazard and a safety issue,” the release explained.
Tripods are used to mount smartphones to record workouts on video, which is often shared with social media accounts to like and follow.