Joey Swoll Takes Stand Against Inappropriate Gym Behavior On TikTok, Woman Fights Back
Joey Swoll called out a woman on social media for displaying what he believed to be inappropriate behavior at the gym.
The bodybuilder is known for his videos denouncing toxic situations that contribute to a negative gym experience. Self-branded “CEO of gym positivity,” Joey has accumulated 7.4 million followers on TikTok, where he’s often praised for standing up for fellow gym-goers.
- Joey Swoll, a fitness influencer, publicly criticized a woman's gym behavior on social media.
- With 7.4 million TikTok followers, Joey Swoll is known as the "CEO of gym positivity."
- The controversy centered on a video of a woman, Felicity, using a bench press machine in a suggestive manner.
In a recent video, Joey focused on a woman named Felicity, who shared a clip of herself using a bench press machine with her legs while she lay on her back.
Joey Swoll called out a woman for “crossing the line” with her workout pose
Image credits: joeyswoll
The caption on Felicity’s video read: “*Gym crush finishes his sets and turns around* Me working out behind him.”
“Please stop filming this content at the gym,” Joey said, addressing the woman’s sexually suggestive workout pose.
“Listen, I’m all for gym humor and comedy, but there is absolutely a line, especially when you’re at a busy commercial gym like this crunch, where a lot of young people, a lot of minors, work out,” he added.
The famous “gymfluencer” highlighted that teenagers risked being exposed by appearing in the background of her video.
Felicity shared a clip of herself using a bench press machine with her legs while she lay on her back
Image credits: joeyswoll
He also mentioned that he’d be “absolutely livid” if his teenage child saw this type of behavior at the gym.
Addressing Felicity, he said: “If this was my gym, I would ask you one time politely to stop doing this, but seeing as this is a theme on your page, video after video, I would ask you to leave and not come back.”
Joey then signed off with his signature phrase, “You need to do better. Mind your own business.”
“If this was my gym, I would ask you one time politely to stop doing this,” Joey said
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The video sparked mixed reactions, with many people siding with Felicity and others agreeing with Joey’s words.
“I really want to know her mindset on why she should post that,” someone wrote, while another added, “These types of videos may not be appropriate for a crowded gym environment.”
“Gyms should have a no recording policy,” another person said.
A separate social media user didn’t think Joey should be the one to determine what’s considered inappropriate behavior or not, writing, “So Joey Swoll is the one who draws the line, interesting.”
“I don’t know why the hate Joey, that’s a legit workout,” another person commented.
“It’s kinda crazy but idk I just mind my business and keep walking,” somebody else wrote.
Felicity said she was actually doing the “Leg Behind Head” Yoga Pose
Image credits: strongbyfelicity
Felicity has since responded to Joey, saying she doesn’t regret her video or workout pose.
She mentioned that she has “always been an outsider” and that she was bullied during her school days.
“These people all don’t know me, you can think whatever you want, that I’m a s**t, I’m a h*e, I’m a c**t, I really don’t care,” she said on Instagram.
“You guys are putting [in] so much effort to bring a woman down.”
She also didn’t intend for her exercise to be sexualized by thousands of Internet users.
“I was doing an exercise to help me achieve the Leg Behind Head Yoga Pose,” Felicity told LadBible.
“It is an advanced hip opener that requires flexibility, stability, and strength.”
“They don’t know me, and I realized nothing they can say or do can stop me from loving myself,” she responded
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Furthermore, she commented on the hate she has received from Joey’s large following.
“I think it’s upsetting to be cyber-attacked and targeted by an influencer’s fanbase,” she explained.
“I’m sure this happens to a lot of people and that I’m not the only one. I find the culture and community very negative.
“It bothered me at first because they are calling me a ‘sex offender’ because of what Joey said about me and I have never been called that before.
“They are also attacking my physical appearance, intelligence, race, gender and sexuality. Everything you can think of.
“However, they don’t know me and I realized nothing they can say or do can stop me from loving myself, working on my fitness, and my journey to becoming the strong and powerful woman I want to be.”
Someone said Joey should “mind his own business”
"She also didn’t intend for her exercise to be sexualized by thousands of Internet users." Doesn't she see the irony in that statement?! She sexualized her exercise by POSTING IT HERSELF on the internet, and adding that caption as well (which was clearly sexual)!!!!
Sooo, she explicitly mentions her 'gym-crush' turning around and seeing her in that oose, but she didn't intend for it to be sexualised? What now? And she doesn't want to be ogled in a sexual way by thousands of internet users but posts her videos openly on the internet? What now again? And lastly: he didn't shame her pose or workout, he shamed her sexualised comment and filming in a gym without care if she films others, and already shaming people for looking at her. That's completely legit. But she carefully avoids this completely. No word about filming in a gym.
She can protest all she wants, come up with all her excuses, play the Victim, but, we all know exactly what she was doing in this age of social media. You can bet she liked all the positive comments on her TikTok, telling her she's a queen and such, because that was the whole point. We've seen it. Own up to it. There's zero reason to practice your yoga moves (BS) on the weight bench. We aren't dumb.
"She also didn’t intend for her exercise to be sexualized by thousands of Internet users." Doesn't she see the irony in that statement?! She sexualized her exercise by POSTING IT HERSELF on the internet, and adding that caption as well (which was clearly sexual)!!!!
Sooo, she explicitly mentions her 'gym-crush' turning around and seeing her in that oose, but she didn't intend for it to be sexualised? What now? And she doesn't want to be ogled in a sexual way by thousands of internet users but posts her videos openly on the internet? What now again? And lastly: he didn't shame her pose or workout, he shamed her sexualised comment and filming in a gym without care if she films others, and already shaming people for looking at her. That's completely legit. But she carefully avoids this completely. No word about filming in a gym.
She can protest all she wants, come up with all her excuses, play the Victim, but, we all know exactly what she was doing in this age of social media. You can bet she liked all the positive comments on her TikTok, telling her she's a queen and such, because that was the whole point. We've seen it. Own up to it. There's zero reason to practice your yoga moves (BS) on the weight bench. We aren't dumb.
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