Leese was minding her own business while using a machine when the man in question came up to her and repeatedly asked when she would be finished with the device.

“I was using one of the machines and he kept asking me, would I be long,” she recounted to her TikTok followers.

She explained she had two more sets of 10 repetitions to do and the man would be free to use the equipment.

Leese had loaded up 32kg on the seated chest fly when he approached her, taking a 90-second break between sets.

“He said he doesn’t appreciate being inconvenienced by people who aren’t even lifting serious weights,” she said.

She was stunned and went to say something back to the man but another gym-goer intervened, with a second man telling the first to “never speak like that to somebody in the gym again”.

“I was actually really shocked that people would say that,” she said.

Leese added that she was incredibly grateful to the second gym-goer for stepping in and defending her.

Social media users agreed that it was a shocking display from the first guy.

“Bravo to the man who said something. Joey Swoll would be proud. Don’t take it personal, keep doing you,” one social media user said.

Another said: “I hope you told reception! That’s not acceptable. Everyone is there to improve themselves.”

“Well now I’m doing 10 extra sets on the lightest weight possible. Parking myself here now bud,” one person added.

“Omg I would have just stayed 10x longer and scrolled my phone ha,” someone else joked.

“And this is why I have gym anxiety,” another said.

“Ignore him! Gyms are for everyone who all pay the same membership,” one said.

Another social media user commented: “Wow you keep doing you. I don’t lift serious weights but I have serious tone!!”

Other women shared their similar negative experiences while at the gym.

“I’ve been approached by a guy who let me know I wouldn’t efficiently lose weight on the treadmill and asked what I eat for breakfast,” one wrote.

Another posted: “I’m so sorry this happened to you!! I unfortunately have had a terrible experience at the same gym myself with a guy making a comment about my body in front of me. Don’t listen to them at all!!”

A 2021 study found that 76 per cent of women feel uncomfortable exercising in public due to harassment, The Guardian reported earlier this year.

Almost 56 per cent of women said they had faced harassment during their workouts, a survey from Run Repeat found last year.

Calling out inappropriate gym behaviour has become a viral phenomenon in recent months, with the hashtags #GymCreep and #GymWeirdo clocking up over 100 million views since it emerged, the BBC reported in February. This figure is likely to have grown tremendously since.