Xi'an gym asked couple for marriage certificate after boyfriend helped, sparking coaching dispute. Aug 12 at Free Size Fitness Pilates leads to refund and complaint.
Tags:Source: OT-Team(G), 红星新闻
A dispute at a fitness studio in Xi’an has sparked heated discussion online after a woman said she was asked to provide a marriage certificate to continue working out with her boyfriend.
The incident occurred on Aug. 12 at “Free Size Fitness Pilates” in Qujiang New District’s Creative Valley. The disagreement began after the woman’s boyfriend, a fitness enthusiast, guided her while she was learning how to use gym equipment. The gym later classified the behavior as “unauthorized personal training” and requested that the membership be canceled.
On Aug. 14, the woman, surnamed Wang, told local media that she and her boyfriend had purchased monthly memberships at the gym. Since she was new to fitness, her boyfriend helped correct her movements and explain how to use several machines for around half an hour.
However, a coach later approached her boyfriend and accused him of providing “personal training outside the contract.” The gym then asked them to cancel their memberships.
Wang said she was unhappy with the gym’s handling of the situation, especially after the manager allegedly told her that she would need to show a marriage certificate or wedding photos if she wanted to continue exercising with her boyfriend.
“We are a normal couple, and he is not a personal trainer,” Wang said. “We even showed photos of our daily life together, but they were not accepted.”
She added that the couple is engaged but has not yet registered their marriage.
According to Wang, the gym’s sales staff did not verbally inform them about the ban on unauthorized coaching when they purchased their memberships. She also argued that the notice posted at the entrance contained too much information and the relevant rule was difficult to notice.
“Does giving some advice to a friend count as personal training?” Wang questioned. “How do they define it? Are two people not even allowed to talk after entering the gym?”
Wang said their request was not necessarily for a refund but to continue using the gym.
“We wanted to keep exercising, but the gym broke the agreement unilaterally,” she said.
Her boyfriend also told reporters that he was not a gym coach or an unlicensed trainer. He said he simply exercises regularly and helped his girlfriend, who had never worked out before, learn four basic movements before they continued training separately.
“He was just helping me because I was a beginner,” Wang said.
After the dispute, Wang filed a complaint with relevant authorities. The Qujiang New District Culture and Tourism Bureau confirmed that it had received the complaint and was looking into the matter.
Gym: Boyfriend’s Behavior Was “Free Coaching”
The gym manager, surnamed Ye, offered a different explanation.
Ye said the gym clearly prohibits “unauthorized personal training” in order to avoid safety risks and potential liability caused by unprofessional guidance.
According to Ye, surveillance footage showed Wang’s boyfriend continuously instructing her on equipment use for 15 to 30 minutes, while he himself was not actually conducting his own workout.
The gym provided two video clips to media outlets, showing that between 2:25 p.m. and 2:31 p.m. on Aug. 12, Wang’s boyfriend repeatedly guided her while she was exercising.
Ye said there is a difference between workout partners helping each other and one person providing continuous professional-style instruction.
“Members can take turns using equipment and train together without interfering with each other,” Ye explained. “But when one person repeatedly guides another person’s movements, it becomes similar to a coach-client relationship.”
He added that if an injury occurs during training, responsibility becomes difficult to determine.
Regarding the request for a marriage certificate, Ye said the gym allows close family members, including spouses and parents and children, to guide each other. However, unmarried couples are not included in the exemption because their relationship is difficult for the gym to verify.
“You can say you are a couple, but if someone comes specifically to train another person, how should we define that?” Ye said.
He also acknowledged that the sales process could have been improved, as staff members failed to clearly remind customers about the restriction. The gym later added a more visible notice at the entrance.
Dispute Escalates Over Refund and Behavior
The disagreement later intensified.
Wang accused the gym manager of having a poor attitude, saying she felt disrespected during the conversation. She said she became emotional after spending an entire afternoon trying to resolve the issue without receiving what she considered a proper response.
Ye, however, provided surveillance footage that he said showed Wang shouting at the front desk and throwing a cup. He also claimed she interrupted conversations between him and other customers and verbally insulted him after leaving.
Wang acknowledged that she lost her temper but said it happened after repeated frustration during the dispute.
The two sides also disagreed over the refund process.
Wang said the gym forced them to cancel the membership, while Ye provided screenshots showing that the refund request was submitted by Wang through Dianping at 9:49 p.m. that evening and was later approved by the gym.
“They submitted the request, and then we processed it,” Ye said.
Currently, the disagreement centers on three main issues:
Whether the boyfriend’s actions were normal assistance between a couple or unauthorized coaching;
Whether the gym properly informed customers about the rule before selling memberships;
Whether the membership was forcibly canceled or voluntarily refunded.
Ye said the gym has kept complete surveillance footage and believes the online discussion does not fully reflect what happened.
“The situation is not as simple as some online comments suggest,” he said, adding that the matter should be judged based on the full evidence.
As of publication, the two sides have not reached an agreement.
What do you think? Should gym members be allowed to guide their partners or friends during workouts, or should gyms strictly prohibit any form of unofficial coaching to avoid safety risks and liability issues? Share your thoughts in the comments.