Austin residents amazed by outdoor gym on airport tarmac

An outdoor workout area spotted at the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport houses multiple workout benches and weights for Southwest Airlines employees to pump iron.

Travelers frustrated with the delays, long lines, and other headaches at the Austin Bergstrom International Airport can find some peace knowing that employees work very, very hard. Some even work out at work, apparently.

A photo, shared by u/IvanDragosJawline on Reddit, shows an outdoor workout area complete with gym equipment, like press benches and weight racks, underneath a staircase at the Austin airport. A Southwest Airlines plane and other branded cargo carriers can be seen in the background as an employee works out. The Reddit user said he noticed the workout area at Gate 18 thanks to his 11-month-old daughter.

"She has recently started walking so I was following her as she stumbled her way around the gate before our flight," u/IvanDragosJawline told MySA. "She crawled underneath the seats next to the window and squealed with excitement when she saw the Southwest employees working out under the staircase."

But wait, there's more!

"She sees me workout at home most mornings so it was very heartwarming that she got excited seeing a gym in the wild," he added. "Proud dad moment."

Aww!

Austin residents, meanwhile, had plenty to say about the gym, particularly about it being outdoors.

"I can smell the jet fuel exhaust from this picture," said a dramatic u/Exciting_Ad_1097.

"Those bars gotta be f**kin hot as hell," guessed u/De_roosian_spy.

"i bet you can cook omelets on that weight," theorized u/Bleach_Drinker69420.

"And you know that everything outside that tiny box of shade is roughly the temperature of magma," sassed u/ignii.

Others commended the work ethic, energy, and strength of baggage handlers who pump iron when not moving travelers’ luggage.

"And here I am, just wanting the energy to make it to work," admitted u/Das-Gugan.

"Haha who uses this? ‘Lemme just take a break from moving a bunch of heavy bags to lift a bunch of weights,’" sassed u/danarchist.

It turns out the workout area is quite the hotspot.

"As someone who worked there for 3 years, it got used day and night," confirmed u/MTaco.

"They also have a basketball hoop," u/TechnologyNo9154 added.

As always, plenty of folks had lots and lots of jokes.

"Does your plane even lift bro?" u/virus_apparatus asked.

"When you’re the one union outfit at [ABIA]," teased u/Phlawed.

"In solidarity, we lift," quipped u/just-a-cowpoke.

"LIGHTWEIGHT BABY," yelled u/pfug, referencing bodybuilder Ronnie Coleman.

"Ain't nothin’ but a peanut!" echoed u/quaestor44.

Well, there you have it.