You may be new to the gym or an old time lifter, but regardless of how much time you’ve spent in the gym, there are things that you might do to piss people off, or be one of those that gets pissed off. Want to learn about Gym Etiquette?
There’s this sort of unwritten rule about what you should and should not do in the gym, from what you’re wearing to how you smell. It’s called Gym Etiquette, and believe me, if you piss someone off, they may be very vocal about expressing it to you. I’ve seen fights and near fights in the gym and have been “attacked” myself by two fellows
So what are the rules? What should you absolutely not do in the gym, and more importantly why? Are these rules universal or just at your gym?
I am putting out the word about this post so that I may get input from gym members, gym owners, personal trainers, old time lifters and newbies. My goal is to get 100 comments with your personal rule, or wannabe rule. I’ll take what is presented and see what I can do about making a full document about Gym Etiquette. It will become the World Resource for What Not To Do In The Gym.
Here are a few to get started
What Not To Do In The Gym
#1 Do not walk between the mirror and someone who is lifting
They’re focused on what they’re doing. They’re using the mirror. They’re lifting heavy weights and they’re concentrating. Don’t walk in front of them. If they’re in front of the dumbbell rack, wait. It’s that simple. Or go around to the other side by walking behind them.
#2 Don’t talk to anyone while they’re in the middle of a set
This is just plain dangerous. If I’m in the middle of a set, and it’s getting harder and harder, I have to be more careful about what I’m doing so that I can complete my set without injury. Now… someone comes up and says “Hi, is that heavy?” or “Hi, does that work the Lats better?”. Good Lord, what a recipe for disaster. Depending on the lifter, you’re the one that might get hurt.
#3 Retire old sneakers and lifting straps
Even though you may be freshly washed and clean with just a misting of sweat, your 2 year old wrist straps have countless hours worth of sweat in them… fermenting. Same with our gym shoes. Don’t trust your own nose, but rather, give them a time frame of say 6 months, then retire them.
#4 Wipe down the equipment when you’re done
Look for the spray bottle and towel used for cleaning the machines. These are not for the janitors, these are for the gym members to clean up after themselves. Wipe down the machines after use, sweaty or not.
#5 When wiping down the cardio machines, watch where you’re spraying
Ever been on a piece of cardio equipment when the person next to you finishes and then wipes their machine down? Ever been squirted with that chemical cleaning crap? Well.. don’t do it yourself. This is as simple as understanding the physics of the squirt bottle. It’s a mist!!! It mists! Point the nose of the bottle away from the person next to you and in towards the actual machine. Instead of a ‘straight on’ squirt… angle it a bit. Geesh.
Now. What pisses you off? What do you wish everyone in your gym knew as to the rules? Think about this. One might jump right out and you want to post a comment about it, or maybe you’ll think about this next time you’re in the gym and then come back and post the comment.
Regardless, lets get 100 great “What Not To Do In The Gym” comments and suggestions and I’ll compile a list. Email this post to anyone you know who works out, is a personal trainer, or trains and likes to rant. We can collectively do the world a service by getting this list made and then promoted.
Do not enter a gym without a pad and a pen. Ever. No matter what. If you are not recording your workout, you are wasting your time.
What gets recorded gets attention. Write down your workouts and make SURE you are progressing in some way the next time you walk in the gym.
I also find it helpful to avoid hitting on women in the gym. I think they appreciate that as well… : )
More info on my site: http://www.fitover40.com
JB
Laying claim to a piece of equipment for more than 20 minutes.
First and foremost I see this with young guys on the bench press. They load up the weight for 2 maybe three very awkward reps, then leave the area and talk to their friends for 10 minutes between sets.
Usually they are giving advice to other young unsuspecting trainers, all based on some magazine article they just read.
I also see this happen with some seniors that do a set of leg extensions, rest for 5 minutes then do another one, 5 more minutes rest, and another one….
I try to ask if I can sneak in for a set, but they insist that they are almost done.
That’s my 2 cents.
Scott Tousignant, BHK, CFC
http://www.UnstoppableFatLoss.com
Leave the restroom without washing your hands
Nothing grosses me out more than seeing a guy relieve himself and leave the restroom without washing his hands, then proceed to grab some dumbbells that I’m about to use after him.
Come on! Seriously!
Scott Tousignant, BHK, CFC
http://www.AskTheFitBastard.com/blog
Totally agree with those rules of the gym – funny how it’s pretty much common sense! I’ve got some other rules that you may not have ever heard of…
1. Don’t blow your nose in the water fountain. This is a crude habit and can contribute to the spread of colds and viruses. Besides, that’s what the gym towels are for…
2. No smoking on the cardio machines. Those little circular spots are water-bottle holders, not ashtrays. If you need a cigarette that badly when you’re working out, tape one to the pulldown bar and take a drag on it as a reward for each rep you do.
3. When spotting someone on bench press, be sure to wipe your face first. You are not a stalactite, and dripping sweat into someone’s eye is not a good way to make friends.
4. If you choose to wear cologne or perfume to the gym, please don’t marinate in it. If the person on the stair machine next to you lights up a cigarette, you could both be seriously injured.
5. Those stands that have all the weight plates on them should not be used for holding your donuts. Your donuts will end up with a terrible metallic taste that even the coffee in your water bottle won’t be able to get out of your mouth.
6. The Crunch Machine is not a vending machine for candy bars. Please don’t try to put money into this machine. It’s for working your abdominals. You will never, EVER get a Nestle’s Crunch bar out of it.
7. Even though the gym has stair machines, it is not required by law to have elevator machines. Please stop asking about this at the reception desk.
8. Pick up after your dog when you walk him on the treadmill. No explanation necessary.
9. If you have a habit of spraying spit when you lift, ensure there is no one in your target area. It’s bad enough that the mirrors by the squat rack look like a St. Bernard shook himself in front of them.
10. Do not give yourself C.P.R. when doing bench presses. Bouncing the bar heavily off your ribcage instead of pressing it properly may cause damage to the bar and voids the warranty on the bench. Besides that, you don’t want your spotter feeling as though he’s dribbling a barbell down the court do you?
11. Beer and/or liquor in your water bottle are prohibited. Unless, of course, you bring enough for everybody. This also goes for mochaccinos, frappaccinos, and anything with an umbrella in it.
12. Use the rowing machine at your own risk. If it sinks, there are no lifeguards on duty.
We have a nice private gym in our apartment building but all the same stuff happens here as it does in the public ones
– Dropping weights is annoying, but (sorta) understandable. But don’t leave them all over the place – put them back on the bloody rack!
– wear the proper clothing and shoes. Sandals in a gym is just asking for trouble. Working out in jeans looks idiotic and hardly gives you the range of motion necesary
– Don’t monopolize the whole gym by flitting between machines. Do your sets logically and in order – otherwise the people your sharing with get their circuits messed up because you are here one minute, there the next
– Just remember you’re sharing the gym – just because there are three benches, doesn’t mean you get all three to your own personal whims. And don’t give me dirty looks when I take one to the other side – I’m 100 pounds heavier than you, trust me, I need it more. You can play with the other two.
And no farting, nothing worse than some old fat guy doing a heavy lift and letting one rip!
Pete, it’s not just old fat guys that fart in the gym.. I had a tall “top half” guy next to me yesterday who let one rip, then moved away to clear himself. I call the guys who only work their upper body “top half’s”. Nothing worse than seeing someone train every part of their body, except for the legs.
But.. geesh.. when you’ve got to let one go, or one slips out.. what do you do about it?
A towel and a water bottle… DON’T HAVE FEELINGS!!
I don’t know how many times I can count the number of fitness fanatics who get all crazy when I move those material objects from the bench where my client needs to train.
What’s up with that?
A definite dumb act…
How about when your performing a seated bent dumbbell lateral and then some homo who looks as though he’s sitting on an outhouse starts performing side laterals with a cheating swing?
Just another guy using the wrong form who needs more exercise education
I could go on…
Some “homo”? Rich…such accusations. I’ll have you know that I’ve done cheat laterals before and have yet to have sex with a male. But…well, now that you mention it…what’s up, sailor-man?
(If anyone takes that seriously, you need to watch more South Park…)
– NO talking on the cell phone in the gym
– Wipe your sweat off of the bench, treadmill or anywhere you left it!
– Don’t stand in front of the mirror checking your hair and popping zits, save this S**t for your own bathroom, not the gym
– Do NOT complain to others about anything in the gym, we’re not here for a support session of any sort. Just STFU and train!
– Do you have to yell when talking to people in the gym so EVERYONE can hear you?
– Squat racks are reserved for squatting or anything heavy, not for curls
– Do NOT talk to people while they are doing their set and if you’re at least half serious, you should not be talking while doing your set
Well Jon, it’s one thing doing a cheat lateral and another to purposely position a sacrum and coccyx immediately in front of a dedicated, purposeful and ambitious lifter like myself!
I should mention that I train in the West End of Vancouver.
LOL!
Leave the cell phone at home. There’s nothing more annoying than people talking loudly to eachother, its another to be yelling at someone who’s not even there!
“- Squat racks are reserved for squatting or anything heavy, not for curls”
–Oh amen to that, I agree! that definatelly needs to go in those rules.
I’ll add few, maybe some of them already got mentioned.
1) Grunting like a gorrilla on viagra between each and every rep doesn’t mean that you are training harder or lifting heavier than the rest of us… you might think that it acccomplishes the goal of attracting the attention you crave, but it’s not the right kind of attention… it’s just plain annoying.
2)If you’re hairy, extremely sweaty, full of zits, have other bodily plagues sometimes hard to recognize – or any combination of the above, PLEASE don’t wear a tank top, the rest of the gym members will gladly chip in to get you a well ventilated t-shirt.. just ask them… if you absolutely must show off your gross assets, please, use the super strength industrial cleaners to wipe off your machine after use.
3) The gym shower is NOT a toilet. If you don’t care about the other gym members, at least think about the poor gym employee who has to clean that shower at the end of his shift.
4) If you don’t care about your training and are just there to socialize, please be respectful as some people are very busy and don’t have 3 hours to waste in the gym, they want to be in and out of there in 45 mins – 1 hour tops… if you absolutely must ask someone a question or shoot the breeze… why not wait for him to finish his training and catch him after he’s done? Remember, other people went there to TRAIN, not cause they missed chatting with you.
5) If someone asks you for a spot and you accept, try and do a good job, he’s trusting you with a very important task… dedicate your full concentration to it, it will only take around a minute or two, the cute blond’s ass will still be there after the set is over. Remember that a spot is only there in case of failure, unless someone specifically asks you to “assist him” at the end of the set to ease the load and help him crank out a few more reps, DON’T help him, if you see him struggling, that’s fine, let him try and finish the rep on his own, don’t grab the bar in a panick and rack it for him… any normal person will let you know when he needs you to help him rack it up or if you see him struggling for a few seconds with no improvements or if the bar starts to go down instead of up, then it’s time for your assistance.
6) Similar to number 5 above but if you’re the one asking for a spot… make sure it’s for the exact purpose as above.. if you can’t bench 225 lbs… having someone deadlift 150 lbs for you does NOT mean you suddenly got stronger, that is annoying as hell, if you can’t lift it for a few reps, don’t as for a spot… instead go eat and get stronger you wimp… next time I’ll let you choke under that bar.
7) Loading every single plate on the leg press machine is annoying, there are other people training in the gym… Why not try Squats with a 1/10th of that weight and doing full reps instead of 1/4 reps tough guy. If you must do those heavy leg press that use up all the plates, try and wait when it’s not a busy time and no one else needs the weights.
8) Noise does not equal strenght. Don’t clank the dumbells together, don’t drop them from 10 ft in the air, when doing deadlifts, the goal is not to try and destroy the floor on EVERY single rep.
leaving 400lbs on the leg press or any plate loaded machine…I am only 89 lbs….
I’m a personal trainer and I know that gym etiquette is HUGEEE.. First off, I hate people that grunt at the gym. Second, if I’m in a certain space doing an exercise, do no stand RIGHT next to me and start exercising. I don’t have room to do my exercise with you right there. Other obvious ones are things like not wiping down equipment.
nikki
nikkicookers@aol.com
http://www.fitconnect.com “fitness social networking”
I remember reading this months back before when I hadn’t started going to the gym. Now, I have to laugh because I can see this happening or am now aware of it.
My thing would be SCENTS. Don’t wear fragrance to the gym! What for? You are only going to sweat it off before you leave. Please! Wear deodorant though..
Do not hit on my girlfriend while she’s working out!!! If I catch you doing it, don’t be surprised if your tires are all slashed when you get to the parking lot.
Good point Donald, however…
if you’re not with her, and there’s no ring on the finger, how is a guy supposed to know she’s not single?
so, for clarity sake…
“No hitting on your girlfriend while you’re in the gym with her”
how’s that?
But Rob, don’t you have a girlfriend?
Rich: I think he was speaking in general and not personally about the subject. 🙂
Yes, he has a girlfriend. They compliment each other well. She’s an awesome whole foods cook!
Yes, hygeine, people! Brush your damned teeth and use deodorant, please! There is nothing worse than trying to do sprints on the treadmill, something that requires a lot of air intake, and having a foul wind coming from the person next to you! Ugh..please, it makes me nauseaus just thinking about it!
I also hate the whole machine-hogging thing. Men at my gym load up the weights, do a few measly reps, then sit watching tv for five minutes before attempting another set. I go through half my circuit in time it takes them to do one machine. And, of course, it’s always the fly machine, so I rarely get to use it and am stuck with the dumbells. 🙁
Also, I hate it when people ‘claim’ a machine by leaving a towel draped across the back while they walk around or talk to people. I’m too shy, but I’ve always wanted to go up to them and say, “excuse me, I believe you left your towel behind on that machine.” And if they say, “Oh, no I’m using it,” I’d say, “Well it sure doesn’t look like you’re using it.” I guess I can dream about being a bitch…;p
I work at a gym and the thing that really gets on my nerves. Is the one old guy that say’s ” Could you come up stairs and turn that racket down” You know everyone is listening to the music and the womens only cardio is up there and they enjoy it. So next thing you know. They are asking me to come upstairs and turn the music up. If your the only one bothered don’t complain.
If you cant put it down properly YOU SHOULDN’T be picking it up!!!!!!
if you see the new guy doing something wrong maybe one could nicely show him/her how to do it properly
@Josh, I thank you for your comment, but I’d have to disagree with you. Unsolicited advice is not necessarily welcomed. I do some thing in an unorthodox manor (as I’m sure Nick Nilsson would agree) and would NOT welcome comments about what I’m “doing wrong”
I’m not a PT and have no right to educate anyone on what they are or are not doing correctly
* When using the gym showers, do NOT stick your stray strands on the wall like if you’re trying to create a mural. Keep your hair on your scalp, or make sure it’s rinsed down the drain.
* I couldn’t imagine someone shooting snot rockets in a faucet
*ugh*! Never seen that happen before, but in the same respect, please don’t shoot the snot rockets in the showers either! So gross to see hardened snot on the walls, floor, etc.. (this happens in the women’s locker room!)
*I have to agree with Rob. I’m a woman, and I’m definitely not a PT, so I may do things in poor form – especially if I’m finishing up. However, guys seem to take this as their moment to come strutting up to you to inform you of your incompetence, and offer to show you how it’s done. First off, I don’t take constructive criticism very well at the gym – that’s my domain to let off some steam, so not a good idea. Second of all, I do NOT want your hands on me to “show me how it’s done.” You’re slowing me down, and you’re looking like a creep in the process.
*Don’t follow me. I understand we’re all sharing a gym. I also understand there are more than one of every machine, and it’s pretty rare to be doing the same circuit at the SAME time.
* If you are there for the first time, tagging along with your friend, please don’t stand by their machine talking to them about what color your nails should be, or how so and so is a heffer for dating that guy. Get on a machine, work-out, and shut-up. I’m sure your friend and everyone in hearing distance will appreciate it.
I think everyone else covered everything else. Nice blog.
Well Done! I Like it!
This is mainly for teenage/young guys. Granted I’m 21 myself but what really gets on my nerves is the guys that work out in groups of 3 or more. What is the point? It just ends up taking them double the time to complete their workout, they hog whatever machine they’re using for so long, not to mention they look stupid. They always rack up as much weight as they can, do a set to impress eachother, then just sit around talking. Maybe it’s just me but I don’t really like to talk to anyone in the gym, but for some people it is the social highlight of their day.
I love the comments. @ Solly D, now I see that I am not being difficult in insisting on personal hygiene! Nothing worse than having to inhale the foul odors of another individual while you are about to take that deep, much needed breath before that last but one rep before failure. I love working out, but this really annoys the hell out of me. Brush your teeth/chew some gum! Use deodorant! Wear clean gear! Its not that hard!!
I’m a personal trainer and I know that gym etiquette is HUGEEE.. First off, I hate people that grunt at the gym. Second, if I’m in a certain space doing an exercise, do no stand RIGHT next to me and start exercising. I don’t have room to do my exercise with you right there. Other obvious ones are things like not wiping down equipment.
Don’t use the bench press area for day care.