TOPIC: What Does Proper Gym Etiquette Consist Of?
The Question:
Don't be the hazardous disrespectful gym rat that annoys so many. Follow simple, common courtesy rules for proper gym etiquette.
What does proper gym etiquette consist of?
What is the most annoying thing that people do in the gym?
What is the craziest thing you have seen in a gym that would go against normal common sense gym etiquette?
Show off your knowledge to the world!
The Winners:
- EAGLES56
- greensquats View Profile
- Pigumon View Profile
Prizes:
- 1st place - 75 in store credit.
- 2nd place - 50 in store credit.
- 3rd place - 25 in store credit.
1st Place - EAGLES56
Don't be the hazardous disrespectful gym rat that annoys so many. Follow simple, common courtesy rules for proper gym etiquette.
Gym Etiquette
What Does Proper Gym Etiquette Consist Of?
Proper gym etiquette consists of stated or unspoken rules. These rules are matters of common sense and respect of others.
Shut Up And Train:
Show up expecting to lift. Don't eat pizza/drink coffee at the gym. If you aren't dedicated to improving yourself, go home. Others are serious about their training and those who just want to be able to say that 'they go to the gym' are just in the way.
It's a gym, not Starbucks!
Dress Appropriately:
- Skip the make-up and designer "workout clothing."
- You should be able to move around without exposing yourself.
Be Courteous To Others:
- Watch your language.
- Be positive and constructive instead of negative.
- Lend a hand if someone needs help.
Don't Fool Around:
This is just a matter of common sense.
Clean Up:
Cleaning up is two-fold. Rack the weights AND wipe off equipment. If you're 'strong enough' to load the bar, you're 'strong enough' to unload it. The next person may not be able to use the equipment if he/she cannot lift the weight. Others can also get hurt trying to re-rack the weights. Leaving plates around isn't impressive - it's an example of shear laziness and disrespect towards others.
Wiping the equipment off is a sanitary matter. Nobody wants to lay on a bench coated in the sweat from who knows what kind of slob. It takes very little time to clean up and can be part of a cool down to any routine.
The Gym Isn't A Beauty Parlor:
Most gyms have mirrors so that people can gage/correct their form, but many people use these mirrors to look at themselves, put on make up, or watch others. You should not need to spend more than 15 minutes getting ready for the gym. You aren't dressing to impress, you're dressing casual to work up a sweat and improve yourself.
Concentrate On YOUR Workout, Not What Others Are Doing:
Very few people appreciate being watched by others while they train. Bare in mind that everybody starts somewhere and should not be mocked due to using a lighter weight.
Don't Talk To The Other While They're In The Middle Of Their Workout:
Greet others when they're resting, not while they're lifting. Full conversations can wait until after the workout.
Get In, Get Out (Of The Change Room):
Don't take forever in the shower/changing area. In addition, there is no need to wander around naked. This can be VERY unpleasant for others.
Share Equipment:
Let others jump in if the gym is crowded. Figure out a way to rotate through the equipment.
Sharing the equipment isn't limited to the free weights and machines including the fountain.
Give Others Space:
Not only is it intrusive and annoying, not allowing others to have adequate room can be harmful. Out of common decency and for safety, plain and simple, don't get in the way.
Get A Spot/Offer To Spot:
If you're going heavy, have someone there in case anything happens to go wrong. If you see someone who looks as if they are unsure about their next set, offer to spot. Once again, this is a matter of safety.
Turn Off The Cell:
Either turn it off or put it away. Making calls not only impairs a workout, it distracts others from their training. Nobody is so important that they must on the phone for the 30-60 minutes in the gym.
Annoying Things
What Is The Most Annoying Thing That People Do In The Gym?
By far, the most annoying thing that people do in the gym would have to be failing to clean up after them selves. Countless times I have come into the gym to find a bar loaded or a machine coated in sweat.
Not only does this take time away from my workout, it is just an unnecessary hassle. I wouldn't go to someone's house and throw their stuff everywhere and then leave and I wouldn't want anyone to do that to my place either. It comes down to respecting others.
Crazy Things
What Is The Craziest Thing You Have Seen In A Gym That Would Go Against Normal Common Sense Gym Etiquette?
Don't fool around. A lot of unnecessary damage (to both equipment and imbecile) is caused by plain old goofing off. I've seen guys making each other laugh on heavy sets of Dumbbell bench presses where an 85 lb dumbbell crashed down on a guys face... I've watched the gym equipment get broken by those trying to make up their own exercises... If it doesn't seem like a good idea, DON'T DO IT!
EAGLES56
2nd Place - greensquats
View This Author's BodySpace Here.
Proper Gym Etiquette: A Guide
Introduction
Gym etiquette is none other than respect. That's right, respect. Respect for the equipment, others, and yourself in the gym. Everybody's there for the same reason, and nobody wants to be distracted or held up. Do yourself and others a favor and follow these simple, easy, and for the most part down-right obvious rules.
Gym Etiquette
What Does Proper Gym Etiquette Consist Of?
Proper gym etiquette consists of a variety of things. I have listed in detail below nearly everything you need to know about gym etiquette.
Go Train Or Go Home:
People are at the gym for one reason: to perfect their bodies'. The last thing they need is some buffoon chatting with his/her friends about how fun last weekend's party was while hogging up an entire machine for a half hour. Not only that, it's just plain distracting.
People are there for their own personal gain and usually have no interest striking up a conversation with you unless it's relative to training. Even then, keep it to a minimal. You should be there to train. The last time I checked all that iron was at the gym for a reason... so use it. You want socialization? Fine. But keep it out of the gym.
Be Clean, Clean, Clean, Clean, and Clean:
Oh Yeah, did I mention to be clean? I can't stress this one enough. People sweat. Alright, that's fine, it's our natural way of cooling down after all. What's not alright, however, is sweating all over the machine, not cleaning up, and transmitting some terrible disease to a guy who is serious about the iron.
When you don't clean up your equipment after you're finished with your sets, you're risking spreading an infectious disease to numerous people. This is extremely stupid, unwise, and lazy. Don't tell me you can't lift a towel you're so tired! If that's the case, then you have bigger problems in your life than an unaesthetic body.
Come on, when you're through with a piece of equipment, just wipe it down and clean up. Also, make sure you take before and after showers and wash your hands frequently. And I don't doubt that people will find your workout stench disgusting. Use deodorant!!
This is just basic common sense.
Give Others Personal Space:
People need their space. That's just human nature. In the gym, however, it's more than human nature, it's a matter of preventing injury, proper form, and pissing people off. Some gyms are near empty. Others are so crowded you can barely walk. But guess what? You can always find room to bust out your set of squats without intruding into someone else's space.
If you or somebody else is too close to another, you/they risk injury (other's weights hitting them, or vice-versa), not executing proper form to avoid hurting someone else, and pissing someone else off because they are now not getting as much out of their workout as possible, and because they are probably feeling a bit uncomfortable.
Please - Nobody, And I Repeat Nobody, Wants To Hear Your Music:
If they did, they'd bring their own music and listen to it. Most likely they have different styles that get them psyched to tear up the weights, and yours will only degrade their performance.
So again, if you have music, bring headphones and keep the music at a level which you can hear great and motivates you, but at the same time is completely unheard by your fellow gym-mates.
Put The Weights Back:
This is something else that's dangerous and stupid not to do. Somebody could trip and badly hurt themselves on a dumbbell. It also shows severe signs of pure laziness.
Others may not be able to find the specific amount of weights they need if you don't put them back, and so then guess what? You've successfully wasted half of their workout time making them search all around for their desired weights. Congratulations on being very disrespectful.
Remember, the reason everybody's there is to train, and anything you do that prevents them from doing this to their full potential goes against every point of gym etiquette. So put the weights back when you're done... please.
Be A Student; Be A Teacher:
If someone offers up valuable advice, then accept it. They're trying to help you, and more times than not they know what they're talking about or they wouldn't bother.
At the same time, you be a teacher too. If you see a fellow member without proper form, correct him. Just make sure you're doing it because you want to help, not because you want to enlarge your ego and bask in the satisfaction of knowing that you're better than somebody else. You're not, you just happen to have a valuable piece of information that deserves to be shared with others.
If you don't do these two things, then you are once again going against every point of gym etiquette because you are preventing yourself and others from reaching their full potential.
Use Reasonable And Controllable Weight:
Don't slap on 750 pounds and attempt to do a bench press with it to try and show off. There are so many things wrong with that.
What's Wrong With Showing Off:
- You more than likely have poor technique when using this amount of weight.
- You probably can't do one with this amount of weight even with horrible technique, so don't bother and embarrass yourself.
- This is unsafe for yourself and others, as without a spot (heck, even with a spot) you are risking it coming down and completely crushing your body. You are also risking it hitting someone else and badly injuring them.
- It's just a waste of time and contributes to hogging of the equipment.
- You are disrespecting the equipment and others as somebody might actually need those weights for their bench press.
- Nobody likes a show off.
If I could pick out six reasons not to do something like that, and it was only one scenario, then I don't think you should be doing it. Remember to use a reasonable and controllable amount of weight.
Annoying Things
What Is The Most Annoying Thing That People Do In The Gym?
The most annoying thing that people do in the gym is by far and away hog a piece of equipment. This is done in a variety of ways, from conversing in between sets, to trying to perform their whole workout on one piece. Others pay just as much as you do for access to the gym, don't waste it for them by being a hog. Share so that all can benefit from the wonders of an intense workout.
Crazy Things
What Is The Craziest Thing You Have Seen In A Gym That Would Go Against Normal Common Sense Gym Etiquette?
The craziest thing that I have seen in a gym that would go against normal common-sense gym etiquette was that once a rather large person was performing squats (excellent squats I might add).
Anyway, a smaller dude, whom must have not seen the other guy performing squats or was just plain dumb, walked up near him and started busting out barbell curls.
What happened next was also one of the funniest things I've ever seen.
The squats came down and the barbell hit the smaller guy in the head, and he basically thrust his barbell away and it hit the other guy on the toe. They both grunted in pain and had to shake off the pain. The smaller guy really seemed to have taken a heavy blow, as he looked out of it. Anyway, that just goes to show you once again how important personal space is at a gym.
3rd Place - Pigumon
View This Author's BodySpace Here.
The gym, for many, is a sanctuary. It is a place where those dedicated to the pursuit of a healthier self go to for some stability in this unstable world. So it is no wonder that when there are people that come in to this revered sanctuary and disrupt its stability with their disregard to proper gym etiquette that the rest of us get so perturbed - h#ll, sometimes they just downright piss us off.
Gym Etiquette
So What Does Proper Gym Etiquette Consist Of?
1. Come To Train:
The gym is a place to exercise. The bench press isn't your office's water cooler, so don't sit there with your friends and talk about Friday's kegger or about how the Chargers deserved to lose regardless of Ed Hochuli's bad call, while every 10 minutes doing a set of bench presses.
2. Use Your Towel:
Men sweat. Men working out sweat harder. After you finish your sets, wipe down the equipment.
3. Don't Ask For A Spot:
"Hey! Mind giving me a spot?" "Hey! Yea I Do." The rest of the people at the gym aren't your training partner. If you didn't come prepared with a training partner, well then too bad. There are plenty of ways to tax your muscle fibers other than forced reps. Why should the guy, whose workout YOU'RE interrupting, feel bad about not giving you a spot?
4. Give People Space:
Try and keep a respectable distance between you and that guy busting out some Arnold presses. It can be tough sometimes, especially on Monday's after-work-rush, but people always appreciate the effort and consideration.
5. Don't Hog The Bench:
Found a bench? Good for you. Sit down, do your sets, wipe it down, and move on. That applies to any piece of equipment.
6. Let People Work In With You:
Sharing is caring. If someone asks to work in between your sets, let them. This type of mutual consideration is an amicable bond between "brothers of iron."
7. Don't Hover Around A Person As They're Doing Their Sets:
Instead, ask to work in, or do another exercise (T-Bar taken? Why not try bent-over barbell rows?). It is very distracting to feel someone over your shoulder waiting for the machine and is a particular pet peeve of mine.
8. Rack-Em-Up:
Put the weights back where you got them from. You just pumped out 5 sets of heavy-@ss deadlifts. You're telling me you can't put back those plates back on the rack?
9. Don't Cross In Between Someone Soing A Set And The Mirror:
When a guy is doing EZ-bar curls in front of the mirror it is usually to watch his form and for a little motivational boost as he attains that oh-so-good pump. Don't stand in between him and the mirror. If you need to get that pair of 35s in between him and the mirror try and be quick about it.
There are probably more than these 9 that I have listed, but these are the ones that stick out most in my mind. Any other facet of proper gym etiquette can be easily figured out by common courtesy.
Annoying Things
The most annoying thing that a person can do in a gym is treat it as anything other than a gym. Like I noted before, to me, and I'm sure many would agree, seeing guys at the bench press for an hour-and-a-half talking while casually doing a set here and there is probably the most common annoyance at any gym.
Crazy Things
The most unbelievable, beyond what words can describe, ridiculous instance of human de-evolution that I have seen in the gym once again centers around the bench press.
Very much like the situation I just mentioned above—three guys were on the bench press, talking about god-knows-what while intermittently doing sets. What was particularly asinine about this was the fact that the three of them were eating burgers and fries from Carl's Jr! Just by recalling that experience, I've caught myself in the same state of awe as I was in that day.