Kariette’s debacle at the gym waiting on a station while dude was looking like he was trying to finish his end of semester term paper in between sets gave me an idea of some gym etiquette tips. Some you may have heard. Some you may have not. All things I may have heard or seen and rubbed me the wrong way.
How To NOT Be a D#%k in The Gym
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Know Thyself
The gym can be a place where you may feel no more self aware than anywhere else. Your not there to impress anyone. Your working on bettering your health. So don’t look at that super buff guy with 60 lb dumb bells and don’t envy that girl with the super intense core routine. If that is your goal, you’ll get there in time and proper training and if it isn’t, staying in your lane is fine. Speaking of looking at people…-
Don’t be a creep.
You’re gonna see people in the gym. Its a whole public space, its gonna happening. But don’t check people out. That guy with the extremely tight tank top or the girl on the elliptical. People in the gym look at their worst. Plus you think your being incognito but those mirrors work in more than one way. Sometimes I’m guilty of this. It may come off as checking them out but because of my education in Exercise and Sport Science, the biomechanics analysis part of my brain doesn’t turn off. But I’m aware of how it might look and don’t hold a gaze too long. Just don’t lurk, its super weird. -
Have some courtesy.
One of the biggest issues in the for-profit gyms are customers that act like children leaving their toys around. Rapid fire suggestions: -
- Re-rack your weight. Even if you’re doing circuits(multiple exercises in a given station), it’s a safety issue and an eyesore to see out of place equipment and a personal peeve.
- Situational Awareness. This isn’t your personal gym. Don’t be at a machine on your phone counting out your 90 second breaks in between your sets. If you happen to only have time to go to the gym during peak hours, please know that at least 2 other people will be at your station at any given time trying to use the machine or free weight area. In my experience, I’ve have or been offered to temporarily worked out with people that were at the same station as me. Offer to rotate with them. If they say no, its whatever. Just don’t be like this guy
- Hygiene. If you know you’re a profuse sweater, bring a towel. You use a station, wipe it down afterwards. That’s why there are wipes everywhere. If its empty, tell someone that works there and find a station that has. Even if you don’t believe you touched a part of a weight or handle, wipe it down anyways. If you’re a protein shake bro, don’t fill up at the water fountain. Or worse yet, rinse. All of that builds up in the pipes, it breaks, they gotta fix it, your membership rates go up. Don’t make your membership rate go up. And please. No crop dusting. You feel it, might happen, take a break and go to the restroom.
4. It’s a Gym, not a social area.
Working out with friends has its advantages. You have your own personal cheerleaders and adds to your social life. But don’t be too social. There shouldn’t be a space of time where your group is at a station and nobody is lifting. Try not to be joking around too heavily and creating an invisible force field around your group and the workout area you’re taking up. Try to be aware if you’re group is blocking a walkway, water fountain, etc.