Gym Etiquette....

Cardio-only people who talk all the time

People who scream unnecessarily on a lift

People who don't wipe down the equipment

Spandex shorts on dudes

Fortunately, the gym I attend doesn't have cardio machines, has people who are courteous about the equipment, and explicitly forbids the last The owner is a cool dude but a hardass about his rules, and has banished folks from his place for breaking them.

 

When guys drop (or toss) large dumbbells on the floor.

 

Great topic:

1) Not clearing you weight plates off of plate loaded machines.

2) Not re-racking your dumbbells or barbells (leaving them on the floor) or racking them in the wrong spot.

3) Leaving a towel on a machine when you are long gone.

4) Having a soul searching conversation while hanging on a piece of equipment (use it or move--understanding that timed rest breaks are OK).

5) Doing circuit training when you expect everyone else to not use 5 or 6 machines that are part of your circuit for 1/2 hour or so.

6) Not wiping down equipment (this actually doesn't bother me much unless you've left a pool of sweat behind).

7) Parking near a bench (if you need to be on the bench--fine. The bench is not a storage place for your towel, your five pound weights, your work out sheet, etc.)

8) Standing right in front of a dumbbell rack and doing curls, shrugs, etc. thereby preventing others from accessing nearby weights (I have no problem with someone doing, for example, 90 pound per side shrugs x 8 reps doing them right in front of the rack because it takes, like, 20 seconds. I do have an issue with someone doing slow curls that take several minutes).

9) Completely undefinable but amazing discourteous things. Examples. 1) Last week, a gym attendee chose to do their ball exercises right in front of the dumbbell rack, blocking the 30 to 75 pound range, in spite of acres of available space elsewhere in this very large facility, and 2) also last week, two gym attendees, working out together, pulled one set each of 25 through 65 pound dumbbells, scattered them on the floor around two flat and one upright bench, and then proceed to do one set of lifts followed by about 5 minutes of talking, then another set of lifts.

10) Dropping your weight(s) at the end of your set with no effort to soften their landing or control the direction they bounce. If you are a competitive bench presser and are using 145 pound dumbbells per side, maybe I get it. If you are doing 4 sets by 8 at 50 pounds per side, and you drop them at the end of each set--PLEASE--you can lower them in a controlled fashion by your side, and then swing them to the floor.

11) Not paying attention when you are walking around on the weight floor. I don't appreciate hitting you when I am doing, say, dumbbell pull overs and you walk into the space that I am using. I was doing flies last week, face down on a incline bench, and someone stood right in the path of one of the weights. I asked this person to move (nicely), and that person shot me a dirty look. Unbelievable.

I could go on, but 11 seems enough. Some of the above offenses seem to be most committed by long term lifters who think it is someone else's responsibility to clean up after them. Others are experienced exercises (but not lifters) venturing into the weight room who have not taken the time to observe the normal flow. And, of course, there are the occasional clueless.

Note I have been very careful to use gender neutral terms. However, in my experience, there are specific genders that seem to commit the vast majority of specific offenses. There are also, in some case, age related offenders as well.

Cheers--Scott

 

A couple of things that piss me off...

- The personal trainers that are making well over $100 an hour, yet playing with their Blackberrys the whole time their clients are lifting. It's gotten to the point that I'm almost tempted to say something to their clients, because their form is SO bad, but the trainer doesn't even care to notice

- The same personal trainers that stand DIRECTLY in front of me, blocking my view of the mirror. My gym is big enough that they can do whatever the hell it is that they're doing somewhere else

- People that use the squat rack to curl... hey jerk, we have a preacher rack, and free weights for a reason!

Other than that, my gym is pretty good. I work out at a smaller club, and everyone knows each other, so if someone is being annoying, they're told ASAP.

I honestly hate the trainers at my gym though. They're all hacks and I feel bad for the sucker clients that they've duped into thinking that they're actually making progress.

 

-People who do shurgs, work biceps, or any other excercise directly in front of the weight racks. I ****ING HATE THEM! Went to the gym with my roommate once and he did it and I bit my lip not to say anything.

-Cell phone talkers.

-People who do excessive supersets. Don't go off and do 5 excercises in a row and expect your bench to be free when you're gone for 5+ mintues.

I know there are a few more....

Scott, sorry I left a towel behind once. Didn't realize it till I got home.

 

^ Sorry but when I'm shrugging 100lb DB's, I'm not moving away from the rack, period. And I don't think anyone else should be expected to do so. Plus, if you require weights that heavy, you should understand why the person doing the shrugs isn't moving.

 

People who talk when they're on a popular piece of equipment! Rarely happens at my gym though

 

Folks who are walking and reading on the treadmills during gym "rush hour" when all of the rest of the machines are being used. I start every workout with a 3 mile warm up run and can't stand to watch someone that's willing and able reading the US Weekly or People while others are waiting for machines.. Probably my #1 pet peeve.

 

Loud meatheads that can't lift any weight.

And, morons that park two inches from my F.

 

People on cellphones is obnoxious but its better then seeing that person on their cellphone at McDonalds, so I accept that he or she is only willing to put in minor work because at least they are there.

I curl on the squat rack sometimes when people are using the the other necessary equipment because preacher curl kills my forearms it just bends my arm all wrong. I prefer the olympic bar.

I drop dumbbells if I am struggling to hold them after flat bench with DB's.

I guess I am trying to say I don't let people bother me in their because its everyones own time. I try to make friends and hope that they don't crowd the place.

- I hope you guys can let it go if I perform one of your faux pas.

 

The 2 queers that cant stop dropping the soap in the shower bothers me a little bit

 

+1 My time at the gym is the only time of the day that mine and I don't give a s..t what everyone else is doing

 

Cussing out loud while training.

Cell phone use while working out.

People that stand in front of the machine & just stand there talking while your waiting to use it.

Weights not being put back on the racks.

People that do not use a towel or care to clean benches or machines after use.

Trying to give you their expert workout advice when in reality they have no clue on what they talking about.

 

I hate when I'm in the locker room and there's two naked guys standing around having a conversation with no hurry to get dressed. Never fails.

 

Obviously I'm not talking about the upper end of the free weights. I understand that completely.

I'm talking about the most used free weights 5-50lbs. There is always people who are doing curls and shrugs where the most frequently grabbed/racked weights are. It's annoying having to wait for some *******, usually more than one at one time blocking the 35lb dumbbells. And they're not doing just one set. They do a set, and stay standing in front of the weights. That's what I'm talking about.

 

I get a bit annoyed when the gym does a special offer (usually once a quarter) and you get a whole rash of people in doing their 2 free sessions with a trainer and then 2 weeks for free or whatever the deal is. Good for them to get in there, but 95% are gone in a month.

But, while they are there...they all act the same and are kind of a-holes. Like the lady that actually yelled at me; I was using the squat rack and had it set up pretty heavy. In between sets I had to go to the bathroom, so I ran to use it quick leaving my towel draped over the bar (plus she was by the machine doing another exercise). Ran back (literally) and she had unracked all of my plates and was doing pullups on the bar! I very patiently waited for her to finish, just sitting near the machine. When she was done, she turned at me and yelled "The trainer says you do ONE set and then you take off the weights. One set! You left! You left!" and then she huffed out of the room. The regular guys I worked out with were just busting up watching me get lectured. Did I ever see her again? noooo...

So, let that be a lesson to you. Put back your weights after every set!

Oh, and people that sing along to their ipods in the gym. That pisses me off to no end.

 

The non sweat cleaners and the dudes in spandex. What are they trying to prove?

 

I've actually caught myself doing that. I always feel like a complete jackass afterwards....

 

Sounds like your jealous Dave --

 

AKA, the January rush.

 

AKA, New Year's Resolution makers that fail within 2 months.

 

I never used to do this since it annoyed me, even when chest pressing 110lb dummies. Until one day during a lift my left shoulder slipped and now I am resolved to light lifting due to a screwed up shoulder Now, though I know better than to push it, when I work up from a relapse to heavy wts again if I feel my shoulder losing it I drop that sht; (and this goes for non-injured guys) better to damage the dummie than your body.

 

You guys have way too many hangups. And then you wonder why us white people are considered uptight, anally retentive, humorless dumbasses.

Live and let live. If something is interfering with your workout, either put up, or simply let the offending person know, politely. A lot of you seem to have gone through childhood being treated like adults...now you are going through adulthood acting like children. Sweat? Towels in the wrong place? Noises? Jeez! If only your parents had whooped your asses.

 

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