Good Gym Etiquette

Aug 22, 2011

A few simple tips for proper Gym behavior and etiquette

So many people are taking up their hand at working out. If you know someone or maybe you yourself are new to the gym, here are some simple tips to follow.

1. Let people work in.

The other day I saw a woman with three sets of dumbbells around a bench go off to the bathroom and came back five minutes later! I’ve seen women park their bag, water bottle, keys, etc in front of a fitness machine. It’s a gym not a picnic. A set shouldn’t take longer than a minute. After that minute, get up and let someone else work in. Of course if someone wants to work in on the Power rack to do barbell curls when your squatting, politely tell them to go away! :-)

2. Don’t do aerobics in the weight room.

You rarely see someone doing body sculpting exercises in front of the dumbbell rack. What if someone started doing 400 lb dead-lifts in the middle of a step class? The whole point of lifting weights is to increase the intensity of the exercise. If you can dance with the weights, it’s probably too light. If you want to dance with weights, go into the aerobic room.

3. Don’t lift weights in the stretching area.

Some think, if the weights are light, it’s okay to throw them around while people are stretching right under them. Remember, it’s not the weight of a bullet that kills you. A three to five pound weight can break your face just as easy as a heavier weight.

4. Use the equipment for what it is designed for.

The other day I saw three women using the sit-up bench as a range limiter for their body squats. They are for sit ups! Not to squat and touch your butt. That’s what the mirrors are for.

5. When using dumbbells, stand back a few feet from the rack.

The other day a woman set her keys, her bag and her water bottle at the base of the dumbbell rack and then proceeded to do front raises and lateral raises a foot from the dumbbell rack. Not only did I have to time my attempt to dive under her arms to grab a set of dumbbells, but then had to navigate around her “landing airplanes” to try and sidestep around her belongings so I wouldn’t trip and fall.

6. If a woman has headphones on, leave her alone.

Although we all need help, some people don’t want any. If a woman has headphones on, don’t try and talk to her. She doesn’t want to talk to you, that’s why she has headphones on.