Gym Etiquette Part 1

Have you every walked into a gym for the first time and half way through your workout have everyone around you staring at you? Well if you broke one of these cardinal rules of gym etiquette you probably deserved it.

Every gym around the word is different but every gym has several un written rules that keep everyone happy and the gym running smoothly. If you don’t know these rules yet it is important to learn what they are and if you know what they are and aren’t following them then you should probably have a conversation with yourself in the mirror and decide if you want to be the gym jackass or not.

Rule #1

This is the most important rule of them all and that is…….don’t be a dick. There it is, it’s that simple. If you can honestly say after each workout that you weren’t a dick then you are already doing 80% of the work. It is okay to have bad days and not want to be the Mr. Rogers of the gym but it is important to check your attitude if you feel like your being rude or short with your teammates and fellow athletes. If you are lucky enough to be a member of a team and gym community it is important to do your best to not let your bad day or bad training session distract or take away from the training sessions of other lifters. Now I’m not saying that you can’t be upset about having bad training sessions. But you should respect the other athletes and lifters around you.

The best training partners have a great ability to create a competitive atmosphere by keeping each other accountable and on track. Playful banter or rye occasional call out when someone isn’t committed can be great. But is important that training partners should always maintained a level of respect for what each other are putting into training. If a lifter starts to act entitled or better than their teammates it can create an uncomfortable training environment. Every lifter, no matter how decorated should respect their teammates.

Rule #2

Respect the gym and all the equipment. Take it from someone who owns a gym and fixes or replaces items when they break or need to be replaced. Gym equipment is expensive and is purchased with the intention of it lasting 5-10 years or longer before needing to be replaced. All gyms anticipate that equipment will need to be replaced but it can be a big drain on a gym when a $1000.00 bar gets bent and has to be replaced unexpectedly because a athlete didn’t use it correctly. Some easy ways to help keep the gym and equipment in good condition are; load the bar correctly, use the right piece of equipment for the exercise that you are performing, keep your lifting area clear of extra plates and equipment, wipe down/ clean the equipment, and DON’T SLAM BARS!!!!

When you load your bar use the least amount of plates as possible. Don’t be a lazy loader who keeps adding more and more changes plates onto the bar. Each time you get to a weight that you can make with the full size plates DO IT. I know that this might be a pain in the ass but it is extremely helpful to keeping the plates nice and reduces the amount of lateral torque so they don’t crack.

Rule #3

Don’t walk in front of your fellow athletes while they are lifting. This rule is one that every beginner breaks at least once. It is also one of those rules that will keep you safe. Every athlete places a different amount of importance on this rule when it comes to how distracting they feel it is. Some lifters are unflappable and could have a gun go off next to them and would still maintain focus while others allow their minds to wonder or have a very specific set up sequence before their heavy attempts and any noises or motions will throw them off and effect the outcome of the attempt. This rule is one that I have seen broken dozens of times in training and at competitions. I have seen athletes go to blows with each other over it and have heard quite a few creative words exchanged when this rule is broken in the warm up area at national meets. So it is important to pay attention to what each person is okay with so that you can keep the peace and make sure that you respect how each lifter prepares or focuses before a lift. Not only should you follow this rule so that you don’t have one of your fellow lifters get pissed at you and give you stern a look or a nice little one finger salute but you should also follow this rule to stay safe and avoid trying to play frogger as a lifter runs off the platform with a snatch over their head.

Congratulations! You have learned the 3 biggest rules about how to avoid being a dick at the gym. If you didn’t know these rules before this it would be a great time to reflex back on how well you have done in the past to following these rules. If you can give yourself a thumbs up on all three rules then you deserve a high five and a beer. If you are one of the unfortunate few who fails to follow these rules then you should do yourself a favor and start. No one wants to workout with a jackass who disrespects them, the gym and takes away from the training environment.

Now go out there be a good person and good training partner.