Gym Etiquette

Every time I go to the gym to get my big on, I end up encountering various people and situations that annoy me.  This post is for HUMOR, so please keep that in mind when reading!  These are in no particular order, and I'm sure I'm leaving some out, so please free to add YOUR favorites in the comments section :) 1) Don't talk on your cell phone I really hate to break it to you, but no one cares about your conversation.  It's not important, and it’s super annoying to listen to you yell in your phone voice in the gym.  Take your convo outside or to the locker room.  And you get double whammy points if you talk on the cell phone while doing cardio, OR while resting on a bench in between sets.  If you can carry on a conversation while working out, guess what?  You're doing it wrong. 2) Take a shower I care immensely about my nose and its happiness, especially when I'm trying to crunch out a set of heavy deadlifts.  Have some decency.  Bring soap and a washcloth to the gym and SCRUB before you hit the floor.  Scrub in between sets.  Wear deodorant.  Do all of the above.  Don’t bring your stink to the gym. 3)  You don't own the gym If weights/machines are free, I'm going to take them.  If I don't see you using them, I'm taking them.  Don't come back over to me 10 minutes after I start my circuit and say, "I was using that."  I really, really don't care.  You can work in with me, but you're not taking things away from me while I'm using them. 4) It's called "working in" If you're sitting on a weight bench, talking on your cell phone (please see Rule #1), talking to your friends, cleaning your nails, twirling your hair, or anything that is NOT considered working out, I'm likely going to ask you if I can work in with you.  Do not tell me, "No, I'm using this."  Because you're not - you're taking a break, completely NOT using the equipment.  It's one of the biggest rules of gym etiquette to let others work in with you.  I always allow others to work in with me - I play well in the sandbox with others and expect the same decency in return. 5) Please, lift appropriately Biggest offenders: lat pulldown machine and leg press.  If your body comes off the seat at the upper part of the movement on lat pulldowns, guess what?  You're using too much weight.  If you can only do partial reps of leg press with 8 plates on each side, guess what?  You're using too much weight.  I see this ALL the time, and predominantly with men.  Is it the extra testosterone?  Is it the machismo?  What is it?  Do you know how ridiculous you look?  And what makes it worse is when you slam the machines/weights down at the end of your 2 partial reps and grunt or yell loudly.  And then you look at all the hot chicks in the room and nod your head.  Really? 6) You have mirrors at home.   Please don't strut, kiss your muscles, check out your butt/boobs, or flex in the mirrors at the gym.  No one cares and you look silly. 7) Please learn to count Maybe this is just an issue at my gym, but I'm very Type A, and when I see the 50s where the 15s should be, I get upset.  What upsets me more is when I see someone pick up the 50s, do a few sets, and then come back to the rack, not even CLOSE to where they got their weights, and put them in the 15 spot.  I mean, do you not pay attention to ANY of your surroundings?  Do you not look at the 12s and 20s on either side of the now misplaced 50s and say, "Hmm, this doesn't look right"?????  What's the deal, y'all??  Numbers are sequential, always.  So, folks, it goes 10, 12, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, etc.  Please go back to kindergarten if this doesn’t make sense. 8) Don't stand in front of me in the mirror If I'm doing an exercise that requires me to be VERY precise with my form, I stand in front of a mirror to make sure I'm doing it right (this is what the mirrors are REALLY for - please see Rule #6).  I cannot tell you how many times someone has stepped directly in front of me to do a set of their own.  I have a hard time deciding whether people are just THAT oblivious, or if they're just really hateful people. 9)  Don't do a set DIRECTLY in front of the weight rack How many times do you go up to the weight rack to pick up your weights, only to have someone standing a milimeter away from the rack, in the middle of a set.  If you're an offender in this area, why do you do this?  Are you the protector of the weights?  Do you get a special helmet and cape for such a title?  If not, I can make you one, but it will certainly have some sort of pejorative on it.  People can't get to the weights, so please move.  I don't wait for you - I will move you aside gently and take my weights.  Or, if you don't move, I will stand right next to you, as close as you are to the rack, and make it OBVIOUS that you're in the way until you do move. End of list. Beth is an NPC and OCB figure competitor and has been competing for 3 years.  When she’s not rocking the stage in her stiletto heels, she’s either at work as Project Manager at a Pharmaceutical company in Durham, NC or she’s in the gym training clients or teaching spin classes.  In her very minimal free time, Beth likes to sleep, eat, play with her dog, and spend time with her boyfriend and friends (who also like to sleep and eat).