Gym Etiquette

Do Not Spit Into The Drinking Fountain: For one thing it’s just not sanitary, and should by all means be considered standard gym etiquette. It can spread sickness, make people stray away from consuming water while they are working out which can lead to becoming dehydrated, and who wants to sit and stare at your big glob of spit while they are taking a drink? Nobody, that’s who. To add to this, if you chew, save it for after the gym. Do not walk around the gym with a water bottle to spit into, or even worse, don’t spit your chew into the drinking fountain either. The people working out will appreciate it, as will the staff that has to clean up after you. Clean It Up: When was the last time your mom worked at your local gym to clean up after you? Never? Well then don’t assume the gym staff, or the other gym members want to assume her roll. If you are strong enough to take the weights off the rack, then you are strong enough to put them back. When you leave weights out or on a machine, people will assume that someone is using the equipment and bypass that part of their workout, in turn messing up their set program and cheating them out of results. Also, make sure you put them back in their proper place. Someone expecting to find a 50 pound weight might pick up the 70 pound weights you put in their place without realizing it and end up injuring themselves. Or a gym member goes to put their weights back and you put yours in the wrong place causing them to take the time to put both theirs and yours in the proper spots. You may have also loaded up a squat rack or hammer machine and the next person to use it is a girl half your size. The last thing they want to do is unload all the weights you left on, and that’s if they even can. So be courteous, take the time to clean up after yourself. You will have a much cleaner and less cluttered gym to workout in and the other people using the facility will appreciate it. Are You Homeless? If your answer is no, then why is it that you carry all of your supplements to the gym with you and everywhere else you go? There is no need to take a 5lb tub of protein and every other supplement you take all to the gym with you, and then spread them out on display at the end of your workout for all to see . They get it, you work out, you take supplements, but taking supplements or spending money on expensive supplements doesn’t raise your gym status. It instead makes you look like a rookie that’s either trying too hard to impress people or someone that just doesn’t have a clue. If you are going to take some pre-workout and post-workout supplements, by all means take them, but put them in small containers and only bring what you need. Smell Good At Work, Smell Good At The Gym: As it was in grade school, you never wanted to be the stinky kid. So why as an adult do some people forget this? Sure it’s the gym and yes you sweat, but that’s no excuse to smell like a foot. You will see people quite literally stop a cardio session, distance themselves to the other side of the gym, avoid, and even leave a facility because of the hygiene of another gym member. So if you think you smell a bit ripe, use some deodorant, a little cologne, or even wash up a bit if you find odor to be a problem. Same applies to your breath. If you haven’t brushed all day, you may want have some gum or a breath mint handy. All of this is stuff that you can and should always have in your gym bag. So if you're noticing people are avoiding you, this quite possibly may be you. So pay attention, you don’t want to be that guy. Is That What It’s Used For? Do you brush your hair with a tooth brush? I’m sure with enough time it could do the job, but you would look ridiculous doing it. A squat rack is called a squat rack for a reason, to squat. So why do people do curls in the squat rack? Most every gym you go into has adequate weights for you to do your arm workout, so keep it to the normal designated areas, and leave the squat rack for people wanting to do heavier movements like squats and deadlifts. The people that use the squat rack for its given purpose don’t come over grab a curl bar, and start squatting right in front of the dumbbell rack, and if they do, they need to stop. Keep your workouts where they are supposed to be and everyone in the gym will benefit from it. Everyone Is A Trainer: So you’ve been working out for three months? This does not make you an expert or a trainer. So do not pretend to be one. Don’t go around telling people what’s wrong with their workouts, or what they should be doing instead. You could seriously injure someone if they do take your advice, and if they don’t, you just look like an idiot preaching to people about things you don’t know anything about. You will give other trainers a bad name and could hurt the business of some by displaying improper movements to people and in turn causing them to lose faith in the help of others. If training is something you want to do, take the time to learn the proper form and movements. Go to school and get a degree, do a job shadow, and get certified. Even then you are still new to things, so start off slow and work within the boundaries of your experience and branch out from there. It Can Wait: If you see someone that’s into their workout with a headset on, odds are they do not want to be bothered. So unless your teeth are on fire and you don’t know where the water fountain is, you should refrain from bothering someone that’s trying to get their workout done. People go to the gym to relax, wind down from a long day, get in a great workout, make progress, etc... They wear a head set to help block out everything around them, focus, and even keep people from talking to them. By interrupting them and hindering their progress even for a moment can put them in a bad mood and derail their entire workout. So unless it’s important, whatever it is you have to say can wait until they are done.