Weightlifters - etiquette question!

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agthorn
agthorn Posts: 1,844 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I went to the gym today and two guys took up the squat rack for a full half hour. I waited about 20 minutes before I gave up and just did squats in the middle of the room (I'm only squatting 50lbs total right now, so not a huge risk of injury here). My question is - while it's obvious enough to ask one person using a piece of equipment "Can I rotate in?" and then do your lifts while they're resting, how do you get in when two people are already alternating back and forth? I don't mind waiting a few minutes, but half an hour seems to be ridiculous to me.
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Replies

  • JennLifts
    JennLifts Posts: 1,913 Member
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    I've seen groups of 5 rotate, so if it means that much to you, I would, but if you can do it in the middle of the room, what difference does it make?
  • Jemmuno
    Jemmuno Posts: 413 Member
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    I'd like to know this too, it seems to me guys squat then sit around for 5 to 10 min and I'm really only going to be in the rack for maybe 2 or 3 min. I'm not there to power lift. I went to a gym once and they had a female section which I think would be nice in most gyms.
  • sneezles
    sneezles Posts: 165 Member
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    Men! Just ask next time if theyndon't know they'll keep on keepin' on.
  • agthorn
    agthorn Posts: 1,844 Member
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    I've seen groups of 5 rotate, so if it means that much to you, I would, but if you can do it in the middle of the room, what difference does it make?

    It matters because I don't intend to squat 50 lbs forever, and getting the bar over your head is a challenge!
  • XFitMojoMom
    XFitMojoMom Posts: 3,255 Member
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    walk up to them and tell them you need to finish a set
  • msbanana
    msbanana Posts: 793 Member
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    If I SUPER need the squat rack I'll ask if I can rotate in no matter how many of them there are ( I worked in with 6 guys last night) . You just need to be ready, unload your weights fast and help them load it back up. If you can do it without the squat rack do it. OR what I do when the bench press benches are all taken- go do something else and come back to it. If it's the end of your work out tell them that and ask to rotate in. "Hey, this is the last thing I need to do so I can get out of here. I have 3 sets to do. Can I work in with you?"
  • Loko_Ino
    Loko_Ino Posts: 544 Member
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    You really dont..you use another piece of equipment.
    I will ask how many sets they have left to give them a hint that I want to use it but I would not expect them to hurry nor would I expect them to let me rotate in if our we are lifting huge differences in weight.
  • agthorn
    agthorn Posts: 1,844 Member
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    I'd like to know this too, it seems to me guys squat then sit around for 5 to 10 min and I'm really only going to be in the rack for maybe 2 or 3 min. I'm not there to power lift. I went to a gym once and they had a female section which I think would be nice in most gyms.

    Well, they weren't lollygagging or anything, but when you've got two people doing 5 sets each and switching plates back and forth in between, it adds up. And then they went on to a second exercise and that's when I said **** it. I don't want to turn this into a men vs. women thing though - I just want to know what's considered "appropriate" because I'm going to be doing the same workout every Friday and it seems like a fair assumption that they might be too.
  • Mixmode
    Mixmode Posts: 332
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    Some people are just rude and selfish or just down right oblivious there is someone waiting their turn. Go up and tell them you want in!
  • andlovesaidn0
    andlovesaidn0 Posts: 65
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    not sure... i know at one gym i joined if its busy there was a 30 minute limit if someone was waiting. speak to someone desk about posting signs and just politely mention it!
  • agthorn
    agthorn Posts: 1,844 Member
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    You really dont..you use another piece of equipment.
    I will ask how many sets they have left to give them a hint that I want to use it but I would not expect them to hurry nor would I expect them to let me rotate in if our we are lifting huge differences in weight.

    Okay - so if my lifting plan says "Do two sets of squats THEN do exercises B, C, D, and E" - I just ignore A and come back to it later?
  • janet_pratt
    janet_pratt Posts: 747 Member
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    Just ask if you can rotate in. It's proper etiquette for them to let you. That said, I work out and am a trainer at a totally musclehead kind of gym and I'll ask just about anyone, except this one mean little old lady. She sets up a circuit on three machines and she will leave a waterbottle on one, a towel on another and metallic add on weights on a third and God help you if you use any of them or move anything. She's under 5 feet tall and about 70 years old and I'm scared to death of her! I once went nose to nose with a body builder in a bar, and I wouldn't screw with her!
  • agthorn
    agthorn Posts: 1,844 Member
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    not sure... i know at one gym i joined if its busy there was a 30 minute limit if someone was waiting. speak to someone desk about posting signs and just politely mention it!

    I have only ever seen this on cardio machines.
  • Loko_Ino
    Loko_Ino Posts: 544 Member
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    You really dont..you use another piece of equipment.
    I will ask how many sets they have left to give them a hint that I want to use it but I would not expect them to hurry nor would I expect them to let me rotate in if our we are lifting huge differences in weight.

    Okay - so if my lifting plan says "Do two sets of squats THEN do exercises B, C, D, and E" - I just ignore A and come back to it later?

    course not..you gotta improvise..DB squats, smith machine squats..something like that. It happens to all of us.
  • JennLifts
    JennLifts Posts: 1,913 Member
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    I've seen groups of 5 rotate, so if it means that much to you, I would, but if you can do it in the middle of the room, what difference does it make?

    It matters because I don't intend to squat 50 lbs forever, and getting the bar over your head is a challenge!

    Then yea, just walk about and ask if you can work in.
  • JennLifts
    JennLifts Posts: 1,913 Member
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    You really dont..you use another piece of equipment.
    I will ask how many sets they have left to give them a hint that I want to use it but I would not expect them to hurry nor would I expect them to let me rotate in if our we are lifting huge differences in weight.

    Okay - so if my lifting plan says "Do two sets of squats THEN do exercises B, C, D, and E" - I just ignore A and come back to it later?

    course not..you gotta improvise..DB squats, smith machine squats..something like that. It happens to all of us.


    I was going to say that, but I figured it wouldn't be accepted well. I'd just do another form of a squat if it mattered that much.
  • philOHIO
    philOHIO Posts: 520 Member
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    I hate the people who hog the one piece of equipment you are waiting for. Just let them know you are waiting for the machine, because no one seems to have common courtesy anymore.
  • JennLifts
    JennLifts Posts: 1,913 Member
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    You really dont..you use another piece of equipment.
    I will ask how many sets they have left to give them a hint that I want to use it but I would not expect them to hurry nor would I expect them to let me rotate in if our we are lifting huge differences in weight.

    Okay - so if my lifting plan says "Do two sets of squats THEN do exercises B, C, D, and E" - I just ignore A and come back to it later?

    No, you're going to want to squat first. I know from experience that a really heavy lift that takes that much, like a squat, should be done at the beginning.
  • staps065
    staps065 Posts: 837 Member
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    :smile:
    Just ask if you can rotate in. It's proper etiquette for them to let you. That said, I work out and am a trainer at a totally musclehead kind of gym and I'll ask just about anyone, except this one mean little old lady. She sets up a circuit on three machines and she will leave a waterbottle on one, a towel on another and metallic add on weights on a third and God help you if you use any of them or move anything. She's under 5 feet tall and about 70 years old and I'm scared to death of her! I once went nose to nose with a body builder in a bar, and I wouldn't screw with her!

    I agree! Etiquette is that they should let you slide in between sets. Since you are not doing extreme weights they should let you slip in and out while they rest between their sets. And of course, they should be courteous to a pretty young lady like yourself! :smile:
  • alyssamiller77
    alyssamiller77 Posts: 891 Member
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    I'll tell you, in the Gym I'm not shy at all about asking to work in with someone even if it's more than one someone. I know on my end I get into a zone when I'm working out and I don't really realize it when someone else is waiting on equipment I'm using. I'm happy to let others work in. The worst they can do is give you some lame excuse why they don't want you working in with them and at that point you can thank them and walk away. But you won't know until you ask and you pay to be there just like they do so you have a right to be able to do your workout on the equipment you'd like to use just as much as they do.

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