Gym etiquette for newbies

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Replies

  • amonkey794
    amonkey794 Posts: 651 Member
    Don't talk to me in the middle of a set

    Don't keep asking how long until I am done with the squat rack. When I leave, then I'm done.

    If I ask you to spot me during bench, DON'T LEAVE BEFORE I AM DONE! Happened to me then ended up stuck under the bar. . .
  • oneworkoutatatime
    oneworkoutatatime Posts: 312
    When there are five ellipticals free please don't choose the one RIGHT next to me. Like... weird?

    well said ..
  • MoreBean13
    MoreBean13 Posts: 8,701 Member
    No staring!

    I vote MOAR staring! I had a SERIOUSLY bada$$ workout tonight under the watchful eyes of the newfolk.
  • upgetupgetup
    upgetupgetup Posts: 749 Member
    If you have evidence of a rash, or a fungus, or a virus, please stay the **** home, thank you.
  • upgetupgetup
    upgetupgetup Posts: 749 Member
    No staring!

    I vote MOAR staring! I had a SERIOUSLY bada$$ workout tonight under the watchful eyes of the newfolk.

    Ha! Awesome.
  • thatjulesgirl
    thatjulesgirl Posts: 200 Member
    If you have evidence of a rash, or a fungus, or a virus, please stay the **** home, thank you.

    THIS.

    Also, if you're snotting and coughing all over the machines, a) go the hell home, you idiot and b) pleeeeeeeease CLEAN THE MACHINE.
  • ChecktheRhyme
    ChecktheRhyme Posts: 68 Member
    Don't talk to me when I'm dying and running out of breath on the treadmill. Man, I'm too polite. :(

    I wound up slowing down the machine just to reply to the lady.
  • CarlieeBear
    CarlieeBear Posts: 325 Member
    No peeking at my weight when I'm on the scale. In fact, if you see someone looking like they're going to use the scale, step away to give them privacy.
  • AnvilHead
    AnvilHead Posts: 18,343 Member
    1) Unless you're some horribly important person who's on call for life or death situations, leave your cell phone in the locker or car. Don't take up a bench/machine/whatever for 10 minutes chatting/texting with your friends, reading your facebook page, etc. while other people are waiting to use said bench/machine/whatever.

    2) Bring a towel and use it. Don't leave your sweat all over the equipment. Nobody wants to lay down on a bench in a puddle of your sweat after you're done with it.

    3) (Actual experience from the gym tonight:) Don't stack your backpack, two pair of dumbbells, water bottle and towel in the only power cage in the gym, then proceed to hog it for your 20-minute circuit routine in which you're only using it once every 5 minutes. Also - I get that squats were one part of your circuit, but did you really need to do your oblique dumbbell bends and pull-ups in the power cage too?
  • stacimusmax
    stacimusmax Posts: 172 Member
    No naked sitting in the locker room
  • dylsmom99
    dylsmom99 Posts: 32 Member
    towels!!! wipe your sweat!!.. and cover your *kitten* in the locker room,,, it is not a porn studio. no need to flaunt around naked....
    re rack your weight.... yippe you pack a 1000 lbs on to the squat rack and left it there.. but do you really think we care.......
    do not sit on machines to rest.. take a walk between sets.. or just get up and stretch.. no need to hang out on a machine for ever...
    stay to back of class if you are going to try a new class. .
  • AverageUkDude
    AverageUkDude Posts: 371 Member
    You dont need 2 of your bro friends to spot and cheer you on whilst you bench 88lb, its loud and embarrising
  • MoreBean13
    MoreBean13 Posts: 8,701 Member
    towels!!! wipe your sweat!!.. and cover your *kitten* in the locker room,,, it is not a porn studio. no need to flaunt around naked....
    re rack your weight.... yippe you pack a 1000 lbs on to the squat rack and left it there.. but do you really think we care.......
    do not sit on machines to rest.. take a walk between sets.. or just get up and stretch.. no need to hang out on a machine for ever...
    stay to back of class if you are going to try a new class. .
    I don't use machines so I'm not sure if this applies, but there is no way I am getting up and walking around and letting someone else take over my power rack between sets. A) I'm not about to reset the weight and the bench for every set so someone can not have to wait to do their super important calf raises and B) that's when I like to dance and C) I'm probably not wearing shoes so that's a hassle to put them back on and D) not everyone would understand that I meant to get my spot back in 2 minutes and they would just take over....scratch that, pretty sure most people (including myself) would NOT understand and give the spot back. So yeah, i am going to sit there and probably play with my phone. Part of the playing though, what might look like texting, is logging my workout sets.

    ETA: just re-read both your comments and mine, and I am now wondering if this is why you have a problem with people leaving a ton of weight racked...are you stealing their squat rack between sets? Lol.
  • Amanda_Gx6
    Amanda_Gx6 Posts: 320 Member
    I don't mind if you stare at me, I usually look at other people to get ideas for my next workout, just don't make me feel awkward.
    Please wipe down the equipment....pretty please!
    There is a locker room and shake bar...talk on your cell phone either of those places.
    Yes my face gets red, I bet if you worked as hard as I do yours would be too, keep your comments to yourself!
    Be polite, Say hello, Offer a hand if someone appears to need it...its not rocket science, its common courtesy
    Its not YOUR gym its the OUR gym, don't act like you run it, no that machine doesn't "belong" to you I don't care that every tuesday at 4:44 you use it...theres 5 more just like it, I'm not sorry get over yourself!

    Happy New Year!
  • fougamou
    fougamou Posts: 200 Member
    Don't video Skype with your boyfriend in the women's locker room. (True story)

    Don't bring your cell phone in the gym unless it holds your workout music. You will survive if you miss that call.

    Don't chat with your friends while people are weighting to use the equipment you are sitting on.
  • sofielein
    sofielein Posts: 539 Member
    Don't put your shoes under MY locker! Put them under your own locker.
  • Empots88
    Empots88 Posts: 38 Member
    This should be re-named "How to put off newbies to the gym" jeez lighten up peeps! :huh:
  • devilwhiterose
    devilwhiterose Posts: 1,157 Member
    Wipe down the machines when you're done!

    It's soooo not cool to be waiting for a machine, watching some sweaty-soaked grunting guy use the machine, get up, and walk away. WIPE THAT **** DOWN.
  • fishgutzy
    fishgutzy Posts: 2,807 Member
    Yesterday I was alternating seats curls and shoulder presses with dumbbells. Paused only about 5 to 10 seconds between sets and this guy is hovering. There are at least 6 open adjustable benches that also do seated position.
    During my last 10 second pause he asks if he can rotate in. I'm only 15 seconds from being done. I finished then told him "it all urine. " :bigsmile:
  • SVCat
    SVCat Posts: 1,483 Member
    This should be re-named "How to put off newbies to the gym" jeez lighten up peeps! :huh:

    Under that light...

    If you don't know how to do an exercise properly, ask...anyone that has their headphones off and isn't in the middle of picking something heavy up will gladly share their knowledge. Just make sure you're putting in effort and almost anyone with experience will pitch in.

    We all started somewhere, we've been there. Just don't be obnoxious and be respectful. Every gym has gym etiquette rules posted somewhere around. Ask staff where the rules are, you'll be alright.
  • Aviva92
    Aviva92 Posts: 2,333 Member
    already mentioned, but DON'T TALK ON YOUR DAMN CELL PHONE!!!! pisses me off and there are signs all over the gym telling people not to do that.

    There was once this old dude who was standing right in front of my elyptical talking to the person on an elyptical near me. I wound up getting in a shouting match with him when I finally told him to get the hell out of my space and shut up. He was working out in jeans so just a complete moron all around.
  • MoreBean13
    MoreBean13 Posts: 8,701 Member
    A lot of us put our heartfelt responses in to this thread Mesha wrote between christmas and New Years:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/827476-tips-for-gym-newbies
  • Fit_Vixen1
    Fit_Vixen1 Posts: 419
    Oh where to begin.............

    ~ Strong perfume or cologne. It's a gym, not a nightclub.

    ~ While on the jogging track, proper etiquette would dictate you do NOT stop in the middle of the track to have a conversation. I used to go to the Bally's in Glendale Heights and these three old dudes would constantly do this. TOTALLY pissed me off. They'd just stop in the middle of the track and have a conversation. On more than one occasion, I nearly plowed into them because I couldn't stop running in time. if you guys want to socalize, there is a Starbucks right next door. :mad:

    ~ Don't scream while running, talk to yourself or do anything weird. Those members of the Ballys on Cumberland in Chicago know what I'm talking about.

    ~ While on the subject of Ballys Cumberland, if you see someone trying to get to a locker, move your gym bag away from the said locker and don't threaten me in Russian or whatever Eastern European language you were speaking when I move it after I ask you to and you refuse so I can get to my locker.

    ~ Again while on the subject of Ballys Cumberland, don't sit on the weight benches talking about the girls you've nailed while other people are waiting. Common courtesy. Do we have a clue here?

    ~ Wipe down your machines, people. I don't want your sweat all over it.


    From one Chicagoan to another.... It must be a Chi-Town thing.
  • jennifox63
    jennifox63 Posts: 44 Member
    bump
  • capnrus789
    capnrus789 Posts: 2,736 Member
    I hate when people who are resting are still just sitting there. My gym is small, and don't have duplicate machines. If you're resting between sets, get the eff up.
  • Fit_Vixen1
    Fit_Vixen1 Posts: 419
    Don't take up the mats to socialize & text!!! Don't block my locker because you continue to gossip IN the locker room!! If you see that you're in my way, MOVE!
    Don't look at me while lifting something heavy as if saying "Look What I Can Do" <~~~ Stuart voice ;)

    I don't care if you're on your phone or texting while on the treadmill. Really I don't care, it's not affecting my workout. I'm just waiting on the moment were you fall on your *kitten*. So please, keep it up & entertain us :)
  • mitch16
    mitch16 Posts: 2,113 Member
    If you are a true newbie, and you select the treadmill RIGHT next to mine, we are, in fact, racing. And I will win. And you might get hurt.
  • bcf7683
    bcf7683 Posts: 1,653 Member
    If you have evidence of a rash, or a fungus, or a virus, please stay the **** home, thank you.

    :sick: I hope I never witness this.
  • ACepero79
    ACepero79 Posts: 711 Member
    Don't take pictures of my *kitten* when I'm bending down.
  • NavyKnightAh13
    NavyKnightAh13 Posts: 1,394 Member
    Please no staring, I know I'm fat, but honestly, I don't need you looking at me up and down to know this (this would be for the high schoolers that come into the y where i work out in the gym area) :embarassed:

    Also, please wipe down the equipment, I don't wanna catch something and give it to my kid :noway: (I mean duh)

    I know I can't run as fast as the person next to me, don't look over at my treadmill to figure out how fast i am going and then proceed to snicker. :grumble:

    I have weight lifting gloves, and i do use them, so don't give me the look of "why do you have those on along with a watch?" (my hrm is the polar FT 4). I also am new to lifting so stop looking at me as though girls shouldn't be lifting. :angry:

    Finally, don't decide to free lift behind my treadmill and then proceed to look at my butt the entire time. (I have had some guys do this) and then laugh because i am trying something new to shock my body. :explode: Next time, I might just fart your way :laugh:

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