Gym etiquette for newbies

1235

Replies

  • sgv0918
    sgv0918 Posts: 851 Member
    i've worked out in jeans. (had to drop kid off and got a quick workout) not comfy but who are you to judge me. Also I do keep my phone with me. I have 2 special needs kid one with a seizure disorder that stops his breathing (so yes it may be a life/death call) again don't judge.

    Don't judge, don't snicker/stare meanly, be polite, clean up after yourself...pretty much all the things I learned in grade school recess
  • ErrataCorrige
    ErrataCorrige Posts: 649 Member
    Don't bring your purse to combat class. (There are self locking lockers at my gym). And if you do don't give me a dirty look if I accidently step on it, because you left it right behind me.

    Also - NO PEEING IN THE SHOWER! - seriously, I have gotten in to a shower with a distinct pee smell going on. Thank gawd I wear shower shoes.
  • Sickgrin
    Sickgrin Posts: 33 Member
    A few more...

    You do not need to weigh yourself completely naked. Boxers do not even register on the scale and go a long way at preventing incidental blindness and scarring of others.

    Wearing a weight belt does not make you the next WWE heavyweight champion.

    Setting the pull-up assist machine to your body weight means you are lifting nothing. This could only be useful if you are currently training to be an astronaut.
  • JustinAnimal
    JustinAnimal Posts: 1,335 Member
    If I walk away from a bench quickly after I push out a set, but leave my weights there, I'm not done. I pace between sets; don't steal my bench!

    I don't know about this one. I mean, the gym isn't yours. Share the bench if you're going to get up. I mean, I definitely feel your pain but it's kind of a fact of life that you need to share what everyone there is paying for.

    I have started exercising where I don't go for weight intensity, but try to keep my HR up and not rest too much between sets. So I sit at one machine / bench, rest for 10-20 seconds between sets, and get my 3-4 sets done before I move to another machine. Then you don't have to worry about someone "stealing" your machine.

    But I'm not trying to be too critical here. It is a pain in the butt when you can't get back on the bench you want. Just wanted to give a friendly suggestion to avoid frustration in the future.
  • thingal12
    thingal12 Posts: 302 Member
    from my sister (who goes to Lifetime): "PLEASE stop prancing around naked in the gym locker rooms. No one wants to see that."
  • mike_littlerock
    mike_littlerock Posts: 296 Member
    ok.. so what you are saying is that newbies (Men) should:
    a) only speak if spoken to.. and then only answer YES or NO.. (followed by "your excellence")
    b) never squat in the curl rack
    c) make sure you are wearing at least $10 of cologne/perfume.. a good amount of the expensive stuff or entire bottle of cheap stuff
    d) eat fresh garlic and cabbage 1 hour prior to your workout.
    e) wear very revealing clothing and ONLY compression shorts
    f) after your time on the cardio equipment.. shake off your sweat like a dog coming in from the rain.. and SCREAM "BOO-YAH"
    g) Impress the ladies with your ability to fart the theme to the flinstones.
    h) do one set of bro-curls.. then take off your shirt to practice your posing
    i) in the locker room. remove all clothing within 5 feet of the locker room entrance, remain fully nude until you are ready to leave
    j) use the hair dryers to dry off your junk
  • bbuff101
    bbuff101 Posts: 8 Member
    One thing drives me crazy... Don't stand right in front of the dumbbell rack and do your shrugs or curls or whatever. I've seen tons of people do this (old and new), and I just don't get it.
  • lynnw24
    lynnw24 Posts: 116 Member
    Stay out of my way
    Dont make eye contact with me unless you are female
    Don't look at me in the mirror.
    Stay out of my way.

    That should cover it.

    wow ego much


    I was thinking the same thing! Nobody wants a cocky man!
  • trojanbb
    trojanbb Posts: 1,297 Member
    Stay out of my way
    Dont make eye contact with me unless you are female
    Don't look at me in the mirror.
    Stay out of my way.

    That should cover it.

    wow ego much


    I was thinking the same thing! Nobody wants a cocky man!

    /shrug. I don't even care.

    oh, and yes they do.
  • LeightonSays
    LeightonSays Posts: 63 Member
    No staring!

    Just got to say.....can you really blame them.....

    aha. ;)
  • charmorbadluck
    charmorbadluck Posts: 17 Member
    Wipe down the equipment! I have seen and touched to many ellipticals and/or treadmills were ppl have left there slimy sweat on the handle bars. Also if you see someone on a piece of equipment that you would like to use don't be rude when they tell you they still have more the 15 min on the thing. I also find it annoying when ppl see that you are really getting into your workout and are in the process of rocking it out with your ipod/mp3 player and they decide to interrupt you. Please ppl dont be rude. Do something else while you wait your turn! : )
  • MoreBean13
    MoreBean13 Posts: 8,701 Member
    ok.. so what you are saying is that newbies (Men) should:
    a) only speak if spoken to.. and then only answer YES or NO.. (followed by "your excellence")
    b) never squat in the curl rack
    c) make sure you are wearing at least $10 of cologne/perfume.. a good amount of the expensive stuff or entire bottle of cheap stuff
    d) eat fresh garlic and cabbage 1 hour prior to your workout.
    e) wear very revealing clothing and ONLY compression shorts
    f) after your time on the cardio equipment.. shake off your sweat like a dog coming in from the rain.. and SCREAM "BOO-YAH"
    g) Impress the ladies with your ability to fart the theme to the flinstones.
    h) do one set of bro-curls.. then take off your shirt to practice your posing
    i) in the locker room. remove all clothing within 5 feet of the locker room entrance, remain fully nude until you are ready to leave
    j) use the hair dryers to dry off your junk

    Grease up the barbells and you pretty much have it all covered.
  • dirtnap63
    dirtnap63 Posts: 1,387 Member
    No staring!

    I have to say, the irony of your post, your avatar, and what your user name is shortened to gave me a chuckle.
  • CarlieeBear
    CarlieeBear Posts: 325 Member


    All of these "clean the equipment" comments - just wiping down with a towel is okay, right? We're not expected to carry a spray bottle of disinfectant with us or something? Because I've seen a couple people carrying purse-sized Dettol and using it on a the machines, and I could never figure out if I was supposed to be doing that or if they're germophobes.

    My gym has spray bottles of disinfectant next to the towels. That tells me they want me to use it. Since it's flu season and it's especially bad this year, I've been wiping the elliptical down before using it. I hate being sick so I work hard to prevent it.
  • westerly34
    westerly34 Posts: 898
    NO CURLING IN THE GODDAMN SQUAT RACK.
  • aryya
    aryya Posts: 33 Member
    NO CURLING IN THE GODDAMN SQUAT RACK.

    Don't do anything in the squat rack but squats!! ;) For deads please use the bar from the benchpress... ;)

    For real, clean your equipment after use, don't steal equipment (ask to work in, and if they say no, they're pretty much a jerk) , don't throw the weights down (unless on an olympic platform), and (i know this is asking a lot) try not to grunt too loud ;)
  • srcardinal10
    srcardinal10 Posts: 387 Member
    1) There's a line for the cardio equipment and you're talking on your cell phone using a machine...*eye pops out like the teacher in Daria* That's a no-no...well to me it is. I find it inconsiderate, frustrating, and annoying.

    2) Please. re-rack your weights. I'm not in the mood to circle the gym looking for the other dumbbell because you decided to move on to your next exercise.

    3) Wear deodorant. If need be, please buy something stronger now that you're working out. It's quite difficult to focus on breathing through my nose at mile 4 when the person next to me smells like a 15 year old boy that competed at the high school wrestling match all day.
  • bdamaster60
    bdamaster60 Posts: 595 Member
    NO CURLING IN THE GODDAMN SQUAT RACK.

    Don't do anything in the squat rack but squats!! ;) For deads please use the bar from the benchpress... ;)

    For real, clean your equipment after use, don't steal equipment (ask to work in, and if they say no, they're pretty much a jerk) , don't throw the weights down (unless on an olympic platform), and (i know this is asking a lot) try not to grunt too loud ;)

    Barbell Shrugs
    Military Press
    Bent Over Rows

    are all acceptable exercises to do in the squat rack.
  • aryya
    aryya Posts: 33 Member
    NO CURLING IN THE GODDAMN SQUAT RACK.

    Don't do anything in the squat rack but squats!! ;) For deads please use the bar from the benchpress... ;)

    For real, clean your equipment after use, don't steal equipment (ask to work in, and if they say no, they're pretty much a jerk) , don't throw the weights down (unless on an olympic platform), and (i know this is asking a lot) try not to grunt too loud ;)

    Barbell Shrugs
    Military Press
    Bent Over Rows

    are all acceptable exercises to do in the squat rack.

    Ok, those things i will agree with, though i would still prefer a person to take the bar from somewhere else (my gym has but one squat rack, it's a hot commodity) ;)
  • PurpleTina
    PurpleTina Posts: 390 Member
    Please wear deodorant :sick: . especially if you are on the equipment in front of me and the fans are on, wafting the air around!
  • mrdjmo
    mrdjmo Posts: 79 Member
    Don't squat in the curl rack.

    lol awesome!!!
  • traceyjj
    traceyjj Posts: 406 Member
    When the swim lanes are marked out anti-clockwise, dont make a new lane and plough through the less confindent swimmers in the general swim lane (and dont tell them to move over either). Theres a fast lane, and a slow lane... if you are fast, use the fast lane,
  • MyChocolateDiet
    MyChocolateDiet Posts: 22,281 Member
    No one is looking at you. Stop worrying about it and focus on your own work. Unless you're hot, in which case, yes people are starting at you but it has nothing to do with the fact that you're new. Get over it.
    Actually a couple of these threads have actually been started to comment on what people have observed "newbies" and "resolutionists" doing. Some to laugh at them. So I actually think they are looking at them specifically because they stick out as newbies.
  • MyChocolateDiet
    MyChocolateDiet Posts: 22,281 Member
    No staring!

    I have to say, the irony of your post, your avatar, and what your user name is shortened to gave me a chuckle.
    ditto.
  • farmboyphotography
    farmboyphotography Posts: 181 Member
    Stay out of my way
    Dont make eye contact with me unless you are female
    Don't look at me in the mirror.
    Stay out of my way.

    That should cover it.

    wow ego much


    THANK YOU! If you don't like interacting with people, go to the gym in the middle of the night!
  • jdploki70
    jdploki70 Posts: 343
    Simple rules

    - Check the ego at the door. Ego doesn't work well in a gym. You are there to sweat and work out, nothing else
    - Get over it. Whatever your particular it is likely to be, leave that at the door too.
    - Get off the machines if you aren't using them. Rest between sets, fine. Chit chatting with your buddies about how awesome you are, go somewhere else.
    - Stop the rock star parking attitude. Seriously, you are there to work out. If a 50' walk is gonna do you in, you don't need a gym...you need a casket.
  • eatcleanNtraindirty
    eatcleanNtraindirty Posts: 444 Member
    No staring!

    Sorry couldn't help it!

    Along with the above things, if you see a water bottle next to or a towel on a piece of equipment, assume that it is taken. You can wait a minute or two or ask the people around if anyone is using it. But don't jump into someone's set/use of equipment without asking. I don't mind having someone work in with me, but don't mess up my superset routine! You can go right after I've completed a set, not go whenever you feel like it.

    Turn off the treadmill after using it. Yes I have already seen a few treadmills left spinning.
    Put the weights back in the correct place!!! 45lb plates should not be at the top of the weight tree, 10lb and 25lb plates should not be at the bottom. Don't mix the 35's with the 25's.
  • LoveMyLife_NYC
    LoveMyLife_NYC Posts: 230 Member
    Yesterday I had the worst workout at my gym ever.

    1) An old guy changed his clothes in the middle of the weight room, and then started talking loudly about how great planks were for his body.

    2) A group of squealing girls just stood around giggling loudly because they didn't know what to do. One girl got in a leg machine and tried to work out her arms, then complained it was too hard. The others had poor form, then stopped to check hair and makeup after every set.

    3) Someone was sitting on a machine I wanted to use talking loudly on her cell phone and wouldn't move for anything.

    4) I had to rerack the weights for someone who was apparently strong enough to lift the 10 plates, but not strong enough to put them away.

    5) Some guy was so into his workout, he spent most of the time grunting and walking around the weight room flexing his muscles. He didn't realize he walked into the weight I was lifting 3 times.

    :huh:

    Weight rooms can be dangerous! Please pay attention to what you are doing. And if you're not sure, just ask!
  • mikebowers27
    mikebowers27 Posts: 26
    One thing drives me crazy... Don't stand right in front of the dumbbell rack and do your shrugs or curls or whatever. I've seen tons of people do this (old and new), and I just don't get it.

    Amen brother! I don't even wait for them to finish. I squeeze in right in front of them and grab the weight I need.
  • trojanbb
    trojanbb Posts: 1,297 Member
    Stay out of my way
    Dont make eye contact with me unless you are female
    Don't look at me in the mirror.
    Stay out of my way.

    That should cover it.

    wow ego much


    THANK YOU! If you don't like interacting with people, go to the gym in the middle of the night!

    no. thanks though

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