Weight Room Etiquette

I’d just like to start by saying that I love my gym (club)! I’m the type of person that generally keeps to myself at the gym, quickly does my workout, and tries to not make anything difficult for anyone else or get in their way. Small silly stuff does happen at the gym but I generally just ignore it and not let it get to me. But today…

Within the first 15 minutes of being in the weight room is when I decided to write this. I first headed to the flat bench to start with some dumbbell presses. Immediately I had to deal with the kind of guy that decides its okay to do his routine directly in front of the dumbbells like no one else would ever need to grab them. I stood there and waited patiently.

• Weight Room etiquette #1 – Do not workout directly in front of the dumbbells preventing others from grabbing them. Back the hell up.

I did my chest routine all the while knowing that I was going to be moving on to shoulders and needing the military press bench (chair). There was someone’s towel (with locker key attached) just draped over the chair though no one had been using it for at least 10 minutes. On most days I would just decide to use a different piece of equipment or do a different shoulder routine but today was different. I walked over grabbed the towel and draped it across the half wall in the free weight area so that I could use the equipment. What type of person thinks that their towel needs to occupy an entire piece of equipment so that others cannot use it?

• Weight Room etiquette #2 – Please do not place your personal items (towels, cups of coffee, water bottles, etc) on a piece of equipment when you are not using it. That’s just plain self centered and rude to those that may want to use that equipment.

I move on to doing my bicep routine. Both pairs of the weights I needed were gone from the rack. One pair I had already noted had not been there for the 15 min that I had been in the weight room.  I see that one pair is lying near a female that is using the flat bench barbells. Being the assertive person that I was today I went over to ask her if she was still using them. She looked at her trainer, looked back at me and said I don’t know we haven’t used them yet. I just gave up and lifted the heavier weights for today.

• Weight Room etiquette #3 – Do not take a pair of dumbbells from the rack preventing other from using them when you don’t have plans to use them immediately. Once again…just self centered.

Since I am on a rant today I might as well included other items of gym etiquette that people may want to consider…

• Please think of others while applying your Axe Body spray in the morning. We don’t want to smell you from across the weight room.
• Ladies, under no circumstances is it okay for you to remove your tampon in the shower and stash it in between the shampoo/conditioner unit. You’d think that I wouldn’t have to say this one.
• One that my hubby has witnessed: Dudes, do not blow dry your balls in the locker room. Save that for doing at home.
• If your Band-Aid falls off in the shower for goodness sakes pick it up and throw it away. It should not be left there for the janitorial staff to clean up.
• And for the female that farts many times while using the stair master everyday…go use the restroom. I don’t know how you can fart so much every single day. I would love to know what you are eating so I can avoid it.
• Always re-rack your weights/kettlebells/foam rollers/jump ropes/medicine balls/whatever equipment you use. Just like in kindergarten if you take the toy off the shelf you should put it back when you are done playing with it.

I generally like to write about happy & positive stuff but I felt that some of this just needed to be said today. If you read all the way down to the end here, I apologize for my lengthy soap box and realize that I should have put a disclaimer at the top. Wishing everyone a good day at the gym!

Cheers!

 

~ by willtriforbeer on March 16, 2012.