Nobody likes being a jerk. You get all sorts of mean looks and people talk behind your back — and you don’t want that, do you? Just follow these gym etiquette guidelines to avoid being a jerk at the gym.
- Don’t sit on a machine if you are not using it. And don’t talk on your cell phone while sitting on or using a machine — it’s not nice, and actually kind of dangerous.
- Share the love: If you are in between sets, share your equipment so someone else can take a turn during your down time.
- Wipe off your sweat with a towel and some disinfectant spray. You don’t want to work out on a sweaty machine, and the person after you doesn’t want to either.
- Don’t drop weights. You might think you are impressing others with how much weight you just lifted, but really the noise just hurts the ears. You should be able to set down your weights safely on your last rep.
- Return your plates, dumbbells, and other equipment to the proper storage area when you are done. It’s the courteous thing to do. Plus, someone could get hurt tripping over misplaced equipment.
- Try to be on time for your Group EXercise class. And if you are late (it happens sometimes) please try not to step over (or on) anyone who is following along with the class.
- Wear appropriate clothes for the gym. That includes running shoes or training shoes, shorts or exercise pants, t-shirts or athletic shirts. It does not include jeans or jean shorts — that’s just going to chafe. If you forget your shirt or shorts, please check the front desk — sometimes we have a spare pair you can borrow.
- Don’t hog the water fountain. Like they used to say in high school — “save some for the fish”.
- Keep grunting to a minimum. Yes, sometimes you are going to accidentally make some noise while finishing that last painfully awesome rep. But grunting just to seem like you’re tough? Not cool, man. Not cool.
For more advice on what to wear to the gym, try our 6 tips for choosing the right workout clothes.
I disagree with “Don’t drop weights” or “keep grunting to a minimum” why?
Because of the following:
- Heavy Deadlifts, done right truly have no eccentric to the motion unless it is a Romanian Deadlift. The deadlift is one of the few concentric-only exercises.
- Cleans (Power & Full) lowering the weight after it has been overhead is dumb and can be dangerous.
- Snatches (Power & Full) same thing with the cleans.
Perhaps having Olympic standard platforms with bumper plates would be beneficial for those who wish to Olympic lift at all GoodLife locations.
Keep grunting to a minimum,
I understand this, and disagree with it at the same time. If you’re being obnoxious and moaning with paltry weight you need to be silenced. But if it’s a 1RM or a heavy day I think the occasional angry “get serious” grunt or noise is acceptable as you said.
I came in to post this. I’m honestly getting tired of newbies and inexperienced trainers who have never done any heavy compound exercises like the Olympic lifts or the deadlift telling legitimate weightlifters that they “don’t need to drop the weight”. Studies have shown that the vast majority of injuries occur in the eccentric phase on these lifts, and scolding people for what is obviously correct form is dangerous and irresponsible on the part of the gym and its trainers. This is why platforms and bumper plates were invented. People wonder why they make no progress in the gym, and then they go and complain about the people who are actually pushing themselves and making the gains they think are impossible simply because they’re afraid of a little noise. It’s not a library, get over it.
Hi JP,
We’d like to extend our note about dropping weights especially to people who are inexperienced or simply careless in dealing with their weights. Our priority is the safety of our Members and we want to ensure that each Member has a great experience at the club, injury free.
Thanks for your feedback!
Here’s a good one: Don’t use the drink holders on the treadmills as a foot rest to stretch your hamstrings! I had a guy next to me do that awhile back. I asked him nicely not to and he looked at me like I had 3 heads. Duh! He did remove his foot and next time I saw him, he didn’t dare try that stunt again.
Here’s one: Wash your clothes between workouts.. . think we can’t smell you? we can.. and we know it’s you.
Personal trainers should not use the rowers or other pieces of equipment as a seat while they are working with a client. It is a deterrent for club members who might want to use that machine.
Hi J, thanks so much for letting us know. If you find that it’s happening again, we encourage you to politely ask the trainer if they’re not currently using the equipment to free up the equipment for your use. With your help, we can only get better!
Another pet peeve – Don’t hog 2 workstations when the gym is busy. If you’re not there, don’t get annoyed when somebody else wants to use it.
I think this list is great. It should be enlarged to poster size and posted in each changeroom and throughout the fitness area’s. In addition, it would be a helpful as a handout to new members.
Another item to add to the list – keep the perfume and cologne to a minimum – some of us are alergic or can develop asthmatic conditions due to the overpowering scents.
I’m not worried about the minimal noise from dropped weights hurting my ears. What I am really worried about is the ridiculously loud volume of the music in pretty much any group exercise class. Now that is hurting my ears, for about an hour about four times per week. That damage is cumulative.
Hi Kathy – thanks for your feedback, we’ll pass it along to the right individuals.
Also, Kathy, which club are you attending? I’ve been advised that our Group EX team is looking into sound systems across the country, so this may help.
It should be so simple, people should realise to clean their machines after they sweat all over it, but it’s the biggest problem at the location I go to.
I make it my business to go up to a person and tell them to wipe off their machines. I don’t want to sit in their sweat or catch their germs. I’d NEVER leave a machine dirty. It’s both disgusting and lazy.
I would like to add to the “don’t hog the water fountain” section-PLEASE do not spit into the fountain-even if you attempt to wash it away it is stomach churning for others to watch.
I sometimes grunt when lifting weights but I can’t help it. Sometimes it is so hard. Even if it is only 15 lbs. I never mean to be rude. I am just trying to push myself to the next weight up.
Loved your “Don’t be a jerk” piece. It’s right on… Please don’t get discouraged by some who maybe offended. Chances are, they’re the ones you want to educate in the first place! Thanks and Keep it up!
Hello Jeff
It’s good to know you go to gym in your golden age
Another good one is – please don’t stare at others while they are working out. Goodlife is not a meat market. I may be dressed in clothes that are tight to my body and I may be stretching in ways that show parts of my body but that is not a license to stare nor an invitation to pick me up. I had an experience recently where a member engaged me in a way that was not appreciated and even though I politely let them know that I was not interested, they made me feel uncomfortable for the rest of my workout. Not appreciated at all.
I agree with everything but the Don’t drop the Weights and the Grunting. Firstly with the don’t drop the weight if you are doing snatches or clean and jerks with a heavy weight it is actually safer to bring the weight down faster. And with the grunting when you are doing max effort movements not grunting can actually prevent you from getting that extra rep each set and that could affect your gains in terms of strength.
Hi J, as you may have noticed in an earlier response, the dropping weights is especially extended to people who are inexperienced or simply careless in dealing with their weights. Our priority is the safety of our Members and we want to ensure that each Member has a great experience at the club, injury free.
Thanks for the feedback!
How are we supposed to not hog the weight machines and keep them clean at the same time? If I were to get off a machine after every set I would spend too much time wiping them down! On top of that, I hardly ever see others wiping down the machine after they use it. That would mean I would have to wipe it down after they use it and after I use it! I think that waiting two or three minutes between sets shouldn’t be a problem and I like to read during those two or three minutes. After I’m finished my sets, I wipe down my machine for others to use.
Hi Kim, if you find that there isn’t a lot of traffic at the club and no Member appears to be waiting for your machine, then your approach can work. However, we do ask for our Members to be considerate and mindful of each other, especially when you notice that the club is full or there’s another Member waiting for the particular piece of equipment.
My pet peeve is concerning the ExClasses mainly. I HATE HATE HATE when members come into a class that is already in progress. I’ve seen it over and over again and several times I have injured myself and/or totally lost balance/concentration. There should be a standard set across the board, not individual instructors. There is NO CONSISTANCY here!!!!!!!!!!! I must say that more than 80% of Instructors won’t allow the intrusion, but lately I seem to be going to more and more classes that this is happening. I may be old fashioned but don’t start a class if you are not there when it is scheduled to begin!!!!!!!!! Coming in after 5 minutes or 20 minutes is really UNACCEPTALE. You snooze, you lose. I have sometimes walked out in these cases or, I myself will head straight to the front desk of the Club I am working out at. THIS IS SOOOO UNACCEPTABLE on my part.
My pet Peeve at the clubs have to do with members who show up late to scheduled classes. It is SOOOO UNACCEPTABLE in my book to come into a class whether the class is into 5 MINUTES or 30 Minutes. There is a LACK OF CONSISTANCY among Group EX Instructors. I find this is happening more and more in some of the classes I attend. If you are not there at the scheduled time you should NOT be allowed in, whether the class is small or large or 5 minutes have passed or 30 minutes have passesed. This makes me want to give up the classes all together. The majority of Insructors won’t allow anyone in, but the ones who do, are VERY WRONG to do so. It is VERY DISTRACTING and makes me very angry!
Great New Letter & Great health hints…Thanks!
Here is a suggestion, Could we get some good quality towels?
Some times the towels are so highly dilapidated
I am afraid they would come apart
Group-ex music is sometimes so loud the instructor seems to be struggling to “yell” over the music and still it’s hard to understand the instruction due to the music being way too loud. It’s somewhat OK for high energy/fast classes I guess…. However, I do a lot of Body Flow – now that class should not be loud at all. Ridiculous- to try to do meditation with music so loud that it drowns the supposedly soothing words of the instructor. Also, please tell your instructors to avoid doing “karaoke” with the songs. Leave it for Canadian Idol. Can use the “idle” time giving more precise guidance instead.
Hi Gabriel,
Our Group EXercise instructors are able to control the volume of the music, so if you find the music too loud I encourage you to speak with them before the class and let them know you would like them to keep the music a little quieter, especially for a relaxing class like BODYFLOW.
I work out at the club in Edmonton and I’m seeing more and more men workout wearing sandals. Eewww. Poor etiquette and in my opinion a health hazard. I’ve neve worked out in a gym where guys wore sandals as much as this gym.
I work out at the club in Edmonton and I’m seeing more and more men workout wearing sandals. Eewww. Poor etiquette and in my opinion a health hazard. I’ve never worked out in a gym where guys wore sandals as much as this gym.