Proper Gym Equipment Etiquette
You’ve finally decided to get fit and trim for the summer but find yourself using the gym equipment like a toddler trying algebra. Modern Manners Guy has 3 tips to make sure you properly handle gym equipment.
Richie Frieman
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Proper Gym Equipment Etiquette
On the heels of my 200th episode with the world-renowned fitness pro, Get-Fit Guy, I started thinking about all the areas of the fitness world I’ve covered: Gym Locker Room Etiquette, Sauna Etiquette, and even The Proper Way to Refill Your Water Bottle. But there was one section of the gym that has gone overlooked – the equipment.
After sending my 200th article off to my amazing editor at Quick and Dirty Tips, I went to the gym for a celebratory workout and saw people treating the equipment like puppies getting into your sock drawer. They were throwing weights around, flicking machines on and off, leaving random dumbbells all over the place, and making sounds that no one should ever make…ever!
Proper Gym Equipment Etiquette
I’m not trying to be snooty, but come on folks, most of the equipment is pretty self explanatory. I mean how hard is to curl a weight? 
It’s the same motion as drinking. I saw one guy on the rowing machine who was pulling the cables so far back, it looked like he was in bed, pulling the covers over his head! You’re supposed to row, as in a boat, with your back up straight…but it gets worse.
So before you pack your bag, grab your weight gloves, and prepare to whip your butt into shape, check out my top 3 Quick and Dirty Tips for proper gym equipment etiquette:
Tip #1 – Know Your Limits
Look, I’m all about pushing yourself but everyone has their limit. And it seems that in the gym, people push their limits of gym etiquette. Maybe it’s showing off, maybe it’s ego, but when you try to go way outside your comfort zone in the gym, it also makes you forget your manners.
Take this one guy at my gym who likes to brag about his high school baseball days…back in 1964. I’m not saying he isn’t strong – he is – but he turns into this egomaniac who insists on being able to lift the same amount as his 17-year-old former self. What happens is his immediate area becomes a danger zone of flying weights. He always drops them hard on the ground and you better not be anywhere within a square mile of him, or you might lose a toe. This lunatic has no care for where he slams the weights or the curse words that subsequently spill out of his mouth, and not to mention who he blames for not being able to lift like he used to. For the record, it’s him that he should blame, not the “new age fancy weights” (as he calls them).
Newsflash, dude: You don’t own the place! Throwing stuff around or leaving your weights everywhere like they’re old sweat socks is just rude. By doing this, you show your lack of respect for the people around you and for the equipment itself. Know your abilities and choose the appropriate weights for what you can do. If you want to lift heavier, well guess what, there is a reason why these buff trainers are standing around. Granted, they can be intimidating, but they can help you look better, feel better, and avoid injuries—not to mention getting rid of all that unnecessary shouting and swearing.
Tip #2 – Just Do It!
In my opinion, the single greatest marketing slogan of any campaign in the history of advertising is Nike’s “Just Do It.” How many times have you found yourself so frustrated with someone (possibly a child) that you yell, “Just do it!” Whether you’re stuck in traffic and the car in front of you just won’t turn, or you’re in the gym and someone is taking FOREVER to finish their set, all you can think is “Oh, just do it, already!”
The other day, a young woman was standing in front of the abdominal machine I wanted to use, just staring at it. I know I could have done other exercises, but she said she would only use it for a second. So, I did something else and watched, waiting for my turn. It never came. You know why? Because her improper gym behavior could not allow her to complete the exercise, but could allow her to hog the machine without actually using it. It was like watching a statue. I approached her and very kindly asked if she was done. She snapped at me: “Do I look done?” It’s times like this that make being Modern Manners Guy especially tough.
Wanting for someone to “go with the flow” of using gym equipment is not an issue of you rushing them or being pushy. Just the opposite. It’s really an issue of people not grasping the concept of common courtesy. Some gyms have sign-up sheets on the cardio equipment to make sure that everyone can use them – I love that. It’s all about sharing, folks. So when someone is wasting time by dawdling in front of a machine – either debating if they’re going to use it or just chatting it up with someone else – it ruins the day for everyone. If their poor manners are causing one person to wait, then the person behind the one waiting is going to wait longer, and so forth. It’s a domino effect of inconvenience and it’s frustrating. And trust me, I’m not the only one who feels this way. I just hope the 300-pound rugby player behind me doesn’t suddenly go into ‘roid rage!
Tip #3 – It’s a StairMaster, Not a Phone Booth…or a Kitchen Table
I will admit that I’m one of those people who bring their iPhone to the gym and check email in between sets and while on the treadmill or bike. It’s the whole beauty of the smartphone. It allows me to have email, internet, and music whenever I want it. So, if I’m on the bike, I can read or listen to podcasts, making the pain somewhat tolerable. But there is a difference between using your phone to improve your workout, and shouting into it while on the StairMaster. As well, those protein bars and shakes (yes, I saw someone drinking a shake while biking), they’re meant for after you work out, not during. Not only will you get the world’s worst cramp and probably vomit, but I doubt the machines are made to withstand caramel nuggets and whey protein stuck in their gears.
If you’re going to chat it up while on the machines or even just surf the web on your phone, that’s fine but don’t use the gym as your second office. Keep the conversations to a reasonable tone and volume. Don’t yell, “Buy. Sell. Buy! Sell!” like you’re on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. And don’t loudly discuss the intimacies of your private life in a roomful of strangers.
Oh, and if you do need to “carb load” for energy, eat before or after you exercise. It’s a gym, not a cafeteria. In fact, it’s the complete opposite. Realize there are others around you that do not need to wipe away chocolate, along with your sweat, from the handlebars of the elliptical machine.
I promise you, it will be a much more enjoyable gym session (for everyone) if you think with your manners rather than with your ego.
Do you have a great story about improper gym equipment etiquette?
Post all the details in the comment section below. As always, if you have another manners question, I look forward to hearing from you at manners@quickanddirtytips.comcreate new email. Check out my Modern Manners Guy Facebook page, follow me on Twitter @MannersQDT. And of course, check back next week for more Modern Manners Guy tips.
Man lifting weights image from Shutterstock