Gym Etiquette – Unwritten Rules You Should Follow

Gyms are generally busy but relaxed places, casual and almost always welcoming. They’ll inevitably have written rules to ensure the safety and comfort of all members, but there are also some unwritten rules of conduct that fall under the general heading of “gym etiquette” that you should make sure you follow.

 

Using Equipment

1. Always put your equipment back where you found it! Re-rack your weights/dumbbells, return mats or accessories to the place where you found them.
2. Don’t warm-up, stretch or perform exercises in high-traffic areas. It’s inconvenient and possibly dangerous for everyone, including you. Most gyms will have dedicated areas for everything. If not, find somewhere out of the way of others to do your thing.
3. Don’t obstruct/workout in front of equipment others need to access (e.g. the dumbbell rack, the weights rack, the barbell rack, the water fountain).
4. Never, ever hog equipment/machines. Use only what you need and leave the rest for others.
5. Don’t circuit train during peak hours. You’re basically hogging equipment when it’s at a premium.
6. Don’t curl in the squat rack. The squat rack is for squatting only.
7. Don’t interfere with equipment being used by others. Unless you’re sure no-one else is using something, don’t unload barbells, don’t re-rack weights/dumbbells, don’t move weight benches and don’t take over a machine.
8. Never move someone else’s towel, bag, water/shaker bottle or any other belongings.
9. Don’t hover while someone is using equipment/machine that you would like to use. Stay nearby discreetly if you want to, but don’t make a point of waiting very obviously and impatiently (or even patiently).
10. If someone asks to work in (i.e. share your equipment/machine while you’re resting), allow them to when possible. There’s plenty of time for another member to work in a set during your rest periods. But, on the flipside, before asking others if you can work in, ask yourself if you really need to. Can you do another exercise in the interim? Is the other person using a very different weight from you, making weight changes necessary and very inconvenient for everyone? If the answer is yes in either case, it’s more considerate to wait your turn.

 

Dress & Hygiene

1. Perform a sniff test on your workout gear before you pack it in your gym bag. If anything smells, find something else to wear.
2. Also perform a sniff test on yourself before walking out onto the gym floor. Take a shower if you smell even faintly unpleasant.
3. Always use anti-perspirant/deodorant.
4. Dress for your own comfort but also for everyone else’s. Your attire should be appropriate and should not make others feel uncomfortable. Things should not be hanging out!
5. Avoid taking your shoes off. Some gyms have specific rules prohibiting this. Others may permit barefoot training – in this case, make sure you follow the rules on how this is to be safely done. And, most importantly, make sure your feet are clean and don’t smell.
6. Always, always train with a towel.
7. Always, always wipe your sweat off any equipment you use.
8. Don’t wash your hands in the water fountain. Don’t spit in the water fountain. Don’t suck from the water fountain. Don’t even touch the water fountain if you can avoid it.
9. Where necessary or appropriate, wear a mask and practice social distancing.

 

Courtesy

1. Don’t walk in front of people facing a mirror while they’re training. They’re probably using it to monitor their form and/or increase their mind-muscle connection.
2. Don’t pose in gym mirrors next to someone who’s training. You’re likely to distract them.
3. Don’t hog the mirror. Others want to use it too.
4. Avoid taking selfies at the gym. If you really have to do it anyway, make sure you are out of other’s people’s way and avoid photographing others.
5. A gym is a lively and often loud place. But that doesn’t mean you should make unnecessary noise. Don’t grunt, don’t scream, don’t shout.
6. Speaking of noise, don’t slam or drop your weights. It’s not only annoying, it can be dangerous.
7. Don’t crowd others. Leave enough space for others to do their workout comfortably.

 

Interacting with others

1. Don’t stare at other gym members.
2. Be friendly but also be respectful. The gym can be a place to meet other people, but take a hint (or even a direct “Go away!”) if it’s given to you. Conversations with strangers (or even acquaintances) should be kept short and sweet. You’re all there for a work out, not a gab-fest.
3. Don’t talk to people wearing headphones. It’s generally a signal that they don’t wish to speak to others or vice versa.
4. Always be polite when asking for a spot – or when you’re being asked for a spot. If someone says “no” don’t take it personally; some people may be uncomfortable with the responsibility, or may not know how to spot someone safely. By the same token, if you are unwilling or unable to spot someone else, decline politely.
5. Don’t give advice to others unless they ask for it. Even if they’re doing it “wrong”, it’s ultimately not your business. You may only embarrass them with unsolicited advice – and possibly yourself.
6. Never, ever talk to someone in the middle of a set. Wait until they are finished.

 

Safety

1. Always follow the rules of your gym.
2. If you don’t know how to use a piece of equipment or machine, ask. Don’t injure yourself (or others) just because you were too proud to get help.
3. Don’t encroach on the space of people in the middle of a set. They’re working with heavy equipment! They could injure you – or you could cause them to injure themselves.