If you want to get fit, where is the first place you think of? That’s right, It’s the gym. As you know, gyms are wonderful places for getting fit and healthy, whatever your goals and fitness targets may be. Whether you want to build muscle, burn fat, improve your endurance, get a little leaner, or anything else, training at a gym is a great way of doing exactly that. When you’ve been training at the gym for a while however, you begin to learn new things, not just about training, but also about gym etiquette in general. Though nobody actually speaks of them, there are actually a series of unspoken laws of the gym that must be adhered to at all times. Fail to stick to these rules and you run the risk of alienating your peers and angering the powers that be. To ensure there is no confusion, here’s a look at several unspoken rules of the gym that you must stick to.
No curling in the squat rack! – If you want to really tick off the regulars in the gym, just grab yourself a barbell, make your way into the squat rack, and bust out a series of bicep curls! Seriously, there is no need to be curling in a rack because the exercise is a lot safer than squats, and because of the basic mechanics it certainly does not require a rack. Stick to curling in the free weight area, and actually use the squat rack for, you know, squatting.
Always wipe down equipment when you’re finished – Okay, we know that gyms are not the most hygienic places, which is due in part to the fact that they’re full of other people’s sweat. Working up a sweat is a sign of a good workout, but that does not mean that other people want to be subjected to your perspiration. When you use a bench and have finished, before walking area, give it a quick wipe down. Really you should have a towel with you, but if not, give it a quick wipe with some tissue, and perhaps a quick anti-bacterial spray if the gym provides such gear.
Don’t try to force your views on training onto others – When it comes to training, everybody has their own unique training philosophies. Some believe that the key to hypertrophy is high volume, whereas others believe the key is heavy weights and low volume. Whatever you believe, do not try to force your views onto others, by convincing them that their method of training is wrong because you don’t agree with them. If they ask for advice or your opinion then that’s fine, but if not, keep your mouth shut and focus on your training instead.
Re-rack your weights – If there is one thing that gym regulars hate more than anything else in the gym, it’s when people load up a machine with weights, finish their sets, and then walk away, leaving their weights on the machine for somebody else to put away. It’s lazy, it’s unnecessary, and it is just plain rude. The bottom line is that you must always, ALWAYS re-rack your weights when you are finished. No excuses!
