Eh? 
I don’t mind having MY sweat on my towel, I don’t want YOUR sweat on my towel. Wipe your bloody sweat up after you’ve finished. If you’ve had to wipe the equipment before you started, then that’s between you and the previous user, don’t make it include me!
You won’t use a gym because posters in this thread find others’ lack of gym etiquette annoying? Why wouldn’t we? Will you go to the movies or a restaurant or the supermarket? Because I’m betting plenty of us also find disregard for others in situations outside of the gym annoying also.
But not all the annoyances listed here are ‘disregard for others’. Some are the result of being new, such as JThunder’s dislike for people who do not know the steps or who cannot do the steps and those who cannot or do not control laughter, nervous or otherwise, in cardio classes.
In my situation, for example, I have never lived in a place where I had close/convenient access to either a gym or cardio classes. I would have no idea whether or not I could do the steps to a certain class because I wouldn’t even know what they were until I tried. And when I messed up, which would be pretty much a certainty, I would emit a nervous giggle because I would feel like an idiot. I had always been under the impression that as long as I was moving in a class that it would be okay (assuming I ever got to try one) and that classes were supposed to be fun, and fun would seem to indicate that giggling wasn’t out of place. And if it is, maybe cardio classes are the wrong place for me.
Yeah. Clean up your own mess.
The guy in the steamroom who is OBVIOUSLY looking at me, and is licking his lips. First of all, you’re creepy looking…second I’m 40+ and not in good shape…last because “Hi” would get you more potential for play (which isn’t happening, but you might think you’ve got a shot) than being a perv in the steamroom.
If I’m the first one there, and the first one there gets control of the TV, doesn’t that mean you should ask me before you turn it on? I like it off, myself.
But JThunder’s peeve was only one of many. If this were a thread on what annoys you in a supermarket, movie theater, etc., you’re bound to find one or a few that you don’t find to be a big deal- or may be a description of something you do in those places. But that wouldn’t stop you from going to the movies or supermarket, right?
Did you read JThunder’s follow-up post?
Okay, now you’ve pissed him off. :eek:
You seem a little annoyed there. Maybe you should focus on the benefits of participating on a message board and not the little annoyances. 
hahahah, I knew these guys would be brought up. Someone on another board posted this in his frustration that I thought aptly described the situation:
It probably would stop me from going to the movies, but I hate movie theaters. 
Being in strange places makes me uncomfortable. Being in strange places that have a set of unwritten rules that I am probably going to violate out of sheer ignorance makes me feel not very inclined to go in the first place.
Yeah, I commiserate with the OP with the exception of the giggling thing and the clueless-in-class thing. I guess not giggling is a guy thing? I go to a ladies-only gym, so giggling happens sometimes. I don’t even notice it anymore.
We get newbie ladies all the time in class; we have a big aerobics room, so those who can’t/won’t do the moves end up in the back. It’s not a big deal.
My gym peeve is Cell Phone Girl. Leave the damn thing in the car, heifer!
Oh, and our gym provides towels to wipe the machines. Also, the gym ladies run around when things are slow and wipe down all the machines. It doesn’t really matter if you wipe before/after or at all, even.
dgrdfd: Withering?
Eh, most of it’s common sense like behavior anywhere in public. Most gym goers will be able to tell the difference between someone new and not realizing they’re breaking an unwritten rule and someone who should know better regardless of their experience (such as leaving a puddle of head sweat on a bench). Try not to let this thread stop you from going to a gym if you’ve been thinking about it.
I can guarantee that most gym people know the difference between a noob and someone who is annoying. Invariably it is someone who is NOT a noob who is being annoying, they have been there long enough to understand what they should be doing and haven’t picked up the clues. It really is no different then any social situation.
To those who say this is why they aren’t going to a gym, you should really get past that. Up until about 4 years ago I had never ever stepped into a gym and I did fine. To be honest nobody even notices you unless you are being a total dumbass–and even then you have to do it multiple times to get anyone to notice. The vast majority of people at the gym are into their own routine and world and really are not paying attention to you.
Nah. The gym provides paper towels and spray disinfectant. Anyway, if the guy before you didn’t wipe down, and then you use the machine and do wipe down, you have the previous guy’s sweat on your precious towel anyway.
You are effectively forcing everyone who comes after you to clean up your sweat. How is this not rude?
That’s right. That is why the guy before me should wipe down. You are the guy before me. Wipe down please.
A lot of the things people are talking about it this thread aren’t necessarily unwritten rules. In the gym I go to, there are signs everywhere telling you to clean off the machines (this means everyone, Hyperelastic - you’re acting like a jackass, and trying to justify it is pathetic), rerack weights, don’t monopolize machines, etc. Nobody’s complaining about people who don’t know the rules - the problem is people who know the rules but don’t care.
For the truly unwritten rules, many gyms provide a trainer for a few hours to help orient new members. Part of the trainer’s job should be to introduce the new member to the culture of the gym, making clear any expectations.
As far as people who can’t follow along with the rest of the class: they’re in the wrong class. You can’t deal with a calculus class if your background only goes up to introductory algebra, and you can’t get by in an advanced spinning class if you have a hard time with ten minutes on a treadmill. When somebody tries a class that they’re not remotely ready for, they get a lot less out of it than they’d get out of something closer to their own level, and they tend to distract the instructor or interfere with the rest of the class. It detracts from the entire experience for everybody.
Beginner classes are an obvious exception. “Beginner” includes anybody at any level, and issues like that should be expected here.
Gosh, if only most gyms had signs or a stated policy asking the users to wipe down the equipment when they’re done.
Oh wait, they usually do.
Well, that’s settled then.
Whoa crazy. The entire reason I go to the gym is to sweat. I feel a bit guilty if I’m still in my sweaty shirt and I grab a gallon milk on the way home, but just walking around the gym? If that bothers you, you REALLY should consider taking your workouts some place else.
Of course, unlike another poster in this thread, I was raised to be at least somewhat considerate to people and I always wipe my sweat off equipment after I use it. I actually carry two towels, a cloth towel for wiping the sweat off my face and body, and then sanitizer soaked paper towels for wiping down machines and equipment.
Here we go again.
Unfortunately, fitness is a touchy subject, especially since many people equate non-fitness with obesity. (I did not, but many people do.) As as result, it’s unsuprising that no matter how much one emphasizes that people can always take breaks, that they can modify the moves if needed, that a certain learning curve is expected, and that perfection is neither necessary nor expected, somebody is bound to jump up in outrage and say, “How dare you complain just because somebody doesn’t know how to do the steps right!?!?!?”
As x-ray vision correctly discerned, it’s not about doing the moves flawlessly. It’s about working at a suitable level, so that you’re roughly in synch with the class. This doesn’t mean perfection at all; in fact, there will usually be a good number of people who need to pause or adapt their moves. It’s about making sure that you can basically get things done, even if the outcome is inelegant. (I see that Enginerd provided an excellent explanation of why this is important. I’ll comment on that later.)
Being fun doesn’t mean that it has to be a gigglefest. Going to the movies is supposed to be fun, and yet most moviegoers would be understandably annoyed by a group of giggling patrons except at times when laughter is to be expected.
We all have the urge to laugh or snicker at times; however, mature adults also understand that there are times when we need to keep that response in check. This includes situations where people need to concentrate, such as during a classroom lecture, a dance class, or a high-intensity aerobic exercise session. I don’t think anyone would begrudge someone a stifled giggle now and then, but continuous and repeatedly giggling is simply an annoyance. All of these activities can be fun, including the classroom lecture, but that doesn’t necessarily make them opportunities for laughing and giggling.
I would not say that this issue falls under the category of things that one “should know better regardless of their experience” (to use x-ray vision’s phrasing). I will also grant that there may be differences in male-female perception on this matter. However, when people understand how important concentration is when it comes to getting an effective work out – and this something that fitness books and magazines emphasize repeatedly – then things like giggling, prolonged side conversations, and blatantly diverging from the class routine serve as unnecessary distractions. As Enginerd said, this detracts from the experience and it ultimately benefits nobody.
In this group, i also include the weight throwers, the people who seem physically incapable of moving plates or bars or dumbells anywhere without crashing them together or slamming them on the floor. Yes, i know that if you’ve just done a bunch of incline presses with 80lb dumbells, you’re probably exhausted, but you should still be strong enough to get them back to the floor without dropping them from a height of three feet.
And why is it that, of all the people who don’t put their own weights away when they’re done, the vast majority are the biggest guys in the gym? Look, dickwad, if you leave two 80lb dumbells sitting there on the floor, and some 5’2" woman is the next person who wants to use the bench, how the fuck is she going to clear them out of the way? Same if you leave 300lb on the bench press. And even if the next person is strong enough to move the things, that’s not the point; clear up your own shit.
So fucking what? Every gym member should be responsible for his or her own sweat. You sweat on the machine, you clean it up. Any one who doesn’t is a selfish asshole.
This one drives me crazy as well.
Along the same lines, the guy who thinks that it’s appropriate to switch back and forth between three or four machines/benches, and expects every single one of them to be kept free for him until he’s finished his workout. Sorry, asshole, but you only get to use one thing at a time.
Similarly, if i ask “Are you using this bench?” a response of “Yes” means that you are in the middle of using it, or are just about to sit down and use it right now. “Yes” does not mean “It’s coming up in my routine, and i will get to it sometime in the next 15 minutes or so.”
Yeah, hate this too.
It actually reminds me of the jerkoffs at the airport who stand right next to the luggage carousel so you have to push past them to get your bag. If everyone stood just 4 or 5 feet back, there’d be plenty of room for people to move forward and grab their luggage when they see it.
Thing is, though, most of the things people are talking about here have a direct impact on other people using the gym.
If you don’t wipe your own sweat off, it means i have to do it. If you claim a bench that you’re not actually using, it means that other people are inconvenienced. If you don’t re-rack your weights, someone else has to do it. If you do your lateral raises right next to the weight racks, you prevent other people from using the dumbells.
Also, to tell you the truth, i don’t really go to the gym to enjoy myself, at least not in the sense that i usually mean when i use that term. I do derive some pleasure and satisfaction from being there, from getting fitter and stronger, and from the camaraderie of the place. But it’s not fun the way that going to the movies or playing softball is fun.
I go to the movies and play softball because just doing those things gives me pleasure; i go to the gym because it produces a certain end result. Despite all the ads trying to convince us otherwise, there is still no magical way to get fit and strong by putting on an electric pulsing belt and sitting in front of the TV. If there were, i’d happily swap the gym for the belt any day.