Not really sure if this is the right board for this, but I’m curious… Are most people oblivious to gym etiquette?
Years ago I used to work out regularly at a boxing gym where everyone (for the most part) was considerate about equipment usage, space, cleanup, and so on. Recently, I decided to try and get back in shape and have joined “Mega Gym”. Every time I go in I see blatant ignorance of standard gym etiquette.
This ranges from:
Not wiping down equipment covered in the offender’s sweat (or better yet using a towel to prevent the soaking)
Lounging on equipment without using it (not in-between reps, just “hanging out”)
Not returning weights to the designated area
And the worst seems to be the cardio equipment fouls. People who don’t honor the 20-minute time limit when all machines are in use, or the person who does all of their stretching on the treadmill while other people wait in line for an open machine.
It’s normal, but you can politely inform folks that they’re violating gym policy. If done without being abrasive you can usually get folks to follow the rules, at least while you’re present.
All are completely normal. You didn’t specifically ask for suggestions on how to cope, but if you want some:
(1) Just wipe them down yourself prior to use.
(2) Ask if you can use the equipment he/she is lounging on. While I would not recommend kindly informing anyone that they’re breaking the rules (although if it works for Telemark that’s great!), people tend to be very accommodating and apologetic if you indicate a desire to use the equipment they are lounging on.
(3) Really the only thing I can recommend is if you don’t see a weight, try to locate it. Eventually you get an edge over the newbies because if you’re looking for a 25 lb. weight plate, you know where to look and they don’t!
Cardio equipment: All right, I will absolutely fess up to doing this myself. Once you’ve past the beginner stage, the only way to really get a good cardio workout in in twenty minutes or less is to run sprints. It’s not smart to run sprints every day, and as we get less and less hours of daylight it can be dangerous trying to do cardio outside.
If this really bugs you (and it seems to), I will assure you that the only time I have seen all cardio machines in use at my gym is between the hours of 5:00 and 6:30 in the evening. (Oh, except for January. January’s just one big cluster fuck at the gym. But I have found that showing up at 6:00 AM alleviates a lot of the problem, because most newbies aren’t willing to get to the gym that early.) Even if your gym has less machines than mine, you should be able to identify a time of day when you won’t have to wait for a cardio machine.
I can manage most things, and I have been. It’s just irritating that people seem to think that I should have to wipe their sweat, or put their weights back and act annoyed if I “interrupt” their conversation to ask if they are done using a machine.
And yes, I know that good cardio often takes more than 20 minutes. I regularly spend 30-45 minutes on the treadmill, but like you, I often go when there are plenty of open machines. The last one really only bothers me when I see so many other people waiting and someone has been walking for over an hour.
Recently, I politely asked the person next to me if they knew there was a 20 minute limit when the machines are in use (according to his stats he had been enjoying a brisk 2.8 mph for over 50 minutes). His reply “so what?”, I informed him that there were many people waiting (at least 5) his reply was “mind your own fucking business.”
I guess I’m just disappointed that so many people are so selfish and don’t give a hoot about anyone but themselves.
People doing curls in the squat rack really ticks me off. I’ve only seen it once in my gym and was pleasantly surprised to see a sign posted that read, “NO CURLS IN THE SQUAT RACK” the next time I was in.
Grunting on every rep comes to mind. Letting out a grunt when you slowly bang out one last rep or two is acceptable. Doing it on every rep is not only pointless but makes you look like a giant tool. Thankfully, this has become much less of a problem since I graduated from college.
It’s normal. I’m starting to think that the kids these days (I’d say early 20’s to 35 or so) seem to think that “normal” gym etiquette requires sitting on the bench for five minutes in between sets and fiddling with your iPod, or texting. Drives me batshit. Fortunately, my gym (WorkOutWorld in NJ) is huge, with plenty of redundancy in machines and equipment, and I get there before 7:00 am, so I’m rarely affected by them.
The OPs issues are pretty normal at my gym except for wiping down the machines. We have sweat towels, which everyone is good about using. My problem is that we are required to wipe and sanitize each and every machine every time we use them, whether we sweat or not. At this point some of the machines have a disgusting, sticky coating of whatever in in those wipes. Couldn’t the people who absolutely cannot tolerate touching mosture from another person find some other way to protect themselves, or another gym?
Most of my gym issues are from the locker room. Why do people think their gym bags need to be rest on a bench? Is it tired? We have like 3 benchs to sit on for 50 lockers and some guy will always leave his giant bag on the bench - saves him from having to bend over as far when he comes back from the shower I guess. Come on guys, look around you.
I’m one of those people. No, I can’t tolerate moisture (AKA sweat) from another person on a machine I am using. Further, I don’t think I should have to wipe it up for them. Do they need to disinfect it with bleach? No, just wipe it off. Or use a gym towel to lay down first.
That’s like saying “if you don’t like my dog’s feces on the sidewalk you can clean it up for me or move to another city”
All sounds completely normal to me. It’s like everything else in life. Some people are considerate and some people just don’t care.
I’ve never seen anyone be too concerned with the time limit on cardio machines. That said, I question the effectiveness of any 20 minute cardio workout. Most places I’ve been offer longer time limits.
The gym my husband goes to has much diffrent rules. They have employees who wipe down the machines between customers. The time limit on the cardio machines is an hour.
Returning weights and lounging is still inconsiderate.
I’m joining a gym up the avenue in the next few weeks. Too freaking cold to ride my bicycle. In addition to the peeves listed above, what else should I look out for? I’ve not gone to a gym in 12 years, and that was a huge place not very heavily used during the day.
