This is about different concepts of being civil and respectful in the gym. Jimpatro’s way of courtesy resulted in hard feelings between him and the trainer and the trainer’s client. My way has never caused any conflict in the gym. So, we disagree. I don’t see any chance of convincing him of my position, and he will probably continue to have conflicts with trainers, and continue to blame it on others. That’s his problem, not mine.
Well, if what those “others” do is act hostile and refuse to adhere to gym rules about sharing equipment, why should the blame not rest with them?
I you want to defer to people with trainers every time they are on a piece of equipment, by all means do so. That’s certainly your prerogative. But you still haven’t provided, in my opinion, a reasonable argument for exempting those with personal trainers from the standard rules of etiquette.
'Course now naked personal trainers of the female persuasion… 
Actually, this bothers me, too. I realize that some people have neurological disorders that may require them to hang on to the bar. But it drives me nuts when someone who I just saw jogging (hands-free, mind you) stops to finish the rest of their workout, walking at the maximum slant and has to hold on to the bar because they’re walking too fast at too high a slant. Their arms snap (you know, when you get closer to the bar, they loosen, but when they can’t keep up, their arms are pulled straight) and it looks as though they’re about to slide right off the back.
Here are some other rules for gyms in my world:
-No strange men would leer at me when I’m in the pool area, asking me out, then when they hear I have a husband, asking me if I’d be interesting in a little “extracirricular activity.”
-No one would get on the stairmaster, then hunch over the monitor and dangle from their hands over the steps instead of actually walking on the steps, using the handrails for balance only, as originally intended.
-No one would get on the treadmill next to me, keep looking over at my speed and set theirs at .1 mile above mine, every fucking time I inch my speed up when I’m doing intervals (I currently have a “gym nemisis” who appears at my side and ogles my speed, then sets hers at at least .1 miles above mine, even though it makes her gasp for air and have to stop).
-No one would would leave a gigantic puddle of sweat on anything. I get that gyms are meant to be places where you sweat, but when I lay down on my face to do hamstring curls, I don’t want to be faced with a big puddle of someone else’s bodily fluids on the machine.
-No one would talk on their cell phone when they’re in the process of working out. Yes, I get that you’re so important that you absolutely must take this call. But must you really do it while you’re running and have to hold on to the bar to keep from flying off? That’s great that you have the dexterity to run and talk at the same time, but at least stop your fucking machine (though I’d prefer you didn’t talk on your cell phone at all in my presence, but I hate cell phones).
-No one, especially the man who leered at me at the pool, would come over and try to “help” me with my weights.
Wow, its’ like that scene from Marathon Man, only dumb. Next time threaten her with a drill. Alternatively get in a sweaty fight and have someone take pictures.
What?
An overprotective mom, no doubt.
I went to visit an historical village with my 11 year old daughter, my cousin, and her SIXTEEN year old daughter. We stopped at their public restrooms to take a potty break.
I had to go, so I walked into one stall, leaving my 11 year to her own devices. When I was done, my cousin said to me, “I can’t believe you walked into a stall first. I always wait for M- to go first. You just never know who is going to be lurking around, trying to snatch her.”
I looked at her in amazement for a few seconds. Then she kind of laughed and asked, “Do you think I’m being overprotective?”
“I’m pretty much thinking that you’re a psycho mom.”
Her daughter hollers out from the stall. “Thank you!”
Of course, ideally you should just ignore morons like this and go on with your routine.
On the other hand, if you’re fitter than her you should crank up your speed and enjoy watching her struggle to stay ahead. Good times! 
Yay! I’m not alone!
… we should start a therapy group (or one where we make bath gel so we can wash off the creepy). 
I don’t really get why this bugs people so much unless they’re just feeling really insecure about their fitness. I often use someone else as a “rabbit” as a way to keep myself motivated and work harder than I would if I wasn’t feeling competitive. Granted I don’t stalk the same person and I try not to be obvious but it really does help me get a better workout.
For me it’s because she’s so fucking loud. She can’t keep up with her own treadmill, so her feet go smack-smack-smack, her arms flail and she eventually has to make a last-ditch effort to slap the red “Stop” button before she goes flying off the back.
I like the drill idea Wolfian proposed, but I don’t think I could fit one into my gym bag. I guess I’ll just have to enjoy her discomfort as mhendo suggested.
Also, DiosaBellissima, I love the support group idea. I feel all oogey and traumatized every time beefcake shows up. I also don’t understand why it happens. I’m not nearly as attractive as the gorgeous, makeup-wearing, sweet-smelling blond next to me, who did her makeup and hair in the locker room before she worked out. And she’s just glowing - I’m sweating like a pig.
overlyverbose- see, that’s all part of my plan, but it’s just not working! I wear smelly, baggy clothes. I’m sweaty, no makeup, bright red (I’ve always turned red when I work out…so does my dad). But alas, I ALWAYS get bothered.
The poor girl on the treadmill (with the boobs out, makeup on, running with that extra bounce—all ladies know what i mean here), who CLEARLY wants attention, goes unbothered. It just. isn’t. right.
Huh? Surely whichever order they go in, she is going to be outside on her own at some point? Or have I missed something?
Isn’t that self-defeating, seeing as it will lead to more grunting and/or screaming?
Spit roast.
You seem to believe that there are universally understood rules of gym etiquette. Go back and read this thread, and you’ll see that that’s not true. Strip your bar? No, somebody says that’s not useful. Thou shalt not clang your dumbbells together? Somebody says dumbbells shouldn’t be so clangable. There is a constant undercurrent of “out-of-shape people should not be in the gym.” How should they get into shape, then? Then there’s that guy who can’t stand the sight of naked guys in the locker room, and the guy who can’t deal with the sight of the ravages of age. Only young, fit people should work out, I guess.
There are no universal standards of gym etiquette. You are not as right as you think.
Maybe. Perhaps i actually used the wrong word. “Rules” might have been better."
Because, despite whatever differences of opinion individual gym users might have, every single gym i have ever used (on three continents) had a rule about stripping your plates. Not one of those gyms had a rule saying that unfit people could not work out there.
Most importantly for the purposes ouf our exchange, every single one had a rule about letting people work in between sets. And not one made an exception for people working with a personal trainer. YMMV.
Yes, there are.
“Strip your plates” is one of them.
“Wipe down” is another.
Most fall under the “leave it the way you found it” category.
I think generally the rule is:
Do unto others…
Where do I sign up?
Some more:
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please wipe the bench with a towel that looks like it’s been washed recently - it doesn’t need to smell like violets, but using a rag that seems to have spent the last 3 months being used to wipe benches, then slowly roasting inside your gym bag is extremely, extremely icky. And then some. People who are seen using such rags will be forced to eat them while everybody else applauds.
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trainers who look at newbies asking for training/pointers/machine instructions will be fired. Same for trainers who tell a woman asking for machine instructions or to join the kendo class “you should go for aerobics instead, dearie, this is man stuff”
instructions… like the newbie just crawled out of a pool of corrosive slime… will be fired.
(doh)