Gym Ethics: Don't Be "That" Guy

    Every gym has one (or one hundred). That person at the gym everyone attempts to avoid. Maybe it’s one thing he or she does, or maybe it's a few characteristics that set off the other members. I will attempt to explain a few of these issues and how to avoid being the kind of person that people hate to be around at the gym. These are my personal opinions. Believe me, I’m totally against judging people (you really never know why or what people are training). Hopefully it isn’t you, but if you happen to fall into one of the following categories, it is. It definitely is.

*See below

“Improper” Equipment Use:
    Classic. Just classic. You take your pre-workout and walk to the free weights, a huge smile and a look of determination on your face. Today is the day you’re going to destroy your legs, and get a new PB on the squat rack. As soon as you take the corner... “You killed that one bro!”. Two newbies are banging out curls on the rack. You try your best not to let it get to you, but it does. You just want to shake them.
    The gym is an ecosystem - everyone needs to interact and hopefully get along. An isolation exercise like straight barbell curls can be easily substituted for a piece of equipment that isn’t as rare as the squat rack (don’t most gyms have fixed straight bar weights these days?). Take into
consideration the equipment that is available to you. Don’t be the person curling on the squat rack.

Dumbbell Clingers:
    The person with 3+ sets of dumbbells around their general area. Usually this occurs when someone is drop setting, so not that big of a deal (try to stick to a maximum of two per muscle group per day).
    Occasionally you may encounter “Lazy Larry” who just doesn’t want to waste energy putting them back after use. Another one is “Circuit Sally”, who needs 4 sets of dumbbells for 4 different exercises and you cannot borrow one of them.
    A simple way to avoid this is, “Hey, how many sets to you have left with those?” or “Can I use those for a set while you’re resting?” Usually people are easy-going and will let you jump in.
    Be generous at the gym and put back all equipment as soon as you’re finished.

Make Some Noise!!:
    There are several ways that unnecessary loudness kills a workout. I don’t consider grunting to be one, unless it’s really excessive (or sounds like a tea kettle/snake). On really heavy sets, I sometimes find exhaling can automatically cause a grunt to come out of me. It’s natural and I think it definitely helps some people when the weights get heavy. My major issue is equipment banging.
    Equipment gets banged around - a heavy dead lift is the prime example. You lift 500 pounds then lay it down, so ultimately there’s going to be some noise. But throwing down the 20lb dumbbells you just curled is really unnecessary (especially when they land 4 inches from my toes). It also takes years off the equipment's lifetime. At my last gym, the squat rack bar supports where ruined because a guy was throwing the bar on them after each set of curls. I had to stop using the squat rack at that time because I didn’t trust it to hold the heavy weights I was squatting, and it took forever to get new ones in. Don’t be showy - take care of the equipment like it is your own.

Keep it in the Coffee Shop:
    Socializing happens everyday at the gym. It’s packed with people who have similar interests, goals and who can support one another. So it’s very easy to strike up a conversation. This is fine, when done between sets, as long as no one is waiting to use equipment. The average person aims at a rest between 60-120 seconds between sets. If you stop once to say “Hello”, “How are you?”, “What’s new?” and get a response, you’ve used that 120 seconds. As soon as it goes further than your rest time, you’re messing up your workout. Discussing last night's game, asking for advice or trying to make a new friend can wait. Don’t risk your workout or someone else’s by being too chatty. Keep in mind why you're at the gym.
    One phrase I learned to use is “Hey, I have to get back to my set, if you want to grab a coffee and discuss it, let me know”, then head back to workout. It doesn’t sound rude and you can get back to your workout.
    Another thing to really avoid is talking to someone during his or her set. This will throw off his or her concentration and automatically turn you into an annoyance. Some people might not take it as serious as others but, to be safe, just don’t do it. Wait until in between sets to chat.

    These are just a few of the things to avoid doing (as I was writing I realized I could do 20+ examples and that would take way too long) and I may do a part two. Keep in mind that these are always up in the air as they are opinions on gym ethics.

    Leave a comment with your top gym “do not”.

    Feel free to email or comment with questions, suggestions or, opinions.

Ty Pritchard

CanFit-Pro Personal Training Specialist

tylerrpritchard@gmail.com

Image from: http://www.home-workout-success.com/dumbbell-workouts.html