Going to the Gym? Respect the Unwritten Rules

Going to the Gym? Respect the Unwritten Rules
Going to the Gym? Respect the Unwritten Rules. Image source: Supplied

It doesn’t matter if you’re an old-timer or a rookie, some etiquettes must be followed & familiarized to the letter.

Engrave these etiquettes into your ethos.

Mind The Gap:

Don’t be intrusive to anyone in terms of inadequate space. Put it in a way that it’s a common human decency & nature plain and simple, don’t get in the way. People need their space, respect it. Not to mention it’s a matter of preventing injury. Your best bet is to just grab the weights that you need and fall back to your own space and you can always recover once you’re done. Unless you’re spotting for someone, you should stay around 3 feet (1 meter) or more away from that lifter, not to mention that you must not block someone’s view from the mirror. Like it or not this is a matter of your safety along with the others.

If you’re Not Lifting, Don’t fool around:

If you are showing up to lift, then lift or else head back home. Avoid staring at anyone. People don’t appreciate being stared at while they train. Don’t talk or address people while they’re busy with their Workout. Gym isn’t the spot for any sort of chit chat or gossip. Avoid things like heavy fragrances, Junk food at the gym as it can be distracting & quite unpleasant for the people in the gym. Wear proper workout clothing like compression shirts or casual shirts. If you aren’t dedicated to improving yourself, go home, others are serious about their fitness.

Mind Your Surroundings & Yourself:

Always be aware of who or what is around you and that you should avoid doing things that might be unpleasant for anyone. Avoid stuff like loud music (if you listening to music use earphones) and excessive grunting or vocalizing. Never drop your weights on the ground and also never leave a mess for someone else to clean it up. Make sure that you always put the weights back.

Do unto others as you want them to do to you:

Bear in mind that everybody is a rookie at some point and so make sure that you don’t mock at anyone who is using a lighter weight or is a newbie and doesn’t know their way around the gym. Always control and keep a watch on your language. Be positive, motivational, and constructive and neglect negativity. Get yourself a spot or offer to Spot if you need it or needed by someone. Don’t make people wait forever in the shower/changing area. Try sharing the gym equipment if the gym is overcrowded in a way so that you shift the equipment in between the sets. Ensure that you don’t breach anyone’s personal space by hovering around in between their sets and also avoid crossing in between the mirror if someone is using it.

Avoid Unnecessary Attention:

When you’re at the gym avoid getting unnecessary attention by doing something or anything inappropriate in terms of behavior. Stuff like your dressing shouldn’t be exposing your body; ensure that you maintain proper hygiene of both your clothes and body. Don’t compare the gym with a beauty parlor, Gym isn’t the place where you make up, watch others or take selfies, those mirrors are for the lifters so that they can correct their body posture or form of exercising / training. When you’re at the gym it’s best if you either just turn off your cell phone or put it away. Avoid the use of the phone as the conversations could heat up which could impair someone’s workout performance, it surely distracts a whole lot of others from their focus. Most important of all only lift what you can manage, under no circumstances should you lift weight more than what your limits are in an attempt to be a show-off.