It is NOT bad etiquette to leave 3 45lbs plates on each side of the leg press (or similar machines) because its ok to assume most people want a few on there anyways. It saves you the time of loading and unloading all the plates, and it most likely saves the next person some time as well.

9/6/2011 7:55:15 PM

yeah if you can't do at least 3 plates per side then you shouldn't be on it anyway... go back to body pump you weaklings

9/6/2011 7:56:34 PM

Flip Flops. I don't like it, but I can understand if you're a chick. They have all sorts of different codes and ethics. But guys? Jesus Christ. I don't care if its only a few reps, slap some fucking sneakers or gtfo.

9/6/2011 8:00:40 PM

I always thought it was funny when I saw people working out in khakis or jeans

9/6/2011 8:08:49 PM

Quote :

"yeah if you can't do at least 3 plates per side then you shouldn't be on it anyway... go back to body pump you weaklings"

I know this is sarcasm, but amen

9/6/2011 8:24:05 PM

DO NOT FUCKING CURL IN THE SQUAT RACK.

At least use the bench press rack, as there is usually triple the amount of those than squat racks.

9/6/2011 8:26:14 PM

General Etiquette: Don't wear hats indoors.

Gym Etiquette: Don't wear hats in the gym.

9/6/2011 8:29:51 PM

9/6/2011 8:37:53 PM

i usually leave 1 45lb on each side of the bench.

9/6/2011 8:41:06 PM

Quote :

"I know this is sarcasm, but amen"

kinda sarcastic... I usually leave 1 45# on each side

9/6/2011 8:56:02 PM

if you see me walk to the water fountain after I finish a set, don't jump on my piece of equipment and start unloading it. also, don't cop an attitude about how you're just getting started and I can't work in with you either. last but not least, don't buck up to someone that is 2 foot taller and 150 pounds heavier than you when you failed to follow the first two rules of etiquette.

9/6/2011 9:00:01 PM

Re: wearing hats to the gym, about half of the guys at mine would totally fail in that regard.

Other ones:

1) Shower before getting in the pool. I don't care if it's just a rinse off, it's better to leave your stank ass in the shower drain.

2) Wear flip flops in the pool area, unless we are at the outside pool, and I know the Carolina sun and fresh air will combine to kill the
fungus on your feet on the pool deck.

3) Wipe your equipment down after using it, whether it's a yoga mat, lifting equipment, or a cardio machine.

9/6/2011 9:48:05 PM

Quote :

"2 foot taller and 150 pounds heavier than you"

wat? you working out at a middle school??

9/6/2011 9:51:44 PM

Don't bring friends upon friends to the gym and make it a social event as you all crowd one area talking and horseplaying.

9/6/2011 9:58:54 PM

1. Don't be a retard.
2. Be considerate.
3. Don't whine.
4. Pick stuff up.
5. Put it down.

9/6/2011 10:00:35 PM

^^my gym has a couple of midget asshats in attendance. one of them is a great source of amusement when he loads every 45lb plate in the gym on the leg press and proceeds to do 2 reps of moving the sled 4". he then gets up and looks around the room to make sure everyone saw him do it. We wonder if he knows that we're simultaneously laughing at him while feeling our own joints hurt just from watching that.

the best part is that he takes the catch pins down, yet never moves the sled far enough to actually get past them.

9/6/2011 10:02:56 PM

the flip flops thing kills me too - especially when people drag their feet and make that awful scraping noise. plus it's just dangerous!

and people standing in front of the dumbbell rack - grab your weights and move back so others can get their weights without fear of being hit while you do lateral raises

9/6/2011 10:04:54 PM

^This.

Though I do enjoy standing right next to someone just watching them while I wait for them to put the weights back on the rack.

Followed by

9/6/2011 10:07:27 PM

Don't hover around, behind the squat rack, and don't take shit off of it, while its current user is mid set.


^I just tell them "excuse me" or "MOVE"

[Edited on September 6, 2011 at 10:10 PM. Reason : ]

9/6/2011 10:08:54 PM

The mirrors are to help you with your form - not for lifting up your shirt to "wipe your face".

9/6/2011 10:24:46 PM

Don't wear jeans or cargo shorts

You paid to have a membership so you got the money to go to tj maxx to buy a $12 bux pair of "gym shorts"

9/6/2011 10:37:35 PM

i can see the flip flops b/c they cna be dangerous

but who cares if people workout in a hat and jeans/cargo shorts?

isnt it whatever you are comfortable in?

9/6/2011 11:10:15 PM

the rivets on jeans (and most non-gym pants/shorts) can tear the upholstery on the equipment

9/6/2011 11:43:06 PM

Lol at people caring about hats

9/6/2011 11:56:28 PM

Free weights. Where do I begin.

Girls that lift 2 lb weights with <5 reps: please just put it down and quick hogging the entire free weight area. You
can carry that gigantic ugly purse thing I saw you enter the gym with, and I'm assuming you can get pantry items about your head in your kitchen, so why can't you lift more?

You'd honestly be better off doing bodyweight stuff like modified planks and push-ups to build upper body strength.

Conversely, yes, college kid, I fully did intend to pick up those 20-lb weights for shoulder presses, and use them for multiple sets. Please stop stealing one of mine for your bicep curls, and learn to wait.

9/7/2011 7:24:18 AM

Stop using the squat rack. I need to use it, son.

9/7/2011 7:45:25 AM

I'll list a few that mimic some of the above:

1. Do NOT stand in front of the dumbbell rack. I do not care what you are doing, get your weights and move to a better location to do your exercise.

2. Wipe down equipment when you are done.

3. Put plates and dumbbells back in the right location. I hate having to move a 25 lb plate and a 5 lb plate to get to a 35 lb plate. Hate not being able to find the 50s because someone put them on the floor with the 90s.

4. Do not stand behind me when I am using the squat rack and do your exercises. Go find another mirror douche bag. It is distracting seeing you do your 8th set of bicep curls in my field of vision while I'm squatting or deadlifting.

5. If you come to the gym, please actually attempt to work out. It bothers me for some reason seeing the same person on the same exercise (like bench) for 45 minutes. Just stay home if you don't plan to actually work out and build a sweat.

6. People who wear stuff like Under Armour (i.e. form fitting) clothes that have no business wearing anything like that in public, much less in the gym where they are bending over and sweating. Have some respect for others tubby.



[Edited on September 7, 2011 at 8:54 AM. Reason : sd]

9/7/2011 8:52:34 AM

I hate to see people wearing Under Armour, bodybuilding.com, or any other kind of "extreme fitness" apparel when it is more than clear that the form does not reflect the function.

9/7/2011 9:23:52 AM

so bicep curls are forbidden in the squat rack, but what about OHPs?

9/7/2011 9:34:45 AM

hey now, I have a bodybuilding.com shirt... it was free with my boyfriend's last order

as for the squat rack, the only time I ever use it for something other than squats is for deadlifts or cleans, and that's when there's no other bars available or there's no room to perform them safely anywhere else

9/7/2011 9:37:00 AM

I will wear my hat all I want it keeps the sweat out my eyes and my frizzing hair contained. Maybe you should try to focus on your own workout instead of what is on someone's head.

9/7/2011 9:58:46 AM

Quote :

"Shower before getting in the pool. I don't care if it's just a rinse off, it's better to leave your stank ass in the shower drain. "

The volume of sweat on your body is nothing when compared to the volume of water in the pool. You shouldn't be worried about this.

9/7/2011 10:22:52 AM

OHPs are acceptable in the squat rack as that is the only safe way to load heavy weight for overhead lifting. You could clean it up, but that's a whole different exercise.

You shouldn't dead lift in the squat rack. You can dead lift anywhere that has open space.

9/7/2011 10:26:00 AM

Yeah I dont understand what is wrong with wearing a hat to the gym. Ive worn one every time ive gone for 6+ years

Can someone please let me know why this is not proper etiquette?

9/7/2011 10:28:53 AM

OHPs are acceptable in the squat rack as that is the only safe way to load heavy weight for overhead lifting. You could clean it up, but that's a whole different exercise.

9/7/2011 10:35:07 AM

Quote :

"The volume of sweat on your body is nothing when compared to the volume of water in the pool. You shouldn't be worried about this."

Have you ever swam after the avon lady just got done with her water aerobics? You can taste the perfume and shit in the water. Showering off is pretty common courtesy and it takes 10 seconds.

9/7/2011 10:49:29 AM

Quote :

"i usually leave 1 45lb on each side of the bench."

I did this when I use to bench.

I don't see anything wrong with wearing hats in the gym though. I sweat my ass off and use it to keep sweat from dripping in my eyes (you want me to wear a fucking headband??).


My own personal one...

When personal trainers are taking their clients through circuit training and take up half the fucking gym for 30 minutes. Then they get all mad when you try to get in one set at one of the 10 stations they are taking up with their fat, lazy client.

[Edited on September 7, 2011 at 10:53 AM. Reason : .]

9/7/2011 10:52:21 AM

I tell the personal trainers to go away when they do that shit. There is a section of my gym dedicated to circuit training, so go do your workout there.

9/7/2011 11:04:38 AM

Not just personal trainers, but anyone really. If you have some dumbells at the bench with you - no biggie. But if you are jumping from machine to bench to pulldowns to other bench etc., and expect no one to snatch up one of the aforementioned, you must be crazy.

9/7/2011 12:12:23 PM

Quote :

"You shouldn't dead lift in the squat rack. You can dead lift anywhere that has open space. "

I disagree. This is dependent on the gym. Many gyms do not leave enough open space to do deadlifts so I use the squat rack. Plus you need to do deadlifts in an area that is appropriate. You do not just go over and start deadlifting in the corner where there are no weights or where people do other things like situps or pushups. Every gym I've ever been to people deadlift in the squat rack so I do not understand the complaint.

9/7/2011 12:34:03 PM

Yes, you definitely should shower before getting in the pool, it helps cut down on the amount of bacteria and fungus that are lurking in the water. And, contrary to popular belief, the chlorine levels can't kill everything possible, just keeps it at acceptable levels from making the vast majority of people sick.

9/7/2011 12:43:00 PM

lol at it being improper do do olympic lifts at the squat rack

get the fuck outta here

Quote :

"When personal trainers are taking their clients through circuit training and take up half the fucking gym for 30 minutes. Then they get all mad when you try to get in one set at one of the 10 stations they are taking up with their fat, lazy client. "

the way i see it is that if i aint allowed to do it, employees aint either. if im not allowed to tie up 5 machines for 30 minutes you arent either. Otherwise you can reimburse me a percentage of my dues for the month.

this happens quite often, not with machines but with things like the mat for doign ab workout, the PT come by and look at you like youre supposed to get up if the mat is full. Chris Crawford dont bend over for nobody. Im not a dick, if its something that I can do on another unoccupied machine no problem, but its unprofessional to make member feel uncomfortable just because some guy is paying you directly and we are not

and for the record someone using a PT isnt being lazy

Quote :

"6. People who wear stuff like Under Armour (i.e. form fitting) clothes that have no business wearing anything like that in public, much less in the gym where they are bending over and sweating. Have some respect for others tubby. "

and thats really none of your business, some of yall are just being dicks. My gym ettiquete states that if you cant handle working out with the general public build your own fuckin gym at your house

"my shoulder presses are so much more important and cool than your bicep curls"

meatheads man, yall aint shit

[Edited on September 7, 2011 at 1:01 PM. Reason : f]

9/7/2011 12:53:34 PM

Quote :

"Yeah I dont understand what is wrong with wearing a hat to the gym. Ive worn one every time ive gone for 6+ years Can someone please let me know why this is not proper etiquette?"

it's just judgmental asshats being judgmental.

I'm pretty sure if I can turn up my ipod to block out your grunting, you can ignore my indoor hat wearing

9/7/2011 1:31:17 PM

you should take ALL the weight off of every bench/rack when you're finished. you leave 45s on there? why? you assume the next person is strong enough? dirtbag, unrack that wheel. maybe someone needs the bar, maybe a girl will be the next to use it. maybe i will be the next to use it and want to use the bar to find the "groove" for my bench press. the ONLY TIME it would be acceptable is if it was chains and i doubt the majority of you have the balls to lift at a gym that uses chains and bands.

don't assume i want your weight on the bar. i am not helping you unload it either. you did just fine putting it on the bar, you can unload it yourself.

dont ever ask me for a spot. i don't want to give you one. find a training partner if you want one so badly, or a gym employee. don't call out for help, i am not there to save you from the bar crushing your chest (unless you are my workout partner).

9/7/2011 2:15:24 PM

Quote :

"Don't wear jeans or cargo shorts"

Listen... Sometimes I forget to bring clothes to my last class to change in to, and I have to work out like a bro in my khaki shorts and polo shirt. I know I look like a douche bag, but I need to stick to the schedule or I'll fall off the exercise wagon and stop going. Cut a guy some slack.

9/7/2011 2:19:31 PM

Quote :

"But if you are jumping from machine to bench to pulldowns to other bench etc., and expect no one to snatch up one of the aforementioned, you must be crazy."

I don't mind people doing this as long as they don't do it during peak hours when people are waiting for every machine.

Show up at 2PM when no one is there and do your 300 workout if you have to.

9/7/2011 2:22:07 PM

Quote :

"and for the record someone using a PT isnt being lazy"

Calm down big man...that was just part of my rant.

9/7/2011 2:26:46 PM

9/7/2011 2:51:20 PM

How can you justify doing O lifts in a squat rack?

The rack is usually (for some odd reason) the most under-equipped piece of equipment in the gym. For example, my gym has 1 power rack that has adjustable pins/hooks. If some jack ass is doing a lift that doesn't require the rack, they are wasting it.

Dead lifts, cleans, snatches, etc. only require floor space. Why take up the rack if you don't have to? IMO, that would be rude and selfish. Now, if there's no other space to do it, that makes sense, but that's not usually the case.

9/7/2011 2:53:10 PM

This thread is why I lift at 3 am when no one else is in the gym. What a bunch of whiners.

9/7/2011 3:07:29 PM