29 rules of gym behavior

Men's Fitness, March, 2003 by Ben Kallen

Workouts should be easy and convenient, with minimal distractions. But for those of us who live in the real world, the gym is often filled with annoyances--some petty, some serious--that can result in lowered concentration and wasted labor.

If it seems as if your fellow gymgoers have become less considerate, you're probably right. "Some people have a lack of respect for other members or the facilities," says Joe Coco, the operations manager for a Los Angeles health club who has been working in gyms for 30 years.

In some cases, Coco says, the clubs share the blame by not educating members on acceptable conduct. So MEN'S FITNESS has come up with the following principles on how to keep your gym a healthful, happy place. Follow them yourself, and you'll be an excellent gym citizen.

1 Don't yak at full volume into a cell phone. This is bad enough in other public places, but in the gym you're interrupting the concentration of people trying to work out. Leave the phone at home, or at least turn the ringer to "vibrate" and tell callers you'll get back to them.

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2 Try not to drop weights on the floor. The noise is startling, and there's a chance the weight will bounce or roll and harm someone.

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3 Put equipment back where it belongs. It's aggravating to try to find the right dumbbell when it isn't in the rack. It's even more aggravating to trip over a dumbbell that was left on the floor.

4 Unload heavy weight plates when you're done using them so the next person doesn't have to.

5 If someone is using the mirror to observe his training form, try not to block his view when you pick up or return your weights.

6 Don't hog the water fountain. If there's a line, fill your giant economy-sized water bottle in the locker-room sink.

7 Don't "take over" a machine you aren't currently using by relaxing on it or putting your things on it.

8 Wear clothes that cover your body. Those P.E. shorts from high school are too small now, and they are formfitting in the worst possible way. Keep your shirt on, no matter how warm you are or how pumped you feel. If you need to admire your gleaming muscles in a mirror, do it at home or in the shower room.

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9 Wipe off benches and machines after you use them. There's nothing worse than having to sit in another guy's sweat.

10 If you make a mess in the locker room, clean it up. Don't leave puddles of water on the sink, piles of paper towels on the floor, or your clothes all over the bench while you're showering.

11 Dry yourself off inside the shower stall. Nobody wants to walk through pools of water that dripped from your body.

12 If you have to blow your nose, go into the locker room, use a tissue, and then wash your hands. Germy equipment is one reason illnesses spread so fast in health clubs.

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13 For the same reason, don't even go to the gym when you know you have a communicable illness. One person with a cold will coat 30 percent of a weight room's surfaces with viruses.

14 The vast majority of guys realize that used tissues and Band-Aids must go straight into the trash can. For the few who don't--eeeew!

15 If you didn't shower after your last workout, make sure you shower before your next one. Please.

16 Speaking of which, be smell-conscious. Heavy colognes can be irritating, and some people are allergic to them. Don't disperse personal-care products into the locker-room air--these include antiperspirants, aftershaves and, especially, foot-fungus spray. Use roll-ons and lotions whenever possible.

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17 If someone is in the middle of a set, don't break his concentration by asking to work in, by standing nearby looking impatient, or by staring at him. If you want to use the equipment next, wait unobtrusively until he's done.

18 It's fine to ask to work in if the guy's between sets, but don't demand it. Some programs involve precise rest intervals, and interruptions can compromise them. On the other hand, don't be too possessive: Let other people work in whenever possible.

19 Most gyms tell you how long you can use cardio machines when others are waiting; if not, consideration dictates that you don't hog a machine when there's a line. If there aren't enough of the machines you like, ask the manager to purchase more of them.

20 Conversing with someone on the next treadmill can help make the time go by faster, but some people would rather run in peace. If the person is reading or doesn't seem interested in talking, don't push it.

21 Unless you're a certified personal trainer and you're convinced someone is about to harm himself, never insist on giving unsolicited advice on how to lift weights. You don't know what kind of program someone is on, and that person has no way of knowing if your information is any good anyway.

22 If you are a personal trainer, don't take over equipment or space for you and your client's exclusive, long-term use. You have no more right to a public gym's real estate than anyone else (plus, the nicer you seem, the more likely you are to get new clients).