Gym Etiquette

[nscrbug]

Oh gosh...where to begin!

1. The lady who stomps on the treadmill while running...SO annoying! And she is a tiny lady, too...can't see how someone so small, can make so much noise with their feet.

2. People who are clueless on using weight machines. For example...we have a seated calf machine, whereby you sit on it and push a bar with your TOES to engage the calf muscles. I cannot tell you how many people I see on a daily basis, use this machine as a LEG PRESS! Ya, I shouldn't care...but it bugs me to no end.

3. People who are wearing headphones and SINGING OUT LOUD. Just stop...okay.

4. Guys who refuse to strip the 10 45lb weight plates off machines that they have just used. If you can load it up, then you can strip it down.

5. Women in the locker room who spread out all of their stuff on the one bench that we have to share, leaving no room for anybody else to put their belongings on, while changing.

6. Another locker room issue...people who put their coats in a locker and then DO NOT lock it! This drives me crazy, because then I have to go hunting around for an open locker because half of them have crap in them and aren't locked. Grrrrrrrrrr!

7. The guy who always ends up on the elliptical next to me, and proceeds to make these horribly gross-sounding snorting sounds...you know that noise you sometimes hear when people are about to hock up a loogey. Disgusting!

These are just the ones off the top of my head (since I just got home from the gym and they are fresh in my mind). I'm sure there are many more. FWIW...the grunting doesn't really bother me much. It kind of goes with the territory if you're working out in a co-ed gym. I just ignore it.

[mandiam]

I really only go to our gym to swim anymore, but when I used to go daily for Body Pump and running on the treadmill (before we got one of our own), there was this HORRIBLY annoying perky cute young little thing next to me (how she ALWAYS wound up next to me or near me, I'll never know). Anyway, when she ran, she would grunt with EVERY footstrike. And not an angry grunt from exertion, more like the kind of grunt/moan you would hear in the bedroom. Oh good gravy- it drove me insane. I would often stop my run and move to another treadmill just to get away from her. Thankfully our gym has 2 dozen treadmills to choose from. I thought "man- she *really* likes running". I couldn't run and concentrate with that going on next to me! Jeez! Now, there were always a few young male things that would inevitably wind up running near her. Go figure...
Now the only grunting I hear is from our chocolate lab who sits at the front of the treadmill looking at me and grunting because she wants me to take her outside and run.
So I guess I'm saying that it would be good to keep your treadmill moans to yourself.

Yay! another bodypumper---how do you like it? i do it twice a week to keep my upper body going strong. I actually really like it. I am more in love with crossfit--but bodypump is great too!

In the winter, I like to do spin classes to let my legs fly...and when i go, i wear my team bibs--i get the weirdest look. I hope they dont think i'm "trying to be better than them" bc my bibs have sponsors on them. I get that vibe a lot. I try to just keep to myself in a corner bike. I'll go every now and again during other seasons and i get the same vibe and weird looks.

bothers me. ha!

[ny biker]

People who don't re-rack their weights!

I work out at a University gym and end up following very young fit guys from station to station, they will load up the bar with anywhere from 200-500 lbs. of weights (depending on the station), do their set, and walk away. I end up getting most of my workout re-racking their weights.

YES YES YES YES YES. I hate these people. HATE THEM.

I also refuse to touch their weights. My back can't handle taking 45-lb plates off a bar and putting them away. So I have to go upstairs to the front desk and ask someone who works at the gym to put them away for me. Waste of my time, waste of their time, rude rude rude selfish self-centered wake up and realize you're not the only person using this gym and I'm not your damn servant.

Sorry this has been driving me crazy for years now.

Those of you who are parents: please teach your kids not to be that a$$*&^%.

Also: what's with all the slamming of locker doors? It makes such a loud sound, it hurts my ears. Stop slamming!!

[Pax]

YES YES YES YES YES. I hate these people. HATE THEM.

I also refuse to touch their weights. My back can't handle taking 45-lb plates off a bar and putting them away. So I have to go upstairs to the front desk and ask someone who works at the gym to put them away for me. Waste of my time, waste of their time, rude rude rude selfish self-centered wake up and realize you're not the only person using this gym and I'm not your damn servant.

Sorry this has been driving me crazy for years now.

Those of you who are parents: please teach your kids not to be that a$$*&^%.

Also: what's with all the slamming of locker doors? It makes such a loud sound, it hurts my ears. Stop slamming!!

The re-racking weights issue is why we put a home gym in our house. I still keep a membership to swim though (whole other set of issues there ).

[Crankin]

Re: people who sing out loud w/ their I pods. I once had a woman come to my aerobics class and do this while I had my own music blasting and I was teaching the class .

[shootingstar]

I really only go to our gym to swim anymore, but when I used to go daily for Body Pump and running on the treadmill (before we got one of our own), there was this HORRIBLY annoying perky cute young little thing next to me (how she ALWAYS wound up next to me or near me, I'll never know). Anyway, when she ran, she would grunt with EVERY footstrike. And not an angry grunt from exertion, more like the kind of grunt/moan you would hear in the bedroom. Oh good gravy- it drove me insane. I would often stop my run and move to another treadmill just to get away from her. Thankfully our gym has 2 dozen treadmills to choose from. I thought "man- she *really* likes running". I couldn't run and concentrate with that going on next to me! Jeez! Now, there were always a few young male things that would inevitably wind up running near her. Go figure...
Now the only grunting I hear is from our chocolate lab who sits at the front of the treadmill looking at me and grunting because she wants me to take her outside and run.
So I guess I'm saying that it would be good to keep your treadmill moans to yourself.

Funny, Tri Girl...Hopefully someone will tell her one day. I'm trying imagine this when she hits...40,60 yrs. It ain't too flattering as the years march by, for exercising purposes only. You should write this up on your blog....educate some folks.

[DarcyInOregon]

I walked out of the gym I was a member of for quite a few years. I went down the road to the Y, joined, and I have now been a member of the Y for over 6 months. My only regret is that I didn't join the Y years ago.

The old gym was small, with one large main room that housed the weights, cardio equipment, stretching area, etc. The owner of the gym started up these group training sessions and put them in the same main room, moved around a lot of equipment to make the space. A group session was a personal trainer with anywhere from two to twelve people learning how to do basic exercises with basic machines, small weights and stretch bands, and the members paid hundreds of dollars each month to participate, so it was a real money maker for the owner of the gym. The reality is that for most of the group members, they stood around and chatted during each training session, never broke a sweat, and it is doubtful if their heart rate went up very much. No gym etiquette was taught to these people, about not talking, respecting the space around other gym members, not talking on the cell phone, wiping down the equipment after use, etc. The noise level inside the gym became unbearable, and pretty much the gym turned into a social recreational outlet for more and more members, rather than as a place to focus on getting fit and healthy.

The final straw for me was when I was on an elliptical doing running intervals, therefore I was doing counts in my head. Several of the females from one of these group training sessions got on treadmills next to me, were gripping the sides of the rails, had the speed set at 1.5 mph, and proceeded to chat with each other at a high volume. I complained to the management and I was told that members have the right to work out as they wish, including talking next to others who were working out.

I walked out, joined the Y, and the Y has signs posted on the walls that there are no cell phones, no talking, respect the rights of others, and other nice signs like that. And there is a weight room with even more signs about replacing equipment, etc. Plus the spin bikes are in good condition so spin class is a joy. It is the smartest thing I did, was to leave the gym that was really about socializing and not working out, and get into the Y that is serious about health and fitness for all ages and socio-economic groups, plus other nice features that I can use if I ever get the time, like the swimming pools, dozens of classes other than spin, etc.

[nscrbug]

I walked out of the gym I was a member of for quite a few years. I went down the road to the Y, joined, and I have now been a member of the Y for over 6 months. My only regret is that I didn't join the Y years ago.

The old gym was small, with one large main room that housed the weights, cardio equipment, stretching area, etc. The owner of the gym started up these group training sessions and put them in the same main room, moved around a lot of equipment to make the space. A group session was a personal trainer with anywhere from two to twelve people learning how to do basic exercises with basic machines, small weights and stretch bands, and the members paid hundreds of dollars each month to participate, so it was a real money maker for the owner of the gym. The reality is that for most of the group members, they stood around and chatted during each training session, never broke a sweat, and it is doubtful if their heart rate went up very much. No gym etiquette was taught to these people, about not talking, respecting the space around other gym members, not talking on the cell phone, wiping down the equipment after use, etc. The noise level inside the gym became unbearable, and pretty much the gym turned into a social recreational outlet for more and more members, rather than as a place to focus on getting fit and healthy.

The final straw for me was when I was on an elliptical doing running intervals, therefore I was doing counts in my head. Several of the females from one of these group training sessions got on treadmills next to me, were gripping the sides of the rails, had the speed set at 1.5 mph, and proceeded to chat with each other at a high volume. I complained to the management and I was told that members have the right to work out as they wish, including talking next to others who were working out.

I walked out, joined the Y, and the Y has signs posted on the walls that there are no cell phones, no talking, respect the rights of others, and other nice signs like that. And there is a weight room with even more signs about replacing equipment, etc. Plus the spin bikes are in good condition so spin class is a joy. It is the smartest thing I did, was to leave the gym that was really about socializing and not working out, and get into the Y that is serious about health and fitness for all ages and socio-economic groups, plus other nice features that I can use if I ever get the time, like the swimming pools, dozens of classes other than spin, etc.

Good grief!!! Are you serious? It's not a library or church, for crying out loud. If my gym enforced a "no talking" rule, they'd have ZERO members. I simply don't agree with nor would I ever adhere to such a silly rule as that. Sure, I think primarily the gym should be a place where one puts focus on getting their workout in, but I don't see why talking cannot have its place there, as well.

[lph]

Well, I don't really go to a gym any more, but when I did attend aerobics class I always got a giggle out of the teenage girl mafia who stormed in as soon as humanly possible to get the very best spots up in front, holding spots for their very best friends with towels and water bottles... and then did the entire class in spotless makeup and without breaking a sweat. And without breaking eye contact with themselves in the mirror.

Funny, I always ended up with more than enough space around me, I tended to be a bit, uh, expansive once I got going

Now I get to gripe about the habits of the co-workers I share showers and a changing room with instead. We have a sort of complicated system because of how the building is designed, so first we have a large shared drying room intended for hanging up jackets, over-trousers, leaving outdoor shoes, bike helmets, other messy stuff that takes space. Then inside each changing room there are two drying racks for towels, and a small drying room intended for under-clothes only. The idea is to keep dirty and wet stuff out of the rather small changing rooms, and to be able to hang damp under-clothing out of "display", as it were. The women seem to have no trouble with this system. The guys however, have filled their entire inner drying room with towels, refuse to use the towel racks, and carry out armfuls of smelly socks and bib shorts and whatnot out to the shared drying room, where the aroma gets to entertain all of us...

[Pax]

lph - you have showers and changing rooms at work? Cool!

[westtexas]

Lifting heavy is required if you want to build muscle.

Veronica - not to nitpick and not to go off topic, but I thought you might find this article on Sweat Science interesting:

Light weights build muscle as effectively as heavy weights.

The writer does a good job of summing up the science from the paper (I think) and found that fatiguing yourself was actually a better way to build muscle rather than lifting heavy loads.

Anyway, just an interesting aside...

[Jolt]

People who don't put things back when they're done, causing others to have to spend extra time looking for equipment or use things that aren't quite right (like a stability ball that's too big b/c somebody has "hidden" the right sized one). Also people who get on the treadmill/bike right next to the one I'm using if it's not crowded and they could get on one where they're NOT right next to someone. Fortunately I don't use the treadmills/bikes very often since I'm usually outside.

[ClockworkOrange]

Unavoidable funny faces... You can't see the 30 pound dumbbells I'm holding.

Veronica

Have you cropped the photo so we can't see how long your arms are, I mean 30 lbs, that must be stretching your arms!

[ny biker]

re: singing out loud -- I lip-sync while I'm working out. I assume the other people at the gym think I'm insane for it.

(I sing out loud when I'm riding my bike, but only when no one else is around.)

[ClockworkOrange]

Only just started using the gym, now hoping I am not going off Topic too much but it's etiquette in the swimming pool that is my number one annoyance.

When I go it is never busy but the majority of the male swimmers (this is in the non-laned area) just swim in a straight line, regardless of anybody swimming towards them. If both swim at a slight angle, it is nice and straight forward, it's not rocket science.

So there are 3 or 4 men all doing front crawl and then I come along, doing my slow but extremely effective breast stroke and go past them all and lap them, got to confess to grinning under the water, now that's bad.