Gym Etiquette

Anybody that has been to a gym knows there are certain rules that need to be followed, and if you don’t know what those are than look at all the signs that are hanging on the walls. This is a topic I have wanted to cover for quite sometime now.   It might sound like I'm preaching, but this is an important issue if you want a successful atmosphere for building muscle or losing fat. It's important to have a positive frame of mind when you’re lifting and when you’re dwelling on somebody taking your machine, or walking in front of the mirror, it can be difficult to keep that focus and intensity. I like to talk to people, but I try to do it in between sets for the both of us.
  

Here is a list that I think is important to keep a healthy atmosphere in the gym:

1. If you use the weights, put them back, unless someone has told you to leave them on for them.  
    Some of the women or senior members can’t always use equipment if heavy plates are left on.
2. Don't spit in the drinking fountain, use the garbage can. There is nothing worse than to finish a   set and to walk over and see a big
    lugie in the fountain.
3. If you’re going to talk on the cell phone, go into the bathroom or step outside, no one wants to hear your conversation.
4. Don't walk in front of someone's mirror while there working out. This is extremely rude, because your breaking there focus and
     concentration.
5. Wipe down your equipment, especially cardio equipment where a person really sweats.  No one likes to get ready to workout and
     put their hand in a puddle of goo.

6. Don't talk to someone while there lifting, if there talking to you I guess that is fine, they obviously aren't putting much effort into
     what there doing.
7. If you absolutely have to bring your kids in the gym, keep them in the designated area for kids and bring them something to do, kids will get easily bored. If a child is really young, they shouldn't be brought in at all. This isn't fair to the people who pay their hard earned money to escape work and their own kids to deal with someone else's. Also, it makes people uneasy when they are working out always looking over their shoulder so they don't hit some small child upside the head. If you bring your kids in that are middle school or high school age that's great, lifting is a positive activity that will keep them out of trouble, but make sure you teach them the rules and to respect the gym and the people in it.

Tips for avoiding these situations:

1. Get an MP3 player if you don't want to hear all that talking, will help with focus.

2. Grunt loud and annoy the people next to you if they are talking too much or too loud.

3. Ask the talkers if they are using the equipment then act like your using it and just move it. This works really well if these people just like to all sit down and talk.

4. If they are on the cell phone talking a lot, get right next to them and act like your listening and most of the time if they don't want you to hear them they will move.

Most of the time people come to the gym to exercise, but there are large majorities that come, because it is their Third Place. This is the place they can take out their frustrations from work and home, don't take that away from them, this is healthy. If you feel some of these things are happening and you have no control, you do. Change gyms or say something to someone in a nice way. Treat others like you would want to be treated.
…For more information and tips, check my website, www.chadamartin.com. Thanks to Universe Gym for supplying equipment for this show.