Gym Etiquette
The first time you encounter some of these behaviors from a fellow gym goer, they may surprise you. You might make mental excuses for them (“they don’t know better” or “they didn’t see me literally standing right here.”) You might shoot them dirty looks or make loud sighs as a hint. Just about every gym (except ours, of course) has at least one. We’ll keep it G-rated, but nobody likes the jerkburger. We know you want to avoid being the gym jerkburger so that’s why we’ve created the ultimate guide to gym etiquette.
Wait Your Turn
When you join a gym, you agree to share the space and equipment with other members. That means making sure someone actually finished their reps before trying to hop in. Lurking super nearby is rude and actually pretty creepy. Just find something else to do for the time being. If someone else was already using equipment, you can’t just snag it when they turn their head. “Oh, I thought you were done,” ranks high on jerkburger catchphrases. A better way? If someone looks like they may be done or want to know how long until they are, ASK. Nicely, please. And thank you.
Respect the People After You
Likewise, posting up on the same bench for 20 minutes taking selfies of your awesome gains holds everyone else up. You know it stinks to have to wait for your turn. So, respect the next guy (or gal) by keeping your workout moving. And for the love of the entire gym community, WIPE EVERYTHING CLEAN. Every four feet in the gym you’ll find either disinfectant spray and paper towels or wipes. Please keep our gym fam healthy by wiping down everything before – but most especially after – use.
Clean Up After Yourself
Mama didn’t raise you to become a jerkburger. Chances are we know your mom and she comes to the gym, too. When you finish using equipment during your workout, the next step is simple. Put. It. Away. Fun fact: gyms have racks to keep weights neat and ready for the next person’s use. Ever trip over a stray dumbbell someone left under a bench? It sucks. Leaving your ish everywhere like a toddler after snack time makes for a messy, dangerous gym. And, if you happen to find stuff left out from someone else, do them a solid and put it away. A wise person (likely a mom) once said: always leave a place better than you found it.
Save the Gabfest for Later
If you want to hear all the dirt about another member’s romantic interest, save it for after your workout. Not everyone on the floor wants to hear the juicy details, especially by loud talkers (you know who you are). Also, someone banging out their workout with earbuds in probably doesn’t want to hear your story right now either. A quick bro-nod or “how’s it going?” during workout time will suffice. Try to strike up an in-depth conversation in the middle of a busy gym floor and you’ve entered jerkburger territory.
Put the Phone Down
We like to treat gym time as “me time” by minimizing answering phone calls or texts. You just can’t devote full energy to your workout with divided attention. If you need to take an important call, cool. Take it outside or out of the way of people getting in their sweat sesh. A gym filled with clanking weights will only make you shout: “I CAN’T HEAR YOU!” and annoy people around you. Same with photo sessions for Insta: only take a few shots or a short video clip. Any longer and we’ll have to speak to your agent.
Did reading this make you realize you’ve committed a few jerkburger moves? Sometimes you don’t know what you don’t know. Now, do better. Wanna know a completely acceptable gym move? Come on in and chat with one of us during staffed hours or commiserate with others during a group workout!