Perhaps it is the rush of testosterone and the feeling of primal power that accompanies working out, but many men seem to check their manners at the door to the gym. But just because you’re getting in touch with your inner man beast, doesn’t mean you should turn into an inconsiderate boob. Gyms should give new members a course on etiquette, but they don’t, leaving many men wholly ignorant of how to act civilly while pumping iron. Here are the rules of etiquette every man should know and keep. Feel free to tape them up in your gym’s locker room.
1. Rack your weights. Would you whip up a meal in the kitchen and then leave the dirty dishes from someone else to do? Well maybe you would, but then your roommates are currently plotting how to get you kicked out of the house. Show some respect to your fellow gym patrons and rack your weights. And rack them correctly. Nothing pisses me off more then when there’s a 25 lb plate racked behind three 45 lbs plates. Take those few extra steps to put the same weight with the same weight.
2. Don’t hog the machines. Get in, get your work done, and leave. A gym is a community, so sharing is required. And no, you can’t lay claim to a machine by simply laying your towel on it. Not being a hog on a machine can get difficult when you’re doing super circuits. Before you move to the next machine, tell the person who’s using the machine after you that you’ll be coming back shortly to finish up your circuit.
3. Use a spotter. If you’re throwing around heavy weight, make sure you have someone spotting you. First, it’s a safety concern. Second, you’ll look like an idiot struggling with a bar over your chest.
4. Don’t hover. While hogging machines at the gym is a faux pas, what irks me more is when people start hovering over a machine that you’re in the middle of using. These hoverers passive-aggressively lurk by the machine to give you the signal that they want you to leave. If you want to use the machine, wait until the person has finished their set to approach them. Then politely ask if you can get a set in.
5. Wipe down the equipment. I am convinced that many men feel that their gyms’ “please wipe down your equipment” sign applies to everyone but themselves. How else to explain why a man who has soaked his shirt through with sweat would walk away from a machine he’s coated with perspiration? Nobody wants to sit in a pool of a guy’s sweat, much less a layer of it composed of an afternoon of inconsiderate gym goers. If you moisten a piece of equipment, wipe it down with your towel. If you are sweating profusely, also use the disinfectant spray that the gym provides.
6. Don’t drop the weights. When you’re finished cranking out a set of dumbbell presses, lay them down like a normal person. Don’t just drop them off your shoulders. First, it’s dangerous to do so. You don’t know if there are any feet or hands that the weight can land on. Second, it’s bad for the weights and the floor. Even if your gym has those rubber floors, dropping the weights from great heights will eventually cause some wear and tear. Finally, it’s distracting. Dropping weights creates a bunch of ruckus that can distract other gym patrons.
7. Don’t hit on women. The gym is not a bar. You’re there to work, and so are the women. Don’t bother them. Most women feel sweaty and messy when they’re working out, and are not in the mood for love. If the woman is not sweaty and messy, and instead has perfectly coiffed hair and a full face of make-up, you should still steer clear; you don’t want to date the kind of woman who gets guzzied up for the gym.
8. Don’t give unsolicited advice. So what if you got your college degree in sports nutrition and exercise? No one cares what you have to say about how to get chiseled abs. Only if someone asks for some advice, or is in serious danger of hurting themselves, should you step in and let loose a river of all the workout knowledge that’s stored in that big cranium of yours.
9. Leave the cell phone in the car. One of the most obnoxious things to see at a gym is a person yapping away on their cell phone while walking on the treadmill. Usually the culprits of this gym crime are snooty soccer moms, but I’ve seen men do this as well. Nothing is unmanlier than a man whose focus is somewhere else and not on developing and strengthening his body.
10. Don’t use the girly machines. No man should ever be caught on that machine that works your inner and outer thighs.
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I think that, well, the world’s olympic teams, would disagree with your assessment of the hip machine. But WTF do they know.
Sweet page, cool site.. keep it up.
I read the list.
I like it. It’s concise and to the point, and gives great advice.
I read number 10 and I laughed…….why so serious people? The guy’s just adding a nice joke… it conveys nothing about misogyny or says anything bad about men or women…..it’s a bloody joke!
Keep up the good work Brett!
I loved the list, and I laughed at #10, which was obviously intended for comic relief. If you want to isolate those, then go for it. Personally I deadlift and squat.
as for number 10, those machines are bad for you anyway
Well, I would agree with all but #10. I would consider myself pretty damn fit, and I do squats religiously and before any isolating exercises. I have found that adding the “girly” adductor and abductor exercises actually helps improve my squat. And no, I haven’t injured myself. Why do the authors have to ruin a perfectly good set of rules of etiquette with an unenlightened, pointless attempt at a punchline that will inevitably coax the insecure and weak-minded into avoiding a perfectly valid exercise all for the sake of perpetuating an archaic (if not prehistoric) notion of “manliness”?
Coherent enough for you?
Don’t shave naked in front of the mirror with your junk pressed up against the sink where other people wash their hands. Why do you shave at the GYM anyway ?
wow, someone is kind of a gym nazi
extra ha ha on #7 – it’s called day-game. it may not work for you, that’s ok. i guess we shouldn’t talk to girls at the geocery store, park, or other non-night-club-place either because they aren’t dressed up and are busy their chores.
Nice list.
Hitting on women is a little different than saying hi or speak to them.
Someone needs to market a device that makes cell phones blow up when used. My gawd, how did we every live, function and conduct business before we had cell phones going off constantly. As for the guy that said its ok, some of us multi-task, better add self-care to your lists of tasks. Having a pavlovian response (immediately stop something important? (your health) to answer a cell phone is not a good thing. Slave to a machine 24/7…
Good list of common sense, which these days seems to be quite rare!
Rule #11: Don’t walk between the cable machine when someone is using it. It’s a piece equipment, not a friggin’ arch for the king (or queen) to pass through on his way to the throne.
My $0.02
In a lot of cases, those “girly” machines fine tune stabilizer muscles that are neglected by other machines and free weights. Don’t make them your primary workout, but don’t be afraid to use them as a condiment, either.
#10 is bogus. Per my observations, usually the fattest, most out of shape men DON’T ever use those machines. The place I go to has a few football players that are in phenomenal shape. They use those machines in addition to free weights. Avoiding an exercise because its “girly” is just plain idiotic. Even if there is a slight benefit, the exercise is useful.
With respect to #6: “Don’t drop the weight.”
There are certain instances where “dropping” dumbells is the appropriate way to end a movement. Consider a heavy dumbell chest press. I have competed in bodybuilding competitions and consider myself a fairly strong guy. I work up to using 130-140lb dumbells for chest press. When I finish my set I am laying on with my back on the bench and a 140lb dumbell in each hand. I have two options for lowering the weight to the ground, (1)drop it on the rubber mats that compose the floor in the dumbell area or (2) try to slowly set the dumbells on the ground.
I’m not ashamed to admit that I would have more than a little trouble doing a reverse curl to lower the weight to the ground slowly. More importantly, trying to lower the weights slowly risks a bicep tear or shoulder dislocation.
I completely agree that it is absurd to drop a weight that you can safely lower to the ground, say anything under a 100lb dumbell and I agree with you in that respect. For the guys who lift the big boy weights, dropping dumbells is part of the program.
As a personal trainer I love this list. I would have loved to have responded sooner if I had found it earlier. In one of my past gyms we actually had these posted on on the walls (perhaps you copied them from us too, huh? LOL). As a LONG time gym goer it just surprises me that people who are gyms rats don’t know/care about the etiquette of the gym.
I did want to add two things for future finders of this post:
1.) Be aware that everyone has a game plan of their own.
Just because you don’t share it doesn’t mean that you have to criticize what other people are working towards. Machines, dumbells, cables, etc. all have their purpose or else they wouldn’t be in the gym. If you have questions seek out a trainer. If the gym doesn’t have one find one online.
2.) Please get advice from a qualified trainer.
Every Joe Blow in the gym feels like they have to share their wisdom (true or otherwise) with people in the gym. Sadly, I have seen people waste their time and effort at best and get hurt at worst from that junk. Let the trainers do the training; that’s their job. If thers is no trainer, ask if the person would like to hear your advise. If they give you the opening let them have it. Otherwise keep it to yourself.
Keep up the awesome work!
~ J
Number 10 is hilarious, people need to get a sense of humor, isnt that one of the manly skills, dont go on this site if all your looking for is a chance to be offended and speak out against “ignorant” people. The workout rules are great and I agree with everyone of them especially the hover rule, I hate when people due that.
THANK YOU! I am going to send this to the owner of the gym I use.
#1 is my favorite – and deserves top honors.
It annoys the snot out of me when the weights aren’t racked. Jeez – how hard is it?! (Apparently – very!)
#5 is spot on – I would add – please don’t use the wipe down towels as your personal brow wiping towel. Gross.
#10 – I got a good chuckle out of it – thanks – I get the spirit!
I am really glad I found this site!
Like many of you, I think I’ve seen it all while exercising, both at a gym or elsewhere, but newbies make these mistakes until they learn proper behavior.
The only non-gentlemanly behavior I can recall at the moment is the fellow who always applied cologne before his work-out. Olfactory overload, towards the good or the bad, sends me to the other side of the room.
Great list overall. I spent last summer working on staff at my local gym and #8 is one everyone needs to follow. I laughed at #10, although I can think of one exception when a man should use those machines. After messing up my knee (combination of poor biomechanics, over training, and just general strain on the patella tendon), two different physical therapists had me use the abductor machines. No idea how much they specifically did, but the PT as a whole worked wonders. Those muscles may also by useful when wrestling a wild bull to the ground for a a manly steak.
this list is long overdue and well appreciated…
Rule #7… Don’t hit on women.
Ha. Yes so true. Your primary goal and objective is to get that awesome workout and no more no less.
But… what if she is the one hitting on you and you are interested and somewhat interested?
whoops typo… that should say
interested or somewhat interested.
The “girly” machines are great for athletes who need lateral strength, such as football players and especially basketball players. Believe me, I have been on the receiving end of many a quizzical look or off-handed remark. Say what you will, those machines are useful.
Don’t work out directly in front of the dumbbells!
I’m a member of a US Olympic Team. The majority of our workouts are based around cleans, snatch, squats, dead lifts. However we also use machines, including the adductor machine.
is it girlie? Nope. Do I care if other people think it is? Nope. Has it helped to get me to the winter olympic games twice in my career? You bet.
Great set of rules, I would love to see more people follow them. I would add just one more:
DON’T WALK BY THE BENCH/SQUAT RACK WHEN SOMEONE IS DOING A SET!
i was spotting for my roommate who had some heavy weight on the bar. some punk kid tries to slide by between racks and bumps the bar, he almost drops it. just freakin stupid.
#11 Don’t focus on what other peoples are doing, focus on your workout.
#12 Do a full rep, half reps, such as a half rep bench or squat, do nothing to build muscle or strength and can even lead you down the road to injuries. If you cannot do the full rep for the prescribed number of reps then the weight is too heavy for you. There is nothing unmanly admitting something is too tough and adjusting your workout accordingly. It is unmanly to let pride get the better of you and do more than you should.
As a girl- and a girlie, macabre, free weight using one at that… I truely appreciate your list- I am always tempted to go use the weight machines just because of the guys that are using the free weights: their’s I’m lifting 800 lbs and you can tell by my loud sex grunts and faces guy (who always weighs like 130lbs). Stinky sweaty dripping guy with no towel, ever. The “helpful guy” telling everyone they need to lift more weight. And my personal favorite- the leerer. He may look like he’s doing squats, but his eyes are saying something dumb like “nice pants, they would look better on my floor” while his tounge protrudes slightly. Ewwww.
To William Shears,
Just the fact that you go by William and not Bill explains why you don’t ‘get’ the spirit of this website. Move along now Billy and play with the other Nancy’s in the crochet room. Leave the weight lifting to the men folk.
Once saw number 6 in action. Guy dropped a 110# dumbbell on another poor fella’s foot, just shy of the ankle… needless to say, even after the victim was able to return to the gym regularly several weeks later, they didn’t work out together for a while.
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