Do you remember, back when you were subscribing to become a member at your local gym, you signed a contract? How many of you actually got through with the contract and the “gym rules manual”?

Nobody, of course, because unfortunately the responsible ones are relying on everyone’s good faith in observing the rules. Well, that is just wrong. And the reasons for that are… well, many! Twelve, just to count a few. And we will present them to you immediately; here are 12 rules of the gym etiquette:

If you’re sick, it’s better to stay at home

Okay, we’ve been through this one already in a previous article. The rule, although unwritten, does imply that when someone is ill (especially with the flu and other transmittable diseases), they should stay at home. Make sure you have recovered before resuming your six pack adventure. There’s nothing wrong with staying at home and laying low until you’re good to go.

Stop hogging up the treadmill

Your trainers may say that you have to spend 30 minutes on the treadmill, but if you look at the announcement (which was once stuck on the machine) you’ll see that you’re supposed to spend no more than 20 minutes on the treadmill at peak times. A little respect for the fellow athletes does not hurt.

Besides, you can return to the treadmill later on. The truth is that it’s too inconsiderate to have a whole mob waiting for the one and only treadmill fanatic to get off the machine, which is literally being monopolized.

What are you looking at?

The bitter truth of every gym is that besides the normal people (thankfully the majority) who go to the gym for exercise, there are some rather “curious” fellows.

We all know them, they’re the ones who stick their gaze to what others do. And while you make the bends and lift your weights, you have that literally creepy guy looking at you, for no good reason. If you are curious to learn about someone’s exercises or nutrition, we’re sure they’d love to discuss it – if you ask politely. But staring at them like a creeper? Not cool!

How about using a towel?

One of the most disgusting habits at the gym is the “non-existent towel”. People tend to lay on the bench, of course without putting on their towel on it first, so they soak up with the bench with sweat. Naturally, it’s impossible for the bench be used by someone else afterwards – unless you want to wipe their sweat off with your own towel. Hello! Let us introduce you to the ancient wisdom called “Personal Hygiene”.

Appropriate footwear

Every gym has this rule, and rightfully so – you can’t just wear your regular daily sneakers to the gym. And while, from the gym owners’ perspective, this rule has a lot to do with cleanliness of the place, if you read our article about choosing the right footwear for your training, you must be aware by now that gym shoes are so much more than a fancy (or clean) detail! We know it can be a hassle to carry an extra pair of shoes with you when you head off to the gym, but these carefully selected sports shoes can increase your performance, or, for the very least, make your training more comfortable.

Gym club vs Night club

Being in shape and looking good is by all means desirable and healthy. Boasting to literally everyone at the gym is quite annoying on the other hand. We all know that one guy, who spends most of his workout flexing in the most inconspicuous way, flaunting like a peacock in the middle of mating season. There’s a difference between being the cool guy and being a douche-bag.

Too much fragrance

No matter how nice your fragrance might be, it’s certainly not suitable for a gym if it’s too heavy and strong. Heavy perfumes can not only be overwhelming, but they can also cause allergic reactions, discomfort or even nausea (in some rare cases) to others who are attempting, in vain, to breathe in some fresh air. Remember, the gym rules are clear: deodorant is imperative, but perfume is overdoing it.

Who asked you, in the first place?

Let’s get things straight from the beginning. 1. Because someone might be training a bit longer than you, it does not automatically give them the right to give you advice, especially if you didn’t ask for it to begin with. 2. For any queries one might have, there is always the specialized staff, i.e. the instructors and trainers who are there to answer your questions and are paid to do so 3. Nobody likes some random person commenting on their performance in an intrusive and rude way.

The locker room

Practically all of the world’s gyms are equipped with a secluded space for the patrons to change into their workout outfit. There you can find lockers (it’s a locker room, duh!), where you can safely store your items, ie. your bag, jacket, your belongings or whatever you are not going to be needing during your workout. In other words, use it! No need to carry around a bunch of stuff with you around the gym. While this practice may not be as rude to others as some other practices listed in this article, it can be rather distracting for you to have to carry all your belongings from one machine to another.

If you’re afraid that someone will break the lock and steal your valuables, leave them in your car or don’t bring them to the gym in the first place.

Keep it on the down-low

The gym is a public space with music and fuss. This is acceptable to all. But, the bad habit of someone talking on their mobile phone (continuously and loudly), forcing everyone else to listen to their personal, professional or social conversations is very annoying.

If someone calls you, however, it would be best to stop your exercise, get out of the room and talk to the cell phone with your peace of mind and especially without disturbing others.

Just chillin’

How many times has it happened that you see a fellow athlete, sitting comfortably on the machine without using it and going through their phone instead? Of course, everyone has the absolute freedom to exercise and text at the same time.

But when they monopolize a machine and, with the excuse of taking a break, stay in the same position for half an hour without letting others exercise, then that habit goes beyond the limits of what’s acceptable.

Put the weights back where you found them

This must be the most common pet peeve among gym rats. However, the fact it’s such a common pet peeve means that it’s also a rather common bad habit.
So let’s set the record straight: You used them to do your exercises and you did it well. But honestly, did you find the weights on the floor? Please, put them back in place when you finish your set, even if you did find them on the floor. It is unacceptable and possibly dangerous to leave the weights anywhere in the room, especially since there is a designated place (where you got them) to place them.

Hopefully you learned something valuable about gym etiquette in this article. If you recognize some of your friends or fellow athletes in some of the behaviors listed above – share this article with them, we hope it helps. And if this article was sent to you by someone, maybe you should read it again and try to act according to the etiquette.