Last week, we wrote about the dos of gym etiquette. These included re-racking your weights, using appropriate levels of your favourite body spray and wearing a shirt. Read on to find out more about our list of gym don’ts!
The Don’ts
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Distract other gym goers
If you have an important phone call or text, please take it outside. It can be very frustrating trying to concentrate on your workout when the person beside you is loudly planning a bar mitzvah for their cat (trust us, we’ve heard some weird and wonderful conversations take place). As well as being plain rude, distracting someone while they’re using exercise equipment can be dangerous.
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Hog the equipment
To preserve peace with other gym junkies, make sure you don’t hog one piece of equipment for too long, especially if other people are waiting. Here are some helpful tips on making the most of your time at the gym:
- Don’t abuse rest breaks. Thirty seconds to two minutes of rest between sets is normal. Please do not sit on your smartphone checking Twitter or Facebook for ten minutes while someone else is waiting to use the machine.
- If you need to take a longer rest break, let another person ‘work in’ or share the machine with you, so you can alternate sets together.
- Take temporary delays as an opportunity. If you see a line for the bikes, cut your 60 minute bike ride in half, have a go at the chest press in the middle, and take another crack at the bikes later.
Another great option is to take a look at ‘Fast Exercise: 3 Quick Workouts’ for our tips on building an effective routine that will allow you to chop and change order according to which equipment is available.
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Stare or take photos
Do you really want to be the weirdo who lacks gym manners and is caught staring or taking photos of strangers? We didn’t think so. Keep your eyes and camera to yourself and respect others’ rights to privacy in their awkward, vulnerable, sweaty moments. How would you like it if you ended up on some random person’s phone while you were clumsily trying to figure out how to perfect a static lunge or bicep curl?
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Blast your tunes
Eye of the Tiger might be the jam that gets you over the edge and to workout Nirvana, but blasting even the classics on your iPod might irritate the person beside you who finds enjoyment in a silent, relaxing workout. Remember to keep it chill and respect others’ rights to enjoy the gym in the way that makes them happy.
That’s all for Gym Etiquette 101. We hope it helps you feel more confident and excited about your workout, knowing your time here will be awesome sauce!
