Knowing how to properly navigate through any gym space is essential to your survival amongst other trainers. Bearing in mind that there are many different personalities surrounding you, keeping yourself in check and being prudent to adhering to rules, both written and unwritten, will ultimately seal your fate as a respected gym member.
Aside from the obvious general etiquette, hard and heavy trainers have compiled a list of do’s and don’ts on the gym floor that not all are aware of. It can sometimes lead to unexpected aggression, frustration, mocking and even the dismissal of your presence if it gets too bad. To avoid this from happening to you, here is a list of things you should probably keep in mind the next time you join a gym or the next time you enter the gym you train at now so that you will be well versed in weight room wisdom.
1. Do make every effort possible to as humble as you can be. If you are the biggest and strongest at your gym and you know it, so will everyone else. Keep your head down and continue training like the beast you are.
-Don’t be the sideshow freak. There’s a time and a place to show off all that you have accomplished, and that’s on stage or among close friends. Not everyone at your gym will respect a person who is damn near shirtless and hitting poses in the mirror every chance they get.
2. Respect your gym owner and their equipment. Use the machines the way they were intended to be used and do your best to avoid trashing them. Clean up and wipe down the machines after you are done so that the next person can use it as effectively as you had.
– Don’t be that person who takes pride in being so strong that they snapped all the cables in the gym because of your jerky, uncontrolled reps. No one appreciates a gym that is not functioning at 100%, and the gym owner certainly won’t appreciate having to pay to replace the machines that you’ve broken.
3. If you regularly train alone and need someone to give a spot now and again, look for someone who you think is relatively the same size and strength as you are. All it takes to do this is a quick scan around the room to see who is doing what. Once you do that, the pickings should be easy. Explain how you would like to be spotted then proceed.
– Don’t pick someone who you think you might be able to impress and then feed your ego once the set is complete. This is a bad idea for a couple of reasons. One, you may be putting yourself in jeopardy because they may not be able to keep up with the demands of your spot. Secondly, they may lack experience, and finally, there’s a great chance you may end up getting hurt. And one more thing, don’t use a weight that you can’t handle and expect your spotter to do all the lifting. No one wants to have to do a dead lift when spotting someone on the bench press.
4. Do your curls in open gym space or on designated curling machines. This also applies to any other exercise that can be performed without interfering with the use of equipment for what it was designed to do.
– Don’t curl in the squat rack! There is nothing more frustrating than waiting for someone to finish up their sets of barbell curls in the squat rack when all you want to do is go ass to the grass with some heavy ass weight. If you are confused about what the apparatus is for, there is usually a little picture and description somewhere on the machine showing you what you should be doing with it.
5. Be intense and keep it to yourself. Intelligent intensity is a fierce power and something that will help that inner rage build a physique like no other. Use it to your advantage.
-Don’t make a fool of yourself by screaming your head off and cursing at the weights to get yourself psyched up. Unless you are breaking records, no one wants to see someone banging their head against a bar loaded up with 135lbs to bang out reps on the shoulder press.
6. Wear appropriate training gear for the times. There are lots of options for you, and it shouldn’t be that difficult to find a pair of shorts and a t-shirt or cut off to train in. Throw on a hat if you like and wear a good pair of running shoes or high tops.
-Don’t stroll in wearing baggies; spaghetti strap tank tops, army boots, and sunglasses. Yes, we have all seen the pros wearing this stuff in magazines, but that was in the 80’s. Short cut-off jean shorts, mesh shirts, and Doc Martins just don’t fit the bill anymore.
7. Never leave home without your intra-workout shake. Make sure you mix a couple of scoops of DGC, together with a scoop of Micronized Creatine and a serving of Beta-X. You will be creating an anabolic environment so rich in muscle-building and recovery nutrients that your body will have no other choice but to grow.
-Don’t rely on the water fountain as your main source of hydration and don’t use inferior products claiming to be the best on the market. There is only one company that make the highest quality supplements available, and that is AST Sports Science!
Take my lead on this one and be conscious of how you portray yourself at the gym. Be a consummate professional (even if you aren’t a pro) and live by the rules of the gym. You will garner respect from others and help break the stereotypes that surround our sport which is what we need.
