Gym Etiquette

On days that I work late, I work out in the campus gym. I prefer my home gym because I can work out alone. Regardless of the venue, a good workout is a good workout.

I do not like working out in a public gym for many reasons. Some of my “favorite reasons are listed below:

• Most people do not follow good gym etiquette. 
• I do not like listening to other people’s music. 
• I do not like people who are unfocused during a workout. 
• I do not like people who use a machine as a seat. 
• I do not like talking to others while I workout. 
  • If I am working out hard, I will not be able to carry on a conversation. If I am between sets, I am focusing on the success of the next set. Working out is not my social time. Don’t talk to me.

What is worse than people trying to socialize with me or forcing me to listen to their music is the person talking on the phone. This person drives me nuts. 

When I walked into the campus gym today, there were three people in the gym. The moderator was disinterested, a kid working out on a squat rack and a colleague on the leg curl machine. My colleague was practically yelling into her phone, which was on speaker, having a conversation while she sat there on the machine. I was startled by how loud she was. Keep in mind that I wear headphones when working out in a public gym, so no one gets the idea that I am interested in talking to them. I could hear her through my headphones. The weights on her machine did not move for the duration of her conversation, which when it ended, she got up and left.

The gym is not a Starbucks. It is not a bar. It is not a place to have a phone conversation. Come in, work hard, and be a role model for others. Do not come in and waste your time talking on the phone. Do not hog a machine that you are not utilizing because it is comfortable for your conversation. Basic gym etiquette states when you are in the gym, workout. When you are done, go home.

Just Be Better

Be Strong, Be Healthy.