Gym etiquette is no rocket science. Also, it doesn’t take much to NOT behave like an a**!
For most, working out is ‘sacred’ alone time! You pay big bucks for a gym membership to not only get fitter but also workout in peace. Life isn’t always fair, but that doesn’t mean it always has to be that way. Basically, don’t behave like an entitled a*****e in public spaces even if you’re one at home. If nothing else, don’t be one of the following personalities at your gymkhana!
We get it that you’re stacking up the plates and going hard by lifting heavy weights. We can see it, but no one, we mean, not a single person—wants to hear you grunting! It’s quite a petty tactic to get attention and is almost always annoying the hell out of people rather than impressing them.
The guy/girl who comes to the gym only to lift their top up to check out their abs in the mirror after every few sets. Even on days they’re working on their biceps. It’s great that you have abs, but you don’t need to rub it onto the faces of people who don’t! No one likes a narcissist!
No one likes being stared at. No one likes anyone who behaves like a creepy stalker! Not at the movies or while using public transport. Not at the gym either. Listen, it’s normal to notice or make eye contact when you see attractive men or women at the gym—but noticing and staring—are two entirely different things! So stop ogling over the girl doing squats or the man doing a bench press! It’s just plain creepy! Staring will get you attention all right, but NOT the kind you want. Be rest assured to be slapped with a ban if enough people complain!
You know the feeling of how you’re killing your exercise routine, and someone walks in, and you can smell them before you can see them? Yikes. Yes, it’s true that you’re at the gym sweating-it-out, but that doesn’t mean that fellow gym goers need to be subjected to your stench—be it body odour or smelly feet/shoes! People who don’t use deodorants while working out at the gym deserve a special place in hell!
This one’s a serial offender. The type who never re-racks the dumbbells or removes the weights when they’re done. Or the kind who doesn’t fold the mats after cooling down. They don’t wipe the bench off after using it. You can spot this one from a distance by the trail of mess he leaves behind!
You can hear him/her from a mile away. They’re always talking with their gym buddies or on the phones at a frequency which can probably kill a dog! In addition to these loud chatty types, there’s also a new breed of singers. They will randomly start singing very loudly with their earphones/AirPods on which can give the regular fold doing their own thing, a fright! It’s obnoxious and distracting, so it serves you well to remember that you’re at the gym and not your bathroom or a karaoke bar!
Did you know that on a crowded day, you can only use cardio machines like treadmills, cross trainers, and cycles for only 20 minutes max? This kind of person treats the cardio machines as their own personal property, selfishly hoarding it for an hour or more. Ugh. The nerve!
We saved the WORST for the last! These people behave like they invented the push up or the deadlift. Then, there are those who recommend all kinds of supplements too. Unsolicited advice and correcting someone’s form is deplorable to say the least. Also bro, if you want to open a supplements ki dukaan’, please stop bothering people and do so! Personal trainers know how to do their job. Even if they need assistance, we doubt they’ll come to you! So, stay in your own lane and mind your own form and business!
Most gym-going people can totally relate to these gym pet peeves. Are you one of these people? If the answer is yes, we think it’s safe to say that you need to start making a few changes! People have signed up to achieve their fitness goals, and not to be disturbed by someone’s distasteful behaviour!
[All Image Credits: Shutterstock]
Eva Pavithran
Vertical Head - Lifestyle