Top 10 Unwritten Gym Rules

[DJM]

Whether your goal is to pack on slabs of granite-hard muscle, get shredded to the bone, add power and strength or crush a new PB, we’re all in this together! Face it, we all have our own demons to contend with and the last thing we need to worry about is one of our comrades holding us back because of bad gym etiquette. Below are ten gym rules everyone should abide by. Remember them, write them down or take a picture – I don’t care! Just follow them for your best interest and the interest of your fellow iron warriors.

1) Strip the Bar – Simple enough. When I get set to begin any lift I expect to start off with a clean bar and I trust everyone else feels the same.

2) Step Away from the Rack – 90% of the time the dumbbell rack is in front of a mirror. This doesn’t mean you can pickup a pair, take a 1/2 step back and start lifting. Grab your equipment and move away from the rack so there’s an unobstructed path for others to get what they need. Additionally, if your bench is too close to the rack, pull it back a couple of feet.

3) Don’t Horde – Supersets and giant sets are great but taking up multiple machines or gathering up dumbbells like a squirrel is a no-no, especially when the gym is packed. If your program calls for you to jump from one machine to another, train during off hours. If you need several sets of dumbbells, hurry up and re-rack after every set.

4) Learn to Share – Mondays have become national chest day which usually leaves benches in short supply. However, don’t think for a second that this rule doesn’t apply to all equipment. Let someone else work in. If you’re on a piece of equipment or using the only 150’s in the house and have more than one set left, let someone work in if they ask. You have to rest between sets anyways, so be a decent human being. Conversely, if you’re waiting for someone to finish their set, don’t linger around them. Ask to work in or get out da way!

5) Enough with the Walking Lunges – Most gyms have a walkway through the weightroom that people, mostly personal trainers and their clients, feel they can use as a one lane track for lunges. Stop it! Either take it outside, to the yoga studio or just do stationary lunges.

6) Squat Racks are for Squats – Unless you’re the only soul in the gym, don’t you dare do bicep curls in the squat or power rack, that’s an offense punishable by death in some states! Heavy rows, rack pulls, push presses and cleans are acceptable lifts, but never curls.

7) Cell Phones…Really? – Unless you’re a doctor on-call or your baby momma is expecting, your cell phone should never taint the sanctuary of the weightroom floor. If you must take a call here’s what you do: (Ring-ring) “Hello…hold on a second, I have to strip this bar real quick and take this call outside before this 250 pound gorilla kills me.”

8) No Reservations – A towel or water bottle on or beside a piece of equipment does not constitute a reservation. If you’re bench pressing, stay by your bench. Don’t drape your precious towel or leave a water bottle on it and walk away to chat. If no ones around, I count to 30 before your possessions go flying and I start lifting.

9) Buffer Zone – Imagine an invisible circle around a person lifting and if you get within three feet of that circle you’ll get an electric shock. When someone is in the act of lifting try and stay away at all costs and never walk in front or behind them. Wait until they’ve completed their set.

10) Respect the Headphones ­– First off, you should not be bugging anyone while they’re lifting, but if they’ve got headphones on, leave them the hell alone. If you’re like me, I wear headphones for three reasons: 1) To play my choice of music, 2) Drowning out the background helps me focus on my mind-muscle connection and 3) As a social repellent. Headphones on = world off! If you come to the gym to socialize, fine, just do it away from the warriors who are there to get some serious work done!

CREDIT:MUSCLEMAG
Top 10 Unwritten Gym Rules - MuscleMag (http://www.musclemag.com/culture/top-10-unwritten-gym-rules/#.UVG0VlenfdH)

[sandman]

Only thing I question is the cell phones, I agree that it's annoying to see people on their phones and texting between sets all the time. However cell phones have basically replaced mp3 players as the main players of music in the gym now a days.

[DJM]

its the txting for 10min from a hammer machine

i have a vivid picture of someone in my head right now

[AestheticOne]

I lift in probably one of the busiest gyms in Manhattan and i have to say the level of disrespect people show blows my mind. Something as simple as unloading your pussy 2 plate deadlift seems to be an issue for 90% of the people at my Gym, not only that but theres only 2 power racks in the whole gym and nothing pisses me off more then when a cross fitter gets into one and spends a good 30-45 minutes doing the most retarded shit i've ever seen and they refuse to let you work in..... i cant wait till i switch to powerhouse.

/endofrant

[DJM]

nautilus plus ile des soeurs takes the cake, trust me
everything on that list is on full display all the time, plus alot of other shit

[JM1000]

I have to second DJ on Nautilus,

Thinking about all the mangina in there makes me sick

[rockstarjacked]

Good rules for everyone to follow. Also, wipe down the equipment with those antiseptic wipes when finished. No one who works out wants to get sick from some jerkoff who contaminated the bar with his germs. Or touch the machine that the really nasty dude was profusely sweating all over. I could just be a germaphobe, but most gyms have those antiseptic wipes for a reason haha

[AestheticOne]

Good rules for everyone to follow. Also, wipe down the equipment with those antiseptic wipes when finished. No one who works out wants to get sick from some jerkoff who contaminated the bar with his germs. Or touch the machine that the really nasty dude was profusely sweating all over. I could just be a germaphobe, but most gyms have those antiseptic wipes for a reason haha

Eh i think this one should probably be you wipe it down if you have a problem with it, idk about you, but i love exposing my immune system to as much shit and germs as possible, keeps it stronger :)

[rockstarjacked]

I'm in college full time, so i am exposed to plenty of germs all the time. In the gym tho, i wipe down everything before and after i use it. Idk, i just think everyone should do the same... it only takes a few seconds.

[Sorrow]

Thats why I have no place in a commercial gym 90% of the time.
Rule 9) Although the three foot barrier is hard to follow in a basement, the sole exception to that rule should be for the guys spotting the guy doing the lift. Otherwise yes stay the F*ck away!! Or enraged lifter will break the chicken legs off!!

[longBallLima]

Eh i think this one should probably be you wipe it down if you have a problem with it, idk about you, but i love exposing my immune system to as much shit and germs as possible, keeps it stronger :)

lol as much as possible? im sure you could lick the bench after some fat hairy monster is done with their bench. that oughta do miracles for your immune system lol

[Fat Bill Dwyer]

How about not talking with your godamn headphones in? I hate having some moron ask me at 900 decibals if I'm done with the rack because he can't hear how godamn ridiculous he sounds over the "'lil wayne" blasting through his "beats by dre" over ear headphones. Quit shouting please.

Also, I'm all for grunting when you're working heavy, but if I have to listen to one more idiot moaning like he's got a bedpost up his ass while he's doing body weight dips, ON EVERY REP, I'm gonna cave someone's skull in with a DB. I Hate to implicate cross-fitters in this, but yeah usually it is them.

[longBallLima]

hah grunters.... yah, i see when sometimes you can't help but grunt, but every now and then it sounds like someone is having hot butt sex doing a lateral raise or something like that

[Fat Bill Dwyer]

Don't get me wrong, when other dudes are really getting into the zone it helps me (just ask the wife). I like hearing plates clanging and a solid grunt every now and then, I just don't think that some dick's 95 pound Clean&Press is worth it.

On an unrelated notem here in the states they've got these commercials on TV advertising the purple/yellow "Planet Fitness" gyms, and the whole purpose of the add seems to be to encourage people not to really try at the gym. It has shlubby looking dudes and chicks getting all pissed off about having to work out around people who are actually *gasp* putting in some effort. The message of the add is basically - "Come here to Planet Fitness so you can post "at the gym" on your facebook status without actually sweating." Pretty sorry. That should be another gym rule - Don't get butthurt because someone is in better shape than you.

[DJM]

i have no issue with the grunts, how is the tiny guy lifting his 45 different than my 4 plates, the stress we are under lifting is all relative
*** the throwing of weights or clanging the cable stack, that is not needed

[Rulk]

My biggest peeve is guys chilling in front of the db rack, being in the way. Just last night, there was "that guy", plus he is a glorified grunter ( hey look at me! ). He was doing standing kickbacks with a 15lb db, had his headphones in, and was standing right in front of the rack... I needed some 'bells and I walk right over and say, not ask, that I need him to move. I'm done being polite.

I'd like every member of every gym to see this "waiver", read it and sign it. A lot of these guys just don't have a clue, and no one ever really tells them what's up. Edumacate them.

[Fat Bill Dwyer]

i have no issue with the grunts, how is the tiny guy lifting his 45 different than my 4 plates, the stress we are under lifting is all relative
*** the throwing of weights or clanging the cable stack, that is not needed

Certainly everyone is entitled to their grunt although when grunting becomes and end rather than a means it becomes distracting.

[Fat Bill Dwyer]

My biggest peeve is guys chilling in front of the db rack, being in the way. Just last night, there was "that guy", plus he is a glorified grunter ( hey look at me! ). He was doing standing kickbacks with a 15lb db, had his headphones in, and was standing right in front of the rack... I needed some 'bells and I walk right over and say, not ask, that I need him to move. I'm done being polite.

I'd like every member of every gym to see this "waiver", read it and sign it. A lot of these guys just don't have a clue, and no one ever really tells them what's up. Edumacate them.

Just gym-tag him. Next time he's doing bent over DB rows just pelvic thrust the shit out of his ass. It's kinda like when a dog humps another dog's face even though he's been neutered.

[SoCal-Nutrition]

there's a guy in my gym that always takes 90+lbs db's off the rack and moves them to the other side of the gym to do shrugs between sets of other stuff.

if you're capable of carrying them over to the other side of the gym, make sure you save enough energy to carry them back to their home!

[Macdon1588]

My current peeve is this dude that gives advice like he's a fucking trainer. He's not in shape. His advice is strange, and usually wrong, but he doesn't let that stop him. I've never seen him lift more than me on anything, and I've never seen him squat so much as the fucking bar and yet that didn't stop him from attempting to train me. He told me not to stand all the way up while "locking out" my squat because it could result in injury. Really? I was on my eight rep, I didn't have the breath to deal with him so I just said ok and kept doing my own thing. Fortunately that made him all butt hurt and he hasn't trained me since.

[Enuke65]

hah grunters.... yah, i see when sometimes you can't help but grunt, but every now and then it sounds like someone is having hot butt sex doing a lateral raise or something like that

relevant: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=We8MeWpyBgA

[Rulk]

My current peeve is this dude that gives advice like he's a fucking trainer. He's not in shape. His advice is strange, and usually wrong, but he doesn't let that stop him. I've never seen him lift more than me on anything, and I've never seen him squat so much as the fucking bar and yet that didn't stop him from attempting to train me. He told me not to stand all the way up while "locking out" my squat because it could result in injury. Really? I was on my eight rep, I didn't have the breath to deal with him so I just said ok and kept doing my own thing. Fortunately that made him all butt hurt and he hasn't trained me since.

My friend's advice/mantra- "Unless you look better than me, won a show, don't tell me how to workout".

[O_RYAN_007]

I'm sure people get pissed when I fart in the locker room, but fuck man its a locker room/bathroom! IDGAF!!!!!! My fkn farts stink!

[SoCal-Nutrition]

My friend's advice/mantra- "Unless you look better than me, won a show, don't tell me how to workout".

bwahaha, I'm notorious for this :D

but, I'll usually only chime in if I'm pretty sure someone's gonna get hurt.

I don't always look better than they guys I try to "save", but being jacked doesn't always mean you know what you're doing.

[Cobalt]

As a social repellent. Headphones on = world off!

This has been an issue for me recently. My new apartment has a gym built in and it seems that no one can see my headphones in.
Burns me the fuck up.

[h2s]

I'm sure people get pissed when I fart in the locker room, but fuck man its a locker room/bathroom! IDGAF!!!!!! My fkn farts stink!

I hate you people. Out locker room smells like someone ate roadkill burrito and let it go after their workout. Every. Damn. Day.

[longBallLima]

i've been guilty of ripping one or two in the middle of the weight room lol some unholy ones too.

[Fat Bill Dwyer]

i've been guilty of ripping one or two in the middle of the weight room lol some unholy ones too.

I prefer to go to the gym with empty bowels. On heavy lifts the last thing I want to have to worry about is clenching my sphincter.

[KAB111]

i've been guilty of ripping one or two in the middle of the weight room lol some unholy ones too.
My friend joins me on leg day... Cant help but peel one off on the leg press. When he starts to put the weight on..Everyone clears out

[longBallLima]

My friend joins me on leg day... Cant help but peel one off on the leg press. When he starts to put the weight on..Everyone clears out

best is when i got my music on and i don't know if they were noisy or not. i just look at people's faces to see if anyone's looking. my wife knows who it was.. oh, she knows...

[O_RYAN_007]

best is when i got my music on and i don't know if they were noisy or not. i just look at people's faces to see if anyone's looking. my wife knows who it was.. oh, she knows...

I get the same looks from my wife! We work legs together, and she just give me the look when she catches a whiff. The "YOU MUTHA FUUU" look.

- - - Updated - - -


I hate you people. Out locker room smells like someone ate roadkill burrito and let it go after their workout. Every. Damn. Day.

I don't do it on purpose, I'm just not going to hold my farts in. Someone made a comment the other day when I let one out when I was pissing. I was like, what the hell you want me to do, fart in your damn mouth??

[longBallLima]

I get the same looks from my wife! We work legs together, and she just give me the look when she catches a whiff. The "YOU MUTHA FUUU" look.

- - - Updated - - -



I don't do it on purpose, I'm just not going to hold my farts in. Someone made a comment the other day when I let one out when I was pissing. I was like, what the hell you want me to do, fart in your damn mouth??

right. when i gotta fart, i gotta fart lol

[O_RYAN_007]

right. when i gotta fart, i gotta fart lol

I'm really glad I have an office with a door at work, cause I'll just let them loose. I have some good smelling oils and a fan that helps dissipate the stench fairly quickly. But I mean GAW!

[longBallLima]

I'm really glad I have an office with a door at work, cause I'll just let them loose. I have some good smelling oils and a fan that helps dissipate the stench fairly quickly. But I mean GAW!

same here. sometimes i'm there crossing my fingers hoping no one decides to stop by because it's so obvious someone took a shit in there

[milehighguy]

Are we allowed to add to the top 10?

How about:
11) Use the bench press as a bench press. Don't do forearm curls on the bench press when you see guys waiting to actually use it as intended.
12) If your walking through the weight room from the basketball court don't fkn bounce your ball all the way through. Yes, I workout at a 24hr fitness and we have dudes doing this all the damn time.
13) No bruce lee high kicks in the middle of the weight room. If your a bad ass bruce lee dude, go to your marital arts gym and practice your high kicks in the mirror. No lack of respect for these dudes but not in the weight room.

[HIXX504]

14) This rule is aimed directly at female gym goers. Just because they make spandex in a size 11X, doesn't mean you should wear it or that anyone wants to see you in it.

[longBallLima]

Are we allowed to add to the top 10?

How about:
11) Use the bench press as a bench press. Don't do forearm curls on the bench press when you see guys waiting to actually use it as intended.
12) If your walking through the weight room from the basketball court don't fkn bounce your ball all the way through. Yes, I workout at a 24hr fitness and we have dudes doing this all the damn time.
13) No bruce lee high kicks in the middle of the weight room. If your a bad ass bruce lee dude, go to your marital arts gym and practice your high kicks in the mirror. No lack of respect for these dudes but not in the weight room.

i have the habit of sort of shadow boxing between sets when im pumped, n shit lol yah, ridiculous

[O_RYAN_007]

how about the guy doing jump rope right next to the guy maxing out on bench! Man I freakin HATE that crap! I feel like the dude is just going to whip the back of my neck with the damn jump rope!

Also, back to the dressing room... There are some crazy old men that love to get buck wild with the air dryers in my gym. Go ahead and dry up, without a towel even, but these guys are spreading their butt cheeks WIDE open (for everyone to see) and wiggling around their tiny peckers... GAAAWWWWWW DOG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[SoCal-Nutrition]

608

how about the guy doing jump rope right next to the guy maxing out on bench! Man I freakin HATE that crap! I feel like the dude is just going to whip the back of my neck with the damn jump rope!

Also, back to the dressing room... There are some crazy old men that love to get buck wild with the air dryers in my gym. Go ahead and dry up, without a towel even, but these guys are spreading their butt cheeks WIDE open (for everyone to see) and wiggling around their tiny peckers... GAAAWWWWWW DOG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[O_RYAN_007]

608

This is the "Rated G" Scene compared to the crap I have to see everyday!

[Cobalt]

^^^ Oh god the flashbacks!

Made the mistake of going to an old gym when all the senior citizens liked to show up. I still have nightmares.

[DJM]

^^^ Oh god the flashbacks!

Made the mistake of going to an old gym when all the senior citizens liked to show up. I still have nightmares.

http://www.trolino.com/image?id=5544

[Fat Bill Dwyer]

Old dude buttholes are pretty much the reason I change at the gym even though I only live two miles away. That and peepin the hot 11x spandex chicks in the co-ed sauna, they look even better a little... moist.

[sandman]

If your one of the people that bring a gym bag into the gym, don't put it in everyone's walking space. And if your taking things out of the bag, put them back when your done with them, don't leave them laying all over other equipment. It's a gym, I still don't understand how people need to bring all kinds of extra junk with them anyway.

[O_RYAN_007]

If your one of the people that bring a gym bag into the gym, don't put it in everyone's walking space. And if your taking things out of the bag, put them back when your done with them, don't leave them laying all over other equipment. It's a gym, I still don't understand how people need to bring all kinds of extra junk with them anyway.

My gym doesn't have lifting belts, chains, chalk, bands, or belts to do weighted pull-ups or dips. Plus, I've had a couple things stolen from my locker at the gym... So I carry all my stuff around. But I do keep everything very close to me and neat.

[sandman]

My gym doesn't have lifting belts, chains, chalk, bands, or belts to do weighted pull-ups or dips. Plus, I've had a couple things stolen from my locker at the gym... So I carry all my stuff around. But I do keep everything very close to me and neat.

As long as people keep their stuff close it's ok. But I have to ask because a guy at my gym does this. If your not using some of the belts or bands one day, do you still bring them in? One guy literally has two gym bags filled with different sized belts and a thousand wraps and stuff. If he has no intention of using them that day I don't understand why he doesn't just leave them in his trunk. He has one belt he only squats in but he pulls it out everyday anyway.

[O_RYAN_007]

As long as people keep their stuff close it's ok. But I have to ask because a guy at my gym does this. If your not using some of the belts or bands one day, do you still bring them in? One guy literally has two gym bags filled with different sized belts and a thousand wraps and stuff. If he has no intention of using them that day I don't understand why he doesn't just leave them in his trunk. He has one belt he only squats in but he pulls it out everyday anyway.

I only bring what I use, the rest stays in my trunk. I'm an organized person, so everything is close and neatly spread out.

[Grape Ape]

Had my Fat Gripz stolen recently. Scumbag probably sees me every day at the gym too. Wish I had atleast put my name on em.

[3clipsegt]

Had my Fat Gripz stolen recently. Scumbag probably sees me every day at the gym too. Wish I had atleast put my name on em.

That type of crap pisses me off. If its not yours leave it alone!

[Sperwer]

Also, back to the dressing room... There are some crazy old men that love to get buck wild with the air dryers in my gym. Go ahead and dry up, without a towel even, but these guys are spreading their butt cheeks WIDE open (for everyone to see) and wiggling around their tiny peckers... GAAAWWWWWW DOG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I thought this was peculiar to Korea, as I had never seen it anywhere else; glad to hear it's universal, at least. Sure made me gald I shave my noggin, so I don;t need to use the hair dryer.