Gym etiquette

[hellraiser27]

I know a lot of people post things about their gym but I have one that bothers me.

I just joined this gym "LA Fitness". I live in a small town and there are no gyms near my house. This is the closest gym that has racks and a lot of free weights. Its 20 miles from my house.
Unfortunately this place is like the mall. At any given time, there is about 500 people there. They have like 10 of everything. Its huge.
The problem is, everytime I start using a piece of equipment, somebdy comes up to me and asks "how many sets you got left?" or "can I work in with you?"
Being the old grumpy juiced out guy that I am, I usually answer "better not wait on me, I'm gonna be here all night" or "Are you kidding me? No!"
I seem to be the only guy who says this because the reactions I get are usually not good to say the least. I just don't like people rushing me. I think its freakin rude. And with all the freaking equipment in this gym why would you ask to share it? I would never do this to someone else. I can go find something else to work on.
What do you guys think?

 

[toosmall]

throw some headfones on buddy people will leave you alone!

 

[hellraiser27]

throw some headfones on buddy people will leave you alone!

LOL, I think you just might be right.

 

[UGAthlete]

I'll usually tell them the kind of weight I'll be using for working sets.. if they're in the same range I'll usually let 'em.

 

[pimpman]

bro i worked for La FITNESS for a hole year.i still get to work out for free and eye candy is great.but like you said way over crowded.i went and paid for membership somewhere else.now i can do my workout.not to mention all the kids playing bball and start arguing and get loud and stupid. good luck....

 

[7_Deadly_Sins]

What's the harm in them just asking how long you're going to be?
I ask people that when they're squatting, if they're only going to be like 5ish mins I'll wait. If it's like 10 or something, I'll do something else or warm up alot better.
Instead of seeing it as them being rude, see it from their point of view. They're just trying to see how to manage their time.
I useually say, Excuse me, how much longer are you going to be, or Excuse me, how many more sets do you have left?


I dont really ask people if I can work in with them, but if I really need the stuff they're using, I just ask and they won't mind, or I ask how long they will be.

 

[tenny]

throw some headfones on buddy people will leave you alone!

i feel naked, and can't train without them.........i tried, can't do it

 

[Tom]

work in

i almost always let others work in with me, think about it....if you got 3 guys going one after the other it's just about perfect time between sets and i find a little friendly competition to be motivating. it never hurts to meet new people and the connections they could bring into your life might be very valuable.

 

[NPCS FINEST]

This is why I always wear headphones. Even if its not plugged in. If not I have ppl coming up to me almost every set. Some are just being nice and offereing a spot which is cool but there is always that one guy or guys that thinks small talk is like stretching and should be done before anfd after every set.

But the head phones really help. I have not yet had to be a "asshole" to anyone so they would leave me alone.

 

[Phidias]

i almost always let others work in with me, think about it....if you got 3 guys going one after the other it's just about perfect time between sets and i find a little friendly competition to be motivating. it never hurts to meet new people and the connections they could bring into your life might be very valuable.

Agreed 100%.

Good post Tom.

 

[oldfella]

i almost always let others work in with me, think about it....if you got 3 guys going one after the other it's just about perfect time between sets and i find a little friendly competition to be motivating. it never hurts to meet new people and the connections they could bring into your life might be very valuable.

Yes I agree. Good post!!

 

[Nikopapp]

i almost always let others work in with me, think about it....if you got 3 guys going one after the other it's just about perfect time between sets and i find a little friendly competition to be motivating. it never hurts to meet new people and the connections they could bring into your life might be very valuable.

Very true! Great post.

I used to work out at LA Fitness, and I never had any problems.
Once in a while someone would ask how many sets or could they work in, I say sure, once they see the weight you're using they usually don't want to bother loading and unloading in between sets.
I do live by the no spot rule, though, ever since I had a guy ask me to spot him on bench and he ended up doing negatives only without telling me.
He had 315 on the bar, I'm thinking, "hmm, he's pretty damn strong for a normal guy" (didn't really look like he worked out).
He proceeds to do a neg, then says, "ok!".
He did this three or four times.
I was pissed, because I was doing back and was in between sets of bent over rows so now my workout was screwed because I was doing deadlifts.
I told the guy he needs to tell people what he's doing if he's doing negs like that, he didn't even bother to say thanks or anything.

So I had a kid ask if I could spot him a couple weeks later, and I just looked at him and said "sorry, I don't spot".
He looked at me like I was the biggest prick ever, and I felt a little bad, so I told him that I got injured spotting someone and that's why I don't do it anymore.

 

[NPCS FINEST]

i almost always let others work in with me,

I have had some of my best workouts while letting ppl I normaly dont workout with work in with me on a machine or whatever.....

I also met some of my best gym friends this way....I dont see a prob with letting ppl work in with you or vise versa when there is 3 or more sets left. Infact I think its would be bad gym etiquette not to.

 

[NPCS FINEST]

What a great attitude but, . . . I never let anybody work
in with me. When asked, I don't say no, I just say I'm
all finished, it's all yours, and I move on, go do some-
thing else. But then again, I would never ask anybody
if I could work in. Why bother them? Just a different
attitude I guess.

Kinda reminds me of what my teachers used to write
on my report card, "does not play well with others."

As long as your not rude about it....then there is nothing wrong with someone being really focused with there training which seems like that is the case with you I'm sure.

 

[hellraiser27]

Yeah, I guess I'm just kind of a loner in the gym. I do a lot of volume. I never know if I'm going to do 3 sets or 10. I just kind of feel it out. And I don't uaually rest long between sets. I get into a zone and I pace myself. It just screws me up when someone wants to work in.
And it is like they expect it.
One night I was working out late and the gym was starting to empty out. This guy wants to do skull crushers when I'm doing dumbbell presses. I told him no. I told him to just use a benchpress bench a take the bar off. Since there were 3 unused benches! He catches an atittude and tells me this is the way things are done here. I basically told him not to ever bother me again.

If it was a smaller gym with cooler people I would feel different. I have been a member of more gyms that I can count. People just seem to feel that everything is open. Maybe I'm just being critical.

 

[bigdfk]

eh I must be from a different school of thought... I guess it depends somewhat on the particular apparatus (I'm not gonna ask a guy squatting 400 lbs if I can work in w/ some BB curls or something stupid like that) but generally if it's a machine, or the person is kinda hogging the one piece of equipment (doing like 10 cable curl sets or whatever... you know the type) I ask if I can work in.

When people ask me I say "absolutely" or "sure how much do you want on there?" and I do it with a smile on my face cus we are all on the same path and if and when I ask people to work in, I want them to treat me the same way.

Then again I'm at a small gym with not much equipment and I see a lot of the same people...

 

[max33]

Maybe get a shirt that says some like " I live alone, I train alone, I win a title alone."


But seriously though i feel your pain. It really kills my concentration when people try to have a cheat chat with me or wants to work in with me or just staring at me while I’m lifting heavy. My dream is to get a house with a big basement and make a gym in there. Than I'd be the happiest man alife.

 

[massmonster32]

Thats why when I am in the U.S I usually pay for a gym membership and go either way early or way late. I cannot stand military gyms egos and people just hanging out. Walking in front of you right next to you when using alot of weight.

Standing around in groups of 3-4 just talking making up rap songs etc. Leaving weights on all the equipment especially bad over here in Afghanistan people who never been in a gym are in now just because. I know you gotta start somewhere but they are wasting everyones time and B.Sing arrrgg. I always wear headphones to. Helps a little. MM

 

[mikeyt869]

best advice if you dont want people bothering you, get an ipod download your favorite music on it and dont make direct eye contact with anyone. The eye contact is a big one i think too.

 

[BigCracker]

best advice if you dont want people bothering you, get an ipod download your favorite music on it and dont make direct eye contact with anyone. The eye contact is a big one i think too.

I agree. I wear an ipod along w/ a baseball cap with the bill pulled down over my eyes so I can avoid contact with anyone. I don't mind letting guys work in, but it seems like as soon as I'm polite to guys 3 sentences later they're asking me if I'm on roids and/or if I can sell them some. Like I'm gonna commit a felony for a complete stranger??? I won't even hook up my bros, let alone some d-bag I don't know.

As far as spots go, I don't ask for them so people don't ask for spots from me. If someone asks me for a spot, I do it most of the time but I don't act thrilled about it. Often some dumbazz that screams while squatting 405 for a depth of 4 inches asks me for a spot. I tell them I have a hernia and suiggest that they ask someone else. lol