Returning plates after use.

[Big Bapper]

For all you gym owners and those that work in gyms. What way do you approach people that wont return weights and leave the weights on the machines after use. Now this has become a problem at my gym, most people stick with te rules and return the plates after use. However there are a few that just wont take note of the signs that I have around the gym.
I am a new business and cant afford to loose coustom at present and believe me if I was in a possition to do so I would just show them the door. As I said I know who is doing it, but they are the type of people that would just take the hump if I were to say anything and would train in another gym that allows this practic. When people do this It kind of has a knock on effect with other gym users, when they go to get to get a 2.5kg plate and they have to take of a 15, a few 20s and 10s to get there plates. So then they end up not returning the plates to there proper place as everything is a mess.

 

[shoestring]

Man I really hate this! The home from college kids are the worst offenders (no offence to the majority that put em back ). Some leave plates loaded on the barbells etc. I get po'd & wish the ppeople who worked at the gym would crack down more on them too. But I see that it puts you in a hard spot to have to do this. If you ask them politely why would they get pissed? Or has this already failed?

 

[bubbadiddit]

At my gym, it's not so much that people put them back in the wrong place, but that the don't even bother to take them off the bar. That's great if everyone works out with the same weight you do, but they don't. There are men and women of all ages at my gym and some use very little weight at all. It is just very inconsiderate to me. I probably go about it the wrong way, but when the main guy that does this is there, we (workout partner and I) start making smartass comments hoping that he'll take notice, but he never does or at least doesn't appear to care. I am only a member, so I have limited ground to stand on. Good luck......

 

[Tyrone]

There was a time when I was training super early in the morning. I was one of about four people there and I didn't put all the plates back so it was easy to see it was me. I had left just the 45's on the incline thinking if it's too heavy, too bad. Anyways, the one guy on duty who I didn't even care for, came and just asked, "Are you done with that?" I told him I was and he just politely asked if I could put the plates away. At first I was put off but guess what...I always put ALL the plates away because it's stuck in my head now.
It may just be something simple like this to get them to comply.

 

[Quad-smack]

Diplomatic solution

Big Bapper,
What I do at my gym is to approach the offender and ask if they are finished with their weights. If they say yes, then I ask if they would mind helping me put the weights back in their proper place. After once or twice they should get the idea. I do have a few clueless or ADD idiots here so then I will re-rack their weight before they are finished if they walk away during their rest period. When they come up to me and say that they weren't finished then I just say that I thought they were done and I was re-racking their weight for them like I always do. That usually does the trick. I know its passive-aggressive, but I have more important things to do than clean up after people all day long.
Hope your Gym is doing well for you. If this is your 1st year, get ready for the New Year's resolution tidal wave.
Quad-smack

 

[j-bird]

at my old gym they used to make an announcment every 45 mins or so that said something like "please be corteouse to others and rerack your weights"

Can you make announcements at your gym? that seemed to work ok.. still some people needed to be asked in person

 

[parttimer]

This is just plain laziness. I hate it. We have 4 of the hundred pound plates that people sometimes leave on the leg press machine. They walk away then the next person to use it is a woman so she has to find someone to help her because dodo left the 100's on there.

 

[Flex4777]

Everyone at my gym is pretty good about putting shit back in the right place for the most part, but there is also staff there that goes around once in a while and keeps everything organized, might be an idea...

 

[flexmaster]

Big Bapper,
What I do at my gym is to approach the offender and ask if they are finished with their weights. If they say yes, then I ask if they would mind helping me put the weights back in their proper place. After once or twice they should get the idea. I do have a few clueless or ADD idiots here so then I will re-rack their weight before they are finished if they walk away during their rest period. When they come up to me and say that they weren't finished then I just say that I thought they were done and I was re-racking their weight for them like I always do. That usually does the trick. I know its passive-aggressive, but I have more important things to do than clean up after people all day long.
Hope your Gym is doing well for you. If this is your 1st year, get ready for the New Year's resolution tidal wave.
Quad-smack

this is exactly what i have done. ive even gone so far as to put a sign covering up where your face in the mirror on the incline that this one guy uses. after his first set he moved the sign, then left the weights!haha after asking the few who do this to please return the weights when they are finished, yet still not getting the idea through i jut started purposely cleaning thier weights between sets. one guy got kind of mad and i said in a flat, monotone voice "sorry about that, i assumed you were done because you dont re-rack your weights." so i was semi calling him out on it, but also not directly confronting him. he hasnt done it again since.

 

[thedonker]

this is a stitch in time saves nine scenario, by not approaching them and sorting this problem you are sending the wrong message out, I guess you will lose twice as many gym users by not sorting this early in the nicest possible way, cos I hate a cluttered gym and so does every customer or potential customer and it may make the guys you are talking about respect you and your gym a little more, most people only need to be told once. I must say though you do have my sympathies as this is a problem everywhere especially at busy times. Alternatively coat you gym in gym etiquette notices especially near the machines where the offenders commit the offences.

 

[Tom]

3 strikes and yer out....

I'm not a gym owner but I don't see a problem with instituting gym policy as 3 strikes and yer out. after the 3rd warning you are asked to leave the gym and you forfiet your membership. This is something you agree to as part of your membership from the get-go. Maybe hardline stance but it seems the majority of people need to be told what to do.

 

[Deepsea]

I lift in my university gym and there are always toughguys that can't find it in them to re-rack their weights. It really gets on my nerves after a while. I think an implimentation of policy is definately in need. If you can't rack your weights when your done than you shouldn't be in the gym..

 

[Krom]

My gym is a mess. I'd say over half the members leave their plates on the bars. It drives me nuts. There are no signs or any enforcement what so ever. It's disrespectful to the other members too.

 

[bootyshorts]

at my gym it doesnt seem to be a problem. there are always trainers around enforcing the rule.

 

[Ashop]

For all you gym owners and those that work in gyms. What way do you approach people that wont return weights and leave the weights on the machines after use. Now this has become a problem at my gym, most people stick with te rules and return the plates after use. However there are a few that just wont take note of the signs that I have around the gym.
I am a new business and cant afford to loose coustom at present and believe me if I was in a possition to do so I would just show them the door. As I said I know who is doing it, but they are the type of people that would just take the hump if I were to say anything and would train in another gym that allows this practic. When people do this It kind of has a knock on effect with other gym users, when they go to get to get a 2.5kg plate and they have to take of a 15, a few 20s and 10s to get there plates. So then they end up not returning the plates to there proper place as everything is a mess.

the people in my gym keep it tight and tidy out of respect for one another.

 

[joec22780]

I have been on both sides of this one. I was at 1 gym for years and everyone their was serious lifters and were very respectful and tidy in the gym, then i moved a little further away so i tried another place closer to home and it was alot of idiots who THOUGHT they were bodybuilders and thug type kids who had no manners at all. I think they were getting a better shoulder workout when the were doing barbell curls!! LOL. I always said to myself what does an owner say to these guys? Needless to say i make the drive to my original gym..

 

[SwoleTexasKid]

It seems to me that fewer and fewer people have gym etiquette these days. What gets me is when Im in the gym (I work out at a gym in a small town where few people are serious about training) and a bro sees me pounding out some leg presses or squats and the minute I walk away from the machine they begin to take plates off to a pathetic weight.

Fu**ing ASK first!! Ill probably say its cool. But these 120 lb idiots just proceed to mess with all your settings when you are trying to circuit.

It frustrates me. When off cycle I usually just give them a look that gets the point across, but when Im a testmonster I just walk right up to them and say YEAH, YOU CAN USE THAT, NO PROBLEM!! really loud. Piss runs down their legs just about.

What gets me even worse is when my towel is resting on a piece of equipment and someone just tosses it on the dirty ass floor of a sweaty gym. Now in that situation I always say something. Like I really want to wipe my face with a bacteria infested towel to clog my pores??

 

[oldfella]

BB, I just walk straight up to them and ask if they are finished with this equipment. When they say yes i politely ask them to please put the weights back on the tree. It is the rules!! I have only ever asked one guy to leave after he repeatedly ignored my rules and my reminders about putting his shit back. it is all in how you approach them and ask. Most apologize and say they simply forgot. In which case i usually give them a hand and make a little joke about how they are too young to be that forgetful!!!

Hope all is going well my friend!!

 

[thebrick]

Man I wish you guys would come to my gym, besides never putting the plates back, they don't even know the 45's go on the bottom of the tree, put them over the 10's, 25's and dumbass stuff like that. I never understood that lazy, rude mentality of not putting your weights back... you here for a workout and yet you are a lazy ass? Are these the same people that circle the parking lot in their car for 20 minutes looking for a closer spot so they can come in, hop on a treadmill and do cardio?

 

[Kcm3000]

when im working, and people dont put the weights away, it pisses me off bc i need to clean up after everyone. when i know there done with one exercise and dont clean up, and they start the next one, i ask if there done, and if they say yes, i say are you gonna put the eights away, 99.9% of the time they say yeah i was just about to and i walk away. and that .1% that say no, i tell them im not there mother and no one else here is, you should consider cleaning up after yourself and i walk away haha, some people get a little upset but they dont leave the weights on the machines anymore.