Unwritted GYM Rules...?

[jimboaldis]

I have about a group of about 4 or 5 guys that train together most nights.

So you can imagine how long they are on the Smith machine or squat rack, if it's 3 or 4 sets each you have a very long wait!!

They also seem to have issues with putting their dumbells back on the racks. I nearly tripped over one of their dumbells last week while trying to rack mine.

I'm pretty new at my gym so I'm biting my tongue at the moment.

 

[ItalianMuscle27]

So yesterday I asked a guy if I could work in with him on the hack squat machine, because my gym only has 1. The guy was rather perturbed with my request. He reluctantly allowed me to work in, all the while making a point that he wasnt happy doing so. I thanked him multiple times, even though all I wanted to do was put his head through a wall, and made sure that I was quick with my set. Not that it mattered but I was like 10 times his size.

SO here is my question.... What are some of the unwritten gym rules...

I figure, if you are working out by yourself, and someone wants to work in that you should allow them to do so. In addition, you should be efficient with that time (no lolly-gagging between/during your set).

Also, there is a dumbass trainer who trains his clients to do deadlifts, but with each rep to bang the weight on the ground therefore using that momentum to help with the lift.... Would it be inappropriate for me to ask him politely to STOP?

Way I figure some of the rules are:
1) Allow others to work in if your working out alone
2) No banging the weights
3) Re-rack all weights
4) No flip flops
5) No talking on the cell phone while camped out on a station
6) Dont talk about gear loud enough so others can hear (F-N Idiots!!!!)

What are your thoughts?

In all honesty, I would have told you to wait till I was done, especially on the hack machine. Why not go legpress or squat while your waiting?

If someone is on a machine or bench, ill kindly ask them how many sets they have left? And most of the time, Ill wait till there done, or use a different machine. Its amazine though, because 9x out of 10, at least in my gym, asking someone how many sets they have left, they will usually invite me to work in. I usually decline, and just ask they give it up to me when they are finished.

I do hate the cell phone talkers, and people that fill those itsy bitsy 20oz water bottles up at the drinking fountain. How about bringing a gallon jug from home like the rest of us do..

 

[Nardz]

You know I've been through everything thats been posted so far. It all stopped when I decided to train at a time when the gym is empty.
Usually early mornings before work is a great time in most gyms. You're probably the only one there, do your shit..no smell, no complaints, no piss farting around. Just do your shit and out and the workouts are usually completed a lot quicker.

 

[Snow White]

I've got a million of em. I belong to the worst gym in the world as far as people putting there plates back, and the db's away, and just sitting on machines waiting fo coffee to be served or something. QUOTE]

Yeah - I just love taking 270 off each side of the Hammer shrug!
And nearly tripping over the dumbells all over the floor.

The gym has a rule to re-rack or lose your membership. Yeah like it's enforced.

 

[Pekkerwood]

Flip flops-who the fuck wears flip flops to the gym-WTF?

I did last week, sort of. I wore timberland sandals.

Forgot my shoes again and had the sandals in the trunk. The last five pair of athletic shoes I've purchased was at the shop in the gym when I have forgotten my shoes. They are typically "Whatever you have in a 12 or 13 Today" shoes and this place is not cheap.

I refuse, refuse, to buy another pair in that shop, so to punish myself I do not skip my workout, but wear what ever shoes are available. The dress shoes got a lot more comments than the sandals!

 

[Mack]

So yesterday I asked a guy if I could work in with him on the hack squat machine, because my gym only has 1. The guy was rather perturbed with my request. He reluctantly allowed me to work in, all the while making a point that he wasnt happy doing so. I thanked him multiple times, even though all I wanted to do was put his head through a wall, and made sure that I was quick with my set. Not that it mattered but I was like 10 times his size.

SO here is my question.... What are some of the unwritten gym rules...

I figure, if you are working out by yourself, and someone wants to work in that you should allow them to do so. In addition, you should be efficient with that time (no lolly-gagging between/during your set).

Also, there is a dumbass trainer who trains his clients to do deadlifts, but with each rep to bang the weight on the ground therefore using that momentum to help with the lift.... Would it be inappropriate for me to ask him politely to STOP?

Way I figure some of the rules are:
1) Allow others to work in if your working out alone
2) No banging the weights
3) Re-rack all weights
4) No flip flops
5) No talking on the cell phone while camped out on a station
6) Dont talk about gear loud enough so others can hear (F-N Idiots!!!!)

What are your thoughts?

That depends on the type of gym you work out in. I work out in a shit hole gym where teenage idoits place the weights in all the wrong places, I re-rack the weights but can not put them where they belong.


My personal Gym Rules.

1) Always be courteous and polite to others.
2) If you see a guy struggling ask him if he needs a spot
3) Wipe my sweat off machines
4) Dont slam Weights
5) put the weights back after your done using them

 

[MrRage]

yeah, in my gym the weights arent racked where they go anymore and i doubt they ver will be... its basically "just put em on a damned rack somewhere"

 

[reebokrunner456]

This thread it great!

I couldn't agree more with most of these, but I must say wtf to this one, in certain situations -

It's a douche move to not let someone work in and I don't care how much weight there is unless you just have maybe one set left and then holding off for the guy to finish his one set is courteous.

My current rotation of workouts includes timed rests between sets and this makes/breaks the workout... like 4x15 75-80% of 15RM w/ 30 sec rest. Almost impossible to let someone work in with that kinda workout, or even w/ a 60 sec rest. But if timing between sets isn't critical, then yeah, I definitely let ppl work in!

 

[animalsd]

don't shit in the urinal

 

[Pheedno]

try to stay out of everyone's way as much as you'd like them to stay out of yours. Get in and get out.

 

[tjs114]

I agree with most of the rules listed here. What I get irritated about are the guys who talk bad about all the beginners getting in the way of their workout. If I remember we all were beginners at some point. No need to call them names...most of them will respond pretty well to constructive advice.

 

[kineticenergy]

So being the biggest guy in the gym allows you to be the asshat? :banghead:

Got a couple of idiots like that in my gym. Prob close to 300 pounds apiece, can't walk three feet without taking a break to breathe. Leave 60 plates on each side of every machine they do their single assisted/forced rep on. Don't forget the unwashed XXXL sweatshirt that they use to cover up--what, I don't know, cause they haven't competed in 8 years... The worst choose to make comments about other people's lifts, while creating clouds of dust and looking for their gallon of water they carry around.

I'll take anyone, regardless of size, that is serious, works out hard, puts his weights away, gives a spot when asked, keeps to himself, and is all business than some of these "giants" any day of the week.

x2

 

[driven]

1. Don't use 3 pieces of equipment at the same time during peak hours -- yeah crossfitters, I'm talking to YOU!

2. Re-rack the plates correctly - how fucking stupid do you have to be to put 5 and 10 lbs plates in the middle of a bunch of 45 lbs plates??? :banghead:

3. If you don't know what you're doing, don't bring some chick in that you're trying to impress - and teach her the wrong form too

4. Stop making the same New Year's resolution each year that you know you aren't going to keep. January has become the worst month for people who take this sport seriously and want to get in and get out.

5. Quit lying about how much you can lift. I don't care anyway.

6. Quit lying about how much you use to lift. I still don't care.


....ahhhh, I feel much better

 

[PRGro]

Any rule for this?

I don't know if there is a rule for this but I witnessed the craziest shit last friday. I work out at a relatively cramped gym. The entrance to the free weights area is basically a long corridor with Hammer Strength machines lining both side. Ok so I arrive at the gym and head for the weights when I almost trip over what looked like 6-7inch thick, tow-boat, rope. The asshole trainer had brought about 25-30 feet of this, had stuck one end under the very first HS machine in the hallway and ran it to the very last HS machine on the opposite side of the hall, effectively blocking anybody trying to get in and out our trying to change weights in the HS machines. So what was he doing? He had this exercise where he would flail the two strands of rope up and down creating waves all the way to the end until the fatigue was too much. This ment about 90sec every time. He also had his "model" GF working in as well as his other trainer buddy/BF. All in all, I came in and left and he was still doing this shit. Lucky for me I was doing legs and was in a diff area. Nevertheless, people were really really pissed.

So my rule:

-Trainers shouldn't act as if they have God status over the common areas of a gym.

 

[gettnlarge01]

My rules are basic
1.If headphones are on stay away
2. If I dont look at you dont approach me
3.pick your shit up,I dont care what it is
4.dont stand around me thinking I'll get done sooner
5.rerack your weights
I work out 430am and have been for years so dont expect me to change my routine just because you've decided to start working out.
Also I take jan off due to the extra people cluttering the gym

 

[communistkiller]

I don't know if there is a rule for this but I witnessed the craziest shit last friday. I work out at a relatively cramped gym. The entrance to the free weights area is basically a long corridor with Hammer Strength machines lining both side. Ok so I arrive at the gym and head for the weights when I almost trip over what looked like 6-7inch thick, tow-boat, rope. The asshole trainer had brought about 25-30 feet of this, had stuck one end under the very first HS machine in the hallway and ran it to the very last HS machine on the opposite side of the hall, effectively blocking anybody trying to get in and out our trying to change weights in the HS machines. So what was he doing? He had this exercise where he would flail the two strands of rope up and down creating waves all the way to the end until the fatigue was too much. This ment about 90sec every time. He also had his "model" GF working in as well as his other trainer buddy/BF. All in all, I came in and left and he was still doing this shit. Lucky for me I was doing legs and was in a diff area. Nevertheless, people were really really pissed.

So my rule:

-Trainers shouldn't act as if they have God status over the common areas of a gym.

9 out of 10 trainers at our GYMs are absolutely useless... WHen they are training they feel that they have free range and complete control over the whole GYM... Where does it say that trainers get priority over everything?

I went to do pull downs a couple of weeks ago, and a trainer standing there asked if I could go do another exercise because in a FEW MINUTES his clients would be doing pull downs.... :naughty: I told him to relax, I only had 3 sets

 

[gettnlarge01]

the way to avoid the PTs is to go early in the morn because most I know consider early 10am

 

[BOOMSHAKER]

I will even go as to say use a towel and catch the loads of sweat dripping off you and onto the damn machines and floor! I have a guy in my gym who wears the same blank tank top, black short, black boots every single day he is there. And has worn the same outfit for more the 3 years since I have seen him there! And when he sweats his stink is so bad his under arms can make a dead person roll over in their grave!

 

[booey]

I will even go as to say use a towel and catch the loads of sweat dripping off you and onto the damn machines and floor! I have a guy in my gym who wears the same blank tank top, black short, black boots every single day he is there. And has worn the same outfit for more the 3 years since I have seen him there! And when he sweats his stink is so bad his under arms can make a dead person roll over in their grave!

I can beat that: there's a homeless guy who somehow has a membership at my gym ..... you can see his shit stains on the same gray sweatpants he wears every time he works out!!!!! :banghead:

 

[BOOMSHAKER]

I can beat that: there's a homeless guy who somehow has a membership at my gym ..... you can see his shit stains on the same gray sweatpants he wears every time he works out!!!!! :banghead:

TMI.................TMI damn it!