There are too many people who irritate others at the gym. Are you a new gym user? Dont be one of these guys! Maybe there might be a thing or two here that makes people hate you behind your back, without your knowing.
Number 1: People Who Make Too Much Noise
Grunting can actually be beneficial to your lift, strength and mental focus. Heavy exhalation on the concentric phase of lifts like pulls up, dead lifts and squats will help to tighten your core, helping with form during these tricky lifts. But there is a fine line between what is acceptable and what is not. Your grunt should be a genuine by-product of your training and should not be disrupting or distracting to the other people around you. Dont grunt, scream and perform as way of showing off. That makes you look like a douche and puts you off as the guy whos just there to seek attention. People can tell the difference between the war cries of someone pushing themselves to the limit and the guy that hopes his screams will make others stop what theyre doing and notice. No-one cares, theyre all there for themselves, keep it to yourself.Shouting: Dont scream to your mate across the room. We are here to train and we dont want to hear what you have to say. People are trying to focus on their training, and other voices ringing in their ears make them wish certain people werent there. Save your Tarzan-voice for emergencies only (like a heart attack, choking, someone dying under the bar, or forgetting your post-workout shake at home). Be considerate. If you want to say something, get off youre lazy ass and walk across the room. People dont mind you having conversations with your mates; just dont make us lose focus, okay?
Number 2: People Who Drop the Weights
Its impressive to see a guy who can curl 50 ks, until he suddenly loses all his strength and drops it to the floor. Did you just make me look in your direction mid-rep and lose my focus? If you cant put it down properly, go lighter and until you have the strength to put the weights back the same way you lifted them in the beginning of your set. Ive heard a lot a haters judge these guys. It doesnt make you look strong, it makes you irritating. Want to be the guy no-one likes? Accidentally break one of those weights, making the rest of us wait a week or two before the gym replaces it.
Number 3: People Who Leave Their Weights Lying Around
I hate running around the gym looking for a weight that you were too lazy to put back, and Im not the only one. You dont know it, but we are watching you, waiting to condemn whoever messes with our weights - silently in our heads... as you walk past. Want people to like you? Dont make it harder for them to do what they came here to do: lift.
Number 4: People Who Talk Too Much
Theres nothing wrong with having a chat or two during sets at the gym. I do it often. The gym is a great place to make good friends with the same interests as you that could end up motivating you to push harder and get further in your physical endeavors. However, there is a big difference between the friendly guy who says hi and strikes up a good chat every now and then and the guy who goes there ONLY to talk. Dont be the guy people end up avoiding because they are forced to hear you babble on about something no-one cares about. Some people like to talk (like me) and others dont. There are lots of people who avoid any talking at all and ONLY want to lift. Dont irritate people. If you cant tell when you are irritating someone, rather dont try and let people approach you instead. No-one is approaching you? Then focus and gym harder! Number 5: People Who Stand In the Way
Dont stand in the way of mirrors, water fountains, weights, machines and racks, hallways and walkways, stairs, and anywhere else people might want to exercise. Some people are too nice to tell you to move, but that doesnt mean you arent in the way. Dont sit on machines you are not using, even if it looks like no one is using it. Ive waited quite a while for some bloke who just sat on a machine and got up after doing nothing on it.
Number 6: People Who Take All Up the Machines
If youre using the bench, DONT put your phone, towel etc. on the bench next to you! Someone might want to use that bench but cant because they think someone else is using it. It can make people pretty angry when they later see that it was just you who couldnt put your stuff on the floor under you. Dont take up 3 machines at the same time when there are people waiting to use it. You work out is not more important than the next guy, no matter the size or sport difference between you. If you want to super-set then offer to share the equipment with anybody else who might need it as well.
Number 7: People Who Leave Sweat and Other Gross Stuff Everywhere
If you sweat on the equipment, clean it. It will take you a few seconds and will save you a lot of self-imposed misconceptions. If you use tissues, throw them away. Dont expect the cleaning staff to do it, because it makes you look bad in front of everybody, not them. Also throw away any other stuff like water bottles, juice boxes, gum papers etc. Most people would think this is common sense but if you never thought of it, now you know. Dont spit in the water fountain, ever. Be a man and swallow if you have to.
Number 8: Screaming In the Change Rooms
I find these people the most annoying. Ive just finished an exhausting workout that almost killed me, I finally get to sit for a few moments on a bench in the change rooms, downing my protein shake and silently congratulating myself for an amazing workout. This moment of rest is one of my
favorite moments. I love feeling like I have just conquered the world after an intense workout. But my moments of victory are messed up by the ignorant fools screaming at each other, like they cant hear the echo of their own voices. I hate being the one in-between the guy in the shower and the guy by the bathroom mirrors conversation about why theyre so cool or whatever. Dont talk to anybody when you shower at the gym. In order to be heard above the showers stream you have to shout and the other is going to need to shout so you can hear them. This irritates EVERYBODY!
Number 9: People who change the Steam Room Temperature and Leave after 5 Minutes
Dont let your stupidity affect other people. These people walk into the stem room, get the temperature changed because its not on and leave after 5 minutes before breaking an actual sweat. Your body needs time to respond to the heat of the steam room in order to get the benefits like sweating, raised core temperature, detoxing, lactic acid flushing, immune boosting, increased blood circulation etc. Sit in the steam room for at least 5 minutes before deciding that it is too cold, then ask the people in the steam room (especial the ones that were there before you) if they would mind if you change the temperature.
Number 10: People Who Parade Their Junk in the Change Rooms
You arent shy about being bare and natural in the change rooms. Congratulations! Now put some clothes on. Most of us change in there and being naked is inevitable, but get done with it. A cold shower is better at cooling you off from your workout/ sauna anyways. You might be comfortable in your own skin, but you could be making others uncomfortable without knowing it. Some people consider it rude to have your junk in their faces for longer than what is required.
Number 11: People Who Belittle Others
Dont mock the new kid at the gym who isnt using the best form. It makes you look bad, not better. If it bothers you so much, offer some advice; but dont get offended if he wants to find out for himself. So what if the other guy uses low weights and high reps? Not everybody in the gym is a bodybuilder and some people want to have less muscle mass for various reasons. Be careful, its a small world out there, and people talk. Ive seen what people say come full circle all too often. I might be big, but when I hear my smaller mates belittle people even smaller than them, theres a level of respect I lose for them. I have a high regard for our sport and for everybody that tries, whether I think they are doing right or not. If someone is always on their phone or is constantly looking in the mirror more than working out, how is that affecting you? It doesnt look like that guy is really focused on lifting, I agree, but remember, each to their own.
Number 12: People Who Take Too Long On Machines
If there are only two benches and the other one is taken, dont take half an hour to do your three sets. The list of people waiting on / hating on you is growing by the minute. Its okay to take your time and be sure not to sacrifice the quality of your workout, but you need to be reasonable. Place yourself in the shoes of the other people waiting inline. Mentally come up with a semi-compromise. Resting a little less in-between a set is not going to kill you.
Number 13: People Who Talk To Me Mid-Set
If you need to ask a question or say something, wait until the person is done with their set. Do not talk to them in the middle of their squat, curl, dip, etc. Lifting weights comes down to an internal battle between the mind and body. Respect his/her moment of focus. Interrupting people while theyre busy with their set is just plain nasty. This applies whether the person is a complete stranger or your best friend. Providing motivation and mental pump-ups during sets are fine. That is not what I am talking about. I hate the how many sets do you have left? when Im focused on reaching that 8th curl.
Number 14: People Who Ask For a Spot but Cant Move the Weight
These people are the biggest clowns in the gym. If you are going to ask someone to spot you, dont load a weight that you cant handle and expect the spotter to do part of the work in moving the weight. The spotter is there to ensure that you dont injure yourself or that you dont fail and end up under the bar, nothing more. If the spotter is a good mate of yours then it might not be seen as annoying, but asking someone you only know in the gym to spot you is asking him for a favor. Dont make him expend his own energy when he has his own workout to do. He isnt your personal trainer. Dont annoy people by giving them more physical work they didnt ask for. I laugh when these people ask how much of that did I lift? afterwards. None dude! Your spotter is obviously going to be polite and say it was all you, even when it wasnt.
Number 15: Spotters Who Become Drill Sergeants
When people ask me for a spot, I ask how many sets they want to do and if they want me to ride with them (guiding the weights as the lifter moves them so they dont lose balance and topple the bar) or just stand by in case they fail and cant rack the bar. While spotting, be prepared to help out if you need to. DONT push the lifter to do more reps then he was planning to! Unless he or she asks for your motivation, they already know what rep range they are going for, and they might not want to train till failure. I, for example, train till failure in some programs and avoid failure in others to vary my training. Forcing the poor guy to do more reps then he intended is not going to win you any brownie points. I avoid asking some people to spot me now, solely for this reason.
Dont the guy no one likes. Be nice. You never know when you could see someone from the gym elsewhere. Its a small world and the fewer enemies / more friends you have, the better. STAY STRONG.
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