Starting off in the gym is hard, to say the least. My general consensus from hearing what prevented people from going to the gym or staying consistent is the fear of looking stupid. The only thing “stupid” about that is the hold that fear has on you. As a gym rat myself, I can promise you no one is critically examining you rep for rep, jotting down all the ways you’re doing it wrong. The only time I look at people is if they’re being obnoxious for attention, to approach someone to spot my set, and to learn new movements I can incorporate into my own workouts.
We all started somewhere, and it’s okay to remind yourself it’s part of the learning process to make mistakes. While you work through that process, I figured help you out in feeling like you blend in/belong more in the gym by sharing some unspoken rules I’ve acquired throughout my own journey.
sanitize your equipment after use
I feel like this one goes without saying, and you probably have observed others doing this, but it’s too important not to include it. Anything you touch (dumbells, barbells, bench, machines, yoga mat, medicine ball, etc.) should be run over with a Clorox wipe, or if that option is unavailable, supplement the wipe with a sweat towel. You don’t want to be sitting in someone else’s bodily fluids, or touching a surface that hundreds of people before you have used (you don’t know who’s sick). It also indicates to others that you’re finished with that piece of equipment and they can use it.
DON’T TALK TO SOMEONE MID-SET
If you see your buddy that you haven’t seen in a week across the gym, I get it: it’s the perfect opportunity to catch up. Nothing wrong with conversations mid-workout, but there is something wrong with tapping on their shoulder as they push up 155 pounds of weight. To start, it’s just unsafe to do. You could startle them, causing them to drop a heavy load onto themselves, or lose control of the weight they’re using. Second of all, personally, I do NOT want to be bothered in the middle of a set unless I’m on fire and too in the zone to notice. When you’re in the middle of a set, you’re locked in, laser-focused, straining against that weight and convincing yourself you can do one more rep. If I had someone coming up to me during this to chat about how my day was or why you haven’t seen me in the gym at the same time as you yet, I’m going to be annoyed. Once you see them finish their set and rest the weight down, then it’s the appropriate time to approach them.
Spotting someone
There are a few things to say about this. One, don’t spot someone unless they ask. You don’t know how they want to be spotted, or their comfort level with a stranger getting in their personal bubble. The only time you should intervene is if they could get seriously injured. The second thing to mention is when spotting someone on bench, don’t assist until the barbell starts going back down. I get ticked when I’m straining against the weight, pushing myself to get it up, and the person spotting me begins to lift it. No, dude, I can do it — I’ll let you know when I need assistance. And if you can’t lift that weight yourself, ask someone else to take your place instead as a spot. There’s no shame in that, you’ll get there eventually, but in case things do go south, you want the person benching to be safe from unnecessary injury.
Return your Equipment!
This could also be another one that goes without saying, but you’d be surprised at how many people absentmindedly abandon their equipment in favor of a newly opened machine, or at the expectation of the employees doing it for them. While it is their job to re-rack the weights and return everything to its proper place, it makes their job a whole lot easier and keeps the gym a lot more organized/less cluttered. People can also get hurt tripping over stray dumbbells lining the benches or randomly misplaced them throughout the floor. And think about your irritation when you look for a resistance band, and it resurfaces somewhere you did not anticipate. It’s a quick, simple action that makes everyone’s lives safer and easier.
Don’t use a squat rack/bench press for anything but that
When it’s past 5:00 pm on a weeknight and you can barely even navigate without bumping into someone, BE MINDFUL! Typically at busier times, you’re waiting on an open squat rack or bench press (especially if you’re at the UConn Rec), and everyone else is trying to use them, too. The only exercises acceptable inside the limited squat racks (not behind where you can deadlift/RDL/hip thrust) are squats of whatever form, lunges, and bench.
I don’t want to see you doing overhead raises or a shoulder press movement with a barbell. There are dumbbells and EZ bars for those exercises. Sure, you can use kettlebells and dumbbells for squats, but you can’t load on the weight and PR like you can with the barbell, hence the demand for it. Same with the bench press. Especially in the Rec, where there’s only two flat benches, I do NOT want to see you doing Bulgarians on the bench just because it’s the only thing open. (With Bulgarians, you can prop your foot up on essentially anything as long as it’s not too high where you can’t coordinate, or too low where you’re not feeling it — be creative.) I don’t want to see you doing seated bicep curls, either. Just be mindful.
Share your space
This kind of correlates with the one above, but especially when it’s busy, be mindful of how long you’re using a certain piece of equipment. Everyone is trying to get their workout in for the day, and being conscious of others’ time makes things flow more efficiently. If you’re using a rack, try not to be there longer than 30 minutes (if it’s slow and there are other open racks it doesn’t really matter). Let’s say you just did squats and now you want to do backward lunges with the barbell, but you observe others eyeing the racks, waiting for a spare moment. Think about how you feel when you fight to get an open rack. The rack is essential for a strength-building, progressive overload modality. Maybe opt out of the lunges and use the extended barbells (I don’t know the official term) on your back. Or use kettlebells/dumbbells in your hands. Or even just bodyweight pulses will really give you that burn you’re looking for.
Same with the cables. Once I get a cable (especially on back/bi day), I’m typically there for three to five movements. I’d start with the movements most preferable on the cables, so as your time occupying the space increases, you can opt to do the movements that don’t necessarily require the cable elsewhere with a different piece of equipment. Just remember that everyone is in the same boat. And lastly, if you’re progressively overloading, return the weight back each time you go up in weight — don’t just hog it at your station. People could use it while it remains idle next to you (unless you’re incorporating it into a superset). But if you’re not going to use it within the next 10 minutes, maybe return it so others can use it in the meantime.
Did this help?
I hope this gave you some direction on how to be the most courteous, respectful gym member to your ability. It’s okay if you’re guilty of doing some of these (I speak from experience), just now that you’re aware, begin to incorporate them. Remember, if you’re new to the gym and are still figuring out these guidelines, you belong in the gym just as much as anyone else there. Everyone pays for a membership, and everyone is entitled to that space. If you have any questions, want further clarification on something, or ideas in structuring your workouts, please feel free to reach out! The easiest way to reach me is direct message on Instagram @roseofalyssa. I promise I’m not going to judge you — I want everyone to fall in love with fitness like I have. I hope you have a beautiful, abundant, prosperous rest of your week!