Gym Etiquette 101

Guess who’s back?

It's meeeee. 

I firstly want to apologise for my absence over the past few months (feels like a lot longer to be honest). For those of you who have been wondering where I'd disappeared to or who are not aware, I am currently halfway through my PGCE Primary training. It has been very time consuming as I have been balancing prep, gym, resource planning, university and placement so I've not had gallons of time to be spieling advice and whatever else on here. 

The reason for my comeback is because I feel this platform keeps me focused and accountable. The more I help others, the more motivated I feel to stay 'on it' and work on my own goals. Cliche, but true. So, here I am on my first free Sunday evening to write out and schedule a load of posts for your entertainment and to help you through probably the toughest (and most popular) time of year to get into health and fitness. 

 That being said, I feel like this post should be a first-read post for anyone who has set starting a gym membership and attending frequently as their New Years Resolution. To me, gym etiquette is fundamental when starting any gym and it is often neglected, which can be detrimental to your own progress or the progress of others. It sounds completely stupid, but something as simple as clearing up after yourself makes life so much easier, and safer, for another gym user. Also, people get pretty p*ssed off if you're negligent and that makes for a bad atmosphere for you, and others, thus (oh hello Shakespeare) drawing you away from that gym. 

 So before I digress and start giving you an irrelevant childhood story, here's my top, must-do, must-abide-by-at-all-costs, tips for excellent gym etiquette. 

1. DELOAD YOUR EQUIPMENT

Excuse the shouty-tone, but this is my BIGGEST pet hate in the gym. People seem to forget (or just be too damn lazy) to reload their equipment after using it. There are even signs in gyms asking you not to do this, yet people still do it. If you can lift it, you can strip it. I'm a simple girl, I like to whack out my workout with little rest time between each exercise/machine and recently I have had so much time wasted by having to clean up someone else's mess. Also, people need to consider there are people who may not be able to shift this weight off a bar and seriously hurt themselves by dropping it, straining themselves carrying it...the list goes on. You're taught from infancy to clean up your own mess. So do it!

2. Get off your damn phone

Arnold Schwarzenegger was asked during his prep for Mr. Universe how he spent his rest time between sets and said 'I love checking out my arse in the mirror and sending pictures to my friends'. 

...

This clearly didn't happen. But my point is, you may think it's of upmost importance to let all your TikTok/Snapchat/Social Media following that you're at the gym in your new Gym Shark kit and take your cliche booty poses. No one actually cares, unless you're filming a new PB or checking the improvement of your squat form. You're wasting your own time. Also, if you're trying to improve your endurance and fitness you're just shooting yourself in the foot because you're not going to build that endurance by spending 5 minutes on Snapchat. You're also wasting everyone else's time. The amount of times I've actually seen people lying on the benches mid-phonecall at my gym is infuriating, especially whilst I have been waiting to use them during busy periods. If you witness this behaviour, do not hesitate to ask people on their phones to move so you can complete your set (or flip them off the bench). 

3. "Are you still using this?" (whilst someone is mid-set)

If someone approaches me and asks me how long I will be on a piece of equipment so they can come and snatch it up after, that is fine. But for someone to approach me whilst I am mid set and ask if I am 'still using the machine?' then I have a problem. I mean firstly, I am squatting and the bar is on my back so yeah I think I am still using it *eye roll*, and secondly you're completely interrupting someone's rhythm. It is pestering and irritating. There are many better ways of dealing with this, such as waiting until the user is resting and, as mentioned before, asking how long they will be. Even better, you could suggest doing rotations and use the equipment whilst the other person rests. My point is, there are many ways to of going about this issue without being a pest. 

4. Don't curl on the squat rack/platform

It looks stupid and newbies need to know it's not the done thing. Especially when there's multiple areas to curl and designated areas to squat.

5. Appreciate that everyone starts from somewhere 

Regardless of your shape, stepping into the gym for the first time ever (or even after a long time) is pretty damn scary. Respect everyone, offer help if it prevents injury or when it is welcome, offer encouragement, make others feel welcome and smile. 

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Thank you so much for reading this post! I hope you stick around for more and get some motivation out of this blog. Make sure to follow now so you don't miss a thing and I will be writing the next post as you read this, so keep your eyes peeled.