5 Rules of Gym Etiquette
Learn how not to wear out your welcome.
by Kristopher Kaiyala for MSN Health & Fitness

Everyone’s been the victim of Bad Gym Guy. You know the one: the smelly, sweaty, chatty health club member who spreads his body filth all over the locker room and exercise equipment, with nary a care for those around him. Bad Gym Guy cuts in line, slams the weights, talks loudly on his cell phone and seems generally oblivious to the world around him. Here’s our advice if you want to avoid him: don’t be him.

Gyms are social gathering places just like malls, coffee shops and work places. Basic rules of group politeness apply even if the club lured you into thinking it was there to cater to your every need.

So, what are the basic rules of gym etiquette? We enlisted the help of Chicago’s posh Lakeshore Athletic Clubs for the answers. Athletic director Diana Hoffman and head trainer Nancy Parks boast a combined total of more than 20 years in the fitness profession. They know Bad Gym Guy when they see him. Here are their tips to help you avoid becoming the fitness-club pariah:

1. Be quiet.

Cell phone use on the fitness floor is a definite no-no. No one wants to be party to your personal conversations; they distract from the mental focus everyone needs to achieve their fitness goals. “Also, if you are participating in a group exercise class, don’t talk in the back of the studio. It’s unfair to others participating in the class,” says Hoffman. You’re an adult. Don’t act like a grade schooler.

2. Clean off the machines.

You don’t want to sit in someone else’s sweat, so why make them sit in yours? “After using any type of equipment at the club, be sure to wipe it off,” says Parks. “Covering the seats or benches with a towel beforehand helps to avoid this problem, and it also protects you from germs that can be passed on through other people’s sweat.”

3. Be careful when handling weights.

Few things are more jarring at a gym than the loud clank of dropped dumbbells or barbells. Don’t permit the weight stack on any piece of equipment to slam down. “It is disruptive to others training in same area, is potentially damaging to equipment, and can cause injury to the user as it evidences an inability to control whatever weight is being used,” says Parks. “Also remember to put weights back when you are done; it’s thoughtless to leave them lying around.”

4. Share the equipment.

If you are circuit training, trade off sets with someone else, that way you can rest while someone else lifts. “If someone is already using a piece of equipment that you want to share, wait until they are done with their set before asking them,” says Hoffman. “If you ask them in the middle of a set, they may lose concentration. Even if they do respond, it could interfere with their breathing.” Cardio equipment must be shared as well. “Many clubs have time limits for these machines during their peak hours. Be sure to abide by these rules so everyone can benefit from the equipment.”

5. Watch your odor.

“Be sure to clean your workout clothes on a regular basis and don’t wear overbearing perfume or cologne,” says Hoffman. “Take a shower after your workout as well—you don’t want your smell to offend people on your way home, too!”

Yuck. We couldn’t have said it any better. -[End Article]

WOW. Isn’t this sad? 1. Don’t talk, better yet, don’t be friendly with people. 2. Clean equipment, I’ll do you one better, lose the equipment remove the cleaning need. No sitting on machines means no MERSA breeding grounds… +1 point for the Barbell. 3. Be careful, actually they’re saying don’t do movements you haven’t perfected so that you can be in complete control. How do you get better at a complex skill, like typing for example. Method a) make ZERO mistakes, type as fast as you can; b) make millions of mistakes, type as fast as you can; or c) make as few as possible while typing as fast as you can. C definitely wins as a training method, you’ve got to have the ability (facility-wise, equipment-wise, space-wise, philosophy-wise) to make a mistake or you’ll never progress in your fitness. 4. Share the equipment!! I like this one, we’re all friends here, grown-ups, we can share, right? 5. Watch your odor. Wow, these are really the 5 biggest things, huh.

5 Rules of Local’s Gym:
1. Check Your Ego at the Door: We all know you’re the next Chris Spealler, but until you can do 106 pull-ups in one set, dead 3x bodyweight and run 5 miles over hilly uneven terrain in 32 minutes you’ve got work to do. Begin this program simply focusing on technique and let the intensity come with time and consistency.

2. Reign in Your Eating Habits: Quit slamming the insulin button! Eat less food, then, eat more veggies and meat. Once you’re ready follow the Zone block prescription and tweak it from that starting point until your system is humming like a finely tuned Bugati.

3. Be Better than Yesterday. Simple. Read, learn, explore, try new things, develop skills, be unsatisfied.

4. Enjoy the Process: focusing too much on the outcome will stymie your progress and ruin your attitude. We teach complex movements. Biceps curls have very little nuance, the Barbell Snatch (let alone, dumbbell or kettlebell snatches) are like playing the Violin, you can never truly master it. I believe the hamstring curl machine can be mastered.

5. Make friends, live here. Rocky had to have friends to win, so do you. No man is an island, get connected, build a lifestyle where CrossFit is an integral part of you being you.

Clan Cheiftan Out.