Proper Gym Etiquette – Are You Practicing What You Preach?

Nothing annoys me more than people who have absolutely no gym etiquette. Unfortunately, this seems to be a common complaint I hear from friends and fellow gym goers, which is why I felt the need to blog about it today.

What is the deal with not wiping down machines after use and throwing weights around?  How many times have you gone to do flat bench only to notice the sweaty guy  (or girl) who was just using it left his full body sweat mark and head grease stain on the bench?  Yak!  Not only is this disgusting, it also poses health risks. Most common is Staphylococcus, a bacterial infection that is picked up when people don’t clean equipment after use, thus transferring it to the next user though an open cut.  Think you’re exempt from Staph, think again.  It’s so common in my gym, that members are running as fast as they can to the next closest club just to steer clear of this nasty infection!

Then there are the weight throwers. It’s my theory that if the weight you are using is too heavy to re-rack immediately after your set, you need to go lighter.  Throwing dumbbells results in bent weights, which eventually become unusable.  My favorite story of such an incident happened within the last month. I was at my gym and these kids (high school age) kept throwing the preloaded bar down after each set.  After watching this happen a couple of times, I politely went up to them and schooled them on the effects of them doing this.  As soon as I walked away I saw them say something to each other (probably something along the lines of “Why does she care?  It’s not like she uses this bar.”).  They quickly put the bar away and watched as I proceeded to walk over, grab it, and bust out 12 reps.  It was classic!

So….clean your equipment and don’t damage it in the process of using it.  The gym will in turn be a better place for everyone!

 

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