Know The Rules: Top 11 Rules For Bodybuilding Gym Etiquette

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We’ve all been to the gym and encountered a guy or girl who drove us crazy. There’s the person that blasts their music that no one else wants to hear from a Bluetooth speaker. The guy who uses the squat rack for bicep curls. The girl who uses the gym as her personal Instagram photoshoot set. Whether you’re new to the gym or you’ve been going for years, it’s always good to be reminded of what entails being a good person at your local gym. Here are the top 10 rules for gym etiquette.

We think the golden rule sums this up nicely: Treat others how you want to be treated. Walking into the gym with an arrogant and hard-ass attitude doesn’t score points with anyone. You don’t need to be a walking ball of sunshine, but your basic pleasantries of saying hello and asking how someone’s day is going are sufficient. Most importantly, be courteous with equipment. Use common sense here; super-setting between two different machines isn’t the best idea during peak hours. If the gym is packed and you have a line to use your bench or machine, offer the chance for someone else to work with you during rest sets.

We aren’t against getting loud when you’re benching close to your one-rep maximum; breathing heavily and shouting are necessary. With that said, if you’re in a commercial gym where everyone is welcome, including teens and kids, try putting a filter on your mouth while you’re at the gym. Commercial gyms are where many teenagers start to learn the basics of weightlifting. Think back to when you first stepped into the gym. How nervous were you? Chances are the man or woman that looked like the Hulk intimidated the hell out of you. Now maybe you’re that guy or girl who is intimidating to someone else. Celebrate your new personal bests, but keep it clean if kids and ladies are around.

Hey, we get it: you’re proud of your accomplishments and want to show them to the world. Congrats, but here’s the thing: no one is coming to the gym to look at your half-naked body. They want to lift, train, and accomplish their own fitness goals. Guys showing up with a piece of string as a shirt or girls wearing see-through shorts isn’t improving your athletic performance. Sure, it might turn some heads, but is it necessary? More importantly, it’s dirty. When you aren’t wearing much and sweating all over the place, you’re spreading your grossness onto equipment. No one wants to use a machine a dude just laid on with bare skin covered in sweat. Hey, speaking of being gross on machines…

Wipe down your machine. Period. You’re in a relatively small room with a lot of people. It’s a prime opportunity to get sick and to get others sick. One of the best ways to avoid picking up some unwanted bacteria from someone else is to bring a towel and wipe down your machines before and after use. Most gyms will have a disinfectant spray bottle with paper towels. Use them.