Good for you, good for others

As a personal trainer, I have witnessed bad gym behavior from both male and female members. Rude, careless and irritating behavior is not only impolite, it's also distracting. Sometimes, they are even unsafe.
Resistance training is very important for reaching many fitness goals, but if done improperly or carelessly it can lead to injury Someone could hurt himself or herself when an annoying member breaks their concentration. Concentration is extremely important because it is the total connection between body and mind. The mental aspect of any physical activity or sport is vital to optimal performance. In almost all public places, there are some show a lack of respect for others, in-eluding issues like personal hygiene. It's the same with bad gym people.
Let me list a set of guidelines here to help you make the most of your gym visit and not become a hassle to the owner or other patrons. Some of these seem obvious but, then, you'd he surprised by how many people have extremely poor gym etiquette.

Don't be paranoid : When you first walk through the doors, it will feel as though EVERYONE is staring at you. Trust me, they're not. That is unless you're wearing leg warmers and a terry toweling headband.

Always bring a towel : This is to wipe sweat off the machines and this doesn't always mean yours. Wipe your sweat off of the gear: no more needs to be said. Actually yes it does, especially if I'm going to be putting my face in there on the lying hamstring curl. Wipe it off!

Men, don't stare at women : I know how hard it can be sometimes; you're stuck on an exercise bike or resting in between your set, with nothing to look at but the wall. Staring is rude. It puts other people off their workout and makes you look a tad psychopathic. A quick glance is okay, but if the person you're looking at looks back at you, then you've gone too far.

Grave Jumping : Usually people do more than just one set of each exercise and have a short rest in between. If someone is using a machine that you're waiting for, ask him or her before jumping on while they are resting. This also applies to movable equipment, such as free weights or Swiss balls, which may be near someone who is resting. Most of the time they'll be happy to share with you (the towel really comes in handy in this instance). If they refuse, take note, as you've just encountered your first gym grouch. Also, look out for towels or water bottles sitting on equipment as this means that it is occupied.

Dawdling is evil : If you can clearly see that someone is waiting for the piece of equipment that you are using, don't rush. but don't dawdle either. That is unless the person is the grouch who wouldn't share equipment with you earlier.

Don't compete : Whatever you do, do not try to keep up with the person next to you. You will only embarrass yourself. Just because you want to show that smarmy cow next to you, that you're just as fit as he or she is, doesn't mean that you actually are. People who work out seriously do not even know that you exist. You should only be in competition with yourself. Otherwise you run the risk of injuring yourself.

Save your stories : Many people socialize this is fine but keep in mind that some people don't have much time at workout and that they may need to use the machine that you are on. Try not to include the whole room with your stories.

Remove plates : On equip­ment with removable weights like the bench or leg presses, when you're finished remove all plates except one (you can remove that last one too but it is not expected), also put the weight plates or dumbbells away once fin­ished with them. Or else, not only are other members un­able to find weights they need, but it may also be very difficult for some members to use some exercise equipment if heavy weights are left on it.

Don't throw your weights around : Every gym seems to have at least one show-off who thinks he's strong and insists on throwing the weights to the ground when he's finished with them. Often he is using far more weight than he can safely handle, getting some poor guy to spot him while he yells and screams, banging the dumbbells together to ensure all bystanders notice his amazing feat. And then he finishes by launching the weights off of him as if it were a shot put contest for distance. Not only is showing off extremely annoying, the equipment can be damaged as well as the other members.

Keep your grunting to a minimum : Sure, a weight room isn't a public library but it's not a championship-wrestling arena, either. "Some of these guys scream like it's the male equivalent of male childbirth," someone said. Loud noises not only distract other gym members but alert them to the fact that you're lifting more weight than you can handle.

Watch out for ILS (Invisible Lat Syndrome) : This is where even though there is nothing under your shirt, it looks like your carrying around two beer kegs under each arm. People are laughing at you. Well, thanks all for now, but there are lots of other don'ts. We'll take them up later. Good luck and happy working out.

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