There are certain guidelines and common courtesies while working out a typical gym. Some might call these the "unwritten rules." We’ve listed some of the most common below.
Don’t leave your gear out – This is the golden rule. Leaving sweaty equipment laying out only adds to frustration & delayed start time for the Coach or person working out after you. In a gym setting its is beyond necessary. No one likes to touching a sweaty piece of equipment. Spend the extra 3 mins after your workout to put equipment away. You can be assured everyone else appreciates it!
Wipe down your equipment - This should be a no brainer but you’d be shocked how often it does not happen. Anytime that you’ve used a piece of equipment; barbell, kettlebell, admat, etc it is always expected that the equipment will be wiped down. This not only helps the equipment stay in better condition, but of course keeps it clean for the next person that touches it. There’s nothing worse than going to pick up a medball that’s covered in someone else’s sweat.
Only use the chalk you actually NEED - chalk angels, chalk clouds, chalk handprints, all common things that you might see in a gym setting. Some people just really love chalk! But besides being wasteful, the excessive amount of chalk also causes cleaning issues. You'd be shocked to know how hard some of that stuff is to get off after it’s been caked on with humidity and sweat! So feel free to add chalk to your hands to help with grip, but remember we don’t need to be completely caked in order for it to be effective.
Keep the grunting respectful - Max lifts, full effort sprints, long workouts, ultimately result in some form of grunting. The important thing to remember here is that there are other people around. As a result no one should be screaming or grunting at the top of their lungs. Or making any kind of sounds that can be perceived as inappropriate. We always want to encourage people to challenge themselves and test their boundaries. But we also want to be aware that there are others in the gym who have the right to have a positive experience.
Next time you walk in for your workout session keep these things in mind. Everyone around you will be very grateful you did!
