Gym Etiquette Thread

Oakesy2001uk said:
there is no need for that, I am not high and mighty and have a good rappor with a lot of people in my gym, I also give advice where I feel I can, my gripe was at people who go there and dont try and have no interest in doing so. these people frustrate me if thats ok with you.
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Then perhaps you should leave the health/fitness centre you go to and join a weightlifting gym. Goals are personal and if people see the gym as a social occasion then so be it. I see people walk out the gym as fresh as when they walked in, feeling like they've achieved something. There could be a million reasons for doing that but how that affects others I cannot comprehend.

I sometimes have a game of squash with my mates. I'm not a squash player, I'm a weightlifter, so naturally I'm crap. I don't even want to learn how to play squash properly or be good at it either but does that disqualify me from playing? Should I leave the courts for the real players?

The are very few examples in this thread which warrant a mention under the term etiquette. Certainly nude stretching in the changing rooms would make me shiver; sweat on benches isn't nice; hogging equipment I can understand; BO before they've even started isn't nice. Most other things that relate to others having poor plans, using resistance machines instead of bar/dumbells or generally not giving 100% is quite frankly, pathetic.

My opinion, of course...
 
spinneR~uk said:
Then perhaps you should leave the health/fitness centre you go to and join a weightlifting gym. Goals are personal and if people see the gym as a social occasion then so be it. I see people walk out the gym as fresh as when they walked in, feeling like they've achieved something. There could be a million reasons for doing that but how that affects others I cannot comprehend.

I sometimes have a game of squash with my mates. I'm not a squash player, I'm a weightlifter, so naturally I'm crap. I don't even want to learn how to play squash properly or be good at it either but does that disqualify me from playing? Should I leave the courts for the real players?

The are very few examples in this thread which warrant a mention under the term etiquette. Certainly nude stretching in the changing rooms would make me shiver; sweat on benches isn't nice; hogging equipment I can understand; BO before they've even started isn't nice. Most other things that relate to others having poor plans, using resistance machines instead of bar/dumbells or generally not giving 100% is quite frankly, pathetic.

My opinion, of course...
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duely noted, I'm not trying to start an argument, but you seem to have created one. you have made your point, I am sticking to mine, it annoys me that when the gym is full and I am waiting for a machine I cant use it because someone is sitting there "resting" or messing about on a bench with no weight when there obviouskly capable of trying harder. They pay there money and can do what they want, but it annoys me, which may not be what the thread is about, but is what it has turned into, way before I posted. Your comments will not change the fact that it annoys me, and thats fine.

On a lighter note you are right about the fitness gym thing, unfortunately im stuck in for annother 2 months and cant wait to join a proper gym (if there is one round here, not many about these days)
 
ExRayTed said:
I was just wondering..what's wrong with upright rows?
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I've read they are meant to be one of the most damaging exercises, along with behind the head pulldowns, if not done properly. I'm sure a lot of people have never had and will never have a problem with them but I developed very bad wrist pain by doing them. I think it was down to the way my wrists were being bent during the exercise. I think upright rows can also damage the shoulder muscles but I never had a problem with my shoulders, just my wrists.
 
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Pigeon_Killer said:
I've read they are meant to be one of the most damaging exercises, along with behind the head pulldowns, if not done properly. I'm sure a lot of people have never had and will never have a problem with them but I developed very bad wrist pain by doing them. I think it was down to the way my wrists were being bent during the exercise. I think upright rows can also damage the shoulder muscles but I never had a problem with my shoulders, just my wrists.
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Oh ok..I didn't realise.I'll have to monitor myself closely when doing them then.Thanks :D
 
Just skim read this thread and it strikes me that most the problems could be solved if you tried being friendly and open towards your fellow gym members.

The gym i train at is small, over subscribed and under equipped. There aren’t many people there who i don't say hello to and i could certainly ask them if i could "train in" or how long they're gonna be without the fear that i was rushing them or getting upset that they were wasting time.

Most people are there for similar reasons and the majority are nice people – it’s the “gym attitude” that creates the problems. Leave your ego and/or preconceived opinions you have at the door and try to be a little more sociable. You'll be grateful next time you need a spot!!
 
I think im quite lucky in the gym that i use, its a private single venue affair that has plenty of equipment but not loads and loads of members.

the people that go are all there for the same goal - to improve themselves in one way or another.

people ask to do sets with others if its busy and 99% of the time it seems like people get on.

nothing really annoys me yet at this place :]

However, there is one thing that i do that i take it others dont.
the freeweight racks are infront of a mirror with a few benchs, if someone is clearly doing a set and using the mirror (be it for checking the movement and correcting or for pleasure of seeing themselves) i will wait until the end of the set before i walk infront. Each time i get a kind of suprised 'thanks'.

used to see it all to often when someone would be in the middle of a set and would need to adjust themselves as someone would take a barbell from infront / behind them.
 
oh, and im one of those doing 4mph (think the machine is in mph) and walking for 15 mins, someone would only need to take my heart rate to see its doing me more good than some others!

tho our treadmills are restricted for use of max 20 mins at busy periods (mon/tues/weds 5pm-7pm)
 
Pigeon_Killer said:
I've read they are meant to be one of the most damaging exercises, along with behind the head pulldowns, if not done properly. I'm sure a lot of people have never had and will never have a problem with them but I developed very bad wrist pain by doing them. I think it was down to the way my wrists were being bent during the exercise. I think upright rows can also damage the shoulder muscles but I never had a problem with my shoulders, just my wrists.
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Use an EZ-Curl bar, if that doesn't help then use dumbbells or even a cable. I've NEVER performed an upright row with a straight barbell, it's awkward and unnatural.

I love upright rows, once you get comfortable with them and get them right you can really lift some heavy weights and build some impressive deltoids :) I'd probably rate my delts as my best body part and I'd credit most of that to this exercise.

I'll also say some people use this exercise to build their traps? I'd say it's good as a tie-in at best, deadlifts are a million times superior for building the traps and shrugs are also a lot more usefull. Upright rows hit the Alterior (outer or side) delt primarily.
 
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I don't have much for etiquette in a gym.. I'm there to work hard and do what i have to do.. I am a different person in the gym has to be said.. sorry about that.

My hates are..

People who don't give 100 % in a gym

People who read in between sets or on a Cardio machine - go to the ******* library

Cheesy soft music..

People how spot incorrectly.. please get it right!!

When equiment don't work.

If i wanna shout then i'll shout ..sorry but if you don't like it.. go to Fitness first or something.

:p
 
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@Chong Warrior - It was the EZ bar that gave me the bad wrist pains in the first place. I haven't tried using dumbells or a cable but I did try using the barbell and that made the problem even worse. I haven't tried upright rows for about half a year so I might go back to them in the future. I now use the calf machine as a tie-in to deadlifts, for working my traps, and I've been happy with the progress I've made although I can't fit anymore weight on to the calf machine so I can only really concentrate on reps from now on. I have been doing lateral raises for a few months but I find the exercise really boring, and they hurt :)
 
Pigeon_Killer said:
@Chong Warrior - It was the EZ bar that gave me the bad wrist pains in the first place. I haven't tried using dumbells or a cable but I did try using the barbell and that made the problem even worse. I haven't tried upright rows for about half a year so I might go back to them in the future. I now use the calf machine as a tie-in to deadlifts, for working my traps, and I've been happy with the progress I've made although I can't fit anymore weight on to the calf machine so I can only really concentrate on reps from now on. I have been doing lateral raises for a few months but I find the exercise really boring, and they hurt :)
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Shame... but dumbells are also very good and can allow you to focus on the delt even more but I tend to stick to the EZ-bar as they work well for me and allow me to use heavier weights.

I no longer do lat raises, I use them bent over for my rear delts but nothing more, I feel they're an inferior movement as regards to building mass as the weights have to be much lighter.
 
Chong Warrior said:
I feel they're an inferior movement as regards to building mass as the weights have to be much lighter.
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Agree. Are there any other exercises that work the delts?

Unrelated Edit: I've just started doing ATG squats and was wondering if it's better to have a wider stance or not. I've always assumed shoulder width stance means the outside of the shoulders but I found with a wider stance I can get even lower if I drop the weight. Does the stance have to be shoulder width or not? Thanks.
 
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I hate... people who think they are better than others just because they can lift heavier and think they have priority over someone else.

Gym is for everyone. Theres a lot of elderly around my area so I see a lot of older people in the gym. I dont put people down because they arent lifting heavy. Hell I'm impressed they are there.

Not everyone can give 100% due to injury, age or something. Some people go to socialise. Thats fine too aslong as they arent socialising on the equipment which someone else could make use of.

Best thing to do is get on with your workout and forget about others. If someones using equipment I need then I wait, do something else or ask to work in.

Not everyone is hardcore in the gym.
 
100% in the gym aint a requirements. I love to lift heavy doesnt mean I'm mentally or physically there 100% everytime. Somedays I'll lighten off and just have an easy day in the gym.

Some people lift to enjoy it whether that be 100% or not.
 
Admiral Huddy said:
Rubbish !! You give 100% within your means and capabilty.
Age doesn't even come into it.
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I agree, although I think asim might be saying that you can't give your normal 100% because of an injury. Though that doesn't mean you can't give 100% when you're older. I see 60-70 year olds sweating buckets doing CV when I go in, really shows you that not all old people sit around and nit :D
 
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