Advanced Gym Etiquette for the Advanced Lifter
Another holiday season has come and passed, and now it’s time to dive back into another fascinating display of human nature called the gym in January.
With all the New Years resolutioners running about, gym etiquette is usually at the forefront of everyone’s mind. It can be tough for a newbie to get a handle on all the unwritten rules, basic safety, and the “not accidentally being an arsehole” etiquette that is now second nature to most regulars. But it’s not just the resolutioners who should be brushing up on their etiquette before getting in the gym this January - even when you’re far from being a newbie resolutioner, it doesn’t mean your etiquette matches your gym knowledge. It might be time to earn your masters in advanced gym etiquette.
If you’re someone who has spent more time at your local gym than some of the machines have, recognize that you are in a position that every resolutioner around you is trying to attain - you enjoy regularly and consistently coming to the gym, and as a result are probably more physically fit than the average human being. This means that in the social microcosm of your local gym, you hold a position of very slight “status”. (Emphasis on the "very slight", settle down now). But just know that some beginners may actually be looking up to you as an example of what they are shooting to attain - they want to be a gym regular.
This little “status” comes with two big reasons why you should start thinking about gym etiquette a little differently.
It means you can help set the example for the next generation of meatheads.
Only you can prevent another generation of gym goers who don’t re-rack their weights, wipe down machines, or wear deodorant. And you can do so by setting a good example on the etiquette basics by doing it yourself.It also means that you (knowingly or not) can impact the success or failure of those around you.
Your “gym regular status” can be used for good or for evil. You could be intimidating to resolutioners (even just passively), and add yourself to the list of reasons why they don’t step in a gym again until next January. Or you can use your “little status” to subtly help them realize the gym isn’t so intimidating after all, and help them stick around to be a part of the utopian future we all dream of where each person is more muscular than the next. I like option number 2.
At your advanced stage, start thinking about gym etiquette less about trying to avoid accidentally making people’s day worse, and more about the small ways that you can start to make everyone around you better. Not only will this make the dreaded “January” more tolerable for everyone involved, but it can spill into the rest of the year and make your gym more fun to be in all the time. Here are some of my favorite self-inflicted gym rules that help support that. NUMBER 1: If you see a plate abomination, fix it.
Racking your weights when you're done is day one stuff. You know by now that everyone hates weights not being re-racked, 45’s being placed on the rack over top of 2.5’s, and small plates on the bottom weight peg. So be the change you want to see in the world - if you’ll be taking weights off the rack anyway, take the extra couple seconds to rectify plate abominations and rack a stray weight or two in your area. Think about what a beautiful place the world would be if everyone did this once per workout. And think about that newbie who might see you do this - maybe it’ll stick with them too?
NUMBER 2: If you see someone hovering, ask them if they’re waiting, and if they want to work in.
Yes, hovering by a machine you want to use that is being used by someone else is weird. But you can just as easily make it not weird by taking the first step and breaking the ice. Maybe they don’t want to work in and just happen to be there, or maybe they do want to work in and are too scared to ask the big scary fit person (hey, that’s you). A quick “Hey, are you waiting on this? You want to work in?” takes the weirdness out of the situation for both of you, and it helps someone who 9 times out of 10 might be just too shy to ask.NUMBER 3: When you’re working in with someone, remember their seat height setting and weight.
If you’re sharing a machine and alternating sets with someone, take a quick mental note of things like their seat height and what weight they are using. Once you’ve finished your set, change the machine over to their settings so they don’t have to.It takes next to zero effort or time, but is the best way to show a little “I got your back, bruther” to the person you’re working with. Even if no verbal communication is exchanged, and you end up remembering their settings wrong, it really is the thought that counts. I’ve never seen this end in anything other than a very pleasant interaction.NUMBER 4: Move through the gym like a defensive driver.
If you’ve been in the gym for a while you know that just generally being aware of your surroundings is probably the most important thing for both keeping everyone safe, and not accidentally being an arse when navigating the gym. Even with this in mind there are still way too many people that move through the gym like they own the gym, and everyone in it.Unless you’re in danger of losing grip and dropping the weight you’re carrying, yield to people around you. And if you see someone doing the little penguin scurry-shuffle to the dumbbell rack with two weights in their hands, make way for them.I always go by the rule that the person who is carrying the heavier weight has the right of way. So if you’re carrying 80lb dumbbells and I’m carrying 50’s, you get first passage rights to the rack. (Exemptions are made for the size of the human being. If you’re built like a fridge and carrying 40’s you should still yield to my grandma if she’s carrying some 15’s.)
He’s got the right of way.
NUMBER 5: If you’re spotting someone, the set ALWAYS ends with a fist-bump. No exceptions.
This should be taught as law when signing your membership. Whether it’s a good friend of yours that you’re spotting, or just some random person who asked - all sets end with a fist bump. Non-negociable. Doesn’t matter if they’re doubling your best bench or barely scraping 25% of it; this will always make the person you’re spotting feel like they belong in that gym, and that you recognize their hard work. It’s like a non-committal, and not-weird version of a hug for meatheads. NUMBER 6: The random fist-bump.
This one is a very advanced maneuver - only attempt once you’ve mastered all the other techniques.If you notice someone similar to you (ex: I’d only really do this to other 25-odd aged dudes, otherwise things risk being a little strange) working super hard and you happen to be near them when they finish a set - offer up a random fist bump, along with a nod and the simple word “Nice”. I don’t care if they’ve been going to the gym for 10 minutes or 10 years - this literally cannot fail to make someone’s week and costs you 2.5 seconds of your life and 25ml of breath. Normalize hyping up strangers in the gym in 2024.
There are probably more of these advanced etiquette tidbits, but the main lesson is this: start thinking of the gym as a co-operative where everyone shares a space and equipment to collectively work towards getting better - because that is quite literally exactly what it is, and people tend to forget it. Everyone in the gym is essentially on your team, and as somebody in a hockey locker room somewhere (probably) once said: the difference between good players and great ones is that great players make everyone around them better. Forgot to get me a Christmas gift? Don’t worry about it - if you share this article it helps spread the word about my business and spreads the word about making the gym a better place this New Year - which is kind of the best gift you could ever get me in the first place. Did I forget to get you a Christmas gift? How about a meeting where we talk about actionable things you can do to get on the right path towards your performance goals? You can schedule a time here in just a few clicks, and my gift to you will be guaranteeing you leave with actionable direction towards your training goals. 