Gym fitness etiquette

Do not encroach on other people’s training resources, do not interfere with other people’s training status, and do not leave any safety hazards. Almost all the conflicts you can think of in the gym fall on these three red lines.

Nowadays, the fitness circle has always been divided into two groups: one group is the "keeping sight group", which believes that as long as you step away, even if it is just for half a minute to get water, the equipment should be given to the people in line by default; the other group is the "reasonable rest group", which believes that the rest between different training groups should take 1 to 5 minutes. As long as you do not leave the gym and can return within 10 minutes, it is completely reasonable to temporarily leave to use a towel or a water bottle to occupy the space. This happened to me last time in a commercial gym. A guy who was doing leg training put his knee pads on the pedal machine and went out to take a work call. He chatted for 12 minutes before coming back. When he came back, the equipment had already been used by an aunt. The two of them argued from "Why do you touch my equipment?" to "It's okay for you to occupy the toilet and not shit." Finally, the patrol coach came over and adjusted it for a long time before it was over. In fact, it is easy to avoid this. If you have to walk away for more than 2 minutes between sets, either say hello to the person waiting next to you, "I have two more sets. I will take a 3-minute break between sets. If you are in a hurry, you can use it first." Or take your own things away and don't cause trouble for others.

When it comes to heavy weight training, we have to mention the two points that are most likely to cause scoldings: throwing dumbbells and roaring. Regarding throwing dumbbells, powerlifters generally feel that heavy weights are really uncontrollable in the end. As long as they don’t throw them on the ground intentionally, it’s absolutely fine to put a little heavier weight on them. But ordinary fitness enthusiasts and gym operators will definitely not be happy. Let’s not mention the compensation for smashing the floor mats. I once saw someone throwing a 20kg dumbbell without placing it firmly. It hit the rubber floor with a thud and bounced half a meter high. It hit the instep of a girl doing crunches right next to her. She suffered a fractured phalanx and was compensated more than 10,000 yuan. To this day, the girl has never been to this gym again. The same goes for roaring. Shouting twice when sprinting for 1RM can really help tighten the core and hold back the abdominal pressure. I couldn't help but groan twice when I pushed to the limit. But if you do a 2.5kg dumbbell curl and you can shout so loud that the whole floor can hear it, and even people in the yoga room next to you come out to complain, it is somewhat unnecessary.

Another inconspicuous but particularly unpleasant thing is not wiping the stool after practice. Who doesn’t sweat all over after practicing in the summer? The last time I practiced lat pull-downs, I didn't notice and sat down. I almost bounced up. The sweaty coolness could give me a chill in the dog days. I looked back and saw an older brother standing next to me who had just finished practicing. He left without looking back. I stood there and wiped the stool for three minutes before I dared to sit down. Of course, some people think, "Why should I wipe it after I have paid the annual fee?" I think that wiping it only takes a few seconds, and it is convenient for others. Next time you meet someone else and leave a stool full of sweat, you will also be upset, right?

Speaking of annoyance, what annoys many people the most is when the “fitness police” randomly point out movements. One school of thought is that "it's easy to get hurt when you see someone making a wrong move, so it's a good idea to remind them." The other school of thought is that "it's just idle for people to go up and force you without asking for advice." My own experience is that if I really see someone doing an obvious injury like deadlifting, bending the waist, squatting, buckling the knees in, or almost fighting, I will first go over and ask, "Brother/sister, do you want me to help you check the movements?" If the person is willing to listen, I will say a few words. If they wave my hand and say "No thank you," I will turn away and leave without saying anything. After all, someone might be doing a variation, or just trying to find a sense of strength first, and if you go up and say, "You're doing it wrong," it's not going to be good for anyone else.

In fact, after all, the gym has never been a serious occasion that requires strict adherence to rules, and there are no absolutely correct etiquette standards. If you were in an old-school iron gym, and everyone was shouting when throwing dumbbells, it would be weird if you were so quiet; if you were in a Shangjian, which specializes in light luxury, and everyone would be talking softly, you would definitely be frowned upon by banging the equipment. The core thing is to pay more attention to the status of the people around you, and don't just take advantage of yourself. If everyone can practice hard, they will be better than anything else.