Top 10 Gym Etiquette Rules Everyone Should Know

When you start fitness, you notice that people seem to follow certain rules.

In this article we will give you 10 gym etiquette rules that will help you work out in harmony with other people at the gym.

Most of these rules are serious while others should be taken with a grain of salt.

You will probably recognize yourself in one of these rules, and that’s okay. We live and we learn.

Here are 10 gym etiquette rules everyone should follow:

Judging other people won’t make you any better.

We all have different goals and fitness levels.

So if you see someone with incorrect form, don’t be so judgmental, we all start somewhere.

At the end of the day we’re all here to improve ourselves, we might as well get better together.

It’s totally fine to use your phone while you work out. You do you.

However, don’t be surprised if someone asks you if they can use the equipment you’re on while you’re sending Gymaholic memes to your friends.

Spending more time on your phone instead of working out is fine, but it will not necessarily get you closer to your goals.

The gym is always crowded, we get that.

Nevertheless, there is usually enough space for you to exercise without being right in front of someone.

Imagine being in a middle of a set of seated shoulder press, looking in the mirror making sure you're doing the movement properly.

Then someone comes right in front of you to do dumbbell shrugs or rows.

You were energized, and now you’re frustrated because you’re seeing someone’s butt instead of yourself performing the exercise.

Come on... that person could be doing one step to the side, and they would not be in your way.

Please respect people’s personal space

Here’s a lower body focused plan you can do at the gym:

I’m okay to hear people screaming/grunting when they’re in pain for these last 2-3 reps.

That’s the sound of hard work.

Most people have their headphones anyway.

There’s a difference between a "hard work" grunt and a "please look at me" kind of grunt

The squat/power rack is probably the most crowded equipment.

It allows you to perform exercises such as: squat, bench press, overhead press, pull ups...

As you can imagine, it can be frustrating to see someone working out in a power rack when they don’t necessarily need it.

I used to do deadlifts in a squat rack, then I realized that it did not add have any benefits.

I could simply do them on the floor or on a lifting platform (if there is one).

Same goes to people who perform barbell curl in the power rack when they could use barbells that are available elsewhere in the gym.

If you’re doing heavy curls, that’s a different story.

Don’t use the squat rack if you don’t really need it

Do what’s best for you, no one will judge you for it.

If you go to the gym for 2 hours, talk for hours and only work out for 20 minutes, it’s up to you.

However, don’t complain that you’re not getting any results when you deeply know you’re not putting in the work.

Yes, it can be tiring to put your weight away after an intense set.

But it’s even more tiring and frustrating to find the right dumbbells when they’re spread out across the gym.

No one wants to put someone else’s weight away, it’s a workout in itself

Most of us sweat like beasts during a workout.

Some gyms require towels, while other don’t.

It’s common to see people sweat like crazy and leave it on a bench as if it were some kind of Picasso painting.

Please clean the equipment when you’re done with it

Your name is not printed on the equipment.

Let others you use if you can.

Things like machines, cables, pull-up bar can be shared easily.

Obviously, there are things that are tougher to share such as: power racks (any compound exercises), benches, dumbbells (especially if you do circuits) etc.

Share equipment if it’s safe and if it makes sense

We tend to take the gym for granted.

It’s common to see people being disrespectful to the people and the equipment there.

Be grateful for the people and the environment that allow you to become a better version of yourself.

This article is a compilation of behaviors I’ve seen while training in different gyms across the globe.

I hope it will help you be more mindful when you’re training at the gym.

Here’s an upper-body focused training plan you can do at the gym: