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Etiquette - Page 2

© Matt Danielson

There's also the aspect of certain foods to avoid before going the gym. If you like stews with garlic by the pound, go ahead and indulge - but not the night before going to the gym! Other foods, such as pigging out on beans before doing squats, is not recommended either. For obvious reasons.

Rule #4: Neatness
Keep the weights where they belong - NOT on the floor, on the machines or on the barbell! When you leave, make sure to have returned ALL the plates, and more specifically, on their designated spots. The heaviest plates usually go low while going lighter as you go up, and even though a 100 lb-plate isn't a problem for you when standing on your tiptoes, it might be slightly more difficult for 61-year old, 5'3" aunt Marge to reach the 10-lb plates which lies hidden behind your 100-lb'er.

Of course, kicking over someone's waterbottle is bad but even if it's your own, you should wipe it up. Do NOT wait for someone in the staff - just do it! You kicked it over, didn't you? Well, then YOU take care of it!

Rule #5: Advice
If you see someone, beginner or not, who does an exercise not only wrong but directly HARMFUL to them, wait until their set is done and gently approach them about the problem.
That doesn't mean:
"Yo, bozo, you're all WRONG!"
but more like:
"Have you tried keeping your back straighter? Perhaps you might wanna try it in your next set, as it can help you target the muscles better and decrease the risk of injury?" Keep it low profile, without embarrassing the other one. Gentle inquiry and correction is better than wiseass-guru attitude.

Needless to say, it works both ways - if YOU end up being the one corrected, swallow the pride for a minute and embrace the chance of having your form improved!

...Of course there's many more, minor rules, such as not slamming down the weights, refusing to share a machine, loud cursing and so on, but these are the most basic rules. In my humble opinion. If you've grasped those 5 basic rules, I say the other rules is pretty much mere application of the basics.

Finally, I want to point out that questions and comments are more than welcome. This isn't a Q&A-column, but I want to know what YOU would like to read about! Your feedback affects my writing, so go ahead and flame me!

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