I've always been kind of creeped out by gyms; many people doing things and no one is talking.


  • Should I not be in the gym at this time?
  • Once I noticed the bosu ball was placed under the table, does this mean I shouldn't use it?
  • Since the class seems to be women only, is it frowned upon for a male to be working out in the gym at the same time?

It's hard to ask when the instructors are busy giving instructions and music is playing in the background.

Are there any common rules I should be aware of?

  • 5
    – Baarn
    Mar 14 '13 at 9:53
  • 1
    – K.L.
    Mar 14 '13 at 13:08
    – Celeritas
    Mar 14 '13 at 16:17
  • 1
    The gym has no employees?
    – user4644
    Mar 14 '13 at 18:52
  • 1
    – user4644
    Mar 14 '13 at 19:06

I think everyone who has gone to the gym understands your situation, since we were all beginners at one time. Trying to figure out what a machine does can be kind of humiliating; what if you're using it wrong? For that reason I recommend talking to a personal trainer just to get a primer on the equipment. I have no conflicts of interest here -- a trainer can really help break the ice in the gym. If this isn't an option, it is easy to self-educate with videos these days.

In any case, here are some basic things I think everyone should know about using the gym, and how to act respectfully towards the establishment and other patrons:

  • Read the gym rules
    This is really important. If you don't read the gym rules, know that those around you probably have and aren't happy with you if you don't follow them. The rules will be posted conspicuously somewhere in the gym. Read them and follow them. Try to encourage others to do the same if you can.
  • Rack your weights
    This is a pet peeve of every experienced gym patron. Put the weight back where you found it. Also, nobody likes hunting down weights, or having to dig through plates when the 5lb plate is buried behind four 35lb plates. Keep it neat. Put your weight back where it belongs when you're done. Leave things more organized than the way you found them.
  • Use the equipment properly
    If there's a squat rack and you're doing curls in it, you're preventing someone from using the equipment as it was designed. For example, you don't need a power rack to do curls unless you're curling so much you physically can't pick the weight up off the ground.
  • Be respectful towards beginners
    You were a beginner once too. Help them if you can do it in a friendly and non-intimidating way. Be a friend to a beginner. Then spot them, teach them, help them, be their workout buddy. Let's all be friends here, right?
  • Share
    Don't hog the equipment. Let people work in if you're going to take a while. If you see someone who looks like they're waiting, ask them if they'd like to work in. If the gym is busy, be especially vigilant and try to be aware.
  • Communicate
    If a piece of equipment you'd like to use is not in use, but out of place, ask others if they are using it, or have seen anyone using it recently. Also, in general, ask if a piece of equipment is in use in a busy gym if you have the opportunity.
  • Clean up after yourself
    If you're sweaty, wipe it down with sanitizer! Even if you aren't, some gyms cultivate a very clean atmosphere. When in doubt, wipe it down.

A couple of minor points:

  • Yield to people carrying weights
    Encumbered people have the right of way. Give them space.
  • Don't hog the water fountain


  • 1
    – Taylor K.
    Mar 14 '13 at 15:40
  • 3
    – Moses
    Mar 18 '13 at 23:47



  • Based on my observations, the large majority of people who go to my gym do not talk to a single other person, with the possible exception of the receptionist. It wasn't always this way. If you were to get in a time machine and go back twenty years, gyms were very social places. A recent poll found that 22% of millennials have no friends. today.yougov.com/topics/lifestyle/articles-reports/2019/07/30/… The decline of socializing in gyms is a big part of the reason why.
    – Chris
    Aug 17 '19 at 3:31

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