Gym Etiquette 101: How to Not Be That Person at the Gym

If you’re reading this, you’re either thinking of joining a gym, just joined one, or someone close to you said, “You really need to read this.” Welcome to the unofficial rulebook of gym etiquette—because sadly, common sense isn’t as common as we thought.

Table of Contents

You Don’t Own the Equipment (Even If You Got There First)

Let’s say it’s squat day. You walk into the gym and notice one squat rack taken by a 7-foot man doing calf raises (why?). The other has a lonely water bottle sitting nearby. You hesitate, then move the bottle and claim the rack.

 

No. Just—no.

 

If someone’s belongings are near a machine, they’re probably still using it. 

 

This is a gym, not kindergarten. Finder’s keepers doesn’t apply.

“Today, my straps were hanging on the bar with plates still loaded and someone had the audacity to pick them up and try to squat.”

@jesskindalifts, Jessica Carpenter

Always ask around before using equipment that has someone’s stuff nearby. If it’s occupied, work on mobility. Yes, that thing you always skip.

 

Okay, so you’ve waited for an available squat rack and completed the dreadful volume of squats. It’s time for your supersets. You’re taking the dumbbell towards the leg machines across the room. After one superset, a stranger wearing a string T and the shortest shorts walk up to you and ask, “Can I work in with you?”. You haven’t bothered to remove your headphones and quickly responded with, “No I’m using it”. You’re an asshole to that stranger’s day now.

 

Be grateful they even asked. Say yes because you don’t own that equipment and your name isn’t carved there either. And remove your headphones when someone is talking to you, that’s just human interaction etiquette at this point. Don’t be an asshole and share— we both know you’re going to take a ten minute break anyway.

Stop Blocking People’s Progress

People are not only bringing their phones for music, but to record their lifts. Maybe it’s adds pressure to succeed, to show form, to share with others, or whatever their reason. You’ve noticed a woman in gym shark leggings recording unbelievably odd leg exercises, but you need to return the dumbbells. You walk over completely disregarding the ongoing recording, despite the quite visible camera stand. You wont know, but in that video, she’s given you a cut eye and posted it for all her followers to feel her disappointment.

 

Watch where you’re going. It’s really that simple. I have this theory that the same people who block people’s videos are the same people who cross the street without looking both ways. Hm.

Keep Your Shirt On, Please

You’ve returned the dumbbells to the free weights rack. You’re looking in the mirror, and you’re feeling fine, especially with the thought that the woman in gym shark leggings was checking you out. You take off your shirt and start flexing with confidence. 

 

Next thing you know, you’re working out shirtless and grunting at every movement. 

 

People walking into the gym are questioning employees if someone is having sex. 

 

People are having to repeatedly sanitize and wipe down your past equipment.

 

It’s great that you feel that way. It’s not great that you’ve become a nuisance and an extra chore to everyone else. You want to work out shirtless? Be considerate and wipe your sweat off of each machine. You need to grunt to feel the movement? Cool. Keep it a minimum, stop exaggerating because we both know you’re not Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Wear Deodorant, We’re Begging You

You’ve been shirtless for four exercises. There’s no one in your two metres radius. People who are trying to reach for an equipment in your radius, are cinching their faces and speed-walking away from you. You’re sweating profusely that you’re wondering whether you’re crying or is it from your overly styled hair. Did you forget to put on deodorant before this workout? If not, go back to the drugstore and buy a stronger one. Better yet, save the environment and start eating your green vegetables to get rid of that stench.

 

Click on google.ca. Search “best sports deodorant”. Choose one or five.

“At my gym there’s like those multi purpose jungle gym things where you can do monkey bars, boxing, pull ups and squats, etc. When I was squatting, a man just puts a dumbbell on the floor to get height to literally just hang but he stares at you with his armpit in your face.”

@jesskindalifts, Jessica Carpenter

The Monthly Fee Is To Work Out

Gym-shark-leggings is near-by. It’s been six months since your ex has left you, and the last six women you tried to hit on at the gym didn’t work out so maybe the seventh is the charm. That entire sentence is quite questionable! Maybe there are women who join gyms in hopes to find their partner in life, but there’s no need to treat the gym as if it’s a physical location for Tinder. Most people are there to do exercises, not you.

 

Join an online dating site where everyone is visibly consenting be hit on— an online dating site is probably cheaper than the gym.

Clean Up After Yourself

When you go to the washroom, you flush, no? If not, you’re gross, bye. My point is that you’ve used four plates and you’ve decided to leave it on the bar. You need to strip the bar and return the weights to their home. Don’t get smug and say, “Oh, the people who work here are paid to do that.” They’re also within their rights to ban you— so stop being a four year old, and act your age.

 

If the area is wrecked and you need to use it, you need to clean it anyway. If the bar is fully loaded and it’s too heavy for you, ask someone for help. If it’s only a five pound plate, clean it up anyway. If you don’t get it yet, just clean.

Don’t Interrupt Sets—Especially Mid-Lift

It’s a new day and now you have to deadlift. Once again, the gym is packed and there’s no available bars. You judge which person most likely has less sets left. They’ve been deadlifting what looks like four sets of eight reps. You want to make sure of your guess, so in the middle of their third set, you walk up to them and ask “How many sets do you have left?”. Congratulations, you’ve levelled up to be considerate enough to even ask. I’m glad you didn’t just take the bar when the person walked over to refill their water bottle. However, congratulations, you’ve become the reason why they had to put in extra effort into their reps.

 

Don’t interrupt anyone in the middle of their lift! Working out is already hard enough as it is. You can wait thirty seconds to ask your so-called urgent question. 

“Some guy asked how many sets I have left in the middle of my volume PR (personal record) attempt.”

@mikenels96

At the end of the day, the gym is a shared space—equal parts sanctuary, sweat zone, and social experiment. We’re all here chasing goals, lifting heavy (or light, no judgment), and trying to better ourselves.

So be the kind of lifter people want to train next to:

✔ Respectful
✔ Self-aware
✔ Clean
✔ Slightly less sweaty than a slip-and-slide

 

The barbell doesn’t care about your ego. But the people around you? They’ll remember how you made them feel—especially if that feeling was “trapped in your armpit cloud.”

 

So lift heavy. 

Be kind. 

Wipe your bench. 

Wear deodorant. 

 

And if someone asks to work in with you, don’t act like they just insulted your family.

 

Gym etiquette isn’t hard. But not following it? That’s a heavy L.