By Kyle Finneron
I would like to start by saying that the previous write up about gym etiquette and the one that follows are in no way directed towards any particular people. These are simply general/universal rules of etiquette that should be followed when in the gym and the weight room.
Broken equipment
There may come a time when your favorite piece of equipment, whether that be a treadmill, eliptical or adjustable bench will break at the gym. Yes, this is an inconvenience but remember that these things do happen. The first thing you should do when you identify a piece of equipment that is no longer functioning the way it should is to notify a gym employee. They may not be aware of the broken equipment and will not know that it needs to be fixed unless it is brought to their attention. Do not try and fix the equipment yourself. This could lead to an accident that could injure yourself or someone else.
Personal Space
Gyms can be crowded places. There can be a lot of people doing a lot of different exercises and movements all around you. When it comes time to pick a spot to start an exercise, be sure that you are giving plenty of space to any surrounding gym-goers. Also, be conscious of the type of exercise you will be doing as well as the exercises of the people surrounding you. If people are performing larger dynamic movements, you should probably give them a little extra room and not work out right next to them. Be aware of your surroundings and respect people’s personal space.
The grunt
We’ve all heard it, and we may have done it at times, too. It’s the infamous “gym grunt.” There are times when you are trying to lift heavy weights and you will inadvertently make a grunting noise. Now that being said, if you are not lifting a weight that is causing you to contract your abdominal wall so tight that air is forced out of your mouth you probably don’t need to be grunting — this is simply called acting.
There have been studies about the effectiveness of increasing power by expelling a grunting noise. We’ve all seen tennis, but these sounds are not needed for most of your exercises. As mentioned in the previous article about cell phones, the noises you make in the gym can and will affect the people around you.
