FauxPas

READ ENOUGH OF THESE AND YOU�LL GET THE IDEA...

Gym Series Part II: Gym Etiquette
Neporent, Liz, M.A. Fit by Friday; 05/08/2001
http://www.ivillage.com/diet/experts/fitfriday/articles/0,,253482_70247,00.html

When asked about the most annoying person at the gym. More than 40 percent of you reported that the person who steals your spot in step class and the idiot who talks at the top of his lungs on his cell phone while taking up space on a bike are the people you'd most like to banish from the gym. This just goes to show you that even at a gym -- a place where tank tops, profuse sweating and mild grunting are perfectly acceptable -- there are still rules of etiquette. Sure, the social graces expected in a weight room are a bit different from those expected at the symphony or the Louvre, but manners are important just the same. If you're not well versed in the rituals and customs that are unique to gyms, don't expect your fellow gym members to talk to you, let alone offer to spot you on the bench press or share their secrets for a great leg workout. Once you learn how you're expected to act, you'll feel a lot more at home in your club.
� Share and share alike. In a gym, weight equipment is considered communal property, so don't sit on a machine while you rest between sets. Stand up and let a fellow gym member work in with you -- in other words, let the member alternate sets with you. If someone else is using a machine or free weights that you have your eye on, feel free to say, "Mind if I work in with you?"
� Obey time limits. Many gyms have a 30-minute time limit on aerobic machinery during prime times. Don't cover your timer with a towel and ignore it, especially if it's obvious other people are waiting for their turn. We've seen people come to blows over this.
� Neatness counts. When you have removed a weight plate from a bar or when you are finished using a pair of dumbbells, return the weights to their designated spot on the rack. Never leave dumbbells or barbells on the floor. Someone may trip on them. If you leave dumbbells on the floor between sets, criss-cross them or butt them up against the wall or the bench so they can't roll away.
� Keep your DNA to yourself. Carry a towel and wipe off any bench or machine you use. Nothing is quite as icky as picking up a slippery weight or lying down in a stranger's pool of sweat.
� Don't do anything in the locker room you wouldn't do in your own bathroom. You don't pour a mountain of baby powder on the floor, use six towels, leave dirty tissues on the vanity or stuff clumps of hair down the drain in your bathroom at home, do you?
Even if you are guilty of these things at home, don't do them at your gym!
� Have some class in the classroom. Besides resisting step position kleptomania, don't barge into a class 10 minutes late and don't distract other class takers by making up your own routine rather than following the instructor's. Always show respect for other class members' personal space; don't flail your arms in someone else's face or block their view in the mirror if you can help it.
� Be a rat. If you see a flagrant etiquette violation, don't be afraid to inform the club staff. Far from seeing you as a snitch, your fellow gym-goers will thank you. The rules are for everyone.

Common Fitness �FAUX PAS�
[Transgression, Wrongdoing, Blunder, Mistake, Misdeed]
Shelley, Lynnette. �Mind Your Members� Manners.� Club Industry Magazine. Feb. 2001:34
1. Before starting any exercise class or using any equipment, wash your hands and wipe off any cologne or perfume. Washing prevents the spread of germs, and wiping off scents is kind to anyone who is asthmatic or allergic.
2. You know you�re going to sweat, so put on some extra deodorant for the courtesy of other members.
3. Be neat and tidy in the locker rooms
4. Use a towel to wipe off aerobic equipment, mats, weight machines and free weight after use. We supply squirt bottles and towels for cleaning equipment when you are finished. Please use them
5. Be considerate of other people waiting to use the machines and other equipment by respecting the time limit posted.
6. While waiting to use a machine, please don�t hover. It distracts people who are working out.
7. Don�t talk to people in the middle of their set, as it breaks their concentration.
8. When finished, return your weights to the rack.
9. Be respectful of other�s concentration and avoid loud talking, profanity, sing-a-longs with your personal stereo, or excessively loud grunts.
10. If they don�t flirt back, don�t pursue it. Not everyone goes to the gym to hook up.
11. Be on time to all your scheduled classes. Coming in late is inconsiderate to the instructor and other members.
12. Keep your workout clothes clean and odor-free. Wash them as often as possible.

Suzanne Schlosberg �Gym-ing by the book: Lessons in Etiquette� January 24, 2000
Healtheon/WebMD http://www.cnn.com/2000/HEALTH/diet.fitness/01/24/gym.etiquette.wmd/index.html

Here's a rundown of the courtesies expected at a gym:
Don't sit on a machine you're not using or when you're between sets. Let a fellow gym member "work in" (alternate) with you.
If someone else is using equipment that you have your eye on, feel free to say, "Mind if I work in with you?" It's perfectly acceptable for you to change the weight setting or seat level; just be sure to restore them after your set.
Keep your grunting to a minimum. Sure, a weight room isn't a public library, but it's not a championship wrestling arena, either. "Some
of these guys scream like it's the equivalent of male childbirth," Gostigian says. Loud noises not only distract other gym members but alert
them to the fact that you're lifting more weight than you can handle.
Don't tote around your gym bag. That's what lockers are for. "Gym bags on the floor are a hazard," St. Michael says. "Plus they take up space, and the gym's crowded enough as it is."
Don't drop your weights. When you're finished using a set of dumbbells, gently place them on the ground. "I've seen people drop their dumbbells from four feet in the air," Tucson trainer Steve Canis says. "It's a macho thing." It's also a dangerous thing; the weights can bounce around and break someone's toes.
Unload your weight bar. Don't assume that the next person who comes along has the ability or desire to clean up after you. "A lot of guys leave heavy weight plates on a barbell and then walk away," Gostigian says. "But for most people, just lifting those 45-pound weights is a challenge."
By the same token, a guy bench-pressing 225 pounds isn't going to want to bother removing someone's 10-pound weight plates.
Return your weights to the rack.. No one should have to waste 10 minutes hunting for the 15-pound dumbbells.
Exercise courtesy in the locker room. Don't take up three lockers and spread your clothing over an entire bench, forcing other people to put on their socks while standing up. "People will rip off their sweaty clothes and run into the shower, leaving their undergarments all over the place."
Be courteous in exercise classes. Don't show up late or distract the class by creating your own workout routine. And play nice! "In New York City, people will get in fights over spinning bikes," Gostigian says. "It turns into a boxing class instead of a cycling class."
Watch where you're going. "People are oblivious to what's going on around them," St. Michael says. "Sometimes when I'm doing lateral movements for my shoulders, someone will walk right by me and I'll almost hit them. Weight lifting should not be a contact sport."

"You always have people who think they own the gym and forget that everyone else pays a membership fee, too,"
You're going to be interacting with other people, so there's a protocol that's important to follow," A weight room in particular can have a culture of its own. This means that fitness facilities need to have safety and etiquette rules in place to ensure everyone has a good workout experience, both written and unwritten rules.

Fitness Management Magazine. �Health Club Etiquette� April 11, 2000 http://www.fitnessmanagement.com/info/fr/articles.html

� Carry a towel to wipe sweat off equipment
� Limit time spent on equipment, especially during busy times.
� Don�t carry a gym bag around; it�s a hazard for other members and takes up valuable space
� Don�t sit on equipment, unless you�re using it
� Don�t drop weights on the floor, put them down gently
� Return weights to the proper racks and unload weight bars
� Don�t hog the water fountain, especially if there�s a long line
� Don�t show up late for or distract group exercise classes
� Use only one locker in the locker room and give others space to change or sit down
� Keep noise level to a minimum
� Be cautious and avoid bumping into people, especially those who are weight-lifting

Anne McDonnell , Weight Room Etiquette: Good manners make happy club members. June 2000
http://www.fitnessmanagement.com/info/fr/articles.html

Rules and etiquette (only the additional ones not included elsewhere)
* Limit perfume and cologne use.
* Wear proper athletic shoes and clothing. Bare feet, socks-only and jeans are prohibited
* No food or colored drinks in the weight room.
* Make sure drinking bottles have a closeable top. Do not leave containers on the ground.
* Be courteous when using the drinking fountain. If there is a line, do not fill up your water bottle.
* Do not spit in the drinking fountain.
* Discard gum in the wastebasket.
* Ask for assistance if you do not know how to use equipment.
* Work out at your own fitness level.
* Ask if you may "work in," and always let others work in.
* When working in with someone, return the seat and weight to the last user's setup.
* Avoid making loud sounds (banging weights, yelling, dropping dumbbells).
* Refrain from using loud, foul, discriminatory or slanderous language.
* Do not remove weights, benches or equipment from their proper place.
* Collars on weight bars are mandatory at all times.
* Always use a spotter when attempting to lift maximum weight.
* Be patient when waiting for equipment, and be efficient when using equipment while others are waiting for you.
* Be aware of others . Don't stand in front of the weight rack while lifting; you block others from getting weights.
* Re-rack weights and return all other accessories to their proper locations.

Our SCFC Staff�s Top Peeves:

1. Do NOT leave towels in the locker rooms and on the floor. Used towels should be deposited into the appropriate bins upon exiting. Two or three towels should be more than adequate for a workout and shower.
2. Please keep your DNA to yourself.. In consideration of others, and for sanitary concerns: In the shower and throughout the gym- No spitting, or �blow snots,� etc. onto the shower floor (this includes brushing teeth), or towels, etc. Please be discrete and use a tissue. Kleenex boxes are provided throughout the facility. Spray bottles of disinfectant and rags are available for wiping equipment when you�ve finished using, and sweating on them.
3. Do NOT wipe your make-up off into the towels. It stains and ruins them. You know you�re going to sweat your make-up off,
please wash your face before working out, and use one of the older, thinner towels, or ask for a small �rag� � we�d be happy to provide it.