Keeping in mind that Greenbrier Fitness is designed to promote health, wellness, and community, it’s important to also keep in mind that there are some ways you can easily start connecting with people. While there are some hard and fast rules most gyms have in common — the main ones involving safety — there are also some general expectations of gym etiquette.
We also know that being new to our gym, you may not know what these are, so let us take some time to jot them down.
- Arrive on time – Or, even better, a little early. We know this isn’t always possible, because life and traffic happens, but try. By arriving early, you can get yourself situated, refill your water, or spend extra time stretching. The class starts on time and if you’re late, you may have to wait for the next class.
- Encourage everyone – We cheer each other on. Every time, through every workout. We celebrate wins and we always find a win. We also stay until everyone finishes the workout.
- Clean up after yourself – Whether you tossed your shirt during the workout, tripped over the chalk bucket, or have several pairs of dumbbells out, put your things away and clean up. Leave the gym looking better than you found it.
- Don’t drop an empty barbell – Or one with just 10s on it. Barbells are expensive! We avoid dropping them with light weight plates or no weight on them.
- Pay attention to the coach – Respect your coach and those in the class. Keep side chatter to a minimum while the workout is being explained and make sure you’re ready to go when the timer starts.
- Introduce yourself – Make sure you know the other people in your class, and if you don’t, ask them! It’s easier to cheer them on when you know their name.
- Wipe the equipment down – Sweat, blood, and tears happen in the gym, but they aren’t something we want to see later on. If you sweat a lot, bring a towel for bench press day. If you use a wall ball, wipe it down. If you rip while doing pull-ups, clean it up.
- Share equipment nicely – There’s a good chance that during a workout we may not all need our own box for box jumps. We have to share assault bikes and rowers, so please share nicely. Communicate with the other athletes, ask if they are done, and if someone is working to RX the workout and you’re not, please give them priority.
- Sign-in for class – Signing in on Wodify is a great way to help the gym with scheduling classes and coaches. Please don’t forget this!
To keep our gym — and your gym — safe and fun, stick to these gym etiquette tips. And if you see someone forgetting, a gentle reminder is often appropriate.
