Gym etiquette

[Illbefinejustbloodyfine]

I have recently joined the gym having carved out time 2 or 3 times a week that i can attend. Its not a huge gym, there is only 1 of each weight maching but more bikes, treadmills etc.

I am using 6 or 7 of the machines but today it was busier than usual. If i want a certain machine, is it ok to stand and wait or is that bad manners? It feels like bad manners to me.

I ended up not using 2 of the machines because they were never free.

I wouldn't stand and wait as I think it would be rude. If it's too busy I just don't go on that machine then go on another

I wouldn't stand and wait, I'd think that's rude.

I just use something else and keep an eye on the machine I want.

Use the machine next to it and then swipe it after. Don’t hover

This is what i did til i had no other options left. I guess i need to not go at college kicking out time again. Several groups of teens all working out togetger (taking it in turns on the machines). I was really surprised to see so many young people there, great to see.

Can I jump in and ask another etiquette question while you are all here?! I see some people spraying and wiping the machines with blue roll, some before they use but some after. Am I expected to clean each machine after use?

Ds and I go together a few times a week, usually it’s busy so we just go and see what’s available. We will happily share one machine and do reps, swapping inbetween.
I wouldn’t stand over and wait, feels a bit weird and intrusive and pressuring but our gym is massive and there are so many machines so we always have at least some choice even when it’s busy.

if the gym provides the roll and spray then I’d say yes, particularly if you’ve sweat over it :)

OP, you can ask to work in (so do your set while the other person is in their rest period between sets) but it depends on how well trained/mannered the other person is as to whether they’ll agree.

i don’t use it for the 5 minutes we warm up on the cross trainer or the treadmill or whatever but we do tend to spray and wipe machines we sit on just as a courtesy - I get a bit of a damp back and yeah sometimes there’s leg sweat left on the seats!
Generally if you sweat somewhere you ought to wipe up after yourself.

Yes, you should really.

Going on the machine next to it is probably better than standing. Wiping down is good (though I always wonder why people never wipe mats, as more of your bare skin is likely to have been on them). You could try classes if you're always having to wait-ask the staff for advice on which would suit your goals, or some gyms have a limit on machines at busy times. Personally I wouldn't want to go to a gym where I'm always standing and waiting if the machine I need is occupied, so it's worth looking into options, if you can get what you want out of either a class or a change in routine.

@stickydough there are notices up at the gym I use saying please wipe with the blue roll after use but I think this is directed at people who are sweating and would otherwise leave a damp patch. Some things I'm doing I don't sweat much but I still do a token wipe to show willing. Some people wipe beforehand in a slightly passive-agressive "I don't think you did a very good job of wiping this" way. I have occasionally wiped beforehand if the previous person's wiping left a damp (waterspray) patch that would be just as unpleasant as sweat.

I don't usually hover but if someone is taking the absolute piss, like spending a ridiculous amount of time texting or playing with their phone between reps then yes I stand in their eye line and even start to glare a bit.

I remember the days when you went up to the machine you wanted to use and if someone was already on it, you asked if you could use it while they rested.

So, they use it you rest, you use it they rest.

Everyone did it.

Now it's all towels and spraying down, etc.

@southerngirl10 that is exactly what happens at my gym 80% of the time.
People just say ‘can I jump on with you’, which is slightly eye raising to new members who wonder what they mean. 😂

Wit the blue roll and spray only if I sweated on it. But certain lifts I don’t really sweat.

With ‘working in’. I wouldn’t like it unless I was doing a bootcamp style workout. I rest between sets and don’t want to keep moving away from the equipment to let someone else use it. Plus having to adjust the weights would be annoying.