It’s guaranteed nearly every time you go the gym. They walk among us as though everything they do is acceptable. Taking their time, socializing, preaching even. Year after year, you see them leaving beads of sweat on benches and marking their territory with towels and water bottles.

For any gym goer, young or old, new or seasoned, at some point you have come across a gym member with terrible gym etiquette. These people are not limited to age or gender. The worst part is some of them don’t even know that they are doing it.

Here are three key things that could be identified as having poor gym etiquette. If you find that you are guilty of doing some of these in your daily gym routine, there’s good news. But before we get into that, lets talk about the biggest no-no’s that are the most common at the gym.

Body Odor

Here’s the scenario. You’re deep in your final set. Your muscles are burning from the lactic acid and your body is screaming at you to stop. In your head you know you can pump out the last three reps before muscle failure. Three reps feels like thirty years but your not going to give up without completing what you started. 3, 2, 1… You’re Done! Beast mode is in full effect and your riding a mental high. At the same time, your body is fatigued and your gasping for air. Breathing heavy, dripping in sweat… you smell onions.

Body odor is something that we learn to manage as young adults. It’s a combination of cleaning your body parts thoroughly and applying anti perspirant some time after. Such a simple concept many fail to understand the value. At the gym, a setting where large groups of people mutually agree to work out and sweat amongst each other, a mutual understanding exists where we should all not be stinky. Its just not cool. The Geneva Convention banned the use of chemical weapons in 1925. So for those of you who insist on being stinky, fyi you’re committing a war crime and shame on you.

Being a Gym Whisperer

You’re navigating through the free weights section of your gym. It’s the busy hour when every one gets off work and you’re just trying to cap off your day with a workout. As you look through the mirage of bodies for an open piece of equipment, you notice a gathering. A cluster of people which clearly are in no way working out, are surrounding a central figure. As you approach the group you here phrasing floating through air like “Well, what you want to do…” and “Typically I find doing it this way…” coming from the group. As you look over, you notice the individual expert in all of their glory. Sadly they notice you as well and find just the worst moment to intervene during your workout. They make their way over, group and all, to educate you in your inadequacies. Congratulations and welcome to the seminar.

You know its not everyday that your lucky enough to be in the presence of a true master and often times, you’re not. The gym is a setting that is no exception, yet there is always an average joe with an above average opinion. In no way am I bashing people helping people. In fact I encourage it. But sometimes you got to draw the line and see if you’re just saying too much. The gym is a place of therapy for some people. It’s a place of glorious solitude where you can workout pent up energy and heal yourself spiritually. The gym is in no a way the theatre to which you hold live lectures on “How deep your squat should be.” If you are guilty of being a gym whisperer, please, and say this with respect, shut up, and get out of the way.

Reracking Your Weights

Matching shapes and numbers is hard. It requires keen attention to detail and the highest commitment possible. The overwhelming pressure of returning dumbbells and plates to their place of origin is a tall order for anyone to fill. But there is way out of this dilemma. Leaving the weights on the ground is the easiest way to avoid any problems. In fact, it promotes friendship and new beginnings. Kind of like a gift basket. If you’re reading this and are in full agreement, you are part of the problem.

Nobody deserves to clean up for lazy people. Especially when we all pay the same membership fees to attend the same gym. It’s simple, just put your weights back. Don’t be the guy that thinks having a good workout involves leaving a mess. That’s not how it works. When these individuals are identified by the group majority, they’re typically frowned upon. Don’t leave a mess like you own the place. Contribute and keep things in a orderly manner as they are presented. It’s pretty simple.

The Solution

If any these issues are problems that you identify with, then please change. The gym is a place where individuals of all backgrounds come together in the pursuit of physical development and wellness. Whether it be your personal hygiene or reracking your weights, all are areas that you yourself control. Sometimes it just takes a gesture of friendship for someone to reach out and tell others what they are doing wrong. However, the reality of it all is we are on our own and its up to us to how we function in society. Thank you for reading.