If I had a dime for every dumb question that came my way, well, I’d have a lot of dimes. Common sense is everything BUT common, especially these days. While I’m often amused at all the “Gym Fuckery” and “Gym Fails” videos, It really drives home the point of how utterly clueless ( and dangerous) people are.
First and foremost…come to the gym prepared, mentally and physically. Nothing worse than the meandering fool hanging around, taking up space, finishing up a phone call, or sitting on a piece of equipment thinking its their own personal office space. Get your mind clear, take your MAXXOUT POWER pre-workout ( shameless plug) and enter the gym with purpose.
With that out of the way, I present to you a comprehensive list of DON'TS which SHOULD already be known and common place , but aren’t:
1.DON’T walk around with ILS ( Imaginary Lat Syndrome) ESPECIALLY when you have Pro BBers in the gym…makes you look like a fool that's carrying invisible luggage.
2. DON’T scream and make sounds like you're giving birth, especially when the girl next you is warming up with your max.
3. DON’T stand directly in front of me when I’m doing a set. 500,000 sq. foot of gym space, and you have to be in my sight line as I’m trying to focus?
3a. DON'T grab the dumbbells off the rack in that same space as I’m doing my set, wait till i’m done.
4. DON’T load up the leg press with every weight in the gym, only to kick out a set of 2 inch, barely cracking your knees, didn’t even have to un-rack the machine, waste of time and energy.
5. Follow up to #4…DON’T leave the 2,000 lbs. you just loaded up ON the machine. YOU loaded it up He-Man, YOU break it down!
6. DON’T sit on a machine texting on your phone for 10 minutes, then when I ask if you're done, reply with “I've got 4 sets left”…
7. DON’T go over to the pretty girl with the headphones on, and interrupt her workout so you can “show her the right way” to do it. Chances are, she knows more than you do and has the headphones on so tools like you don’t bother them in the first place!
8. DON’T take the treadmill right next to me when there are 20 of them open. Same concept as the every other urinal rule in the mens room…
9. DON’T take off all the plates on ONE side of the barbell, then look surprised when the whole thing flips over and almost kills someone.
10. DON’T take up 5 pieces of equipment in some Rube Goldberg style giant superset so NO ONE can get on a damn thing.
11. DON’T circle the gym parking lot for 20 minutes looking for a closer spot, only to go in the gym to do an hour of cardio on the treadmill!
12. DON’T sweat all over a machine (or cardio) then walk away when you're done. Seriously??
13. DON’T use the squat rack to do your curls, especially when what you're curling doesn’t need the 2000 lb. load capacity.
14. DON’T leave you weights on the floor, and…FOR THE LOVE OF GOD…put them back where they belong!!
15. DON’T go into a Planet Fitness as a competitive bodybuilder and complain about the lunk alarm going off on you. This type of gym isn’t made for YOU. I agree, its ridiculous…so why would you want to train there anyways??
Just a few off the top of my head. Sadly, this alone could be a weekly column. Using common sense in the gym ( and in your diet and prep) will give you your best shot at achieving your goals.
