Five Basic Rules of Gym Etiquette

1. Pick up after yourself. A simple life lesson that (hopefully) most of us were taught as children and still comes into play in our adult lives. We get it, after a rough workout the last thing you want to do is pick up those weights you were just throwing around one more time; however, if you don’t, who will? The Gym Fairy? As amazing as it would be to have a Gym Fairy, sadly, they do not exist. So the people stuck picking up after you are your fellow members or the coaches. Thankfully, most people are pretty good about picking up the equipment they used in the workout, however, the same can’t be said about those pesky mobility tools. So at the end of your time at the gym, take a look around, make sure you didn’t leave any foam rollers, lacrosse balls, Ab Mats, bands, your socks, etc., lying around for someone else to deal with.

2. Wipe down your used equipment. It is true that community is a huge part of CrossFit, we love sharing in each other’s triumphs and successes, but not each other’s germs. The workouts are hard enough, no reason to force someone to use a bar, wallball, or rower that is covered in, well, you. So whether you bled, cried, sweat, or slobbered all over your equipment, do us a favor and wipe it down.

3. Listen and don’t distract. When the coach is covering the movements and standards for that day’s class, do your best to listen. There is a reason for reviewing everything you will be doing in class, perhaps the standard is slightly different for today, or the coach has a useful tip to make you more efficient. However, if you feel like what is being said truly won’t benefit you, at least don’t distract those around you. If the coach is covering how to scale a movement that you don’t need to scale, perhaps the person you just struck up a conversation with does need to know how to scale that particular movement. Be considerate of those around you.

4. The current class has “dibs” on both equipment and space. If you come early or stay late to work on some weaknesses, get an extra workout in, or mobilize, that’s awesome! We definitely love seeing people go the extra mile to improve their fitness; however, don’t take away from the current class. If there is a shortage on rowers, bikes, bars, platforms, or space in general, the members who are participating in the class at that time have priority. Take a look around, see if what you are about to do might take away from the class, or simply ask the coach to make sure you won’t be in the way.

5. Be aware. Lastly, a rule that could easily sum up all previous rules, be aware of your surroundings and be considerate of others within the gym. Make sure that kettlebell you are about to grab from the middle of the floor wasn’t just brought out by someone else; or in those larger classes, before you throw your bar down, be sure you aren’t about to throw it down on someone’s ankle; or be aware of where you are walking, try not to walk a foot away from someone who is about to snatch, or behind someone who is doing kipping pull-ups.
We are all there for a common purpose, so let’s try to work together to make our gym a friendly, outgoing, clean atmosphere where people feel both safe and comfortable while attaining their goals.