{"id":818943,"date":"2026-08-19T16:36:12","date_gmt":"2026-08-19T16:36:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/818943\/"},"modified":"2026-08-19T16:36:12","modified_gmt":"2026-08-19T16:36:12","slug":"hogging-weights-loud-grunting-and-sweaty-benches-11-gym-dos-and-donts-from-fitness-experts-well-actually","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/818943\/","title":{"rendered":"Hogging weights, loud grunting and sweaty benches: 11 gym dos and don\u2019ts from fitness experts | Well actually"},"content":{"rendered":"

I like to think of myself as a fairly laid-back person. Other people\u2019s behavior is not my business. There is one notable exception: my gym nemesis.<\/p>\n

He brings his computer to the gym and takes work conference calls at full volume. He has four to six pairs of dumbbells around him at all times \u2013 then doesn\u2019t put them away. Intellectually I understand he is a fragile, flawed human like the rest of us, but in my gut I sometimes wonder if he arrived here from another galaxy.<\/p>\n

Life is full of unspoken rules, and the gym is no different. The heavy weights, sweaty people and mysterious machines can make it daunting to figure out how to behave. So we asked fitness experts for their thoughts on gym etiquette \u2013 their biggest pet peeves as well as the behaviors that might seem intimidating, but are actually fine.<\/p>\n

Good gym etiquette is less about following a long list of rules than it is simple respect, says Mathew Forzaglia, a fitness professional and educator. \u201cRespect the equipment, respect other people\u2019s time and space, and respect the shared environment,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

Gym no-nos<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t leave a mess<\/p>\n

Whether it\u2019s leaving a bench covered in your sweat, or not re-racking weights after you use them, failing to clean and reset equipment after you use it is not only a hygiene issue, it\u2019s potentially unsafe.<\/p>\n

Leaving out heavy plates or dumbbells \u201ccreates an accessibility issue for people who physically can\u2019t move the weight someone else abandoned\u201d, says Amanda Katz, a New York City-based personal trainer and run coach.<\/p>\n

As for wiping off your sweat, \u201cit\u2019s common courtesy and takes just a few seconds\u201d, says Forzaglia. \u201cNo one wants to lie down on a bench covered in someone else\u2019s sweat.\u201d<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t hoard equipment<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re planning to do a complex circuit training routine that involves having access to six machines at once, save it for a home workout or tweak it to be more sequential.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou can\u2019t claim the cable machine and the leg press and three sets of dumbbells,\u201d says Laura Girard, certified personal trainer, strength coach and founder of The Energy Academy in New York City. \u201cLearn to share.\u201d<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t offer unsolicited advice<\/p>\n

It can feel intoxicating to think you know better than others. Spot someone across the gym doing deadlifts with what you think is bad form, and it might be tempting to go over and give them a few tips. Don\u2019t.<\/p>\n

\u201cUnless someone is in immediate danger, I don\u2019t think it\u2019s appropriate to offer coaching to strangers,\u201d says Katz. Most of us are not fitness professionals, and even if we are, we don\u2019t know why someone might be training the way they are. \u201cThere are countless reasons an exercise might look different than expected \u2013 from injury rehabilitation to a coach\u2019s programming,\u201d says Katz.<\/p>\n

Other people\u2019s bodies and how they train them are not your business. \u201cNever assume you know somebody\u2019s goals or body better than they do,\u201d says Girard.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t be loud<\/p>\n

Whether it\u2019s playing your pump-up playlist sans headphones, grunting loudly through exercises \u2013 or, as I encountered in my gym just the other week, a man shouting \u201cLET\u2019S GO!\u201d before every set of shoulder shrugs \u2013 being loud is not fair or pleasant for your fellow gym-goer.<\/p>\n

\u201cEveryone deserves their own playlist and to not have their nervous system frayed by a random shout when they\u2019re already doing something vulnerable and uncomfortable,\u201d says Girard.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t scroll or talk on your phone<\/p>\n

Resting between sets is normal and fine \u2013 more on this later. But monopolizing a machine because you\u2019re scrolling social media, answering emails or taking calls is not.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe gym is for training,\u201d says Forzaglia. \u201cIf you need to catch up on your phone, step outside for a minute.\u201d<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t show up late to a group class<\/p>\n

\u201cI understand that life happens and sometimes you\u2019re running late,\u201d says Jessie Diaz-Herrera, co-founder and fitness instructor at Power Plus Wellness in New York City. But walking into a class 15 or 20 minutes late can be extremely disruptive to other participants, and potentially present a safety issue \u201cif the instructor has already gone through the warm-up or explained the movements\u201d, she says.<\/p>\n

Gym OKs<\/p>\n

Do talk to people<\/p>\n

While unsolicited advice is never welcome, this doesn\u2019t mean you have to completely ignore other people at the gym.<\/p>\n

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\u201cMost people at the gym are either also new, or love the gym and would be happy to chat your ear off,\u201d says Girard. As long as you don\u2019t interrupt someone in the middle of a set, Girard says it\u2019s \u201ctotally OK to approach for a quick form check or help with equipment\u201d. (But wait for a go-ahead or an invitation from them to strike up a longer conversation.)<\/p>\n

It\u2019s also fine to politely ask someone how many sets they have left, or if you can work in between their sets, says Forzaglia.<\/p>\n

\u201cMost experienced gym-goers appreciate respectful communication,\u201d he says. \u201cI\u2019d much rather someone ask than stand around waiting or skip an exercise because they felt uncomfortable speaking up.\u201d<\/p>\n

Do rest between sets<\/p>\n

Although you shouldn\u2019t disappear into your phone for long stretches, resting on or around equipment for a minute or two between sets of exercise is normal and expected.<\/p>\n

\u201cRest is part of strength training and Hiit protocols, and most people understand that,\u201d says Katz. \u201cYou don\u2019t need to rush through your workout to look like you belong or keep your heart rate up unless it\u2019s the intention of the session.\u201d<\/p>\n

Do use whatever equipment you need<\/p>\n

There is no hierarchy that gives one gym member a greater right to equipment than another, whether in terms of experience or ability.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou are no less deserving of a squat rack because you\u2019re only squatting the bar,\u201d says Girard.<\/p>\n

Be a good neighbor and share space and equipment, Girard says, but don\u2019t shut yourself out because you don\u2019t think you\u2019re advanced enough.<\/p>\n

Do record yourself if you want to<\/p>\n

Recording your workout is not inherently rude, says Diaz-Herrera. \u201cA lot of people use videos to check their form, track their progress or create content,\u201d she says. The important thing is to not intentionally film others.<\/p>\n

If you think you might be in someone\u2019s video and don\u2019t want to be, Diaz-Herrera says it\u2019s absolutely OK to ask whether you appear in frame, and if they mind moving the camera or cropping you out. \u201cThat\u2019s not being difficult or making a big deal out of it,\u201d she says. \u201cIt\u2019s just communicating and respecting each other\u2019s space.\u201d<\/p>\n

Do change gyms if you need to<\/p>\n

If you don\u2019t feel comfortable in a particular gym or fitness class, find another one.<\/p>\n

\u201cRemember not every space is the right fit and that\u2019s OK,\u201d says Katz. \u201cA welcoming environment can make all the difference, so give yourself an opportunity to try another gym, class or community until you find one where you feel supported.\u201d<\/p>\n

And if the gym in general isn\u2019t for you, that\u2019s also fine.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou don\u2019t need to go to the gym to make fitness part of your life,\u201d says Girard. \u201cThe gym is just a space where equipment lives, and it\u2019s totally optional.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"I like to think of myself as a fairly laid-back person. Other people\u2019s behavior is not my business.…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":818944,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[62],"tags":[337,97],"class_list":["post-818943","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-fitness","tag-fitness","tag-health"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/818943","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=818943"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/818943\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/818944"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=818943"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=818943"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=818943"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}