Ass Sweat and Unracked Weights: 6 Basic Gym Etiquette Rules You Should Never Break

Someone else is using your favorite incline bench while you finish up the previous exercise. Hoping to time it just right, you notice that as you begin walking over to that next station, the meathead on the bench put the barbell back on the stanchion clips and lumbers away.

But the dunce leaves on the three 45-pound plates on each side and also a smear of head and ass sweat to bookend the vinyl bench cover.

Thanks, dick-for-brains.

Gyms that have a solid and dedicated membership do not need to tell the regulars what should be done, but it is the one-and-done people that like to try out different places until finding one to stick with that are the usual culprits.

It doesn’t take much to keep the gym floor and equipment clean and that makes it all the more frustrating for the regulars. Here are some tips on how NOT to be that idiot. A little consideration goes a long way.

1. RE-RACK THE DUMBBELLS

How annoying is it to go for a pair of 40-pound dumbbells and there’s only one on the rack? So off you go looking around the gym floor for its mate and by the time you locate it on the opposite end, the first one is gone. So be part of the solution and not the problem by simply putting both dumbbells back on the rack in their respective marked places.

2. STRIP DOWN THE BARBELLS

Regardless if you are a powerlifter or beginner, do not leave the plates on the bar on the benches, squat racks, Hammer Strength machines, etc. and put them back on the proper rungs on the weight trees. You can even use this as part of your workout by implementing drop down sets.

3. BRING A TOWEL

A hand towel costs about a buck and most of us just happen to leave a hotel with one, too. So there’s no excuse not to have one in the gym. Wipe your sweat off and lay the towel on the bench to keep the skankiness from before off you and to limit the skankiness you will leave behind. (But you’re going to clean it when you’re done, anyway, as you will read next.)

4. WIPE DOWN THE BENCH OR MACHINE

We all sweat like pigs in the gym. If not, then you’re probably doing something wrong or not putting enough effort into it. So when you bang out that last set, don’t forget to wipe down the bench or treadmill with either your towel or the gym-supplied paper towel and disinfectant.

5. KEEP THE LOCKER ROOM CLEAN

Don’t piss on the toilet seat or leave snot rockets on the shower wall. If you’re not an animal at your house, then don’t be one at the gym. A lot of people need to squeeze their workout in before going to work and have to use the facilities there so keep that in mind.

6. MISUSING THE SQUAT RACK

No one is impressed that you can curl a 45 pound bar with 10s on each end. Literally no one is impressed by that. Move it along, asshole.