Hey, stop hogging the machine

January 6, 2011

Catherine Toth Fox,

You’ve seen ’em.

The newbies at the gym. The ones who resolved to be healthy this year but are unsure about what to do, where the classes are and, well, how to properly behave at the gym.

Oh, don’t get me wrong. There are a lot of gym veterans who have the worst etiquette. They don’t re-rack weights or talk on their cell phones on the elliptical machines.

There’s nothing more annoying than trying to find inner peace in my yoga class and hearing the loud thud of weights being dropped by the muscle heads in the weight room just outside.

So if you’re heading to the gym today — or sometime this year — <a href=”http://www.usatoday.com/yourlife/fitness/weight-loss-challenge/2011-01-05-gyym-etiquette_N.htm” USA Today has some great tips such as share equipment, respect people’s space, wipe machines after use and keep your opinions to yourself.

As for my advice, here’s what I would add:

• Don’t hog equipment. The other day I was waiting for a 40-pound weight bar and it was being used — actually, not used but held onto — by two girls in a classroom who were doing some kind of circuit training. Except they were using about seven different pieces of equipment each. I was annoyed.
• Don’t socialize. It’s OK to talk story. But having yapping for an hour — and taking up space in the weight room — is not acceptable.
• Don’t hit on me. I’m not here to meet people. I’m here to workout.

Got any gym pet peeves or advice to newbies? Post ’em here!

***

To read all of Cat’s blogs, visit www.nonstophonolulu.com/thedailydish. Follow Cat on Twitter @thedailydish or send her an e-mail at cat@nonstophonolulu.com.

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