Guest columnist

Don’t be a dumbbell at the gym

Posted

I clearly remember my first time stepping into a gym. I was 18 and really didn't have a clue as to what I was doing. I was confused and intimidated.Barbells and dumbbells were completely foreign objects, and I thought plate-loaded machines were dishwashers. But with the help of other gym fanatics around me, I quickly learned my way around this unknown and terrifying land.

At that time, I was weightlifting at a small, quaint neighborhood gym that didn't have many members. But it was homey. Everyone knew each other, and wouldn't hesitate to extend a helping hand. But there was one important standard that was ingrained in me early on in my fitness career: gym etiquette — you always put your weights away before moving onto another exercise. By not doing so, this causes a hazard to others moving around the gym and creates an unnecessary inconvenience to those members who need to clean up your mess.

I am now a member of a private health club on the south shore of Nassau County, and I love the place — it's clean, the people are friendly, and the equipment is plentiful and readily available. Somewhat recently, the club posted eye-level signs that read: "Please be courteous to your fellow members and re-rack your weights." While many gym members choose to comply, some opt to ignore it.
On several occasions, I've personally searched out gym members who have wandered away from their weights, and nicely asked them a direct question: "Are you done with that machine?" The usual response: "Yes, I am." Then, many times, the "I'm busted" mentality sets in, while sometimes there's no attempt — or even an offer — to come back and clear the weights. This defines, in a sense, complete violation of unwritten gym code.

During the past 18 years I've watched gym etiquette change enormously. While the etiquette is still in existence, many people choose to simply ignore it. And unnecessarily attempt to recreate it. Truly, I haven't figured out why. I've blamed it on people feeling a sense of entitlement — they are paying for a hefty membership and feel that the gym staff should be responsible for putting the weights away. Or maybe they feel a step above other members and simply don't care. If either of these are the case, those guilty gym-goers need to get a grip — on their weights.

I'm not perfect by any means. In fact, I'm the farthest thing from it. But there's a certain mantra about gym etiquette I've always enjoyed. It states, "If you're big enough to put 'em on, you're big enough to take 'em off." I'm not sure whether I heard this or whether I originated it, but either way, every time I step into a gym I try my best to live by it.

Brian T. Dessart, a former Herald sports preview editor and director of marketing, now writes for Sports Illustrated, covering performance, fitness and action sports.