Work It Out: The guide to gym etiquette
(Originally published in Gay Times)
The summer holiday season is fast approaching, which probably means a last minute scramble to join a gym to make your torso beach-ready. However, muscle-bound bodies and confusing etiquette can make the gym an intimidating place for a novice, so how can you make the most of your time there?
I got together with a few (mostly shirtless) fitness experts to help you navigate some of the unspoken rules of the gym world.
When you enter the gymâs free weights area, you are confronted with a barrage of audible, ridiculous and almost sexual grunting sounds. To a neophyte, it can seem like the bodybuilders are trying desperately to prove how hard they are working and intimidate you with an almost animal intent. Itâs an impressive display (even though they sound like a tennis player getting a rectal exam from a poorly-trained circus monkey with an ice-pick) but is it entirely necessary?
âAll that grunting and moaning can be off putting to other gym members but it actually comes from a fundamental breathing technique that all gym users should use when resistance training,â says Max Willcocks, a Personal Trainer and owner of LifestylesUK. âBreathing correctly when lifting weights can really help you focus and push those extra few pounds or reps that will help take you to the next level. As silly as it sounds, some people 'forget' to breath when weight training, they take a big breath while lowering the weight and hold their breath and tense up a lot of their muscles while they are struggling to lift the weight back up. Inhaling on the loading phase and continuously exhaling throughout the lifting phase will help you focus and keep a steady work rate. The last thing you want to do it starve your muscles of oxygen. However, itâs this exhalation that is often transformed into a 'grunt' or even a shout. Is it necessary? I don't always think so, but it can help. Just don't go shouting while arm curling 2kg dumbells- no one will be impressed!â
Hiring a personal trainer can be an excellent way to achieve your fitness goals. However, most clubs have so many to choose from; it can be confusing and disorientating to have so much muscle vying for your attention. Should you take up the first person that shoves their business card in your face? Perhaps you should follow your erogenous zone and go for the most attractive trainer? Or maybe go for thebalding, pale, slightly chubby one (every gym has one) so you arenât too distracted?Samuel Marr, a Personal Trainer at Soho Gyms in London, gives his thoughts on picking the right PT, âWe all go to the gym for various goals; whether thatâs to keep fit, lose weight, train for a sporting event or to feel good about ourselves. Most of us want to look a certain way, so picking a Personal Trainer that has a body you aspire to have is normal and a quick, effective way to see if the trainer has the credentials you require. However, be aware of your own body type, what's achievable for you, and be realistic. A bit of eye candy while working out can be bonus but it can also be a hindrance. Building rapport and having the craic with your PT is good but if you fancy him to the point of obsession, perhaps you should choose someone else. Remember, you donât have to hire the first person who offers their services. Most Personal Trainers will offer a free introductory session, so shop around until you find the right person to fit your needs.â
A premium position in the gym is a sought after commodity and is dependant on numerous factors; the proximity of equipment, availability of air conditioning - too close and youâre a human goosepimple, too far and you risk expunging all your bodyâs water through your sweat glands - and, perhaps most importantly, you need to be able to view the entire gym space for your cruising needs. However, does where you stand really affect your work-out? Tim Coles, a PT from Portsmouth, explains,âIt can be tight trying to find unoccupied space in the free weights area during peak times and you need space to move in order to work out, so you have to watch where you're swinging those dumbbells. For example, if you're hoping to start off your routine with a jumping jack before sliding into a forward roll you might want to find yourself a spot in the car park. If space is really what you're looking for, then try swapping gym comforts for a work-out in the open air. As a trainer specialising in outdoor training, I find it exhilarating exercising out in the sun as much as I can during the summer months. Going down to your local park for a jog or fitness class is a fresh and natural way to get in shape. There's something fun about swinging from a tree like a big kid!â
Itâs common practice for some gym-goers to become predatory with equipment, seemingly hoarding stockpiles of weights by their feet, like theyâre preparing for some kind of fitness famine. Some people dominate the entire weights area as if itâs their own living room filled with free weights, with towels strewn over the bench-press to indicate a âRESERVEDâ sign and dumbbells left hidden in the corner as if to say âDO NOT TOUCHâ. When this happens, what should you do? âGyms have busy periods and quiet ones, so my first tip for anyone who finds free equipment a rarity, is to consider going at different times to try and find a lull period,â advises Chris Manning, a Brighton-based PT and inventor of âThe Chris Manning Methodâ. âHowever, like the majority of people, work commitments probably dictates that your choice is limited to âpeak timesâ, therefore you must try and abide by the golden rule of a busy gym: Be Patient! Everyone with a gym membership has equal rights to access equipment, so never feel intimidated into thinking you don't. If you really need to move forward with your session and someone is preventing that, just be pleasant, smile, and casually ask how many sets they have left. If someone is unnecessarily rude, you have every right to inform the clubâs management and ask them to deal with it. If youâre calm and friendly, then youâll more often than not get the same response. It could even build a 'gym buddy' type relationship with one of the big lads, which means free fitness advice! 'Jumping In' with someone is also common practice at a gym. If youâre sharing a machine/equipment, be courteous and always replace the weight position to what they were using before. I understand how certain pieces of gym equipment are almost like a comfort blanket to some people and you can become a little panicked if it isnât available, however there are always a number of exercise alternatives. Iâd advise talking to a Personal Trainer for information on how to work different muscle groups.â
Most gymnasiums are a cornucopia of muscled goodness, which means cruising is an inevitable side-effect. Who hasnât maintained prolonged eye contact with an attractive man until the point it becomes obvious and they feel intensely uncomfortable? While a certain amount of eye wandering is an inevitable part of gym life, it can be tempting to take it a step further; especially if the recipient of your ocular ogling is responsive. So, should you indulge your desires or leave the showers and sauna for their intended purpose? âIt should be said straight off that in most clubs, anyone found doing anything other than sweating in a sauna will probably be asked to leave the premises and could even have their membership revoked,â warns Andrew Taylor, the resident PT at the Kingly Street branch of Fitness First in London, âIf you do meet some one you like, thatâs great, but for the sake of your membership and the other members, save any heavy petting until you get home. Perhaps more importantly, if youâre distracted it can affect your work-out. If youâre serious about training you need to remain focused and by wondering about what might be going on in the steam room or showers, then you might be tempted to cut short your regime. Most of us go to the gym to train their muscles, not their eyes, which also goes for the weights your lifting. If youâre busy trying to impress somebody, then you might be tempted to lift weights that you canât manage. The people I train are lucky, as they donât have the energy for anything else after one of my personal training sessions.â
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