Where to Find a Place in a Crowded Gym
It’s January … which means your gym is teeming with determination lovers. And that’s okay! If people want to be better, they have the same right to play sports as you do. However, the downside is that you often have to wait for a free squat rack, bench press, or elliptical trainer. Wondering where you can find some space in a particularly crowded gym?
We have a few ideas, but it depends on what exactly you need the space for. If it’s for stretching or crunching, you’ll probably need less room than, say, deadlifts, mines, thrusters, or anything that requires a barbell, so you’ll have to strategize accordingly. Below are tips on where to find some space when your gym is like a mosh pit.
Empty studio
You can use an empty studio in the gym. As we wrote earlier , you are usually allowed to use the studio when it is not busy. If this bothers you, just ask someone at the gym front desk and check the gym schedule to make sure the group sessions don’t start. And you can do just about anything in the studio, whether it’s deadlifts or stretches. (However, we’d recommend putting in some mats if you’re in a studio with a floor that scratches easily.)
Staff area
Every gym I’ve worked in has at least two areas dedicated to staff: an area behind the check-in counter and another area reserved for administrators or personal trainers. Experience has shown that this other area is rarely used outside of business hours. (Anyway, instructors are busy teaching too.) I use this other staff area for everything when space is a commodity.
In the case of antipersonnel mines, I drive a barbell into the plate and attach the plate to the table. For the hip thrusters, I place the soft plyometric box in front of the office door and set it in front of it. I even use this area for deadlifts from time to time, although it takes extra setup time when you have to move plates from one side of the room to the other. Again, if you have concerns about the use of space, just ask the gym staff. (They probably won’t mind.)
The least used car
Fast: Think of one machine that never seems to be used in your gym. I have a Smith car. On any given day, I rarely see anyone using it, even on a busy day – which is why it is the perfect place to relax. When your gym is full, chances are not all machines are being used at the same time, so you should find a machine that you didn’t use while you are there. Of course, when someone really needs this machine, you should let them do it, but if not, it might be a good strategy.
Cardio floor
Nobody ever uses the space between the rows of treadmills and ellipticals, right? This is why it can be useful when you desperately need a little space. I wouldn’t use it for anything that requires a barbell if there isn’t enough room between the cardio machines, but it’s especially useful for walking, weighted lunges, or farmer walks – really anything that requires walking.