How Do You Get Someone to Stop Exercising in the Gym?
We asked about your gym etiquette and you answered! Rather, he asked. Lot. Thanks! Today we’re going to answer the tricky question of what to do when someone is using the hardware you need and seemingly wasting their (and your) time.
Kelly asks :
My biggest concern is people who put on some kind of equipment and then tie it up, spending 0.1% of the time using it, and the other 99.9% checking their email on their phone. What’s the best way to work or get them to use their phone elsewhere?
I would join you in anger at this man, Kelly, except that sometimes it’s me. What bothers me is that people think I’m messing around checking my email, when in fact I rest a certain amount of minutes between sets and use my phone exclusively for gym activities, for example, to calculate how much weight I need. we put the barbell for the next set.
Also, sometimes I get scared of the next set and actually procrastinate by checking my email. Sorry.
Here’s the bad news: you can’t always tell when someone is fooling around and not taking a legal rest period. So my advice is not to judge, give them the edge in doubt, and then say one of the following magic phrases:
“Mind if I work?”
To use this, you must first determine if the hardware is shared. If they are using a supported pullup machine, they can easily slide to the side and you just need to move the peg to a different weight in the stack, complete sets, and move the peg back to where it was.
This approach is not recommended if the hardware will be a problem when changing configuration between yours and their sets. For example, no one wants to load and unload multiple 45lb plates between sets.
Either way, the person with the equipment must decide if they want to let you work. If he says yes, be kind and don’t force him to do extra work to accommodate you. If they say no, move on to the next question.
“How many kits do you have left?”
This is a phrase for things that the person is unlikely to be able to share (or won’t, if you’ve already asked). (A “set” is, in case you’re not familiar, a set of reps that I’ll do before the break. So maybe I’ll do five squats, then rest, then five more squats, then rest, then five more. That’s three approach).
Part of this question is for your planning: if they say 10 kits, you won’t get this equipment anytime soon. If they say one or two, hold on – the equipment is about to be yours.
This is because the real purpose of the question is to announce your intentions. After they finish their sets, they should look around and, ideally, tag you or make eye contact to indicate that the equipment is now free. If someone else has already asked them, their answer to your question might be “three, but this guy has him next.” In any case, knowing what someone is waiting for will force the person to use their time effectively.
You’re never guaranteed to be next in line – if they leave the squat rack before you return, anyone can grab it – but you greatly increase your chances.