How to Welcome New People to the Gym
January is a great time to work out in the gym. So many new friends! Maybe one of them will eventually become your longtime workout buddy. Maybe you can cheer and inspire someone who is just starting out. Which? No, I’m not being sarcastic.
After all, these fresh faces keep your gym going. If you go to a cheap commercial gym, their fees subsidize your less strenuous workouts for the rest of the year. And if your gym or fitness studio represents a more close-knit community, well, the people who stay close will become part of that family in the future. What’s not to like?
Okay, I understand: this first month can be a little chaotic. The gym is packed, newbies don’t know where to find something or where to put it when they’re done, and they may not have the slightest idea of sports etiquette. These are all problems that, like a regular gym, you can tackle especially well.
Show them how to clean
One common complaint about the yearly influx of newbies to the gym is that they don’t know what they are doing and are blowing things up at home. Unworn bike seats, plates on the wrong stands, piles of dumbbells where dumbbells shouldn’t be.
People notice their surroundings. If the dumbbell rack is well organized, people tend to put the weights back in place. But if the patrons can’t keep order, how can a newbie figure it out?
So be a good example. Take your own shit away. Dry your things. You can even make it a rule to be the first to grab a can of cleaner at the end of your yoga class, wipe down your rug, and pass the can to the nearest beginner.
Teach them to work in
So the gym is full. It happens. Do you remember there is a solution? People need to work with each other. If someone is sitting on the machine that you want to use, just ask, “Hey, do you mind if I work on it?”
Do your set, then insert the pin back into the car where it was (ask them if you don’t remember) and stay there while they do the approach and the two of you can trade. If you’re dealing with something like a squat rack, it’s still doable, even if it means the two of you need to load and unload plates as you trade.
Remember how usual you set the tone. So if someone asks how many kits you have left, don’t tell them “six” and then turn your back; say, “Six, but you want to work?” And especially if you are a stronger person, suggest loading the plates.
First of all, don’t be a jerk
If you’ve read here for a while, you already know what not to do . There is no need to interfere and correct someone’s form . Don’t lay out equipment that can be easily shared. Don’t engage them in a conversation that they can’t politely walk away from. Just … be polite.
Be a friend. Smile sometimes. Compliment the new person with something neutral, like his shoes – nothing about his body, and honestly, I would skip anything about his ups until you get to know him better. (“Nice elevator” is a great compliment for someone you seem to know, but a shy newbie might think, “Well, how long have they been watching me?”
Offer help where it will be useful. If someone presses alone, offer them to pinpoint or give them a pass. If a newbie walks into a yoga studio and stands there looking around the floor, move the rug and help it get in a good spot. After all, they are your new friend, at least for today. And maybe they’ll be back next month as well.