For many of us, the gym isn’t just a place to exercise, it is an escape from everyday life. When you walk into the gym, you should treat it with the care and respect that you would give your own home. Sadly, not everybody does. There are some individuals out there that not only disrespect the gym and its members, they also put their own health at risk in the process. To ensure you never become one of these individuals, here’s a look at 5 things that you should never do in the gym.
Lift with your ego – Contrary to what some may believe, there is no place in the gym for an overly inflated ego. Other members are not impressed by your impressive feats of strength, and they certainly are not interested in getting into a contest with you to see who can lift the most weight. When you lift weights, you should never lift with the sole purpose of trying to look big and strong in front of the other members. Check your ego at the door and lift weights that you know you are comfortable with. If you try to lift too heavy, you put your life at risk, plus you will look foolish if you wind up getting pinned by the weight and have to seek help from the other members.
Leave your weights out – This is the number one cardinal sin of the gym world, and it is a guaranteed way of alienating yourself from the gym owners and other gym members. There is no excuse for ever leaving your weights out when you’ve finished, no matter how rushed you may be. When you load up the bar with weights, when you’re finished, unload the bar and put the weights back where they should be. The same goes for dumbbells, and machines.
Forget to wipe down machines and benches after use – In the gym, perspiration is inevitable. Sweating a natural process associated with exercise and physical exertion, and it can be an indication of a good workout. However, there is no excuse for you to drip sweat all over the machines and benches in the gym, and to not then wipe it away when you have finished. Try to remember to bring a towel with you, or failing that, use the roll and any sanitary sprays provided by the gyms themselves.
Lift with poor form – When you lift weights, your form can be the deciding factor in just how efficient the exercise that you are performing actually is. When lifting, it’s vital that you practice proper form at all times and perform the exercise correctly. As an example, if you are barbell curling and find that you need to rock back and forth and swing the bar into the air to perform a curl, the weight is too heavy, and you won’t benefit from the lift. By swinging and arching your back your biceps aren’t doing the majority of the work anyway, so it’s a waste of time. Not only that, but you also are putting yourself at risk of injury. If you can’t practice proper form when performing an exercise, go with a much lighter weight until you can.
