Let’s be honest: every gym has that one person. You know the one. They leave plates everywhere. They take three benches at once. They drop the bar from overhead like it owes them money.
Nobody hands you a rulebook on day one. So here’s your unofficial guide to being the person everyone is happy to see walk through the door.
🧱 THE GOLDEN RULE: If You Moved It, You Own It
Re-rack your weights. All of them. Every single time.
This is rule number one, two, and three. It doesn’t matter if you’re only doing one more set. It doesn’t matter if you’re coming back in five minutes. Put them back. Not halfway. Not stacked crookedly on the pin. Neatly, in the right order, on the correct shelf.
“Your workout isn’t finished until the weights are home.”
And yes — this applies to the 2.5kg plates too. Don’t be the person who leaves the tiny ones scattered like confetti. 😅
🤝 SHARE THE SPACE — It’s a Gym, Not Your Living Room
One bench = one person. One squat rack = one person at a time. Simple enough — until it’s 6pm on a Tuesday and everywhere is busy.
- ✅ Working in is fine — just ask: “Mind if I work in between your sets?” goes a surprisingly long way
- ✅ Don’t hover: If someone’s doing their last set, stand back. Staring at someone mid-deadlift is awkward for everyone
- ❌ Don’t camp: If you’re scrolling through social media on the bench, you’re blocking progress. Rest periods are for resting not checking your messages
🔊 NOISE — Be Loud, But Don’t Be Obnoxious
Grunt, yell, make some noise — when you’re lifting heavy, it happens. We’ve all been there. But there’s a difference between a battle cry and a concert performance.
- ✅ It’s okay to make some noise on a big lift — we’ll even cheer you on
- ❌ Screaming on every rep? Probably not necessary
- 🎧 Music: Keep it in your headphones. Unless the gym is playing tunes, your playlist is for your ears only
💪 PLATE MANNERS — The Small Things That Matter
- Don’t slam or drop weights. It damages the floor, scares people, and frankly, it’s just rude. Control it on the way down — that’s half the exercise anyway
- Don’t change someone else’s setup. If they’ve left their bench at a certain height or their pins in a specific spot — leave it. Move it for yourself? Put it back exactly how you found it
- Wipe it down. You sweated on it. Someone else has to use it next. A quick spray and wipe = hero status
🗣️ GYM ETIQUETTE — The Unspoken Social Rules
✅ DO:
- Cheer people on! A quick “nice lift!” costs nothing and means the world
- Offer a spot if someone looks like they’re struggling — but only if they want one
- Give people space — some folks wear headphones for a reason
- Say hello — a nod or a smile goes further than you think
❌ DON’T:
- Critique someone’s form unless they ask you. Everyone starts somewhere. Your advice might be well-meaning, but unsolicited feedback rarely lands well
- Compare lifts out loud. Your 200kg isn’t better than their 100kg — it’s just different. Everyone’s fighting their own battle
- Stand directly in front of someone’s mirror. We all need to check our form — be patient
💡 FINAL THOUGHT
Here’s the thing: good gym etiquette isn’t about following rules — it’s about respect. Respect for the equipment, respect for the people around you, and respect for the shared space.
Be the lifter you’d want to train beside. Help someone load their plates. Congratulate them on a PB. Leave the gym a little tidier than you found it.
That’s what makes a great gym — not fancy equipment, but good people. 💪
— The PowerliftingNews.ie Team