DECADES AGO, THE gym was reserved only for muscle-bound behemoths pumping iron – and their clanking plates and loud grunts and smells like you wouldn’t believe.
But these days, it’s all changed. From budget spots (think: Planet Fitness) to capital-F Fancy health clubs like Life Time and Equinox to classic musclehead spots like Gold’s, today’s gym scene offers something for everyone. To some, it’s a summer refuge from the heat, to others, it’s a Saturday afternoon date spot, and yeah, a few people still want to blow up their biceps and pecs and egos, too.
More than ever, the gym is now for everyone, whether you’re chasing muscle or sweat or 10,000 steps or just a little bit of social connection. And to rack up maximum gains we all need to know how to be comfortable in the gym – and how to make everyone else comfortable too.
That’s where Men’s Health’s New Gym Commandments come in. Throughout 2024, we’ve picked the brains of fitness’ finest experts (both men and women), and observed typical gym-goer behaviour. The result is these 10 guidelines that will help you (and everyone around you) get the most out of every rep, round, set, and circuit – all without becoming the dreaded guy delivering the form-checks nobody wants.
Bookmark this page for the next time you find yourself guessing about what to wear to the gym. These rules will help you get fit while fitting in, anytime, anywhere.
1. No equipment campouts!
SOME SPOTS LIKE squat racks, benches, and leg press machines become high-value real estate when the gym gets busy. Yet very often, you’ll see someone camping out on the squat rack for 10 to 20 minutes on end. (Even worse: They’ll be scrolling through three TikToks and two Instagrams before doing their next set.)
If you’re going to spend more than 10 minutes at any gym station, you’ll need to learn to share. That goes for dumbbells or machines too – especially if you’re doing a circuit. “If you plan to use a machine for a long time, be open to sharing it as a normal default,” says trainer Lee Boyce. “Allowing others to work in with you shows respect for your space.”
A bonus: sharing your machine will subtly auto-regulate your rest periods, letting you push harder and heavier when you do work.
2. Leave the equipment how you found it
PUT YOUR WEIGHTS back where you found them. And always wipe. Everything. Down. If your back or your butt is going against a piece of equipment, once you’re done with your sets, you should towel it off (even if you haven’t left a sweat lagoon behind).
This isn’t just a common courtesy thing, either. “For members who are visually impaired, a cluttered gym floor makes it really difficult to navigate through the gym safely,” says Claudette Sariya, NASM. “The gym becomes a second home for a lot of people, so it’s important to treat it the way you’d want other people to treat things in your home.” AKA, not like your frat house.
3. No unsolicited form checks
LISTEN, FORM CHECK is our series, not yours. And despite what the dude with the Ph.D in bench pressing and the certification in squats at your gym says, it’s not his either. Truth is, nobody should be telling anyone how to do the perfect biceps curl no matter how many hours they’ve put in studying TikTok, because, as the real experts say, there’s no such thing as truly perfect form. The most experienced gym-goers know that injuries and goals often change how somebody approaches an exercise.
The most experienced gym-goers also know that they’ll get a better workout if they focus on their sets instead of everyone else’s. “The gym is already intimidating, especially for some women and beginners,” says trainer Nellie Barnett, CPT. “So don’t make it worse by being the know-it-all that no one asked.”
4. Film away—if you’re the star
THE RIGHT VID just might help you master your deadlift form – or kickstart your fitfluencer career. But unless you paid the gym some Disney-level location fee, you have to share the space. So guest stars (read: other gym patrons) shouldn’t be in your HIIT short film unless they’ve agreed to it (or are getting royalties).
Keep the camera focused on you at all times. And sure, you can bring your tripod and your ring light and the entire production crew from Deadpool & Wolverine for your biceps blowout epic, too. Just observe the five-foot rule: keep everyone and everything on your team within five feet of your person at all times. “Find a corner or empty space to film,” says trainer Gerren Liles, NASM. “Most people won’t mind there being cameras, but it’s in your best interest.” Translation: Less photoshop work later.
5. Phone calls are (sometimes) ok
YES, IT’S COMPLETELY fine to check your email during a workout, or snap a selfie when the gym lighting is just right. But when your tax accountant calls to break down your 2024 expenses?
Sure, pick up the call, but consider it a jaw curl: you’re working out your vocals during a phone conversation, so vacate your weights and your bench so others can train larger muscles. Your one exception? Yes, you can call your bestie during a treadmill walk.
Know this, though: All those calls just may kill your gains. “Here’s a challenge,” says Boyce. “Log your workout progress the old college way: with a pen and notebook.”
6. Workout first, socialise second
YES, FITNESS IS great with friends! But here’s the thing: once a squad grows beyond a group of four, it’s basically a group fitness class. And that works in CrossFit, not your local big-box.
Have a bigger crew than that? Then split off into two groups in the gym, that way you’re not monopolizing the equipment. This isn’t just for courtesy, either; it’s for your own gains. A training partner who yaps too much between sets ensures you’re building jaw muscle instead of quads, lats, and abs.
7. Absolutely. No. Creeping.
IT’S THE START of a really terrible Netflix romcom: you lock eyes with someone from across the free weights section. They beckon you over for a spot. You graze hands as you swap out plates – and suddenly you’re married and inviting the entire Gold’s Gym staff. Right?
Wrong. Because a workout isn’t a mating ritual. Sure, you just might meet somebody at the gym, but the workout comes first (see: Commandment No. 6). So wait til a rest period (Commandment No. 10; look how it all works together!), or post-workout protein shake time. “Us gym girls know we’re hot,” says MH associate editor Cori Ritchey, C.S.C.S. “But save it for when I’ve finished my workout.”
8. Dress for muscle success
EVEN IF YOU’RE crushing a three-hour workout every day, the gym is not actually your house. It’s everyone else’s, so you’ll need to follow everyone else’s rules. In most gyms, that means rocking a shirt (even if you have Hemsworth-level abs). And you’ll need to wear shoes, too.
Really want to get your Magic Mike on midway through your chest workout? Trainer Jake Boly, C.S.C.S, says there’s a simple rule you can follow: Ask a gym employee first. “I love lifting barefoot at times and training shirtless,” Boly says. “But is that the culture of your gym?” If you’re scared to ask whether you can take your shirt off, that’s your first sign to keep your clothes on.
9. Pick your godzilla spots
THE GYM CAN often seem like a zoo, with heavy weights dropping and plenty of grunting and panting. But watch closely, and there’s a method to the madness. When you’re not actually “working” during a workout, you don’t get to channel Godzilla.
So sure, exhale loudly during a tough set of bench presses or kettlebell swings or sprint. But once you put the weights down, quiet down – and learn to put the weights down quietly, too, says Boyce: “Believe it or not, there’s a correct way to dump weights at the end of a heavy set.”
Can’t do it? You’re likely lifting too heavy.
10. Quiet during the set!
WOULD YOU WANT somebody asking your surgeon for a scalpel midway through your heart surgery? No. And, truth be told, some gym lifts (think: heavy bench presses and snatches and those confounding Turkish getups) require surgeon-level focus, if only for a few seconds.
That’s why the golden rule of gym conversation is this: don’t speak to anyone when they’re working. If somebody’s midway through a set or a circuit or a 5-mile run, can they really give you a spot, share their equipment, or catch you up on House of the Dragon then anyway? “Read social cues,” says trainer Andrew Coates. “If someone has headphones on or a cap down of their eyes, you’d better already have their phone number if your interruption is welcome.”
Once they’re done, give them three deep breaths. Then ask your question.
This article originally appeared on Men’s Health US.
