This is the third and final installment of the Gym Etiquette series- so let's get to the stuff that really bugs all of us in the workout area.
Although the above seems like a lengthy list of grievances, the gym provides all of us Snatch It Girls with some sort of outlet. As such, we've all met some pretty cool and like minded people, so these annoyances are a very small price to pay. Like all things in life, be aware of others and do good whenever you can, cause whether we like it or not, we are all in this together.
- What if I told you they provide towels for a reason??? Yes, that's right lots of people who are big sweaty messes like to forgo the provided towel. You say "I glisten", I say you "you look like a big ole sweaty hot dog,-you know the ones that they serve at the movie theater that they let rotate on that weird machine". We're glad to see you working hard, but if you leave a soul-glow sweat mark on the bench- please be polite and wipe it down for the next person!
- While on the topic of sweat, we often like to play a game called "What's that smell?". We have all had this experience, you're listening to a really good song, maybe even hitting some PR's and then it hits you - a smell so horrendous that you're not even sure that there are words to describe it. It's somewhere between a dirty tater-tot and a wet goat that has been eating horseradish??? There's a pattern to the horrendous smell-it's usually those people (and by "those people" let's be honest, it's a men) who carry their gym bag with them everywhere- these dudes smell the absolute worst. How can someone not notice such a horrendous odor? Do these men just need to answer the clue phone? Put some damn deodorant on STAT because it smells like you might be carrying a dead hooker around in your bag!!!
- The next annoyance is best described by David Larry who says "Only two kinds of people wear sunglasses indoors: Blind people and Assholes. Enough said!
- Rack your weights, this ain't a college dorm room. This offense is generally committed by men- if you were able to lift the weights for your sets then you should be able to re-rack them when you are done. It's not only rude, but it's completely selfish- if you are that unaware of other gym goers then you should really just get a membership to your basement where you can leave all your weights on the machine right along with your dirty socks....jackass.
- If you love to text, that's so sweet buttercup, but don't do it while working out and certainly don't remain on a rack, bench or machine while you aimlessly text cause you will certainly piss off the most docile of gym goers.
- Wear appropriate gym clothes- wearing workman boots, camouflage pants with a polo shirt is not only a fashion offense- it's not proper workout attire. Don't be shocked if people look at you strangely, we're just not sure if you are there to workout or fix that busted up cable machine that's been on the fritz for months.
- The same is true for the ladies- if you want to look cute it's all good and well, but make sure your attire is appropriate and functional and for the love of everything good, stay clear away from any gym clothes that are "heather gray"...if you don't know why, you are obviously not working out hard enough!
Although the above seems like a lengthy list of grievances, the gym provides all of us Snatch It Girls with some sort of outlet. As such, we've all met some pretty cool and like minded people, so these annoyances are a very small price to pay. Like all things in life, be aware of others and do good whenever you can, cause whether we like it or not, we are all in this together.