What are the unwritten rules of the gym?

Gyms are full of rules nobody tells you about. The posted ones cover opening hours and towels; the unwritten ones are what make a gym pleasant or miserable. Here they are, written down.

Re-rack your weights

The single most important rule. Put dumbbells back on the rack, in their place, in order. Strip the plates off a barbell or leg press when you have finished. Leaving 100 kilos on a machine is the gym equivalent of leaving the dishes in someone else's sink.

Wipe down what you use

Benches, mats, handles, machine seats: give them a wipe with the gym's spray and towel after use. Bring your own towel for sitting or lying on. It is not about anyone judging your sweat; it is about the next person not lying in it.

Share the kit

• Don't hog. If the gym is busy, avoid camping on one machine or the only squat rack for a very long session.
• Don't reserve with a towel while you wander off for twenty minutes.
• One piece of kit at a time when it is busy. Taking four sets of dumbbells to build your own private corner is not a good look at six in the evening.

Working in

"Working in" means sharing a machine or bench with someone by taking turns during their rest periods. It is completely normal to ask:

• Wait until they finish a set, then ask, "Mind if I work in?"
• Accept a no gracefully; they might be nearly done or about to change the weight.
• Adjust and reset the machine to their settings, or let them do it, between turns.

If someone asks to work in with you, say yes if you can. It is a friendly ritual, and it occasionally leads to a gym friendship.

Space and personal bubbles

• Don't stand right in front of the dumbbell rack while you lift. People need to reach it.
• Leave room around someone mid-lift, especially behind a squat rack or beside someone pressing overhead.
• Don't walk between someone and the mirror they are using to check their position, if you can help it.
• Keep your bag out of walkways, or in a locker.

Phones, filming and noise

• No calls on the gym floor. Take them outside or in the changing area.
• Filming: if you film your own lift, check you are not filming other people, and never take photos of others without asking. Many gyms have rules on this; follow them.
• Headphones in, not music out loud.
• Grunting is fine in moderation. Slamming weights to the floor is for gyms with platforms designed for it.

Advice, staring and kindness

• Don't give uninvited advice. Unless someone is about to drop a weight on themselves, let them be. If something looks unsafe, a quiet word to a member of staff is often better.
• Don't stare. Everyone is busy with their own thing.
• Ask staff when you are unsure. Using a machine wrongly is not a crime; it is just a question you have not asked yet.
• Be generous with beginners. Show someone where the clean towels are. It costs nothing.

If walking into a gym feels intimidating, our guide to strength training if gyms intimidate you is for you.

Changing rooms

Keep your stuff contained, don't spread across three benches, and be quick on the hairdryer when there is a queue. Everyone is in a hurry, wet and slightly shy.