Weight Training Rules of Safety and Etiquette
If you train at a gym then you need to be aware of the people around you. Just switching off while you concentrate on the movement you are doing is understandable so we are talking about the gym etiquette expected when you have finished your set.
The first rule of safety when training is to select weights that you can handle, which may sound obvious, but getting stuck under a barbell that you cannot lift will demand someone’s attention to help you out. This just shows your inexperience and if no one notices the trouble you are in it could cause a lot of damage.
Always use good form BEFORE you decide to go heavy. Again this may sound obvious but most weight trainers get carried away when lifting and think they can handle a lot more weight than they actually can. Form is everything even if the weight is too heavy, if you stick to correct form at all times you will know when the weight is too much.
You need to be aware of the people training around you, what movements they are doing and what weights they are using that are lying on the floor could save you a lot of hassle when walking around. Tripping on a dumbbell you did not see has caused many injuries on the weight room floor.
Re-racking your weights is good gym etiquette and should become a habit when training. This is especially important when doing movements like drop sets where you have a whole lot of weights lying around you when your set is finished. It is common courtesy to clean up after your-self.
Let other people around you work in with you even if using free weights but it is more important when using machinery. Some people simply monopolize a machine by sitting on the machine between sets. If you stand up between sets someone could use the machine while you are resting.
It is strongly advised by all gym management to carry a towel with you when training so that you can easily wipe up any sweat that you left on the machine after using it. You would not like to arrive at a machine that is covered in sweat, so do unto others that you would do yourself.
The last point on etiquette is that the weight-room or gym floor is not a social event so loitering around talking to people who just want to train, or talking loud on your mobile is simply bad taste. You joined a gym to train, if you want to party with friends go to public house where you can drink and mingle.
Click Here to Sign Up for Your Free Bodybuilding Magazine Subscription