Directed activities and traditional machines like the treadmill are safe choices when you are going to start going to the gym, but you cannot hold on to them forever.
If you really want a proper training and take advantage of your time there, the best you can do is start exploring everything around you until you make a proper use of the gym.
But the thing do not ends there. Like any public space, the gym is a place with its own rules of courtesy. A kind of urbanity manual to teach you how to behave when using the exercise machines, is as essential as knowing the mechanics of their use.
Basic behavioral rules in the gym
- Share gym machines with other customers
Doing exercise in a gym is to train, the end of the day, with more people. That is one of the first things you must learn: respect the turns.
If you are resting, the most correct thing is to let others use the machine, and for this it is best to be direct.
This is more important than you think: working as a team with the person on duty, they can agree to do similar exercises, with adequate rest intervals, and thus not interfere with each other’s routine. Just try to be nice when you ask this to the other person.
- Use the machines in the gym in a safe way
Simple things like putting the safety pin on the weight machines or adjusting the nuts on the ends of the bars are simple things that can save you from a blow or injury.
Another aspect that you should pay attention in the gym is the height of the bench in the machines. It may seem a minor adjustment or little relevant, but in machines such as those used for the chest press, for example, if the seat is too low you can end up working your shoulders and in an inappropriate way.
If you try a machine and do not feel comfortable in it, it is best to consult with a gym monitor to help you make the necessary changes.
- Leave all collected material
If you are finished using a dumbbell or any other object, remember to return it to the place where you took it. This is important to save time and avoid discomfort to others, but also for safety reasons.
Suppose you leave a dumbbell on the floor and someone does not see it and stumble upon it. In the midst of as many objects as there are usually in a gym, this is quite dangerous.
The only exception to this rule is when you train with free weights and want to do supersets. In this case, just worry about not leaving them crossed where someone does not see them and can stumble. When you finish, of course, do not forget to pick up the records and leave them in place.
- Keep the mobile away while training
Keeping the mobile close to you when you train has negative effects ranging from lower performance to potential problems in safety factors.
We know that using mobile in these times is quite necessary and useful, but if we train the mobile is more of a distractor, especially if you are one of those people who spend more time uploading photos to Instagram than to train.
Workouts should have duration and more or less exact pauses, and to achieve this you must focus. Such distractions do not allow you to keep up with these times and can also interfere with the training of others.
- Make sure you have enough space if you do dynamic exercises
Gyms are places always have different people around you exercising, so when you’re training exercises that require space to properly develop as swings with kettlebell, stride or jump rope, you must consider the space you use for it.
To do this, look for a place with enough space, if you do not get a place so try to leave these exercises for the hours with less flow of people.
Be aware of the space of others and keep a safe distance between you and them to avoid discomfort among your fellow gym.
- Clean the machines after use
It’s okay to be proud of your sweat. After all, it is the very proof that you have tried. However, you do not have to leave it to others on the machines to see it. Furthermore this is not only a matter of courtesy; it is also to keep machinery in good gym, as with the use and sweat tend to wear out faster.
You can keep with your gym kit an antibacterial gel and a cloth to clean everything after using it, it will not take you 10 seconds and will avoid any discomfort for the future.
Other 3 behaviors to avoid within a gym
- It is common to see more advanced athletes in the gym and want to do the same movements as them, but this can be counterproductive for your body, because it is not sufficiently prepared for it. If you see someone making a move and want to try it, try first to investigate if it is right for you and how to execute it correctly.
- Becoming addicted to machines and adding more weight than your body can bear is not a good idea, you can end up hurting and not getting the desired effect. As you become stronger you can add more weight, but this should be done gradually.
- Decide from before entering the gym that moves and what machinery you will use, this will avoid wasting your time using different machines to test which ones you like more and carry a more organized exercise routine according to your goals.