Gym Etiquette: Why It Really Matters

Late one chilly evening at my local gym, a simple act of kindness toward a stranger reminded me of a crucial bit of gym etiquette. Here’s what happened when I took off my earphones to help someone in need.

I can’t recall exactly when, but it was a typically dark and cold evening in South London in late 2019 or early 2020, just before I started 1-2-1 online fitness coaching.

I was deep into my routine at the Nuffield gym in Norbury. The leisure centre was lovely, but the gym, painted in green and white, was a bit worn and run-down. It was equipped with a mix of old and very old strength training gear. Despite this, I was there strength training six days a week and diligently tracking every bit of my food and drink intake.

That night, though, something different happened, sparked by a chance meeting with a stranger.

I was probably blasting Dave’s *Psychodrama* or Post Malone’s *Hollywood’s Bleeding* through my earphones, really in the zone and hammering out an upper body workout, when I noticed a lady in her 40s by the leg press looking completely stuck. She made eye contact with me, which is when I pulled out my earphones and went to see if she was okay.

She was well-spoken and told me she’d been in a bad car crash that took her mobility for a while, and she was only just getting back on her feet—literally. She wanted to use the leg press but couldn’t lift any of the 20kg plates left on the machine by the last person.

Seeing someone struggle like that really got to me, especially since leaving equipment messy was pretty common at this gym. So, of course, I removed all the weights for her—to which she was super grateful—and we ended up chatting for a good 15 minutes. I even gave her some workout tips and encouragement.

However, that night really drove home a belief I’ve always had about simple gym etiquette:

Put your shit back when you’re done using it!

Before finishing, if you want to hear more about all things gym etiquette, check out a podcast episode I published with my good mate and fellow coach, Myles Nesbeth:

Click here to listen on Spotify.

Click here to check it out on Apple Podcasts.

Click here or the thumbnail below for the YouTube version.

Speak soon,

Leo

P.S. The photo attached is of me training in that very gym, gearing up for a set of barbell squats.