Phase six of “appropriate behavior at the gym: the do’s and don’ts, according to a guy with an opinion about anything and everything”

Don’t: Ask to work in, use the machine in a different way and then not put it back at the personal original weight or placement.

 Boy, do I absolutely hate when this happens to me. I view this as a real life scenario that seems to get played out time and time again with that friend you have that is always finding new ways to make you not want to invite him, or others in general for that matter, back to your house. You know that one friend or acquaintance that just comes over and treats your house like it is his own (well probably treats it way worse) – a Kramer pretty much. He or she says they are coming over to hang out and watch the game but when they come over, they come with a keg and five unruly individuals that leave your house in ruins. Or it’s the friend that eats half of that candy bar that you have been saving or drinks half of the last beer that you were looking forward to and then puts it back into the fridge. It may be an extreme example but it is coasting on the same tracks for sure. I am using the cable cross for tricep extensions and you ask me if you can work in with me. I of course say yes without any hesitation because that is just usually how it works at the gym. But then you move the cable cross from the top to the bottom and lessen the weight by 30 to 40 pounds. I come back from the drinking fountain a little irked to find that you didn’t put the cable cross back up where I had it and then nonchalantly go to use it after putting the cable back up. I then slam the weights of the machine when I go to use it because I am thinking that I will still need to exert the same force to lift that extra 30-40 pounds that is no longer there. Then I look like a jackass, run the risk of throwing out or pulling something and I have to stop what I am doing and readjust the weights. All because you are choosing to be rude and lazy on my good graces. I let you in so that you didn’t have to wait for me to finish and you totally throw it in my face. And I can say something to you but why would I? You have already spent the majority of your life not getting these social norms, so what is a random guy at the gym’s opinion going to do for you. You will probably blow me off like you did with your parents when they tried to teach you this stuff when you were five. Just not cool man.

 Do’s: Just make sure you are not being invasive

 I could personally care less if you come over and move my cable from the top position to bottom position or change the seat height and weight of my machine, as long as you put it back when it is my turn to jump back into the exercise. I will definitely show you the same courtesy by readjusting the seat and weight back to what you had it on, even if I don’t have to, because it is just common decency to do so. You are in essence asking someone if you can borrow something and then completely changing it and then returning it without changing it back. If you borrowed my laptop to do a Spanish project and converted the windows key strike functions to Spanish and then returned it with out changing it back, I would be pretty pissed off when I tried to type something and everything came out written like a teleprompter for Telemundo. The same logic applies here at the gym. If someone is going to show you a strong sense of civility and let you work in with them, make sure that you are just as respectful to them as they were to you. All it takes is just paying a little bit of attention. Take a look at where their weight was at or where their seat was placed or where their cable was located and just remember to put it back. More often than not if you do this, when it is your turn they will put the weight, seat, cable, etc back to where you had it. Bottom line is, be mindful of your actions and surroundings, not only in the gym but in life as well. Trust me it might just get you a little farther in life. Once again this is simply my opinion, take it or leave it.