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

1. Don’t: Don’t slam your weights down on the ground

 - We all know that you are a novice lifter and that you are putting up crazy weight “bro,” but just because the ground is made out of rubber doesn’t mean you have to be the beacon of attention by slamming down your weights with a grunt. I totally understand that you are trying to go bigger and bigger with the amount of weight that you are putting up, as well you should, but find a spotter or just simply learn how lift. If you can put the weight up five times, you better believe that you can keep it from slamming down. Now I’m not talking about the little drop of the weight from about five inches up that makes a tiny thud, that is perfectly ok and that is in fact what the rubber floors are for. What I am talking about is the “I am on a terror of lifting…I’m so exhausted and pumped at the same time that I can’t control how I put my weight down so I just let it fall or flail to the ground or in the heat of the moment I give it a little toss.” This causes a scene and according to the people at the gym that I spoke with makes you look like a complete idiot that doesn’t know what they are doing. And for the most part the people that are dropping these weights or slamming them on the ground are ruining their muscles by not properly finishing the exercise and instead just simply letting their limbs flop around – which in turn leads to pulled, shredded, strained or torn muscles and ligaments.

 1. Do: Grab a spotter, use appropriate weight or drop lightly

 - You don’t have to go to the gym with a work out buddy to find yourself a spotter. Just simply ask someone working out in your close vicinity – that is in between their sets resting – to see if they will spot you. That way you can go with heavier weights but in a controlled environment, that allows you to increase your strength in a healthy manner that is not destructive to the immediate world around you. And who knows you might even find yourself a new friend in passing.

 Use appropriate weights. If for some reason you can’t find a spotter then make sure the amount of weight that you are using is appropriate for you to use alone with out causing harm to or making a spectacle out of yourself. You can use those heavier weights but make sure that they aren’t heavy enough that when you are done with your set you cannot properly real them in and set them down. Be honest with yourself: you know what weight you can handle. Don’t try to push it to make yourself look like your putting up more weight in front of these people that you don’t really even know. You should be going to the gym to better yourself in some way and you need to remind yourself about that the next time you are feeling self conscious about yourself and try to take on more weight than you can handle.

 Like I said before, it is ok to drop your weights a tad little bit so that you do not strain your back or other muscles putting your weight down. But when you are doing a standing lift set and you drop them from slightly below waste level or when you are re-racking a weight on the bench and you just toss it or drop it instead of laying it down that is just ridiculous. This goes the same for people who are using machine assisted weights: don’t drop the weight so that it slams down on the other stack of weights. Once again not only are you making a scene but you are also not using the machine correctly in a controlled manner which can in fact result in serious or minor injury and who wants that.

 Disclaimer: Once again I am no expert on when it comes to the gym (I just go a lot) and I am certainly no saint. I am fully aware that I have once or twice been guilty of the old weight drop – almost everyone that lifts heavier weights has. But the difference is that I am immediately self aware and I make sure it doesn’t happen again in the near future. And as I mentioned before about 85% of the people that are their follow these practices because they are just common sense. These are only meant to be tips for you to think about the next time you are in the gym. And remember I am just a guy with an opinion, take it or leave it.