30 Gym Golden Rules to Gym Etiquette: More guidelines really…

1. Be Cool, Always look cool, always keep your cool.

2. Members only, The Gym is for use by registered paid-up members only,

Why wouldn't you want to be a member of this awesome gym?

3. Don’t swipe your friends in

It seems obvious, as you are on CCTV and will be caught almost immediately. If you do, then your membership will be suspended until you pay a $20.00 day pass for everyone you let in. Good for us. Good for your freeloading friends. Not so good for you.

4. Warm-up / Stretching

Lifting weights that are too heavy or using exercise machines improperly can lead to muscle strains. It is important to use proper form when working out and to warm up on cardio equipment and stretch before using any weight-bearing equipment. We have a dedicated shoe-free stretching area, please don’t set up to stretch in the middle of a thoroughfare and then get mad when members step over you.

5. Please don't exercise alone outside of staffed hours. Management would prefer you didn't exercise alone outside of staffed hours, find a workout buddy, hire one of our awesome trainers or stay within your limits. Members under the age of 15 must be accompanied by an adult at all times if visiting outside of staffed hours.

6. Please do not mess with the AI, Home automation, Google Home settings, Music, etc. We took a long time to program this so that it works for you, and the way we want to deliver it to you, you are not clever if you play with it, if you upset it, a T1000 Cyborg from the future may be sent back in time to hunt you down.

7. Share the Space: Personal space: respect it. Be courteous and share equipment when others are waiting. Before hopping on the treadmill or picking up those weights, ensure the equipment is free. If not, ask if you can “work in” with someone, which means alternating sets of cardio or free weights with the other person. But if the other member is almost finished, he or she may decline your request to “work-in”. Be patient and give them space until they’re ready to pass the machine or weights off to you. Keep a wide berth around the heavy lifters to keep them (and yourself) safe. You also want to stay out of their line of sight; while this may seem counterintuitive, it’s distracting to weightlifters when they notice someone close to their bench or bar. Be flexible about your routine if the gym is crowded

Can't get into the squat rack first thing? Instead of hovering two inches away from the person who's currently using it, figure out a way to modify your routine. You'll save time and avoid awkwardness, and you might end up challenging yourself in a new way (it's too easy to get stuck in the same workout routine).

8. Step away from the dumbbells

I don’t care what exercise you are doing, but please just get your dumbbells and take a step away so others can use the dumbbells too!If you stand in front of the dumbbell rack it prevents others from retrieving or returning weights

9. Respect the intensity. When you’re using the gym equipment, it’s important to remember that—like you—other people are working out on a tight schedule. So, if you need to use the restroom or grab a drink, drape your towel over the machine and come back quickly (after a minute or two, not. And once you’ve finished with the machine, move on. Sitting on the equipment you’re not using to text, scroll social media, or take the perfect selfie is disrespectful to the people waiting on you.

10. No Drop Zone: Please don't drop or slam weights; they're not fans of gravity. Dumbbells and weight stacks don’t respond well to repeated drops, and you are very likely to break one of the dumbbell heads off or crack a weight stack plate.

The machines and equipment at your gym should be treated with care and respect. You’re not the only one who wants to use the machines and equipment so treat it as you would treat your own property!

If your workout destroys the equipment you are using, you’re doing it wrong. And nobody thinks you’re cool dropping your weights, I promise. Even if they’re heavy. Nobody cares.

Actually, they’ll care…if you break the equipment and they can't use it or if the dumbbell rolls or bounces onto their foot. Please respect the equipment and property that has taken years to curate and refrain from damaging or tampering with any of it. Don’t be that person.

Being asked to leave is Not Cool, the number #1 Rule is Be cool

11. All the obvious No’s: No Bags on the Gym Floor, No Smoking, No Vaping, No Horseplay or Tomfoolery. Don’t come to training affected by drugs or alcohol. No eating on the gym floor, Protein shakes are fine if you’re into that thing, but we have them at the Protein Shack. Protein bars are borderline. What about bringing a gallon of water with you around the gym? If that’s your thing, and you really like water, go for it. Just don’t spill it, please. Everything else can wait until later.

12. No Air Boxing

For some reason, every gym has the one guy who loves to air box in between sets. Whether he is an actual boxer or not, he just should not do this outside of the boxing area. It is not an effective form of cardio and it succeeds in doing absolutely nothing. Plus you don’t want to accidentally throw a right hook into the bro next to you.

13. Clean up after yourself.

Square yourself away, it’s not your bedroom, your Mum doesn't work here.

During your workout, it’s best to keep your water bottle, towel, mat, and other items close to you instead of spreading them all over the place. Don’t Use the Bench for Storage. This helps other gym-goers know which equipment you’re using and which spaces are available for them to exercise in. And if you spill your water or protein shake, clean it up immediately so nobody slips and falls. If you use something, put it back. You learned this in kindergarten.

14. Wipe it Down: Sweat is great, but not on the equipment. Wipe it down after use.

Once you’re finished your reps, put away any weights, mats, or exercise balls you borrowed. Please wipe down any machines you use! Bacteria(and viruses) can live for several hours on sweaty gym equipment, but when you use our disinfectant spray and paper towels, you’re fighting these germs and helping your gym stay clean.

15. Respect the Grunt: We all have different ways of pushing ourselves, we respect the effort, so please also respect others' comfort and focus.

16. Hand dryers are for hands, not your bits, socks, clothes, feet, and hair.

17. Keep a Buddhist mindset, Treat everyone as though YOU are in the wrong. No matter if you accidentally swiped a piece of equipment someone else wasn’t done with, or they swiped a piece of equipment you weren’t done with. Apologise for the misunderstanding either way. Let’s keep gyms Buddhist! It is up to you to make the gym a comfortable place where nobody is worried about getting their head bit off because they sat on your leg extension machine while you were getting a drink from the Protein Shack. So, whether it was you who walked through someone’s line of vision mid-set, in front of the mirror, or it was them whose water bottle fell out of their overflowing gym bag onto your foot, you apologise for whatever part you might have had in the interaction. If you do feel as though, the individual in question truly wronged you or is a danger to themselves or anyone else in the gym, notify a staff member immediately. That’s what they are there for.

18. Work out with a person, not a crew.

You don’t need 4 people going around with you at the gym. Separate up and get out of each other’s way! By reducing the rest between sets you’ll increase your intensity and get better results. If you need more than one spotter, you probably aren’t doing it right.

19. Keep the Volume Down: Your playlist is awesome, but not everyone shares your taste. Using your phone for anything other than music at the gym can be pretty disruptive to others. That’s why you shouldn’t make any calls—or keep them in the lobby, locker room, or community area. If you do have to take a call, try using headphones and excusing yourself from the cardio or weights room.

Speaking of headphones, you should use these whenever you listen to music during a workout. But it’s also important to pay attention to others who are wearing them; they may be intently focused on their exercise or jamming to loud workout tunes. For this reason, don’t startle or quickly approach someone with headphones in, even if you know them. You don’t want someone to lose control of their equipment just because you wanted to say hi. Here are some more tips to keep the volume down…

-Don’t yell across the gym

-Talk to others remembering to use your inside voice

-An occasional F-bomb is ok with good intent, but try to avoid the use of expletives, vernacular, profanity and bawdry malediction, I’m sure you are intelligent enough to find words in your vocabulary to express yourself whilst not on the building site

20. Mind the Mirror: Check your form, not your reflection, in the mirror. Be aware of not walking through someone's line of sight to the mirror wherever possible.

21. Spot Safely: Offer a spot when needed, but don't be a helicopter.

A “spot” is just an assist during a lift. Please Don’t Lift Heavy Without a Spotter, make sure you have a spotter that will keep you from dying. If not you may get stuck on the bench with the barbell on your neck having to wiggle your way out from underneath it. Ask a staff member for a spot, or if training in unstaffed hours, perhaps use a different exercise, use a rack with safety bars adjusted, or train within your limits.

If someone asks you for a spot, and you feel uncomfortable, simply decline and say you’re not comfortable with it! They’ll understand!

If you need a spot, simply ask someone nearby who looks strong and is currently available. Before I give or get a spot, I’ll make sure we are both clear on the following key points:

“Do you want a lift-off or not? (help to take the bar off the rack)”

“How many reps are you going for?”

22. No Selfie Zones: do what you want, just don’t infringe on anyone else’s gym experience, and don't take video or photos even accidentally without consent, obviously, the bathrooms … just don’t. Vloggers, YouTubers, content creators, influencers, #we love you! we just don't think you are more important than anyone else or our equipment, keep your tripods out of the way and if someone walks in your shot that's your problem we are all here to train.

23. Inclusivity, we are all a member of some minority or several, and we believe that all views should be tolerated and none prioritised, we have provided single-person ablution facilities for females and we aim to celebrate diversity and provide a safe space, we don't care what card you carry or what you do consensually with your bits on a Friday night, respect is a responsibility we all share when we come to train.

24. Don’t Gawk at the Hottness

Whether you are eyeballing the girl in yoga pants or admiring the physique of a dude from afar either way it is not cool to stare, and for sure not cool to photograph or video someone without their knowledge or consent. The only person you need to be focusing on is yourself in the mirror & your workout buddy. And regardless of where you are, or how hot you are, don’t flirt with others who are trying to exercise. The gym is a great place to meet new people, but it should also be a safe space to work out, not a place where people worry about being harassed. Just because you’re staring at somebody through 8 different mirror reflections – if you can see them, they can see you. You’re not clever, you’re creepy.

25. Be Kind, Rewind: Return weights and equipment to their homes when you're done. Please re-rack weights. If you can lift it, you can put it back. Unload the bench press, and squat weights properly: DANGER DANGER Make sure you unload weights fairly evenly from both sides. This may take a little longer as you take off a single plate from one side, and then a single plate from another side, but trust me when I say it is the way you have to do things.

If you take ALL the weight off one side and leave the other side with a ton of weight on it (anything more than a 55 lbs/ 25 kg differential concerns me), then you put the bar in a very unbalanced position, and it can easily flip sideways off the bench or squat rack, especially if bumped. I pray you never see this happen, as it is scary and can cause serious injury to yourself or others around you.

26. Dress for success.

Wear a shirt, and use a clean towel, ringworm, and staph, are not how we make friends.

If you wear flip-flops and you break your toe, it's on you.

Jewellery such as rings, necklaces, bracelets etc. can create issues or even cause injury. It’s best to refrain from wearing any jewellery while at the gym!. Wearing jewellery while you lift can cause an injury if you lose your grip on the weights, or the iron bar might scratch the metal or stone of your ring. Leave your jewellery in the locker room or at home.

Ill-fitting clothes. Too tight gear can cause chafing, leg cramps, or even breathing difficulty. On the other hand, baggy clothes can get in the way while you’re running or lifting. Find a middle ground: comfortable workout clothes that fit and flatter you to look your best even though it's not a fashion show.

Please don't wear work boots in our gym, nobody wants to work out in the mud from the work site. No jeans or clothes with rivets, it damages the equipment and you look like an idiot.

And once you’ve found the best exercise outfits, ensure you’re wearing fresh gear to each workout. You don’t want moist, sweat-filled clothes to grow bacteria in your gym bag, Wear Deodorant This may seem like simple common sense to many but there’s always the one stinker that refuses to properly deodorise themselves. In order to maintain a comfortable environment for all guests, please be aware of your personal hygiene. Let’s face it most gyms are smelly places but body odour just enhances the sensation making it ten times worse. If you don’t do it for yourself do it for those working out around you. We have ample showers for you to use.

27. Make friends, and only give advice when asked!

It’s perfectly fine (and kind!) to introduce yourself to new members or people you keep running into or seeing at the gym. One of the worst things you can do to a fellow gym goer is talk to them mid-set while they are attempting to focus on getting the most out of every rep. Wait until that set is over before speaking your mind. Also, it’s important only to give these new friends workout advice if they ask you. Avoid telling them things like their form is wrong or they should be running faster; comments like these only make people feel judged and unwelcome. Keep it positive!

This also applies if someone gives you unsolicited advice. You can just nod politely and move on while continuing to exercise like you were before. If you still have issues with your well-intentioned neighbour, you can always ask a staff member for help. Respect people's time and space. People go to the gym to get a workout in, and most people are limited on time. Don't chat someone's ear off -- even if they're your buddy -- because there's a good chance that you are intruding on the few precious moments they can dedicate to working out.

Likewise, let people know when they're talking too much. If someone is taking up your time at the gym, it's OK to say, "It was great talking to you, but I've got to get back to my workout."

28. Be careful with your personal items

They are your personal items, not ours so we will not take responsibility for them. Bring a good lock and put them in a locker and you will be just fine. Reception is not a coat check, please do not leave bags/keys/phones there.

Don't leave stuff in the lockers when you're not here.

We will cut your lock and clear them out. Storage facilities are not included in your membership fee. Everyone deserves fair use of the lockers.

29. No unofficial PTs

Only approved personal trainers can provide paid personal training at Body Matrix.

If you would like to join our team please ask about our attractive terms.

30. Enjoy the Grind: Embrace the challenge and enjoy the journey to a healthier you.

Body Matrix staff reserve the right to ask any guest to leave, who does not follow the above rules and regulations if we reasonably believe they are unsafe for themselves or others.

To summarise, if you act like the respectful, civilised, intelligent member of society that we believe you are, you will be absolutely fine.

Gym etiquette is important and can change the entire atmosphere of the fitness facility. Think before you act at the gym.

Is it necessary to block the dumbbell racks?

Can you plan to leave your home a little earlier to make your personal training session on time?

Can the exercise you’re doing be performed on a floor mat to help leave benches open for complex exercises?

Let’s work together to make fitness enjoyable for everyone.

Now you’re ready to follow these gym etiquette rules—and you’re one step closer to reaching your fitness goals!

But if you’re not sure where to start, don’t worry.

A fitness coach or other staff member can provide tips for a great workout while helping you feel more at home.

Be Cool, Respect others, and respect the equipment. It’s that simple!

Still here? Want even more help? You got it.

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