Gym etiquette

[Kermit power]

Obviously the likes of putting free weights back on the rack and wiping machines and benches down if you've sweated on them is clearly the nice thing to do, but what's the etiquette on plates on bars or things like leg press machines?

If I load it up, should I then completely unload it, or leave it loaded on the assumption that regardless of whether the next person wants more or less weight on it, they're probably going to need to do less work getting it from where I left it to where they want it rather than starting from scratch again?

[Wills2]

Put the plates back where they belong on the rack.

[Kermit power]

Wills2 said:

Put the plates back where they belong on the rack.

Even if I'm taking off, say, 80kg, and the next person wants 60kg or 100kg on, meaning that we're both doing significantly more work than necessary?

Fair enough, you could say that we're in the gym, so all work is good work, but it seems a little pointless?

[redandwhite]

Always unload it all. Plenty don’t though.

[Silver Smudger]

Think of it as an extra bit of exercise?

[drab]

I unload everything. Unless someone is hanging around, then I'll ask their preference.

[Jamescrs]

Always unload it.

I lift pretty decent weights id like to think so if weights are already on it doesn't usually bother me but for example I'm in the gym now browsing this between sets and there's an elderly woman in here, id guess pushing 70 yrs old, she's doing weights but looking at her and I may be wrong of course I'm not sure she's too capable of unloading a load of 20kg plates someone has left on a machine

[Kermit power]

Jamescrs said:

Always unload it.

I lift pretty decent weights id like to think so if weights are already on it doesn't usually bother me but for example I'm in the gym now browsing this between sets and there's an elderly woman in here, id guess pushing 70 yrs old, she's doing weights but looking at her and I may be wrong of course I'm not sure she's too capable of unloading a load of 20kg plates someone has left on a machine

That's a very fair point!

[ShampooEfficient]

When I am emperor, all gym weights will have an electronic device that delivers a shock to anyone who separates them and doesn't put them back together again.

And dumbells that explode if you don't put them in the right bit on the rack.

[wong]

So I think the consensus is unload it.

[Countdown]

It doesn't bother me if they're loaded but I always unload at the end.

[Kermit power]

wong said:

So I think the consensus is unload it.

I still think the logic, especially on something like a lateral leg press machine would be to keep them loaded with a certain minimum? It's not as though anyone is ever going to use them without any additional weight, so why take it all off?

[ShampooEfficient]

Unload it fully. If someone comes in who is not particularly strong, or is recovering from an injury, they may not be able to unload even a 10kg plate if its at the weong angle for them.

As said, it's free extra training to rerack the plates.

[Wills2]

Kermit power said:

Wills2 said:

Put the plates back where they belong on the rack.

Even if I'm taking off, say, 80kg, and the next person wants 60kg or 100kg on, meaning that we're both doing significantly more work than necessary?

Fair enough, you could say that we're in the gym, so all work is good work, but it seems a little pointless?

You have no idea what the next person wants to do it's a really simple rule, re rack the weights that's the etiquette.

[Slowboathome]

I used to put everything back to '0'.

Mainly I didn't want to leave any evidence of how little I could lift.

[BigMon]

All plates back onto stacks, all dumbells returned to racks (and only take one set at a time too, unless I'm doing a drop set with 2), wipe sweat stains off the equipment, and if I'm doing a lot of sets offer to let someone jump in alongside if it's possible.

All costs nothing but helps everyone feel better.

[Countdown]

Slowboathome said:

I used to put everything back to '0'.

Mainly I didn't want to leave any evidence of how little I could lift.

Same, except I used to move the pin down to 300...

[Ntv]

Kermit power said:

Wills2 said:

Put the plates back where they belong on the rack.

Even if I'm taking off, say, 80kg, and the next person wants 60kg or 100kg on, meaning that we're both doing significantly more work than necessary?

Fair enough, you could say that we're in the gym, so all work is good work, but it seems a little pointless?

Agreed. I always leave them on. Most people will want that weight, a bit less or a bit more. Some people will want a lot less (mostly women), and some a lot more, though most build up to the heavy weights, so less of a problem. I can see the point re women and the injured.

Pretty sure that always taking the plates off would result in, on average, longer gym sessions and therefore more crowded gyms. May also increase the risk of injury.

Agree with dumbells back on stacks - that's where people go looking for them, and there's a safety issue.

And agree with "micoaggresive" pin down to bottom to show who's boss.

Edited by Ntv on Tuesday 28th June 10:38

[biggbn]

In a past life I was pretty strong so stripping the bars became a habit, and it has stuck. I see it the same as clearing up your own mess or taking your empties to the bar in a busy pub when you are leaving. Common courtesy and it takes little time. Every gym I have trained in has followed this rule, or, the majority of users have.

[Kermit power]

biggbn said:

In a past life I was pretty strong so stripping the bars became a habit, and it has stuck. I see it the same as clearing up your own mess or taking your empties to the bar in a busy pub when you are leaving. Common courtesy and it takes little time. Every gym I have trained in has followed this rule, or, the majority of users have.

I think I've settled on that being 100% the right answer except for the lateral leg press, since that just takes so long to stack and unstack all the way, most people will want most of the weight anyway, and those who don't are probably more likely to use the leg press with captive weights?