 "Photo: Liquid Library")
Testosterone is definitely in the air when you enter a gym. If the gym is an environment where impressions are everything, don't give off the wrong one by leaving your manners at the door.
After you've grabbed your free towel and scoped out the piece of machinery you will be using, take a minute to look around the Aztec Recreation Center and read the posted signs that are there to keep you in a safe, clean and comfortable workout environment.
Whether it's putting the weights back after you finish your sets or taking a minute to grab the free alcohol wipes to clean up your sweat tracks, gym manners matter - to the facility managers and fellow gymmates.
Don't lie, cheat or steal
You may have noticed the big white pile of towels to your left after you walk in the gym; those aren't the front desk assistant's laundry from the Aquaplex - they are there for you.
"It's important to clean up after yourself; that's what the free towel service is for," Amy Schiller, marketing coordinator at the ARC, said. "The smell of sweaty, gross equipment is not good for the next user and for the equipment itself."
Schiller recommends using the alcohol wipes in the stands around the gym for cleaning the machinery before and after use.
There are two towel sizes to choose from: large and small. It's not prohibited to take more than one, but to prevent cheating someone out of a towel, limit yourself to one large instead of two small.
Most importantly, don't steal the towels! The service operates when the gym is open. There will be a clean towel available for you when you return. Let the staff do your dirty laundry and show them your appreciation by not taking what isn't yours.
Pump some iron - twice
In retrospect, it seems silly that someone would actually make the effort to pick up weights and not re-rack them.
When you've finished using a plate-loaded machine or curling bar, put the weights back on the rack. Everyone has different capacities of weight they can lift and, although you may have the strength to lift certain weights, the person after you may not.
"Un-racked weights are hazardous, especially when they are left in inappropriate places," Schiller said. "Our staff members bear most of the burden of clean up."
If you want to make a statement about how much weight you just lifted, make it to a friend when you leave - after you've re-racked.
Don't add injury to insult
The safest and most appropriate place to store your belongings is in the gym lockers. Aside from being a dangerous tripping hazard, it is rude to lay your possessions wherever it's convenient for only you.
"My storage spot may be your workout zone," Schiller said. "And we warn people that we are not responsible for things that aren't locked."
A day-locker at the gym is free to use but must be cleared out after.
Forget dressing to impress
The girl in the tiny, tight shorts may be eye candy for some, but she can also be a problem for others.
"Coverage and sweat absorption are equal," Schiller said. "If you are wearing less, that means you are sweating more on equipment."
There are policies in the ARC Member Handbook that prohibit certain clothes such as those with zippers, belts and rivets, mainly for the protection of the equipment.
Schiller suggests a T-shirt and shorts at an appropriate length in order to avoid stickiness when leaning against machinery.
There's no 'I' in group
OK, so maybe group fitness has an "I" in it, but you get the idea. When you are planning to attend a group fitness class, take note: You are going to be a part of a group.
The ARC offers a variety of group fitness classes that are formatted into a specific time frame. Members who want to participate in a program should expect to arrive 15 minutes prior to the class time.
Do not try and sneak into a class after it has already started.
"There are facility managers that monitor the classes five minutes before and about 10 minutes into the start of class," Schiller said. "If a member is caught sneaking in, or sneaking a friend in, they could be warned and possibly expelled from the gym for not following gym rules."
If you typically leave the gym feeling like a "bigger" person - strive to be the bigger person while you're there as well.
Displays of rude behavior are inevitable in almost any environment. To do your part: Wipe off equipment, remove personal belongings from the locker and, please, put used towels in the laundry bin.
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