Everyone wants to get healthy and fit, but many people actually fear going to the gym. Even though most fitness centers seem packed, a survey found that around 50% of Americans feel intimidated to workout there. Maybe you’ve also experienced this anxious feeling, and there’s a name for it. It’s called ‘gymtimidation.’

Many struggle with this feeling because they don’t want to be watched or judged while working out. This self-consciousness can make it even harder to visit a gym. Apart from social anxiety, people with horrible etiquette can also make the experience that much more unpleasant.

Whether you’re a gym enthusiast, a newbie, or a fitness trainer, you might have witnessed weird and bizarre things at your gym as well. That’s why we at Bored Panda reached out to Ganesh Kelkar, a fitness instructor based in Mumbai, to ask him what funny or annoying things he’s witnessed at the gym.

Ganesh told us that he has noticed things like:

1. “Guys using heavier weights when a woman is nearby.
2. People occupying gym equipment while chatting on the phone with someone.
3. Customers visiting the gym and spending most of their time chatting and having fun with others rather than doing workouts.”

Apart from fitness enthusiasts who go there to work out, gym trainers are the ones who actually get to observe everything going on at the center. That’s why we also interviewed Vinod Channa, a celebrity trainer and fitness consultant. 

Vinod told us that many people “block space or equipment and justify it by saying they are lifting heavier. They don’t allow other people to use the equipment until they complete their workout. It’s difficult to make them understand that it’s a public gym and we should alternate with other people.”

He also said that “different age groups have different targets. Youngsters think if they work out more they will reach their target faster, so they lift very heavy weights, even more than their capacity. So it seems very funny because they might not be able to push the weights but they still try.” 

If you’re new to a fitness center, the most important thing to do is to read the rules. Even staff members can guide you through the do’s and don’ts of the place. Simple steps like wiping your sweat off the equipment, cleaning up chalk stains, and not dropping weights unless specified by the gym help make the experience better for everyone else around.

Vinod Channa shared that, “when you go to the gym, wear separate shoes. Carry napkins or cloths to wipe the bench you work out on. Alternate with other people during rest cycles. Everyone should cooperate with each other so that they can exercise equally, finish their workout, and go home.”

One of the best things you can do as a gym-goer is to follow the specified guidelines to make the environment comfortable and safe for everyone else. Here are a few of the most basic rules you need to know, according to fitness experts:

1. Don’t take long rest breaks on the equipment and deprive someone else of using the gym amenities in the meantime.
2. Be mindful of how noisy you’re being while working out, and try not to be too distracting or disruptive.
3. Don’t gape at other people; you’ll make them feel uncomfortable when they’re only trying to exercise in peace.
4. It might be hard not to dole out friendly advice or pointers to fellow gym-goers, but this can be annoying and could distract them when they’re in the middle of a set.
5. Put the equipment away when you’re done using it, instead of leaving it scattered about.

The fitness instructors also shared a few other important pointers that gym-goers should know. Ganesh said that “it’s important to motivate newcomers and juniors so that they know that they can also achieve their goals.”

Vinod also added, “I see so many people watching videos and trends and trying to achieve that. They don’t realize they need to put in years of effort for that, and it doesn’t happen within just a few months.”

Going to the gym doesn’t have to be like the posts on this list. It can be a rewarding experience and also help you to get healthy. Hopefully this listicle hasn’t scared you further from going to work out. We also truly hope you’ve never done any of the things on this list or come across any of them, either. 

If you have, tell us your experience in the comments. We’ll know which gyms to avoid then!