Equipment Poachers - Exercise & Fitness Message Board

CAPiTUH · 12-06-2004, 08:14 PM

Lately I haven't been able to get through a workout without somebody weaseling in on my equipment at least once. If you are new to the weight room, or just unfamiliar with the concept of "other people," here are some rules that you should aquaint yourself with:

1. If a bar is loaded and collared, it's probably in use.

2. If a bench has a set of weights either on it or on the ground beside it, the bench and weights are probably in use.

3. If somebody's personal belongings are sitting on a bench, the bench and weights are almost certainly in use.

4. Just because you see somebody walk away from a piece of equipment, it doesn't mean they're not coming back.

5. If you are unsure if a piece of equipment is in use, WAIT a couple of minutes to see if somebody comes back. Ask people working around the machine if they saw anybody using it. Make a lap around the room or get a drink or something; if nobody comes back, then you can start to load your weights.

6. If you accidently unload somebody else's weights, apologize and reload them.

Of course, any confusion could be eliminated if everybody would rack their weights when they finished using them. In fact, anybody who doesn't rack their weights should have their hands cut off.

never2L8 · 12-06-2004, 09:22 PM

From the other side of the fence there are people who hold on to a machine or bench for ever while they rest, chat, get drinks or take eternal breaks between sets. Surely two people can share a piece of equipment if you are only using dumbells or a pin loaded machine - I know plate loaded machines or barbells are different.

Gyms are public places and once we pay our memberships everyone has as much of a right to use the equipment evrybody else.

CAPiTUH · 12-07-2004, 12:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by never2L8

From the other side of the fence there are people who hold on to a machine or bench for ever while they rest, chat, get drinks or take eternal breaks between sets. Surely two people can share a piece of equipment if you are only using dumbells or a pin loaded machine - I know plate loaded machines or barbells are different.

Gyms are public places and once we pay our memberships everyone has as much of a right to use the equipment evrybody else.

it's never ok to sit down on a piece of equipment that somebody is using and just start pumping away. a paid membership doesn't give you the right to use any piece of equipment whenever you want. if that were the case, the facility would be a train wreck all the time.

working in is fine, but it's up to the person already on the machine. they waited for it to open up, therefore they can use it however they want. if you ask nicely and it's reasonable, most people won't mind if you work in.