Center Stage Magazine August-September | Page 30

Always return the weights back where it the extra boost while lifting should try a loud belongs after use. You don’t want to be respon- breath instead. His theory concludes that sible for anyone tripping on the dumbbell left a forceful exhalation should provide the behind. Clean up after yourself by wiping your same benefits as a noisy grunt. sweat off the equipment. Think about the next person who will use the machine after you! Bottom line: be aware of others Share gym equipment; don’t hog the machine and use your inside voice all to yourself. Be respectful to others. Remember that everyone was once a newbie at the gym, including you, and everyone is at differ- Take your conversation ent levels! Leave your ego at the door. The gym elsewhere is a training house, not a competition field. Do not make weird noises when you work out, such as grunting heavily. You’ll just make everyone around you feel really uncomfortable. Don’t be that guy who just talks to everyone but doesn’t actually work out. Pick up a weight or something, or just leave. Avoid posing with your shirt off in front of the gym mirror for lengthy period of time. Chances are, you probably didn’t double the size of your biceps after just twenty reps. Avoid going around correcting other people’s form. In other words, don’t act like a gym instructor or gym guru. Lastly, do not forget to put on deodorant. Nobody wants to smell your body odor across the gym. Tone it down Nothing could be more annoying than having to listen to someone next to you relay the entirety of their day to a friend on the phone, or even worse, to you. When you make the decision to head to the gym, it should be a time to relax, detach and focus on your workout. While it is always nice to see a friend, it is not the time to catch up. As Web MD states, “people whole stand idle and simply hang out with one another on the workout floor can ruin a positive, serious workout atmosphere.” A good habit is to keep your phone tucked in your gym bag and if you must take a phone call, head to designate social areas. Bottom line: Gyms are for work- So, you can lift weights like a boss. Cool. But in outs, and not for hanging out. reality no one wants to hear you grunting like an untamed beast. Not only is it annoying, it can be dangerous. Others in the gym are focusing on their own workouts and your excessive noises have the potential to startle or distract, potentially causing someone to suddenly drop their weight or even simply lose form. Exercise physiologist Salvatore Fichera, suggests that those who think they need