Bodybuilding icon Arnold Schwarzenegger appears to be taking a page out of Joey Swoll’s playbook. In a recent post published on Instagram, Schwarzenegger revealed his three-step guide for proper gym etiquette.
“My guide to gym etiquette. Remember, above all else, the gym is a community and we are all working just to be a little better every day!
With social media taking off around the world, how people conduct themselves at gyms has been brought into the limelight. Whether it’s a matter of putting weights back or sharing equipment, the fitness community has witnessed plenty of situations turn sour.
For this reason, former seven-time Mr. Olympia Arnold Schwarzenegger has gotten involved. His goal is to make lifting and fitness more mainstream and with gym etiquette one of his top concerns, he is now sharing his three staple rules for keeping the peace when it’s time to pump some iron.
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“Someone in The Pump app asked about this, and I thought everyone could benefit.” Arnold Schwarzenegger wrote.
Arnold Schwarzenegger’s 3 Rules for Acceptable Gym Etiquette
- Don’t Take Over Equipment
- Put Your Weights Away
- Share
Rule #1 – Don’t Takeover Equipment
Schwarzenegger believes it’s best to avoid cell phone use during workouts.
“You should never make your phone calls and do your social media and whatever you want to do on your iPhone or your iPad while you’re sitting on a machine. As you can see there are two other people waiting in the background on that machine but he is very busy on the machine doing his stuff,” Schwarzenegger explained. “If he needs to do that in the gym, let other people come in and train.”
Rule #2 – Put Your Weights Away
Another common rule he follows is always putting the weights back where he found them.
“It’s very important because there will be someone else down the rack, 5 pounds, 10 pounds, and all of a sudden they’re missing the 10-pound weights,” ‘The Austrian Oak shared.
“So put it back in the right place, the dumbbells, the barbells, and everything, so it is really a gymnasium that everyone can use.”
Rule #3 – Share
Lastly, Schwarzenegger said to share equipment, adding that a gymnasium is supposed to be accommodating because it’s a community.
“You do [ask] very nicely,” added Schwarzenegger. “So it’s a gymnasium that everyone can use. That’s the most important thing be kind to each other, be nice, accommodating, because it’s a community.”
This hasn’t been the first instance where Arnold Schwarzenegger advocated for proper gym etiquette. Recognizing the power of Joey Swoll’s ‘Gym Positivity’ movement, Schwarzenegger announced a partnership with the bodybuilding influencer, all to make gyms a more welcoming place for individuals of all fitness levels.
At 76 years old, Schwarzenegger revealed he still trains seven days a week, having made gym etiquette one of his top priorities in retirement. Above all else, Schwarzenegger underlined that the gym is a community of like-minded people all after the same goal of self-improvement.
RELATED: Joey Swoll on Poor Gym Etiquette: “You Need To Respect People, It’s A Shared Space”