I've recently starting going to a commercial gym again after a long hiatus, and I have a question about gym etiquette--specifically, working in on the pulley machines. I'm always happy to let anyone work in with me if I possibly can (doesn't work so well if a barbell needs to be loaded or unloaded for each set and one guy is four times stronger than the other), but on the pulley machines, where all you have to do is move one or two pins from one spot to another, common sense tells me that it should be perfectly fine to work in with anyone. Yesterday, there was a woman going back and forth between the standing calf raise machine and the leg curl machine, and she had her water bottle planted right by the calf raise machine. That was the only one of those in the gym, and I needed it, unless I was going to deviate from my written plan--which I absolutely hate to do. During my rest period, I mulled it over. I hate being seen as intrusive, so ultimately I did a different calf exercise.
Today, the shoe was on the other foot. While I was doing tricep pull-downs, I was wearing headphones, and a woman who thought I couldn't hear her glanced at me and said to her partner, "Yeah, but he's using that one. We can just use this one." I pulled off my headphones and told them they could work in with me. They shyly accepted the offer.
What is it with this? Is there some unwritten rule that says it's rude to ask to work in, even though the terms of the contract specifically state that working-in should be accommodated as much as is reasonable? I've tried to pay attention to whether I ever hear anyone else asking to work in when the gym is really busy, and I haven't heard it happen yet. I would never think it unreasonable of anyone to ask to work in with me on a pulley machine, but somehow I'd feel presumptuous asking others.
Today, the shoe was on the other foot. While I was doing tricep pull-downs, I was wearing headphones, and a woman who thought I couldn't hear her glanced at me and said to her partner, "Yeah, but he's using that one. We can just use this one." I pulled off my headphones and told them they could work in with me. They shyly accepted the offer.
What is it with this? Is there some unwritten rule that says it's rude to ask to work in, even though the terms of the contract specifically state that working-in should be accommodated as much as is reasonable? I've tried to pay attention to whether I ever hear anyone else asking to work in when the gym is really busy, and I haven't heard it happen yet. I would never think it unreasonable of anyone to ask to work in with me on a pulley machine, but somehow I'd feel presumptuous asking others.
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