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Hogging weights, loud grunting: 5 annoying gym habits you should stop doing
30th August, 2026 08:28 PM
There are many ways to suffer at the gym. There is leg day, the treadmill, burpees, and then there is the person who refuses to wipe the bench after using it.
The gym is one of those places where strangers are expected to share a surprisingly small amount of space while sweating, lifting heavy objects and occasionally questioning their life choices. Most people manage this arrangement perfectly well. They clean up after themselves, give others room and understand that a gym membership does not come with ownership rights over the squat rack.
Then there are those small habits that can turn an otherwise good workout into an exercise in patience.
1. Treating the equipment like personal property
You know the scene. Someone has placed a towel on a bench, two dumbbells beside it and perhaps a water bottle nearby, apparently declaring ownership of the entire corner of the gym.
They are nowhere to be seen.
Equipment hogging is particularly frustrating during busy hours when several people are waiting to use the same machines. There is nothing wrong with resting between sets or moving between exercises as part of a structured workout, but occupying equipment for long periods while barely using it can quickly become inconsiderate.
If somebody asks to work in, there is usually no reason to refuse, provided the exercises can be done safely. You do not lose your membership rights simply because another person gets a set in between yours.
The gym is shared territory. Your towel is not a deed of ownership.
2. The mysterious sweaty bench
Sweating is part of the deal. Leaving a bench looking as though it has survived a swimming lesson is not.
A person can finish an intense workout looking like they have just walked through Nairobi during the hottest afternoon of the year, and that is completely fine. What is less appealing is getting onto the same bench moments later and discovering a perfect outline of their back.
Wiping down equipment after use is basic courtesy. Most gyms provide disinfectant and paper towels, while carrying your own workout towel makes the whole process even easier.
This is particularly important for benches, seats and machines where people’s skin comes into direct contact with the surface. Nobody expects you to sterilise the entire gym after a workout, but cleaning up the sweat you have left behind is hardly an unreasonable request.
3. Turning every repetition into a public announcement
There is a certain type of gym noise that everyone understands. A heavy squat or final deadlift repetition can produce a grunt, a sharp exhale or even an involuntary shout. Sometimes your muscles simply decide they have had enough and your vocal cords join the rebellion.
The problem is unnecessary noise.
Some people grunt loudly through every repetition, shout encouragement to themselves and drop weights with enough force to make everyone nearby look up. It can become exhausting, particularly for people trying to concentrate on their own workouts.
There is nothing wrong with being enthusiastic. If you are lifting something heavy, breathe properly and make whatever reasonable noise helps you complete the movement. But there is no prize for making the entire gym aware that you have just completed your third bicep curl.
And unless the exercise requires it, gently putting weights down is usually preferable to throwing them onto the floor.
4. Leaving equipment wherever you finish using it
The dumbbell rack is not particularly useful when all the dumbbells are scattered around the gym.
Leaving weights lying around creates extra work for everyone else. Someone looking for a particular pair may have to wander across the room, while plates left on machines can force the next person to unload everything before beginning their workout.
There is also a safety issue. Dumbbells and plates left on the floor can become obstacles in busy workout areas, especially when people are moving between exercises.
Returning equipment takes a few seconds. You already had the energy to lift it, so finding the energy to put it back should not be the final boss of your workout.
5. Forgetting that other people need space
A gym is full of people performing movements that require room. Someone is stretching, another person is doing lunges, somebody is lifting a barbell and another is trying to take a quick look at their form in the mirror.
Then someone walks directly across the middle of everything.
Being aware of your surroundings is an underrated part of gym etiquette. Avoid standing directly in front of somebody who is using the mirror, especially when they are performing a movement that requires them to watch their form. Do not place yourself directly behind someone lifting a heavy barbell, and avoid setting up your exercise in a place that blocks access to equipment.
Even simple things such as doing bicep curls directly in front of the dumbbell rack can make life difficult for everyone trying to collect their weights.
Give people space and, whenever possible, look before you move.
