Your gym may be your oasis, but the people you share it with may have habits that are less than ideal. See what are some gym-goers' pet peeves, according to Men's Health, and brush up on your etiquette.
April 1, 2025 | Men's Health Paul Kita: You don't want to be leaving a sweat angel on the bench press machine (WTOP's Dimitri Sotis)
WASHINGTON — Sometimes, you just want to unwind on the treadmill or start your day off with some bicep curls. But when you get to the gym, you feel like walking right out after catching a whiff of stale B.O. or seeing ocean-wide sweat pools.
As much as you cherish your oasis of fitness, the people you share it with may have habits that are less than ideal. Men’s Health Editor Paul Kita shared the results of a recent survey of some 1,300 gym-goers about their biggest pet peeves.
See the full list here. And take a look at five of them below so you can brush up on your gym etiquette:
1. When your sweat gets everywhere
According to the Men’s Health survey, 75 percent of respondents found sweat to be a major pet peeve.
“Other people’s sweat is other people’s responsibility. So, you don’t want to be leaving a sweat angel on the bench press machine or, worse yet, dapple the cardio machines with your perspiration,” Kita told WTOP.
Carry a towel with you and use it, Kita advised. He recommends absorbent Rothco microfiber towels, which are available on Amazon. “This is what the military guys use,” he said.
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Thinkstock
2. When your stench is strong
“Sixty-five percent of people were offended by excessive body odor; the other 35 [percent], we can only imagine were upwind at the time,” Kita said.
But your stink might not entirely be your body’s fault, he added. Wicking fibers built into modern textiles can hold odor. “If you don’t wash them yourself, they tend to hold the stink a little bit longer,” Kita said.
“So try finding a detergent that is specialized for these new wicking fibers.”
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Thinkstock
3. When everyone can hear what you’re blasting
“This is a big one, not only because it can be annoying to hear somebody’s heavy metal come out of their headphones; there’s also a safety concern here,” Kita said.
“The gym, as we know, can be a dangerous place, so if somebody drops — let’s say they’re doing something stupid and they’re benching without a spotter and they drop the weights on them. If you’ve got your headphones in and they’re jacked up loud, you might miss that person saying, ‘Help!'”
Or, Kita added, someone may be asking you when you’re done with a treadmill machine and you can’t hear them.
Whatever the case, be more courteous and turn down your music or podcasts. It’ll also help you keep in touch with your surroundings.
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Thinkstock
4. When you grunt excessively
Nearly 50 percent of the people surveyed found loud grunting to be annoying. And you don’t want any Animal Planet comparisons, either.
“Instead of grunting, try power breathing,” Kita said. “You’re going to inhale lowering the weight and then, as you exhale, raise the weight. The basic thing here is to keep it quieter than, say, a gorilla would.”
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Thinkstock
5. When you don’t clean up after yourself
Leaving gym equipment around is also a safety concern, Kita said. Dumbbells or weight plates that are just lying around can be tripping hazards. So, after you use something, put it back. It’s that easy.
He added, “Please, don’t make us call your mom. Pick up after yourself.”
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