I'll admit that I'm NOT the most "politically correct" member at my local
gym.
No, I don't spit in the water fountain or hang out in the doorway of the ladies'
yoga class drooling.
I don't sweat all over the bench and leave behind a puddle of toxic waste for the
next member to swim in.
I bathe regularly, use deodorant, brush my teeth before heading to the gym and don't
reek of stale beer while I'm on the treadmill.
But when it comes to waiting in line for a piece of equipment, I'm a barracuda.
I HATE to wait for people to get off of "MY" equipment.
So when you're on a "schedule" you don't want to have to be held up by
the other knuckleheads who probably don't have ANY plan, right?
Well, you wanna know how do I claim ownership of my workout zone without urinating
around the equipment to "mark" my territory?
Here are 5 ways (with a few "not-so-politically-correct" strategies)
that I manage my time and space on the gym floor...
1. Ok, this first one is a simple one...workout when the gym isn't so busy.
I know, I know....DUUUUUUHH, right?
Hey, you know I had to throw that in there, right?
Obvious yes, but if you're especially challenged at your gym, then perhaps you should
re-examine your schedule and see if you're able to go at lunch when things are a
little quieter.
2. Throw on your headphones and crank up the music.
This works great for managing your time in the gym since you won't get lured into
those long "between set" discourses on the meaning of life with "that
guy" who seems to flap his gums with everyone in earshot of him.
But the other advantage of wearing your headphones is that people are less likely
to interrupt you and ask if they can "work in" with you.
(If someone DOES ask...let them! I'm teaching you how to do the best you can to
"own" the equipment, but don't be a COMPLETE jerk!).
Which brings us to...
3. If someone is using a piece of equipment you also want to use...ask if you
can "work in" with them!
Most guys aren't "Alpha's" in the gym so when you simply ask "Do
you mind if I work in with you?", saying "No" makes THEM the jerk.
And let's face it, not many people care to be thought of as the "jerk of the
gym".
You'll get compliance 99.9% of the time and they'll likely even cut their own sets
short and move on to another exercise.
4. "Mark" Your Territory
Again, I'm NOT talking about whipping it out and urinating around the equipment.
But there IS a way you can claim some real estate...
This is especially helpful if you're using supersets in your training where you
need to flip back and forth between 2 pieces of equipment.
Simply grab two of the gym's floor towels (the ones you use to wipe down the equipment)
and throw one over each machine or station you want to use just prior to your sets.
So for example, if I'm supersetting chest and back, I may go and throw a towel over
the straight bar on the flat bench and then go and wrap another towel around the
pulldown bar at a different location.
And I'm talking, I make it OBVIOUS!