Arnold Schwarzenegger Just Dropped the Bomb on the Proper Gym Etiquette

Considering that Arnold Schwarzenegger is a former bodybuilding great and the actor of a multitude of action movie classics, it is reasonable to say that he is familiar with the gym. The former Mr. Universe and Mr. Olympia champion, Arnold Schwarzenegger, is also quite particular about maintaining proper gym etiquette when working out.

Schwarzenegger offers a lesson on the appropriate etiquette to follow when exercising in a public or shared location in a new public service announcement movie recorded at Gold’s Gym in Venice Beach and uploaded to his Instagram account. The video is a tongue-in-cheek public service announcement piece.

Arnold’s first rule: Do not take over equipment.

“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,” according to Schwarznegger. If you need to use your phone, he tells you to move away from the equipment so that it may be used by other people. This prevents a long line from building and frees up the equipment for other people.

Arnold’s second rule: put your weights away.

The practice of leaving your weights laying about after you have stopped using them is considered to be very bad form. “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,” says the instructor. “So put it back in the right place, the dumbbells, the barbells and everything, so it is really a gymnasium that everyone can use.”

Arnold’s third and final rule is: Share.

Schwarzenegger recommends that you do not monopolize a certain piece of equipment and that you be careful of other gymgoers who may want to work in with you on the item that you are using. As an alternative, you may try swapping sets with them; who knows, you might end up making a new exercise partner in the process.

“Be kind to each other, be nice, be accommodating, because it’s a community,” according to him.