The gym I work out in is at my work, a medical school/research facility. Today when I entered the gym, I couldn't start with squats as planned because there were two 45-pound plates on the Smith Machine bar and the bar was set above my head (I'm stuck with a Smith Machine if I want to do heavy squats; squat cage is no more). I asked at the front desk for a sign be put up, asking people to please remove their plates when finished. The front desk was very cooperative (they have already ordered a sign) and a medical student just entering the gym offered to take the plates down for me. He was extremely nice in manner and attitude. What he said was something like: All the guys in here are really nice. You can ask them to help you anytime you need a plate moved. We like to keep the heavy plates up because several of us use the same weight and we don't like to take the plates on and off. He was very nicely asking for my cooperation. I can sort of understand this request if I were a medical student and thus part of the team that is suffering through exams and clinicals together; however, I am a middle-age employee and I don't want to ask young male medical students for help in the gym - - - ever. I was polite and said thank you several times but my thoughts still lean toward the idea that they should remove their plates rather than that women should have to ask for plate removal.

Your opinion?

Plates should ALWAYS be put back after use, just common courtesy. If someone doesn't have enough energy to load and un-load plates, they need to lessen the weight. It's just a matter of discipline. Even though I work out alone in my garage, I always return the weight to the tree before I leave. I don't want to stretch cables, stress metal, or create a safety hazard.

It is gym ettiquette to clear plates off of machines when you are done, and to put dumbbells back when you are done with them ...

But, as you have seen, not everyone plays by the rules.

I am working in a new gym now, and am having to break the sloppy habits of the members here. Alot of them just leave stuff on the machines and leave dumbbells laying around.

Does your gym have staff on the floor? It is part of their job description (I am sure) to clear the floor of dumbbells, for safety reasons if nothing else.

Also, I am always ready to help anyone who needs help unloading plates from machines. Your gym staff is probably the same way -- sympathetic to the situation since it is usually lazy members (mostly male) that are the culprits. It's no problem to ask.

I make myself available on the floor when I am in betwen clients, and I also clear machines that are overloaded. AND if I see someone leave a machine that is loaded up, I go up to them and ask if they are finished. If they say "yes", then I offer to help them unload the machine. --

"You finished there?"
"Uh, yeah" "Cool. I'll help you unload it."

If it is dumbbells (and it always seems to be the 120 pounders that are left around ), and I see someone walk away from them, I rack them, but them I will walk up and ask the offender to rack them himself next time.

Usually when I am floating around, people clean up after themselves. It's when I am not looking that it all goes to pot.

Oh, and we have signs everywhere too. The burden is on the staff to keep a safe exercise floor, but "good members" who know the ettiuette are always a nice thing.