1. Home
  2. Gym Etiquette

Apollo Gym Rules & Etiquette

The gym has changed over the years, as has gym culture, the patrons and what we can and should expect when walking into a gym.

Most people when they think gym, they imagine a dimly lit space, blasting music and a group of muscled men throwing weights around while their training partner yell at them to get the weight up. Ronnie Coleman's "LIGHT WEIGHT BABY!" comes to mind.

Thankfully that has changed, for the most part, and commercial gyms these days are a place where anyone and everyone can come in for a workout, feel safe, respected, members that behave and not looked down on for being different.

Like all gyms, Apollo Health & Fitness has rules and expected standards and gym etiquette. Below are a list of a few. If you are unsure don't be scared to ask a staff member.

Our mission is to provide a welcoming and supportive environment where our members can achieve their fitness goals and improve their overall health and well-being. We believe that exercise and healthy living should be enjoyable and accessible to everyone.

  • No Equipment Campouts!

    SOME SPOTS LIKE squat racks, benches, and leg press machines become high-value real estate when the gym gets busy. Yet very often, you'll see someone camping out on the squat rack for 10 to 20 minutes on end. If you're going to spend more than 10 minutes at any gym station, you'll need to learn to share.

  • Dress for Muscle Success

    EVEN IF YOU'RE crushing a three-hour workout every day, the gym is not actually your house. It's everyone else's, so you'll need to follow everyone else's rules. In most gyms, that means rocking a shirt (even if you have Hemsworth-level abs). And you'll need to wear shoes, too.

  • Leave The Equipment How You Found It

    PUT YOUR WEIGHTS back where you found them. And always Wipe. Everything. Down. If your back or your butt is going against a piece of equipment, once you're done with your sets, you should towel it off (even if you haven't left a sweat lagoon behind).

  • No Unsolicited Form Checks

    The most experienced gym-goers know that they'll get a better workout if they focus on their sets instead of everyone else's. The gym is already intimidating, especially for some women and beginners. So don't make it worse by being the know-it-all that no one asked.

  • Film Away—If You're the Star

    THE RIGHT VID just might help you master your deadlift form—or kickstart your fitfluencer career. But unless you paid the gym some Disney-level location fee, you have to share the space. So guest stars (read: other gym patrons) shouldn't be in your HIIT short film unless they've agreed to it (or are getting royalties).

  • Phone Calls Are (Sometimes) OK

    YES, IT'S COMPLETELY FINE to check your email during a workout, or snap a selfie when the gym lighting is just right. But when your tax accountant calls to break down your 2024 expenses?

  • Absolutely. No. Creeping.

    IT'S THE START of a really terrible Netflix romcom: you lock eyes with someone from across the free weights section. They beckon you over for a spot. You graze hands as you swap out plates—and suddenly you're married and inviting the entire Gym staff. Right?
    Wrong. Because a workout isn't a mating ritual. Sure, you just might meet somebody at the gym, but the workout comes first. So wait til a rest period, or post-workout protein shake time. "Us gym girls know we're hot. But save it for when I've finished my workout."

  • Quiet During the Set!

    WOULD YOU WANT somebody asking your surgeon for a scalpel midway through your heart surgery? No. And, truth be told, some gym lifts (think: heavy bench presses and snatches and those confounding Turkish getups) require surgeon-level focus, if only for a few seconds. That's why the golden rule of gym conversation is this: Don't speak to anyone when they're working. If somebody's midway through a set or a circuit or a 5km run, can they really give you a spot, share their equipment, or catch you up on House of the Dragon anyway? Read social cues, if someone has headphones on or a cap down over their eyes, you'd better already have their phone number if your interruption is welcome.