Every once in a while we all need a reminder about how to conduct ourselves in the small gym space we have and how to properly care for the expensive equipment we use everyday. If we learn how to properly take care of the equipment, it will be easier for Joe to buy more knowing that it will last a while and will not be abused.
So here it goes:
- Try not to talk to people in the middle of their workout, it’s distracting and makes them lose focus.
- No sitting on the wall balls. It misshapes them, making it difficult to catch them as they come down flying at your face.
- Use the chalk over the chalk bucket and keep it IN the bucket. This helps keep the floors clean and helps us to not inhale chalk when we are doing burpees, push-ups,etc.
- Don’t use chalk for anything but your HANDS! We have pennies and counters for a reason, there is no need to write on the floor with chalk- it just causes more of a mess the coaches have to clean up.
- If you have 10’s or 15’s on your bar please do your very best to control the bar down (ie: not drop from above hip height) this is why the inner rings pop out from the plates, making them wobbly and eventually unusable.
- Do not flip the barbells up to unload weights off the bar. This puts undue stress on the bars.
- Do not slam barbells into squat racks, this wears down the Knurling and makes snatches very difficult.
- Do not let barbells fall into the barbell storage sleeves, gently let them slide down. This can damage them.
- Put away all your equipment when you are finished working out, including bands.
- Be cognizant of your surroundings- we have a small gym and a good number of members. Watch where you are dumping, and control the bar down as much as possible, its dangerous to yourself and those around you when you dump a bar with no control.
- Do not take up half the gym with your equipment. Be aware of the small space we have and work with the other members to position your equipment to maximize the space we have- everyone has to set up the same equipment.
- Do not throw plates on the ground- this is part of the reason so many plates have the metal ring missing from the middle.
- Do not drop kettle bells or dumbbells on the ground- set them down as much as possible. We don’t want to crack the foundation of the gym, nor do we want to accidentally break a dumbbell or kettle bell (they are expensive).
- Ask to see if someone else is using certain equipment, don’t assume you can just take it. Someone may have set it up for their workout.
- If you’re sick please stay home and let your body heal, don’t come to the gym and infect everyone.
- If you shower, please hang up the shower mat to dry afterwards.
- When the coaches are warming up the class and explaining the workout, wait until they are done talking to set up your equipment. It’s rude and disrespectful to walk away in the middle of their explanation, even if you have been doing CrossFit for a while and know your way around the gym.
- When the coaches are warming up the class and explaining the workout, please do not talk or simply go to the lobby to talk. The people in the class have a hard time hearing over the extra noise and the coaches do not like to shout over your voice. You will be asked to do burpees (see new rules).
- Keep your personal items and belongings in the cubbies, keep your stuff out of the gym and out from under the rig.
- Check the lost and found box for your lost items!
- Do not cheat or cut reps. You are only cheating yourself. It’s only you against you at the end of the day.
- Do not drop a bar with metal plates on it.
- Do not sit on the bar. You can sit on the heavier bumper plates (35# and up), but not the lighter bumper plates.
- If you bring your children, please make sure they clean up the childcare area and put away all the toys.
- ***If a coach is asking you not to do something, it’s for the good of the gym, equipment, and other members, not because they don’t like you. Don’t take it personally!
We all have to work together to make sure the gym functions as a well oiled machine. Let’s hold each other accountable and make sure that we are treating everyone and all the equipment the way it was meant to be treated.
