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When it comes to best practices at the gym, it seems like everyone and their mother, uncle, and second cousin twice removed has an opinion. From to the — the judgments can be overwhelming. For the most part, we're team MYOB at the gym.

But that doesn't mean we believe in total anarchy. Some behavior can step over the line, from kind of annoying to out-and-out rude or even straight-up inappropriate. Clearly, there's a need for solid gym etiquette rules.



That said, it can be tough to separate personal opinion from actual best gym etiquette. So we asked PS staffers and dedicated readers to analyze real-life scenarios, everything from "Is it ever OK to record others in the background of your workout video?" to "Should you call someone out if they don't put back their weights?" We got real honest with our thoughts and together were able to come up with our own non-negotiable fitness etiquette rules to help make your gym a better place. The guidelines below are broken down into four etiquette categories: equipment, social behaviors, locker room, and attire.

While we couldn't address every possible gym scenario or qualm, here are nearly 40 rules editors and readers agreed upon as being crucial to a considerate and enjoyable gym-going experience..

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