On the couch with Jasminda

DEAR Jasminda,

I’VE started going to a gym and there’s a man there that leaves various personal items on the equipment I want to use.

His drink bottle is on one, his towel is on another and then he leaves his backpack on a third machine.

What is the gym etiquette around this?

I only have 30 minutes before I have to go to work and he’s tying up the equipment.

Penny D.

Hi Penny,

Firstly, it’s great that you’re getting your 30 minutes of fitness in before you go to work.

You sound like a go-getter who likes to squeeze the most out of your day, but that shouldn’t mean squeezing the sweat out of someone else’s gym towel so you can get access to the glute kickback machine.

You shouldn’t have to miss out on the prime equipment just because someone is marking his territory much like a dog cocks its leg on its favourite trees.

It is pretty common for a gym-goer to superset between two machines and it may be part of their program.

You can always be direct and ask if you can alternate between the machines in tandem.

What you’re experiencing, though, sounds more like you’re dealing with someone who has either accidentally hit himself in the head too many times while performing his skull-crusher routine, or he’s just plain thoughtless.

Try being polite, but assertive.

Something like: ‘I want to use the chest press machine. I think you may have accidentally left your towel there.’

If he says, ‘No, I didn’t forget, I’m doing a circuit,’ you could say, ‘That’s great. I am too. I’m going to jump in while you’re doing your leg presses.’

If you get any further pushback from him, it’s not your job to sort it out.

You should explain the situation to the gym owner, because I can almost guarantee you’re not the only person this equipment hog is annoying.

Try something like, ‘Hey, I’m trying to use the machines, but Rambo over there is acting like a

serial hoarder, throwing his stuff over multiple stations. He’s got the same number of limbs as the rest of us. Can you have a word with him please?’

This takes the confrontation off you and leaves Super-Sized-Sven (a multi-titled AWF champion with energy to burn) to explain basic gym etiquette to Dad-Bod-Dave.

I’m confident your problem will be solved faster than a jump-squat routine.

Carpe diem,
Jasminda.