Survey Reveals Top 10 Gym Bugbears – Are You Guilty of Any of These?

Posted by author January 23, 2025 Fitness

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Gym etiquette can feel like a minefield to navigate. What does it mean to ‘work in’ on a set? And why do people lay their towels over equipment when they’re using other kit? Plus, can’t people just put their weights away if they’ve managed to complete 5 sets already with them.

It turns out that we’re not the only ones with gym bugbears. A recent survey of 2,000 people conducted by Ordnance Survey found an array of different ‘fitness icks’ that gym goers just can’t stand. The most frequent complaint, mentioned by 30 per cent of gym goers, was people failing to wipe down equipment after use (understandable).

Additionally, 24 per cent were frustrated by those who hog machines while scrolling on their phones. 23 per cent were irritated by people taking selfies in crowded areas, getting in the way of other people’s workouts.

Top 10 Gym Bugbears

In order of annoyance, the survey found:

Not wiping down equipment after use
Hogging machines while scrolling on phones
Taking selfies in busy areas
Filming workouts in crowded spaces
Treating the gym as a social hangout
Excessive grunting during exercises
Leaving weights scattered everywhere
Overly loud conversations on Bluetooth headsets
Dropping weights dramatically for attention
Using multiple machines at once without sharing

Westend61//Getty Images

A more concerning finding from the study was that 25 per cent feel self conscious exercising in a gym, with 27 per cent worrying about being judged by other gym goers. So perhaps the problem isn’t so much about gym etiquette, but more about being more tolerant and helpful to others who use the space.

In fact, one in five admitted to feeling anxious about asking for help with their training, while 28 per cent were concerned about using gym equipment incorrectly — putting to shame those ‘gym fail’ videos seen whilst scrolling our feeds.

The news is saddening, especially when recent data suggests that three in four people are still not reaching the NHS’s recommended 150 minutes of moderate exercise a week.

The Bottom Line

While the Ordnance Survey poll is in aid of a campaign to encourage people to exercise outdoors — which we can certainly get behind — perhaps we should all be working to make our gyms a more inclusive and welcoming environment to avoid people feeling like they need to escape.

So, if you are celebrating the end of the January rush, it’s important to remember that this is when most new gym goers let their New Year resolutions tail off, and perhaps we should work a little harder to help those who we share the gym with.

Kate is a fitness writer for Men’s Health UK where she contributes regular workouts, training tips and nutrition guides. She has a post graduate diploma in Sports Performance Nutrition and before joining Men’s Health she was a nutritionist, fitness writer and personal trainer with over 5k hours coaching on the gym floor. Kate has a keen interest in volunteering for animal shelters and when she isn’t lifting weights in her garden, she can be found walking her rescue dog.