You were probably taught to make eye contact while speaking to someone, to say, “please,” and “thank you,” to keep your elbows off the table, and to extend a firm hand shake. Congratulations – if you practice these! You’re a generally well -mannered human being. But do you know which hand to cough into, from which side to approach and exit your chair at the dinner table, or the difference between pointing at someone, as opposed to pointing at something.

There are many minor etiquette rules you might break on a daily basis without causing offence, but when it comes to behaviour at the gym, do you know the basic rules of etiquette observed here?

At MPT we abide by a simple set of etiquette principles: Keep your socializing to before-and-after class – not during the session. It’s rude, disruptive and suggests that you are more important than everyone else around you. As a coach/trainer, when I’m demonstrating or explaining various exercises I expect your undivided attention, and this also means your ‘quiet’ attention. At MPT we encourage interaction during classes as it helps build camaraderie. However, there is a fine line between friendly interaction, and consistently talking to the point that it becomes disruptive to the flow of the class, and instructions need to be repeated several times over. The last thing I want to do is call someone, or people out in front of everyone, as I’m not a big fan of public slamming. However, if I see that my position, and the interests of others in the class, are not being respected, it may become an option that I will exercise.

I may be taking the risk of sounding old-fashioned (though it actually has nothing to do with “fashion” and everything to do with manners and respect for others), but this needs to be said:It’s not ok, to be late for a class. It’s rude, inconsiderate and selfish. I know this may sound unduly harsh to some, yet it is the honest truth. That we all live busy lives, is a given, so it’s more of a cop-out than it is an excuse. The truth is that some people no longer even pretend that they think your time is as important as theirs.

To clarify, I’m not talking about being two or three minutes late, I’m referring to a ‘habit’ of being five to ten minutes late on a regular basis. I understand life is not always a smooth routine, and things come up that are out of our control. However, if you’re committed to taking part in an event that’s been scheduled and requires punctuality, please make every effort to be on time.

Here are some other rules of etiquette that you can follow at the MPT dojo.

1. Check your ego at the door.
2. Be consistent and be on time.
3. Respect this dojo and respect each other.
4. You can be tired, but don’t act tired.
5. Be better than you were yesterday.
6. Eat real food. Do not diet.
7. “Train” here. “Exercise” somewhere else.
8. Don’t count the reps: make the reps count.
9. Put your excuses and weights away.
10. PR’s are meant to be broken.

I can honestly guarantee you that if everyone who is a student at the MPT dojo followed these guidelines on a consistent basis, their experience and results would be beyond anything they could ever expect.

Dedicated to your fitness,
Maki Riddington
#noexcuses
#teammpt
#tfwvancouver