Gym Etiquette For High-Schoolers

[JohnnyCoho]

As wrestling coach for our Freestyle Wrestling Team our last meet was on Saturday, and now I'm putting my high school wrestlers on a weight training program for the Summer. (Basically a somewhat modified Westside program)
The kids have the moves but lack a lot of strength, especially in the lower posterior chain.

Question is this; I want to put together a list of gym etiquette together for the kids to follow while in the gym. Kids are very well behaved and listen well to directions (they know better otherwise its stair runnin time) and I already told them if they're not going to take this serious that they'll be asked to leave...

What would you have on a list of gym rules for High School kids?

 

[zxe003]

Come to train, not to socialize.

 

[zxe003]

Come to train, not to socialize. Don't hold up equipment.

 

[zxe003]

...Don't slam or drop the weights unecessarily.
Break down the weights after use.
Wipe benches down if sweated all over it.
Don't handle too much without a t.p. or spotter.
Don't have toO much pride to ask for help or assistance.
...But also don't bother others who are training right in the middle of their workout.
NO Running, No Singing, No Dancing, No Spitting, No Crying...
And Most Importantly...GO HARD OR GO HOME!

 

[JohnnyCoho]

Kewl' zxe3,...keep em' comin!!! Shoulda mentioned too We have the gym all to ourselves pretty much for 2 hours a night, 4 days a week. Small town gym, and wrestling is huge here! (Years ago the local cops woulda' pulled ya over if ya weren't at a match supporting the team)

 

[guldukat]

Great question. Some of these won't speak directly to etiquette, and it'll take awhile to finish the list but for starters...


Gym Commandments for High Schoolers:

Commandment the First--Thou shalt do leg presses, squats and variations thereof with a __full range of motion.__

During a workout this past Dec., I'd just finished a set of slow leg presses with 10 plates/side for 8 knees-to-armpits reps. (I know that's not special, but the negatives were pretty slow...I think the set took ~55 sec. to complete (?).)

Anyway, as I started to unload plates, two high school kids appeared and told me I could leave the machine fully loaded. Looking at the their builds, the mighty physiques of "Barney Fife" and "Ichebod Crane" came immediately to mind.

So, I just shrugged and said, "Err, okay. Have fun guys."

Well, each did multiple sets with all that weight plus their buddy standing on top of the machine. Impressive, right?

No. Their ROM was about 4"...all they really did was lock and unlock their knees a bit. When they finally moved on to other leg movements, it was similar fare...somehow they even perverted a leg extension into a partial movement!

Tell your kids they wouldn't pull that shit on their beloved bis and pecs, so they should afford leg movements the same kind of respect.


Commandment the Second--Thou shalt shut the fuck up and traineth.

In other words, unconstructive criticism, lots of loud banter and joking around, unsolicited advice etc. are no-nos.

Some of that's okay in a high school gym, but they need to learn proper manners should they enter a grown-ups gym Kids have told me I'm "lifting too much" or "working too hard" when they should've minded their own damn business.


Third to come later. I wasted too much time with the stories ...I'm bored this afternoon

 

[JohnnyCoho]

Thats awesome Guldukat,..funny too!! Printed out a great article by Jim Wendler on Training For High School Atheletes, basically a, "what would you have done differently, if you knew what you know now" Without going into it too much he basically lists 11 things along with explanations,..they are as follows:
1. Train the Core
2. Don't train like college athletes
3. Form Before Weight
4. Build Hamstrings
5. Participate in Other Sports
6. Dont buy into Supplements
7. The Weight Will Come
8. Don't be a Bodybuilder
9. Dont Overtrain
10. Train the entire body
11. Start Today

 

[BrandonXJ]

3. Form Before Weight

I don't think it's possible to stress that enough. Especially with the h.s.'ers, you know they'll try to measure themselves and everyone else by how much weight they can push around. Quality, not quantity.

 

[KillahBee]

stretch
encourage and push each other, but don't put each other down.

 

[Synpax]

I think this is probably a big one for high schoolers:

No teasing people about how little they can lift. No pecking orders. Encourage your colleagues or keep your mouth shut but show everyone respect.

 

[JohnnyCoho]

WORD!!!... SYNPAX,

Already ran into that one when we discussed puttin them on a weight training program. (Made me pretty angry, they got extra stairs for that one. Somthin' funny on that too that back fired on me, gave the old, There's no "I" in team thing and got a smart ass reply that I had to laugh at, "Yeah but there's an "M" & an "E".)

 

[super_rice]

i am a teen, and i must say, my peers have no knowledge of any form whatsoever. it must be stressed and restressed (is that a word? )

oh, a good one, imho anyway:

you're in there to improve athletic performance, please the chicks can wait.

 

[KillahBee]

i am a teen, and i must say, my peers have no knowledge of any form whatsoever. it must be stressed and restressed (is that a word? )

oh, a good one, imho anyway:

you're in there to improve athletic performance, please the chicks can wait.

Holy Hormones Batman!!! I give you credit, my friend. In highschool I had to master the art of using my shirt to cover my hard-on thanks to the fact that if a girl looked at me I nearly blew my load.

 

[MsBeverlyHills]

you are there to train- NOT to check out the hot women in the tight lycra.

 

[super_rice]

Holy Hormones Batman!!! I give you credit, my friend. In highschool I had to master the art of using my shirt to cover my hard-on thanks to the fact that if a girl looked at me I nearly blew my load.

man... every high schooler needs to get laid... and quickly. because it fucks with their minds. and then once you get laid it's not so bad anymore, you have space to think of other stuff too.

 

[JohnnyCoho]

Nice thing being a coach and not a teacher is dicipline can and does get dished out (stairs, wind sprints, push-ups, ect.) Kids I am training show a great deal of respect and will listen. Many are nationally ranked wrestlers.

Kids will also be in one area only at a time and will be trained from lowest weight class to highest. Each getting a turn with 3 coaches spotting and giving instruction.

OK,..so rules so far;

THE GOLDEN RULE!! I am the Coach, this is my gym; you will listen or simply be asked to leave and not return. You are here to represent our team and will do so proudly!!

1. You are here to train and not socialize! This is not fun time, its just like practice, except here you can seriously get injured if you do not listen.

2. There will be no unconstructive criticism, banter, joking around, unsolicited advice etc.

3. While wating for your turn you will sit and only offer encouragement to your fellow team mates. Pay attention to how the lift is performed and watch and listen to the other coaches as they spot each excercise.

4. Form before weight ! Quality, not quantity.

5. Treat the equipment with respect! Put weights away after using them and wipe down and disinfect equipment after use.

OK,...MORE!!

 

[cwick0]

BE RESTPECTFUL OF OTHERS IN THE GYM.

work on form.

if your not serious, go home!

Please, keep it basic for them. They wont like/handle a bunch of rules. As long as you are willing to work with them, they should be willing to accept your help.

 

[WhatNot51]

no horseplay
no jewelry
give 11 effort. ie if rep 10 was easy, you better finish off with another.
do not sit on equipment you are not using
minor grunting is fine on your last few hard reps; it is not okay for each of your fifteen warm-up sets.
Do not position yourself between the mirror and someone working out

 

[George Spellwin]

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