REC CENTER TIPS

Things not to do at the Rec Center Rec Center

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NATHAN ENGLISH Managing Editor @nathan_3nglish

Use the gym as a place to fi nd a date

This one is almost exclusively for heterosexual men. People are there to work on themselves, and while they may be there to lift, they don’t want or need your dead weight. Don’t fl irt with people exercising. It’s creepy.

Yell every time you lift

You don’t need to yell or scream while you workout. We get it, some of you are lifting heavy weight, and some of you think you are lifting heavy weight. Grunts and other things of that sort are natural sounds, screaming isn’t.

Be a ball hog

If you are planning on playing some basketball, don’t be a ball hog. Ben McCollum is not going to walk into the rec at 3 p.m. on a Friday and offer you a roster spot. Relax and pass it to the guy in the corner.

Collect the dumbbells

You only have two arms, that means you only need two dumbbells, max. Don’t be the guy who starts his own little dumbbell collection over by where you are lifting because you wanna switch weight often.

Sing or rap to your music

Congratulations, you know the words, but nobody else can hear the music you are singing, so to us, you seem like some deranged American Idol contestant practicing their routine. Nothing is more awkward than singing alone.

Forget to wipe off your sweat

Sanitization should always be a priority at the gym. You will likely sweat, and you will need to clean it up. Nobody wants to sit on a bench slick with another person’s sweat, so make sure that doesn’t happen.

Take a charge

It’s pickup basketball in the rec center. There is literally no reason to take a charge. Taking a charge in a pickup game is the most try-hard move a person could ever do, and it will lead to you playing a lot of shoot-around by yourself.

Workout right next to someone else

There is no reason, save when the rec center is completely packed, to work out mere inches from another person. They have tons of treadmills; you don’t need to “snuggle up.” And if you have ulterior motives, refer back to No. 1.

Ask a person about their max

I’ve only seen this happen a few times, but every time, it’s so awkward and annoying I want to throw up. It’s college, not the NFL combine. Most people are just trying to stay in some semblance of shape, not train for a roster spot.

Ask someone who clearly just worked out if they worked out

This one is specifi c, and it’s annoying. Picture this, you see a person sweating in athletic shorts and a tank top walking out of the rec center, what do you say? Literally anything other than, “Hey, did you just get done working out?”