I live in an apartment complex, and we have a very small gym. We only have one dumbell set, one bench, one of each weight machine and 2 treadmills/ellipticals.

I get so peeved when I see guys (they usually come in pairs) hogging up the weights in the gym, standing there and blocking them yet watching TV and not lifting a thing for 80% of the time. (Or they'll socialize, text, etc.) Sometimes they'll sit there doing this for 2 hours! So rude. Such a waste of time.

And politely asking them to let me use the weights is just incredibly awkward... especially since they'll just sit there watching me out of the corner of their eyes until I'm done. Like I'm robbing them of their oh-so-valuable workout time!

It's like I'm the only person at the gym who just wants to get done and get out. And that's fine... but I wish people would just have the courtesy to get out of the way if they're not working!

/rant

Maybe complain to management or ask that signs be hung about it. If something is written down, it can be enforced with more authority than just a personal preference.

But you're right, it is rude. Just like not wiping down equipment with your towel is bad gym etiquette, doing more talking than working out while actively on a machine or in a weight area is bad form. Take it to the side of the room or lobby, dudes!

They're "resting between sets."

Sometimes there is a lot of resting and very few sets.

Hey, it's having shown up in the gym that counts: "Yeah, I went to the gym. Was there two hours."

It's already posted on the wall, I think people just don't bother to read it. And one of the guys most guilty of this works for management.

Oh gosh. Maybe, to prove a point, bring in a cheap pair of dumbells from Walmart or something, and just use it right next to them. Haha

Don't want to be sexist, but this drives me nuts also, as do the guys who slam weights while grunting and groaning loudly. I once told a couple of them that I had made less noise giving birth! That quieted them. Why is it I see some ladies lifting impressive weights & never hear a peep?

I go to an all ladies gym, so I haven't had this problem. In your case I'd just go ahead and ask them to use the weights, who cares if they're giving you strange looks? You're not being the rude one, they are!

Yeah guys just hang out in the back it looms like lifting weights aimlessly they might be lost, or confused, maybe. but really I'd just use the stuff say excuse me and ask if you can use that while they "rest"

Walk up to one of the fellas as he's lifting and say, "Can I help you with that?"
I bet at least that fella leaves the gym early.

At my gym there's one particular trainer (a woman) who always has her clients (always women) camped out on whatever machine they are using for like 15 minutes each. They do like 5 reps and sit there for 5 minutes before the next set. The weight isn't that heavy either! I just go ask to work in, and yes I do get dirty looks and they stand there and stare while I do my set, and I also get over half my workout done in the same amount of time it takes them to do the 1 exercise. Very annoying. Very, very, very annoying.

And the sweat thing and not wiping it down! Come on! I forgot my towel earlier this week and after ever exercise I went and got a paper towel and wiped it down. Who wants to touch someone else's sweat!? No one!

The other thing that bother's me is when 2 friends come to the gym together and get on side by side cardio equipment and talk very loudly about personal things OR you can hear them making fun of others in the gym.