What is a Gym for a Gymgoer but a Field of Rules? A Taxonomy of the Rules

A place is its rules. The title of this post paraphrases Wood & Beck's (1994, pp.1) “What is a home for a child but a field of rules?”

A room is a place with spoken and unspoken rules. These rules are what actually give meaning to a room; those rules are both a consequence of certain cultural values and a way to maintain those values. The rules are norms to be enforced to preserve order, but are also systems of values instilled in us from different personal, individual, collective, geographical, cultural, political sources and realms. This is why the rules in a room are “an expression of values” (Wood & Beck, pp. 6).

When Wood and Beck (1994) ask themselves “what is a home for a child but a field of rules?” (pp.1), they are highlighting the organic make up of a space we call a room for which we have made rules for. The room without rules and objects, and the rules for the objects, and the rules among the users of those objects, and the rules in the interaction of those users, are what make a room. We confine a set or sets of values for the living experience in a room. In this case, a space we call a gym. Paraphrasing Wood and Beck we could also say “What is a gym for a gymgoer but a field of rules?”, a confined set of values enforced and enacted in a room for gymgoers called the “Functional Fitness Room” in the Ping Center at Ohio University.

As our group engaged in this assignment, we confirmed the innumerable sets of rules that inhabit in any space; the physical and explicit rules as well as the social collective or individual rules, unspoken and spoken, from a shared culture or from our upbringing, and also from the constant use of the room observed. In a short observation span of time for this assignment, we were able to register almost forty rules.

From those rules we derived a discussion and an analysis of the meaning of this rules and how this rules interact with the place and the social group that comply with them. How these rules talk to us about identities and about power relations. “To study the rules is to study the room” (Wood & Beck, pp. 3), and to study the room and the rules is to study social and individual behavior, values enacted, identities performed, and ultimately to study what all of this says about the society, time and space we are living in.

Un unspoken social rule made spoken through a meme. Imgur / Via me.me via Buzzfeed

First we observed two main categories. All other rules fall under one of these two: the spoken and the non-spoken rules. In this case, there are rules set by the administrators (in the website or on the walls with signs) to keep it a safe space, since it is a place where potential injuries may happen if the powerful and heavy equipment is misused. There are rules also set by administrators to keep the machines in the best shape possible in order to expand their life span and preserve their best performance for the gymgoers.

Another set of rules are the ones displayed and enacted by the specific group of people who are regular users (apparently the majority) of the Functional Fitness Room, such as the etiquette of sharing the space, the machines and the weights, not interact in ways that will not be consider appropriate in such setting, such as staring at others, or acting in unwelcome flirtatious ways, or talking to people they don’t know, or that are working out on a schedule.

There are also unspoken rules that relate to the individuals’ identities in this setting; how they see themselves, how they perceive the others see them, as much as the feeling of belonging or not belonging to the space by the way your body is shaped or worked out (or not); and even rules that are much more intimate and personal like self imposed regime of exercising your body or the specific set of exercises that you aim working at, or the amount of time you have set yourself to do the workout.

Another set of personal rules that touches onto the social fiber of the culture we live in is the self perception of oneself in the context of this space (Functional Fitness Room) and in performing these exercises; what does that say about you and the way you are perceived and the way you want to be perceived within the boundaries of this space and also beyond this space; how do you want your body to be looked as or appreciated, or your health habits. All of that requires self imposed rules that go apparently unnoticed but that are inscribed in the mere act of working out and having a body that shows has been worked at. Those self imposed rules to attain that ideal body for health or aesthetics, for work reasons or pleasure, are also informed by social values that turn into sort of unspoken cultural rules that you choose (consciously or not) to embrace in order to fit in in a way you feel good about yourself and you feel accepted or admired.

As part of this assignment we developed a taxonomic system to categorize the rules that are at play in the workout room. This gives us a better understanding and overview of what realms (public, private, social, cultural, political, explicit or implicit) overlap, interact, or build upon each other in these rules’ ecosystem.

TAXONOMY OF RULES IN THE FUNCTIONAL FITNESS ROOM

First, we have the two main groups of rules under which the rest of all other rules fall:

Uspoken Social Rules (U)

Spoken Rules (S/)

Under the Spoken Social Rules (S/) (written on the website or posted in signs on the walls), we identify rules that are for:

Safety of the Person (P1)

Safety of the Equipment (E1)

Under the Unspoken Social Rules (U) (either by upbringing or by experience in the physical space) we identify rules that are related to:

Interaction (In) among the patrons

Etiquette (E) Appearance (App) of apparel, bodies, mirror watching, identity, etc.

Rules and their codings:

1. Do not stare at others working out (UInE)

2. Don’t talk too much in the gym (UInE)

3. Keep to your self. Don’t get too close to anyone (UInE)

4. People need to have room to workout (UInE)

5. Wait for your turn patiently (UInE)

6. Don’t take too much time at each machine/squat rack (UInE)

7. Be aware that other people need the equipment too (UInE)

8. Don’t keep asking how much time they have left at each machine (UInE)

9. Do not disturb others with your music, wear headphones (UInE)

10. No kids allowed in this area (UInP1E1)

11. Not handicap friendly (U)

12. You are not to eat in this room (UInP1E1E)

13. Ask if you need to use something. Don’t just assume (UInP1E1E)

14. Clean up after yourself. Use wipes if you have to (UInP1E1E)

15. Do certain exercises in designated areas (UInP1E1)

16. Your fit body belongs to this place (UApp)

17. A correct sports apparel conforms to this space, belonging is expressed (UApp)

18. It is normal to look at yourself at the mirror while working out (UApp)

19. Wear proper shoes (S/E1P1)

20. Wear athletic clothing (S/E1P1)

21. Weights should be put back again in their places (S/E1P1E)

22. No chalk (S/E1)

23. Collars/Clips are required at all times (S/P1)

24. No chains (S/E1P1)

25. Personal training is permitted by Campus Recreation staff only (S/E1P1)

26. Barbell squats must be performed in the power racks with safety bars (S/E1P1)

27. Bumper plates must be used for all olympic and overhead power movement (S/E1P1)

28. Three feet of space must be left between you and other patrons when performing olympic or barbell lifts outside of a power rack or platform (S/P1)

29. Movements must be controlled when performing barbell exercises (S/P1)

30. Do not stack plyo boxes (S/P1)

31. No hanging upside down or swinging from one bar to another on the Rig (S/P1)

32. Using equipment outside of its intended design is not permitted (S/E1P1)

33. Re-rack all weights and return all equipment to their original locations after use (S/E1P1E)

34. Bags and belongings must be placed in a cubby or locker (S/P1)

35. Any photography/video must have prior written approval (S/P1E)

36. All policies and safety rules are subject to the discretion of the Campus Recreation Staff (S/E1P1)

37. Shirts and shoes must be worn at all times (S/P1)

38. Any body part touching equipment must be covered (no exposed skin touching equipment) (S/P1)

39. Personal speakers prohibited (S/P1E)

A meme on how unspoken social rules work at a gym.Twitter: @louevilpsycho via Buzzfeed

There are probably many more rules that could be registered and noticed in a larger study complemented with interviews, but we are pleased with this interesting sample that has given us an important insight on the way a space relates to meaning (individual and social), as well as to values (individual and social). As Wood and Beck state, when one enters a room “one enters all at once this room/objects/significance-thing, this culture (the room is a culture), this mathesis (the room is a way coming to know the world)” (pp.4), and thus the richness of observing the spoken and spoken rules in this place for this assignment. We made meanings and values transparent.