For many people the gym is an oasis, a refuge from the drudgery and drama everyday life can bring. For an hour or two, your primary concern is getting your sweat on and not much else.

Music pumps us up too, but we manage to enjoy it without pretending we’re an original member of Meridian Crew

However, some people manage to disrupt the delicate equilibrium between those four walls without even trying, leaving everyone else feeling irritated and ultimately bitter about the extortionate monthly membership fee.

Granted, the following complaints could apply to anyone, regardless of gender. But from my experience – and the personal accounts of the women I spoke to for the purpose of this piece – plenty of blokes could do with a lesson in gym etiquette.

If you recognise yourself in any of the following descriptions, sort it out.

Here are the 10 things men do at the gym that women seriously can’t stand...

1. Grunting

A man has picked up something heavy, and he wants everyone in the gym to know about it. Yeah, science may say it makes him stronger, but it also makes the eyes of every woman in the vicinity roll deep inside the back of her head. Nobody swoons over the guttural groans of a bloke attempting to bench twice his bodyweight. It’s the gym equivalent of being catcalled from a white van. Have you ever seen a woman chase after a Ford Transit begging for a date?

(Related: 9 things you think women want, but they don't)

2. Not wiping sweat off equipment

There are certain occasions when a bit of sweat is almost sexy, but as soon as it leaves the body (or there’s enough of it to drip off), it’s repulsive. There’s nothing stopping this man from bringing a towel, and yet he hasn’t. This is cause for alarm. Why doesn’t he know how to clean up after himself? What does his house look like? Does mum still do his washing?

(Related: How to stop sweating after your gym session)

3. Dropping weights

He (probably) isn’t an Olympic weightlifter, but he enjoys acting like one. Dropping the weight rather than lowering it to the ground is jarring for literally everyone else in the gym who is – more than likely – also holding something heavy. I don’t want to accidentally dislocate my arm because some idiot thinks it sounds cool to throw a barbell about, and I doubt the owners want to replace the equipment every two months either.

(Related: This is the most dangerous equipment at the gym)

4. Mansplaining

Before you rush over to correct someone’s form, ask yourself a few questions. Am I qualified to offer help? And are they about to seriously injure themselves or someone near them? If the answer is no, leave them alone. The reason so many women still avoid the weights room is because thirsty bros are eager to dole out unsolicited ‘advice’ at the first opportune moment.

(Related: 12 simple pieces of advice to kickstart fatloss)

5. Pretending to be in a music video

So embarrassing, whether he’s blasting A$AP Rocky and Skepta’s Praise The Lord through tinny iPhone speakers or mouthing the lyrics and bobbing his head up and down in-between sets. Music pumps us up too, but we manage to enjoy it without pretending we’re an original member of Meridian Crew. Have some self-control.

(Related: Is music the key to your PB?)

6. Inappropriate gym wear

Gym wear is expensive AF, so we honestly won’t judge anyone who isn’t bedecked in designer kit from head to toe. However, low cut tank tops, OTT kit (do they really need compression shorts? Really?) and t-shirts so old they have sweat patches stained into the armpits are a big fat no.

(Related: The world's most exclusive gym kit)

7. Getting in the way

An umbrella reference about men who hog machines (especially if they text or make calls between sets), spread their phone/keys/towel/water bottle/equipment over an unreasonable amount of space, or choose to invade the slither of gym floor I’m already using. Neglecting to re-rack weights after using them also falls into this category. It’s not okay.

(Related: Work 638 muscles with this one piece of equipment)

8. Being unhygienic

You might be farting or burping silently, guy on the stationary bike – or perhaps the music is loud enough to mask the sound – but we can still smell it, and we know that it’s you. Also, the promise of a post-workout shower isn’t a good enough reason not to wash within a reasonable amount of time beforehand. In a nutshell, make a concerted effort to avoid foul odours. Apply deodorant liberally.

(Related: Sorry, but your gym equipment is disgusting)

9. Obnoxious behaviour

Standing around ‘hanging out’ in a huge group (like they’re 14 years old beneath a flyover), shaking a protein shake with vigour on the gym floor, pulling up their t-shirt to stare at their abs in the mirror, smashing out three or four self-indulgent pull-ups whenever women walk past… just really awful.

(Related: 6 tips to make a better first impression)

10. Chirpsing

There’s nothing more awkward than being asked out for drinks mid-workout, red-faced and sweating. Especially when we’ve been required to remove our headphones to respond. Staying motivated is hard enough, and ‘avoiding that guy’ is yet another valid excuse to skip out on our sweat sesh. Please don’t stare at us, either. It’s weird.

(Related: 5 ways to motivate yourself to workout)

This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io