An evening gym visit rarely happens in a perfectly empty room. A plan that depends on five specific stations being free in sequence can become frustrating fast. Prepare for the room you actually use. Keep the purpose of each exercise clear enough that an occupied bench changes the route through the session, not the reason you came.
Before leaving work, identify the two movements that matter most that evening. Give them enough time rather than spreading your attention across a long wish list. For the remaining exercises, note familiar alternatives that train the intended area. A substitute should be something you can perform confidently, not a complicated movement you are learning while the gym is crowded.
Ask politely before working in with someone, and respect their answer. Do not reserve several pieces of equipment with a towel or bottle. If sharing requires constant adjustments or would disrupt either person's session, move on. A little flexibility usually creates a better workout than spending half the evening defending a particular corner of the room.
Keep track of substitutions in your training log so later comparisons remain fair. A different machine is not automatically a failed session. Judge the evening by whether you completed useful, controlled work within the time available. Leaving with a coherent session behind you is more valuable than finishing an elaborate plan long after you intended to go home.