Gym Etiquette
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PeachyCarol wrote: »People can't do their own thing in the gym. Even take up counter space. That will get cleared away in the sweep of an arm if certain people aren't happy about it because "community".
That's ok though cause the owner wasn't drowning....or something0 -
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I don't think we all know the rules for gym etiquette. So you lost me right there.0
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I don't think that because someone doesn't want to go around pointing out all the bad form that might result in a minor injury it means they are cold or would let a child drown. That just seems overly dramatic to me and like a false equivalence.
The fact is, pointing out all the bad form in most gyms would be a full time job and it would result in plenty of arguments too. If someone were doing something that could hurt/kill others or seriously injure/kill themselves I would speak up but otherwise I mind my own business.0 -
I would say as a general rule to leave it. I know you mean well and have the best of intentions, but the gym can be such a weird place for people that even saying something in the kindest way can really be misconstrued. It's still unsolicited and you can't concern yourself with it.
When I first started going to the gym, I was absolutely terrified of having contact with another human. I wouldn't work in with anyone because I was too intimidated to even ask how many sets someone had left. I didn't want to have eye contact with anyone. Being the only woman and a total beginner in the weight room at a pretty bro-y gym was really hard for me. I can honestly say, and yes this is a fault of my own, that had someone approached me at the beginning, even if it was meant with kindness, I might have stopped going. I know that's fragile and pathetic but it was incredibly intimidating for me.
But ... Then I had to put my big girl pants on and just own it. Now I work in with people regularly, ask randos to spot me, and even ask people to check my form and give comments on it. I was trying to do RDLs for the first time on Monday and ended up asking a guy for help and he was great. I've now had so many positive experiences with people at the gym and it's been really rewarding.
I guess what I'm trying to say is that to me, the best gym etiquette is to be open and supportive and helpful to the best of your abilities when those beginners approach you. I am so grateful for those that have helped me. That's the best way to go about it.0 -
ceoverturf wrote: »PeachyCarol wrote: »People can't do their own thing in the gym. Even take up counter space. That will get cleared away in the sweep of an arm if certain people aren't happy about it because "community".
That's ok though cause the owner wasn't drowning....or something
The counter was drowning in clutter. It needed to be saved.0 -
tincanonastring wrote: »ceoverturf wrote: »PeachyCarol wrote: »People can't do their own thing in the gym. Even take up counter space. That will get cleared away in the sweep of an arm if certain people aren't happy about it because "community".
That's ok though cause the owner wasn't drowning....or something
The counter was drowning in clutter. It needed to be saved.
It's a full time job to survey the gym, watching for cluttered counters, drowning children, and random men who might be lifting weights the wrong way. Someone has to be the community leader.0 -
tincanonastring wrote: »ceoverturf wrote: »PeachyCarol wrote: »People can't do their own thing in the gym. Even take up counter space. That will get cleared away in the sweep of an arm if certain people aren't happy about it because "community".
That's ok though cause the owner wasn't drowning....or something
The counter was drowning in clutter. It needed to be saved.
It's a full time job to survey the gym, watching for cluttered counters, drowning children, and random men who might be lifting weights the wrong way. Someone has to be the community leader.
Don't forget the errant camel toes
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tincanonastring wrote: »ceoverturf wrote: »PeachyCarol wrote: »People can't do their own thing in the gym. Even take up counter space. That will get cleared away in the sweep of an arm if certain people aren't happy about it because "community".
That's ok though cause the owner wasn't drowning....or something
The counter was drowning in clutter. It needed to be saved.
It's a full time job to survey the gym, watching for cluttered counters, drowning children, and random men who might be lifting weights the wrong way. Someone has to be the community leader.
must have high waisted one piece swimwear and a whistle- preference given to anyone rocking Boderek braids.0 -
mention it to the staff.
Best advice. I'm old and no younger person is going to appreciate being corrected by me regardless of my past experience...especially since I'm an old GAL!
My own son who knows my history didn't want to be bothered...til he tore a muscle from improper form.
Gym staff is there for a reason. If they're doing their jobs right, they'll be able to approach them before they injure themselves.
Just my 2c.
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If they are ego lifting and making a bit of a scene with it, you could always give one of these while one of them is looking at you:
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Haven't read other replies - are you 100% positive you know how to help them?0
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So OP when did you get certified as a CPT or Strength Coach? What qualifies you to show these guys the error of their ways?
Giving out your pearls of wisdom to people who haven't asked for it isn't 'gym etiquette' it's obnoxious.
If you feel it is your absolute duty then go see one of the trainers and mention it to them, otherwise just concentrate on your own work out0 -
Ironmaiden4life wrote: »So OP when did you get certified as a CPT or Strength Coach? What qualifies you to show these guys the error of their ways?
Giving out your pearls of wisdom to people who haven't asked for it isn't 'gym etiquette' it's obnoxious.
If you feel it is your absolute duty then go see one of the trainers and mention it to them, otherwise just concentrate on your own work out
Good point. If someone doesn't have training/education in the field who says your advice is any better than what they are doing?0 -
MarziPanda95 wrote: »I've never been to a gym, but I'm thinking of starting. I'd personally welcome any offers of help, because I know I'd be clueless! I can definitely see why it would annoy most people (especially guys) though.
No one is saying not to help others, just wait to be asked. I get asked for help all of the time and I'm glad to oblige.
You just don't want to be "that guy" who struts around the gym offering unsolicited advice. It's really annoying.
I'd have to agree. I've been given tips before during classes, and in those cases I wish they'd just left it alone. Once, during a BodyPump type class, a participant felt the need to correct my form while doing tricep kick backs. To me It was just disruptive and annoying, like get away from me, lady. The next one was really weird since it was the instructor herself. It was a rowing class where she kept coming over to me to tell me how to do it right. For crying out loud, I don't have to get it all in one damn day. Her weirdness continued because she would turn down the music any time I seemed like I was actually enjoying myself. Basically it seemed like this chick had banned fun in her class. **Shudders**
I can think of at least once instance where I've given tips unsolicited. In our step class, there's a certain type / color of risers that will slide if placed at the bottom of the step. The instructor will point it out if she sees or remembers, but since the participant could slide off a bench, hit her head and crack her skull open, it seems worth it to mention it to someone new to this particular class. Plus it'll save them the hassle of rearranging the risers later
Other times I do wait to be asked. I'm certainly not going to tell people that they've selected a weight that's too heavy for them. The instructors mention it as a generic tip from time to time during class, and they've obviously chosen to use an amount that has them doing the exercises with the form they do
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Let staff know.0
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Ironmaiden4life wrote: »So OP when did you get certified as a CPT or Strength Coach? What qualifies you to show these guys the error of their ways?
Giving out your pearls of wisdom to people who haven't asked for it isn't 'gym etiquette' it's obnoxious.
If you feel it is your absolute duty then go see one of the trainers and mention it to them, otherwise just concentrate on your own work out
So why is it any different than people coming on here asking or giving advice as most of us as you put it arent certified yet thousands of questions are asked in this community from diet to exercise. Plus i may not be certified but neither was Arnie or Lou Feringo and would you feel they were obnoxious if they came and gave you free advice, i doubt it!! but like them ive been doing free weights a long time so i know, yes know about proper form and i can tell the difference between someone who knows what theyre doing and someone who doesnt.
When i work out at 4am there are no gym trainers except one older woman upstairs at the front desk and shes an office clerk not a fitness coach. Also from my personal experience when i first started out I wish someone had had the balls to say hey buddy let me show you a thing or two, so get off your high horse, i was just asking a question cause just maybe theres a lot of people out there who would like help0 -
If someone was about to do something that looked absolutely certain to cause significant injury (I don't really know what that would be, I'm imagining something very bloody and limb-crushing though) I would say something. My gym is adults-only and has a lot of staff present so usually they interject if it's necessary or appropriate to do so.
Most of the time when I see something odd I shut up because although I may think I know better, there's always the chance someone has been watching me thinking 'what the hell is she doing with that kettlebell?'0 -
floridamatty wrote: »So why is it any different than people coming on here asking or giving advice as most of us as you put it arent certified yet thousands of questions are asked in this community from diet to exercise. Plus i may not be certified but neither was Arnie or Lou Feringo and would you feel they were obnoxious if they came and gave you free advice, i doubt it!! but like them ive been doing free weights a long time so i know, yes know about proper form and i can tell the difference between someone who knows what theyre doing and someone who doesnt.
When i work out at 4am there are no gym trainers except one older woman upstairs at the front desk and shes an office clerk not a fitness coach. Also from my personal experience when i first started out I wish someone had had the balls to say hey buddy let me show you a thing or two, so get off your high horse, i was just asking a question cause just maybe theres a lot of people out there who would like help
The difference is people are ASKING for advice on here.
When I'm on the gym floor (PT) I am very careful how I approach people if I see something dangerous, jimmies get rustled very easily in the gym. As for going round correcting people's form if I did I'd never have time for my clients.
And comparing yourself to Arnold and Lou..... Well played OP!0 -
On a little separate note but still on gym etiquette, why do people find it so difficult to return free weights where they got them from!?!?!???0
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I might say something if they look like they're about to seriously injure themselves. I haven't seen anything so bad I've felt their safety was in immediate danger, but I would probably say something if it looked wildly unsafe like someone doing too much benching without a spot that was clearly struggling etc.0
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floridamatty wrote: »So we all know the rules for gym etiquette, but I wanted to get an idea if im the only one who feels they should say something to someone who doesnt know what they are doing.
This morning there were three guys in the gym who were all using weights way above there capabilities. I saw one guy doing a One Armed tricep push down on a cable machine, he was obviously struggling from rep one and I could tell by his face he was about to have a stroke
Another was doing bicep curls and his body was sawying back and forth like he was on a boat
And another was doing lat pulldowns so heavy he was using his whole body to move it and when the weight would come down I was thinking it was going to yank his arms out there sockets.
Im not being a d__k just dont want to see these guy getting hurt. What do you think, should us with more experience be saying to these people (in the nicest way possible) Hey buddy, I think your using a little bit to much weight and then show them how to do it properly. Thanks
You can offer your advice, but if you get a crappy response just walk away from it. You did what your conscience
prompted you to do.
The thing that bugs me is people who are strong and fit using the equipment that is marked for the handicap use. I have osteoarthritis and most of the time end up hobbling up 2 flights of stairs to get a treadmill because the 1 MACHINE on the ground floor is usually taken up by someone else. It's best for my program to use the stairs, but DAMN! I shouldn't HAVE TO.
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floridamatty wrote: »Ironmaiden4life wrote: »So OP when did you get certified as a CPT or Strength Coach? What qualifies you to show these guys the error of their ways?
Giving out your pearls of wisdom to people who haven't asked for it isn't 'gym etiquette' it's obnoxious.
If you feel it is your absolute duty then go see one of the trainers and mention it to them, otherwise just concentrate on your own work out
So why is it any different than people coming on here asking or giving advice as most of us as you put it arent certified yet thousands of questions are asked in this community from diet to exercise. Plus i may not be certified but neither was Arnie or Lou Feringo and would you feel they were obnoxious if they came and gave you free advice, i doubt it!! but like them ive been doing free weights a long time so i know, yes know about proper form and i can tell the difference between someone who knows what theyre doing and someone who doesnt.
When i work out at 4am there are no gym trainers except one older woman upstairs at the front desk and shes an office clerk not a fitness coach. Also from my personal experience when i first started out I wish someone had had the balls to say hey buddy let me show you a thing or two, so get off your high horse, i was just asking a question cause just maybe theres a lot of people out there who would like help
Arnold Schwarzenegger was a world-class body building competitor, and Lou Ferrigno was not only a professional body builder, but was a fitness trainer as well. Either of them would be well qualified to help anyone in the gym with proper form. Just 'doing free weights for a long time' doesn't exactly qualify you as an expert- there are people who do free weights on their own and find out after long periods of time that they've been doing things the wrong way.0 -
floridamatty wrote: »Ironmaiden4life wrote: »So OP when did you get certified as a CPT or Strength Coach? What qualifies you to show these guys the error of their ways?
Giving out your pearls of wisdom to people who haven't asked for it isn't 'gym etiquette' it's obnoxious.
If you feel it is your absolute duty then go see one of the trainers and mention it to them, otherwise just concentrate on your own work out
Also from my personal experience when i first started out I wish someone had had the balls to say hey buddy let me show you a thing or two, so get off your high horse, i was just asking a question cause just maybe theres a lot of people out there who would like help
Why didn't you have the balls to ask someone for help? Why put it on someone else to initiate the conversation?0
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