Gym Etiquette

yesimpson

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?'

Ironmaiden4life

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!

vbear1983

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!?!?!???

hekla90

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.

flamingblades

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.

mccindy72

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.

Packerjohn

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?