Bad advice in dealing with New Year's resolutioners
Replies
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jseams1234 wrote: »Tacklewasher wrote: »sarahlifts wrote: »I don't talk to gym ppl. I deal with this inconvenience each year with and internal rage. Someone curls in the squat rack or uses equipment I need and I am on a 1 hour schedule. I don't wish to speak with anyone at my gym 365 days a year. I am not going to instruct any one or correct bad behavior, I am going to mind my business, drink my water and wait them out. I'm going to run my back up routines while they deadlift 135 in the power rack. I will rage on the inside but I know this too shall pass and soon I'll never see them again and I can go back to my regularly scheduled program.
but internally I am raging.
What's the issue with the bolded?
A power rack isn’t typically the place for deads... rack pulls maybe but it’s usually considered bad etiquette - like curling in the squat rack. However, I don’t know if her gym has dedicated spots for DL’s.
thank you for explaining this. I hope someone reads it and finds empty floor space to get their deadlifts in. these ppl are def not rack pulling
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Theoldguy1 wrote: »jseams1234 wrote: »Tacklewasher wrote: »sarahlifts wrote: »I don't talk to gym ppl. I deal with this inconvenience each year with and internal rage. Someone curls in the squat rack or uses equipment I need and I am on a 1 hour schedule. I don't wish to speak with anyone at my gym 365 days a year. I am not going to instruct any one or correct bad behavior, I am going to mind my business, drink my water and wait them out. I'm going to run my back up routines while they deadlift 135 in the power rack. I will rage on the inside but I know this too shall pass and soon I'll never see them again and I can go back to my regularly scheduled program.
but internally I am raging.
What's the issue with the bolded?
A power rack isn’t typically the place for deads... rack pulls maybe but it’s usually considered bad etiquette - like curling in the squat rack. However, I don’t know if her gym has dedicated spots for DL’s.
And that's the thing. IMO a courteous gym member uses the equipment to it's highest purpose. You don't need a power rack to to curls or deadlifts so don't use it (you just need floorspace). Now if there is only one bar available to do deadlifts and its in the squat rack IMO fair game.
Exactly.
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sarahlifts wrote: »I don't talk to gym ppl. I deal with this inconvenience each year with and internal rage. Someone curls in the squat rack or uses equipment I need and I am on a 1 hour schedule. I don't wish to speak with anyone at my gym 365 days a year. I am not going to instruct any one or correct bad behavior, I am going to mind my business, drink my water and wait them out. I'm going to run my back up routines while they deadlift 135 in the power rack. I will rage on the inside but I know this too shall pass and soon I'll never see them again and I can go back to my regularly scheduled program.
but internally I am raging.
This is pretty much why I don't go in the weight room without my trainer.
what reason?
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This whole thread is a trainwreck. Well intentioned, but... *sigh*
People are people. Assuming anything beyond that is asking for trouble.
Gyms are different... there are different rules, expectations, and vibes from one gym to the next. Making blanket statements on an internet forums, at best, walks the line between well-meaning and arrogant/condescending.
IMO, the only "right" advice to give is to be considerate of other people in the gym. Your process/workout/goals/experience/whatever aren't any better or worse or noteworthy than anyone else's.
/soapbox13 -
Gyms may be different, but certain rules are universal. Offering unsolicited help in the gym is almost invariably a bad idea. So is deliberately trying to make friends with a newcomer.
And it's an especially bad idea to expect gym goers to slow down their routine just to engage newbies in chit chat and make them feel welcome. The vast majority of people here clearly understand that, so no, this isn't the "trainwreck" that jjpptt2 claims it is.
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I agree that we shouldn't give newbies different treatment. As for your second point... for the past couple of years, I keep seeing people (not necessarily here) state that we should befriend the resolutioners, offer to help them out, etc, etc. Clearly a substantial number of people think that's a good idea, but thankfully, the respondents here understand that it isn't.Anyway, I see absolutely no reason why anyone would get a different treatment... newbie or not. I see no point in making a thread like this, I don't think that any newbie would appreciate being put on a spot... I certainly wouldn't have.
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jseams1234 wrote: »Tacklewasher wrote: »sarahlifts wrote: »I don't talk to gym ppl. I deal with this inconvenience each year with and internal rage. Someone curls in the squat rack or uses equipment I need and I am on a 1 hour schedule. I don't wish to speak with anyone at my gym 365 days a year. I am not going to instruct any one or correct bad behavior, I am going to mind my business, drink my water and wait them out. I'm going to run my back up routines while they deadlift 135 in the power rack. I will rage on the inside but I know this too shall pass and soon I'll never see them again and I can go back to my regularly scheduled program.
but internally I am raging.
What's the issue with the bolded?
A power rack isn’t typically the place for deads... rack pulls maybe but it’s usually considered bad etiquette - like curling in the squat rack. However, I don’t know if her gym has dedicated spots for DL’s.
Hmm. I've only ever seen deadlifts done in the rack. Maybe just my gym, but that's where I do mine. Squat, OHP the deadlift. And I'm not the only one.
Unless power rack means something different that my gym doesn't have.
ETA. It's also the only place to bench in my gym. No dedicated bench press equipment.1 -
Tacklewasher wrote: »jseams1234 wrote: »Tacklewasher wrote: »sarahlifts wrote: »I don't talk to gym ppl. I deal with this inconvenience each year with and internal rage. Someone curls in the squat rack or uses equipment I need and I am on a 1 hour schedule. I don't wish to speak with anyone at my gym 365 days a year. I am not going to instruct any one or correct bad behavior, I am going to mind my business, drink my water and wait them out. I'm going to run my back up routines while they deadlift 135 in the power rack. I will rage on the inside but I know this too shall pass and soon I'll never see them again and I can go back to my regularly scheduled program.
but internally I am raging.
What's the issue with the bolded?
A power rack isn’t typically the place for deads... rack pulls maybe but it’s usually considered bad etiquette - like curling in the squat rack. However, I don’t know if her gym has dedicated spots for DL’s.
Hmm. I've only ever seen deadlifts done in the rack. Maybe just my gym, but that's where I do mine. Squat, OHP the deadlift. And I'm not the only one.
Unless power rack means something different that my gym doesn't have.
In my gym, it's actually against the rules to do barbell work outside of a cage/rack or off the oly platform.2 -
I agree that we shouldn't give newbies different treatment. As for your second point... for the past couple of years, I keep seeing people (not necessarily here) state that we should befriend the resolutioners, offer to help them out, etc, etc. Clearly a substantial number of people think that's a good idea, but thankfully, the respondents here understand that it isn't.Anyway, I see absolutely no reason why anyone would get a different treatment... newbie or not. I see no point in making a thread like this, I don't think that any newbie would appreciate being put on a spot... I certainly wouldn't have.
But there is also a group of people who think it's a good idea. So... only people who agree it's not are right???
Just for context, I agree with you. But I'm willing to admit that there are others who might think/feel differently... that for some, going to the gym can be a social event and that some newbies might appreciate an olive branch being offered or someone more experienced taking them under their wing and helping them get started.
Which is why I go back to the idea that assuming anything about anyone is asking for trouble... even assuming they are a newbie or a New Year's Resolutioner.3 -
sarahlifts wrote: »sarahlifts wrote: »I don't talk to gym ppl. I deal with this inconvenience each year with and internal rage. Someone curls in the squat rack or uses equipment I need and I am on a 1 hour schedule. I don't wish to speak with anyone at my gym 365 days a year. I am not going to instruct any one or correct bad behavior, I am going to mind my business, drink my water and wait them out. I'm going to run my back up routines while they deadlift 135 in the power rack. I will rage on the inside but I know this too shall pass and soon I'll never see them again and I can go back to my regularly scheduled program.
but internally I am raging.
This is pretty much why I don't go in the weight room without my trainer.
what reason?
Your rant (and others I've seen) about people getting in your way and using equipment you need makes me feel like I'm taking up valuable space in the weight room and interfering with the people who lift heavy enough to belong there.
edited to fix quotes15 -
Tacklewasher wrote: »jseams1234 wrote: »Tacklewasher wrote: »sarahlifts wrote: »I don't talk to gym ppl. I deal with this inconvenience each year with and internal rage. Someone curls in the squat rack or uses equipment I need and I am on a 1 hour schedule. I don't wish to speak with anyone at my gym 365 days a year. I am not going to instruct any one or correct bad behavior, I am going to mind my business, drink my water and wait them out. I'm going to run my back up routines while they deadlift 135 in the power rack. I will rage on the inside but I know this too shall pass and soon I'll never see them again and I can go back to my regularly scheduled program.
but internally I am raging.
What's the issue with the bolded?
A power rack isn’t typically the place for deads... rack pulls maybe but it’s usually considered bad etiquette - like curling in the squat rack. However, I don’t know if her gym has dedicated spots for DL’s.
Hmm. I've only ever seen deadlifts done in the rack. Maybe just my gym, but that's where I do mine. Squat, OHP the deadlift. And I'm not the only one.
Unless power rack means something different that my gym doesn't have.
ETA. It's also the only place to bench in my gym. No dedicated bench press equipment.
Maybe just confusion about the name. A power rack is a cage setup that has adjustable safety bars that can be adjusted horizontally for height. People do squat and bench in a power rack when a spotter isn’t available - it’s the primary purpose.
Besides not being designed for dead’s and space really being an issue for a loaded bar on the ground - there shouldn’t be any real floor padding or drop mats in a cage.
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jseams1234 wrote: »Tacklewasher wrote: »jseams1234 wrote: »Tacklewasher wrote: »sarahlifts wrote: »I don't talk to gym ppl. I deal with this inconvenience each year with and internal rage. Someone curls in the squat rack or uses equipment I need and I am on a 1 hour schedule. I don't wish to speak with anyone at my gym 365 days a year. I am not going to instruct any one or correct bad behavior, I am going to mind my business, drink my water and wait them out. I'm going to run my back up routines while they deadlift 135 in the power rack. I will rage on the inside but I know this too shall pass and soon I'll never see them again and I can go back to my regularly scheduled program.
but internally I am raging.
What's the issue with the bolded?
A power rack isn’t typically the place for deads... rack pulls maybe but it’s usually considered bad etiquette - like curling in the squat rack. However, I don’t know if her gym has dedicated spots for DL’s.
Hmm. I've only ever seen deadlifts done in the rack. Maybe just my gym, but that's where I do mine. Squat, OHP the deadlift. And I'm not the only one.
Unless power rack means something different that my gym doesn't have.
ETA. It's also the only place to bench in my gym. No dedicated bench press equipment.
Maybe just confusion about the name. A power rack is a cage setup that has adjustable safety bars that can be adjusted horizontally for height. People do squat and bench in a power rack when a spotter isn’t available - it’s the primary purpose.
Besides not being designed for dead’s and space really being an issue for a loaded bar on the ground - there shouldn’t be any real floor padding or drop mats in a cage.
Yeah, that is what my gym has. They have two of them and no separate space for deadlifting. That's where I (and anyone else I've seen) do deadlifts.
Guess I learned something today. Hate when that happens
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Tacklewasher wrote: »jseams1234 wrote: »Tacklewasher wrote: »jseams1234 wrote: »Tacklewasher wrote: »sarahlifts wrote: »I don't talk to gym ppl. I deal with this inconvenience each year with and internal rage. Someone curls in the squat rack or uses equipment I need and I am on a 1 hour schedule. I don't wish to speak with anyone at my gym 365 days a year. I am not going to instruct any one or correct bad behavior, I am going to mind my business, drink my water and wait them out. I'm going to run my back up routines while they deadlift 135 in the power rack. I will rage on the inside but I know this too shall pass and soon I'll never see them again and I can go back to my regularly scheduled program.
but internally I am raging.
What's the issue with the bolded?
A power rack isn’t typically the place for deads... rack pulls maybe but it’s usually considered bad etiquette - like curling in the squat rack. However, I don’t know if her gym has dedicated spots for DL’s.
Hmm. I've only ever seen deadlifts done in the rack. Maybe just my gym, but that's where I do mine. Squat, OHP the deadlift. And I'm not the only one.
Unless power rack means something different that my gym doesn't have.
ETA. It's also the only place to bench in my gym. No dedicated bench press equipment.
Maybe just confusion about the name. A power rack is a cage setup that has adjustable safety bars that can be adjusted horizontally for height. People do squat and bench in a power rack when a spotter isn’t available - it’s the primary purpose.
Besides not being designed for dead’s and space really being an issue for a loaded bar on the ground - there shouldn’t be any real floor padding or drop mats in a cage.
Yeah, that is what my gym has. They have two of them and no separate space for deadlifting. That's where I (and anyone else I've seen) do deadlifts.
Guess I learned something today. Hate when that happens
I do DLs in the Power rack as well. There isn't a lot of space on the floors but we have a lot of Power Racks. Besides it's easier to put the barbells on the lower racks to load up as opposed to loading it on the floor. My laziness LOL1 -
Tacklewasher wrote: »jseams1234 wrote: »Tacklewasher wrote: »jseams1234 wrote: »Tacklewasher wrote: »sarahlifts wrote: »I don't talk to gym ppl. I deal with this inconvenience each year with and internal rage. Someone curls in the squat rack or uses equipment I need and I am on a 1 hour schedule. I don't wish to speak with anyone at my gym 365 days a year. I am not going to instruct any one or correct bad behavior, I am going to mind my business, drink my water and wait them out. I'm going to run my back up routines while they deadlift 135 in the power rack. I will rage on the inside but I know this too shall pass and soon I'll never see them again and I can go back to my regularly scheduled program.
but internally I am raging.
What's the issue with the bolded?
A power rack isn’t typically the place for deads... rack pulls maybe but it’s usually considered bad etiquette - like curling in the squat rack. However, I don’t know if her gym has dedicated spots for DL’s.
Hmm. I've only ever seen deadlifts done in the rack. Maybe just my gym, but that's where I do mine. Squat, OHP the deadlift. And I'm not the only one.
Unless power rack means something different that my gym doesn't have.
ETA. It's also the only place to bench in my gym. No dedicated bench press equipment.
Maybe just confusion about the name. A power rack is a cage setup that has adjustable safety bars that can be adjusted horizontally for height. People do squat and bench in a power rack when a spotter isn’t available - it’s the primary purpose.
Besides not being designed for dead’s and space really being an issue for a loaded bar on the ground - there shouldn’t be any real floor padding or drop mats in a cage.
Yeah, that is what my gym has. They have two of them and no separate space for deadlifting. That's where I (and anyone else I've seen) do deadlifts.
Guess I learned something today. Hate when that happens
I do DLs in the Power rack as well. There isn't a lot of space on the floors but we have a lot of Power Racks. Besides it's easier to put the barbells on the lower racks to load up as opposed to loading it on the floor. My laziness LOL
That's a trick I learned watching another guy set up hi DL.2 -
sarahlifts wrote: »sarahlifts wrote: »I don't talk to gym ppl. I deal with this inconvenience each year with and internal rage. Someone curls in the squat rack or uses equipment I need and I am on a 1 hour schedule. I don't wish to speak with anyone at my gym 365 days a year. I am not going to instruct any one or correct bad behavior, I am going to mind my business, drink my water and wait them out. I'm going to run my back up routines while they deadlift 135 in the power rack. I will rage on the inside but I know this too shall pass and soon I'll never see them again and I can go back to my regularly scheduled program.
but internally I am raging.
This is pretty much why I don't go in the weight room without my trainer.
what reason?
Your rant (and others I've seen) about people getting in your way and using equipment you need makes me feel like I'm taking up valuable space in the weight room and interfering with the people who lift heavy enough to belong there.
edited to fix quotes
INTERNAL I'm smiling and minding my own business on the outside because I'm having a great time. I might even be dancing and singing. No one knows thy annoy me bc I don't talk to them and I move on with my workout bc there is always another way to train a muscle group
You have just as much right to be there as I or any other person.
However, what no person has the RIGHT to do is have poor gym etiquette and expect people not to feel a way about it. I'll never say anything but I am entitled to my internal rage
Please also understand, you are reading this. If any tone is inferred its not from me.16 -
Around these parts (I have always wanted to say that), whether you are open to chatting or not is indicated by the use or non use of earbuds. Earbuds in, don't bother me.0
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Interesting thread!1
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I agree that we shouldn't give newbies different treatment. As for your second point... for the past couple of years, I keep seeing people (not necessarily here) state that we should befriend the resolutioners, offer to help them out, etc, etc. Clearly a substantial number of people think that's a good idea, but thankfully, the respondents here understand that it isn't.Anyway, I see absolutely no reason why anyone would get a different treatment... newbie or not. I see no point in making a thread like this, I don't think that any newbie would appreciate being put on a spot... I certainly wouldn't have.
But there is also a group of people who think it's a good idea. So... only people who agree it's not are right???
In this case, YES. I see absolutely no problem with recognizing that.
Look, on just about any issue, you'll find a group of people who disagree. How does this suggest that neither group is right? It obviously doesn't. I won't be deterred from declaring my stance to be right just because a few people think otherwise. Nor should anyone.
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I agree that we shouldn't give newbies different treatment. As for your second point... for the past couple of years, I keep seeing people (not necessarily here) state that we should befriend the resolutioners, offer to help them out, etc, etc. Clearly a substantial number of people think that's a good idea, but thankfully, the respondents here understand that it isn't.Anyway, I see absolutely no reason why anyone would get a different treatment... newbie or not. I see no point in making a thread like this, I don't think that any newbie would appreciate being put on a spot... I certainly wouldn't have.
But there is also a group of people who think it's a good idea. So... only people who agree it's not are right???
In this case, YES. I see absolutely no problem with recognizing that.
Look, on just about any issue, you'll find a group of people who disagree. How does this suggest that neither group is right? It obviously doesn't. I won't be deterred from declaring my stance to be right just because a few people think otherwise. Nor should anyone.
So really, you're just stating your preference as better than other preferences?
Nice.6 -
It is NOT just a matter of preference. Offering unsolicited help in the gym is rude and seldom received well.
I would prefer to help those people out. I understand that this is a foolish thing to do, and so I don't do it.
Similarly, trying to deliberately befriend the newcomers is a bad idea for reasons that numerous people here have elucidated. This is NOT simply a matter of preference.6 -
Gym etiquette is not just a matter of preference any more than basic politeness is. And that's ultimately what gym etiquette is -- common sense politeness.
You mentioned that you appreciated getting help from someone when you were struggling with a machine. That is entirely different from your typical example of unsolicited help. If I see someone having obvious trouble working a machine, then I might indeed offer to help if the situation is really bad -- especially if that person is likely to injure himself. That's not at all the same as the typical scenario of offering unsolicited help, which is pretty darned rude.
Moreover, while you may prefer to receive unsolicited assistance, the vast majority of people do not. It is therefore an extremely bad idea to offer unsolicited help. This is not mere "preference." This is common sense.
But hey, go ahead. Try interrupting the newbies to make friends with them. Better yet, tell the experienced gym goers that they need to make friends with these resolutioners as well. If this is truly just a matter of preference, then you'd be perfectly justified in doing so, and things are bound to turn out just fine.
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If anything is likely to put people off going to the gym its this thread. I've often wondered what it would be like...now I know.12
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Hey this thread needs a little Planet Fitness.7
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This is why I work out at home. I can eat pizza in my squat rack, in my underwear, without anyone talking to me. A friendly smile and nod doesn't always come across as welcoming to anyone, and could scare off the newbies.
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I find it amazing that "correct" gym etiquette requires not offering help to someone likely to injure themselves due to bad form.
It reminds me of calls to "just cheer" when people discuss eating and exercise behaviours that are likely to lead them to crash and burn.4 -
I find it amazing that "correct" gym etiquette requires not offering help to someone likely to injure themselves due to bad form.
It reminds me of calls to "just cheer" when people discuss eating and exercise behaviours that are likely to lead them to crash and burn.
Just a question, not being a smart *kitten*. How does the newbie know if the person correcting their form knows their *kitten* from a hole in the ground?10 -
jimmyjbanks wrote: »Gym etiquette is not just a matter of preference any more than basic politeness is. And that's ultimately what gym etiquette is -- common sense politeness.
You mentioned that you appreciated getting help from someone when you were struggling with a machine. That is entirely different from your typical example of unsolicited help. If I see someone having obvious trouble working a machine, then I might indeed offer to help if the situation is really bad -- especially if that person is likely to injure himself. That's not at all the same as the typical scenario of offering unsolicited help, which is pretty darned rude.
Moreover, while you may prefer to receive unsolicited assistance, the vast majority of people do not. It is therefore an extremely bad idea to offer unsolicited help. This is not mere "preference." This is common sense.
But hey, go ahead. Try interrupting the newbies to make friends with them. Better yet, tell the experienced gym goers that they need to make friends with these resolutioners as well. If this is truly just a matter of preference, then you'd be perfectly justified in doing so, and things are bound to turn out just fine.
Hey, you need to actually go back and reread my two posts. I said I actually agreed with your approach to new people, using the nod and smile. Next I never said that I was struggling with the machine, I said I had bad form.
I honestly think common sense would be reading and figuring out when someone is actually agreeing with you. You can carry on arguing but I'm through. As I said before, have a great weekend
No, I understood that you agreed with me on those points. My point is that if you think this is merely a matter of personal preference, then you would have no problem doing it the other way instead, just to see how things turn out. Again, if it is purely a matter of preference and nothing more.
If, on the other hand, one believes that these principles (don't offer unsolicited help, don't distract other gym goers by trying to befriend them, don't oblige other gym goers to do the same, etc) are matters of principle and politeness, then the whole "preference" argument goes out the window.3 -
Nobody said that. In fact, I specifically said that this is an exception to that rule. My exact words in the very first post were:I find it amazing that "correct" gym etiquette requires not offering help to someone likely to injure themselves due to bad form.
It reminds me of calls to "just cheer" when people discuss eating and exercise behaviours that are likely to lead them to crash and burn.
"Also, unless someone is about to hurt himself or herself, trying to correct them generally doesn't go over well. This holds true for both exercise and for gym etiquette. It's better to let things slide and deal with the inconvenience."
Otherwise, trying to help people without them asking is almost invariably a bad idea.
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I find it amazing that "correct" gym etiquette requires not offering help to someone likely to injure themselves due to bad form.
It reminds me of calls to "just cheer" when people discuss eating and exercise behaviours that are likely to lead them to crash and burn.
That's what trainers are for... Don't most gyms have trainers out that can help newbies?3
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