Crappy Gym Advice from a Dude

aengel1720

Wouldn't it be easier just to wear a t-shirt that said "Don't talk to me, your advice sucks" when you workout at the gym? Hmmmm product idea forming.....

I would be interested in investing in this venture...

I would invest in this shirt also, except that it would mean that, to read it, they'd be focused on my frontal assets. Maybe you should make headbands or something.

Freyja2023

I haven't gotten any 'advice' but i did see a guy once who was doing dumbell curls in front of a mirror and every time he brought his weight up he kissed his bicept. I don't think he even knew I was in there.

srpm

I go to a women's only gym. During my first personal training session the trainer told me I didn't want to lift to heavy and risk bulking up...I bought her "The New Rules of Lifting for Women" and brought it with me to my next session. I don't know how to lift, learning proper form etc. was the entire reason I joined the gym since I have a free membership to the one on our military base but they don't have trainers, as soon as my membership is up I'm going back to the base, by then I shouldn't need a trainer to show me how to do things properly.

Lupercalia

Um....I've had the same guy tell me I shouldn't squat below parallel, that my knees must never go past my toes AND that instead of barbell squats I should really do calf raises, because that's more important for a "lady" and will "balance out my legs" better. He then launched into a full description of where the calf raise machines were and how to use them.

I had different guy try his hardest to compliment me on a kettlebell snatch without actually saying "snatch". That wasn't guy advice, but it was hilarious. I said "oh you mean MY SNATCH" really loudly, and he turned bright red.

Fun in the gym with the bros! :laugh:

iAMsmiling

I've never offered advice in the gym to anyone. I would certainly never offer it to a woman for fear of seeming patronizing. We have plenty of women at my gym that lift, one of which is actually a competent trainer that I ask questions of now and again.

Warchortle

I don't like giving advice for this reason. I'm doing my own thing... you can do yours. I've learned from my mistakes and works best for me... although I was tempted when a high schooler was trying to help a friend make some "gaiinnz." He was basically like BRO THIS IS WHAT I DO LIFT THE SAME AMOUNT OF WEIGHT!

Caused that kid to have bad form and even the friend was rocking and using more momentum than he should've, but then again some people like that CARDIO while hitting the weights :P

weese17

I had different guy try his hardest to compliment me on a kettlebell snatch without actually saying "snatch". That wasn't guy advice, but it was hilarious. I said "oh you mean MY SNATCH" really loudly, and he turned bright red.

Fun in the gym with the bros! :laugh:

That is awesome.

_Wonder_Woman_

99% of the time I'm the only girl at my gym (at least while I'm there) that lifts. One day, I'm squatting *kitten* to the ground type squats on the Smith Machine. The guy vaccuuming the floors comes over to me, stands there for a few seconds, and says, "You're doing it wrong"!!! LOL!!!! I gave him the Eff off look, & kept going about my business.


Trying to tell me that I should keep my knees at a 90 degree angle, blah blah blah. MFer, I know what I'm doing. Continue vaccuuming & let me be. See this *kitten* & legs?? Yeah, I've been doing this for a bit.

Lovely - the cleaning guy is giving you advice. *eyeroll*

He embarassed me!!! So I had to return the favor & embarass him!!!

Judas_Queen

I don't seem to have the usual male/female divide in my new gym! Lots of women train in the free weights section, often with other women or even men.

I train with my mother in law and we've not had any crappy advice from anyone.

Although.. she wanted the pad for squats the other day as she doesn't seem to like to bar being in direct contact with her back.. went to go and get it and some guy was using it.. relatively young, not new to lifting though.. and she asked if she could have the pad, he said no he was using it.. to which she retorted my favourite one liner from her ever..

"oh... I thought it was only girls that used that.... nevermind"

And then left that rack, came back to ours and proceeded to squat what I think was more than he was... Proud moment in my life.

But no... I saw some dudes checking out our "form" while doing deads the other day, and I could see they looked concerned before we started but they soon got over it and stopped mentally judging us!

kblu0816

Um....I've had the same guy tell me I shouldn't squat below parallel, that my knees must never go past my toes AND that instead of barbell squats I should really do calf raises, because that's more important for a "lady" and will "balance out my legs" better. He then launched into a full description of where the calf raise machines were and how to use them.

I had different guy try his hardest to compliment me on a kettlebell snatch without actually saying "snatch". That wasn't guy advice, but it was hilarious. I said "oh you mean MY SNATCH" really loudly, and he turned bright red.

Fun in the gym with the bros! :laugh:

HAHAHA! This is awesome. I can see myself saying that too. My trainer is always circling during our bootcamp class and commenting on our form. He never thinks before he speaks so he gets lots of back hand comments like "That's what she said" :laugh:

IronSmasher

99% of the time I'm the only girl at my gym (at least while I'm there) that lifts. One day, I'm squatting *kitten* to the ground type squats on the Smith Machine. The guy vaccuuming the floors comes over to me, stands there for a few seconds, and says, "You're doing it wrong"!!! LOL!!!! I gave him the Eff off look, & kept going about my business.


Trying to tell me that I should keep my knees at a 90 degree angle, blah blah blah. MFer, I know what I'm doing. Continue vaccuuming & let me be. See this *kitten* & legs?? Yeah, I've been doing this for a bit.

Lovely - the cleaning guy is giving you advice. *eyeroll*

Yeah, I knew it was a bad idea for trainers to subsidise their $1000+ a month gym rent by carrying out miscellaneous tasks.

sullus

I don't seem to have the usual male/female divide in my new gym! Lots of women train in the free weights section, often with other women or even men.

I train with my mother in law and we've not had any crappy advice from anyone.

Although.. she wanted the pad for squats the other day as she doesn't seem to like to bar being in direct contact with her back.. went to go and get it and some guy was using it.. relatively young, not new to lifting though.. and she asked if she could have the pad, he said no he was using it.. to which she retorted my favourite one liner from her ever..

"oh... I thought it was only girls that used that.... nevermind"

And then left that rack, came back to ours and proceeded to squat what I think was more than he was... Proud moment in my life.

But no... I saw some dudes checking out our "form" while doing deads the other day, and I could see they looked concerned before we started but they soon got over it and stopped mentally judging us!

Wow, your mother in law sounds like a real peach. Reverse it, and see if it's a fun story:

You're using some bar bells, I come over and ask you to give up what you're using. You say "no, I'm using it". I reply "there's some pink ones over there, darlin'"

Judas_Queen

I don't seem to have the usual male/female divide in my new gym! Lots of women train in the free weights section, often with other women or even men.

I train with my mother in law and we've not had any crappy advice from anyone.

Although.. she wanted the pad for squats the other day as she doesn't seem to like to bar being in direct contact with her back.. went to go and get it and some guy was using it.. relatively young, not new to lifting though.. and she asked if she could have the pad, he said no he was using it.. to which she retorted my favourite one liner from her ever..

"oh... I thought it was only girls that used that.... nevermind"

And then left that rack, came back to ours and proceeded to squat what I think was more than he was... Proud moment in my life.

But no... I saw some dudes checking out our "form" while doing deads the other day, and I could see they looked concerned before we started but they soon got over it and stopped mentally judging us!

Wow, your mother in law sounds like a real peach. Reverse it, and see if it's a fun story:

You're using some bar bells, I come over and ask you to give up what you're using. You say "no, I'm using it". I reply "there's some pink ones over there, darlin'"

He didn't seem offended. It was just rather funny at the time. I said that she can't really go around saying that kind of thing in a gym, but like I said he didnt seem phased and was quite friendly the rest of the time he was there.

And if someone said "pink ones blah blah" to me I would probably respond by saying "I don't care what colour they are, as long as they're heavy enough sweetheart!"

Not that my gym has anything even remotely pink in it!

DrMAvDPhD

I've seen it happen to other ladies in the weight room but no one has ever tried to give me advice (compliment me in borderline inappropriate ways, yes). I must either look like I know what I'm doing or exude "I'm a b***h don't talk to me" strongly enough to keep the idiots away.

Erica_theRedhead

I had an old guy tell me I shouldn't lift weights because it isn't ladylike.
My thought "neither is telling people to f**k off" but I didn't-I try to respect the elderly.

^^this times a million. It may be the New Yorker sinking in though...

SpeSHul_SnoflEHk

This is why I resist and don't give advice at the gym. People like the dude there make it so people don't listen to what you have to say anyway. I see the crew team work out every M,W,F mornings, and I see their horrible form, and know they are setting themselves up for injury. I just can't bring myself to tell them they are doing it wrong. Why waste my breath.

taiyola

My first day at my new gym, a TRAINER suggested to me that I might be more comfortable in the other area of the gym, where there are more women (read: cardio area). I told him I was fine, thanks. He replied that my presence was making some of the guys uncomfortable. I said, "They'll get used to me eventually." They did, but I'm still the only woman I've ever seen in the weight room at my gym.

Should have reported him tbh!

One of the female muscular trainers was assisting a man with his form. Basically, the weight was too heavy for him, and he could only lift it by using his back. She showed him repeatedly how to do it correctly... then she said "let the girls have a go as well you know".

I lowered it 10kg and did it correctly. She said he should watch how I do it... then he started with the excuses!

"it's a light weight though!" (for you, maybe)
"I've been here 2 hours!" (and not done anything correctly - no wonder you're out of shape)
"I haven't been in 3 weeks!" (committed...)
"I'm tired!" (go home)

srpm

I am absolutely loving all of these stories, people are so funny.

BurtHuttz

You wouldn't get advice if you didn't dress like you do.
By which I mean in workout clothes.

Drussander

Wouldn't it be easier just to wear a t-shirt that said "Don't talk to me, your advice sucks" when you workout at the gym? Hmmmm product idea forming.....

I would be interested in investing in this venture...

I would invest in this shirt also, except that it would mean that, to read it, they'd be focused on my frontal assets. Maybe you should make headbands or something.

No, I'm thinking it would be printed on the back of the shirt because it has to be readable. Further, I'd make the shirt as dowdy and non-form fitting as possible to promote gender neutrality. I mean, the point is to deter unsolicited advice and conversation right? *fires up Cafe Press*