Unsolicited advice at the gym - helpful or annoying?

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  • thesupremeforce
    thesupremeforce Posts: 1,206 Member
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    If I'm doing something incorrectly, I'd like for that to be pointed out to me. Obviously, that can be done improperly, but as long as the advice is good, the messenger can otherwise be ignored.
  • ShaunaMcMac
    ShaunaMcMac Posts: 160 Member
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    I've had a couple of gorgeous women correct my squat form. It was definitely very appreciated, but I had to run away to go to cardio because I blushed so hard.

    Adorable!
  • 3LittleMonkeys
    3LittleMonkeys Posts: 373 Member
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    Agreed.
  • swaymyway
    swaymyway Posts: 428 Member
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    It's never happened to me so I am not sure how I would feel - I think that there's probably nothing worse than someone asking/offering advise as long as they back straight off if you say 'No thanks'. But if someone jumps right in and tells you you are doing something wrong and should be doing it like this - I think I'd feel quite embaressed and annoyed.
  • ironanimal
    ironanimal Posts: 5,922 Member
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    Depends on the situation and who it's from.

    If I'm loading up over 100kg on my squat and the ex-powerlifter tells me to watch my footing, it's appreciated.

    If the cardio bunny tells me I'm going to hurt my knees, it's not.
  • billsica
    billsica Posts: 4,741 Member
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    a 74 yea old still doing all that??? I'd hang on every last word that guy has to say.

    If I'm 74 and still doing pushups, damn skippy I'm going to be yelling out all sorts of things to the young kids.
  • Grimmerick
    Grimmerick Posts: 3,342 Member
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    Depends on the advice, if I was doing something that could injure or wear down my body because it wasn't correct then I definitely want that advice. If the advice is a matter of personal opinion then I am probably not interested.
  • bokodasu
    bokodasu Posts: 629 Member
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    That's the problem, isn't it? Good advice is good and bad advice is annoying, so you can't really give a blanket yes/no answer. I've only been offered advice twice, and it was one of each; one was a trainer who pointed out something I was doing wrong, which was appreciated. The other was an older lady who advised me to stop picking up weights over 5 lbs before I got too bulky, which was not.

    I would only say something if I saw someone doing something really crazy/dangerous. I mean, who knows, I do some weird stuff sometimes but it's always for a purpose - if someone told me that wasn't the way to do whatever they thought I should be doing, I'd be annoyed. Maybe that guy really does have a reason for doing quarter-squats, half-presses, and swingy curls, I can't read his mind.
  • IronMikeFox
    IronMikeFox Posts: 458
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    I haven't gone to a public gym in a long time, but I always found unsolicited advice annoying. One day I was stretching after my squat workout. I would always stretch before and after doing my squats. This guy comes up to me and tells me that I shouldn't stretch so much because it was going to weaken my joints!
  • Shan790
    Shan790 Posts: 280 Member
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    I go to the gym at the same times every day so I recognize most of the people there that do the same thing. Once and a while I get some advice or encouragement and I appreciate it. I had one girl tell me that I wasn't doing enough sets/reps to have any effect and I should be doing at least 6 sets of 15-20 reps with the lowest weights available. Another member kindly pointed out that she didn't know my goals or my medical history or my health and that I was doing just fine :)

    I've been adopted by some of the guys now that I am venturing into lifting heavy weights, not many women on that side of my gym :) And I appreciate the advice, and the help when some one leaves weights on that are too heavy for me to remove :mad:
  • Hellbent_Heidi
    Hellbent_Heidi Posts: 3,669 Member
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    I've never had anyone give me advice unless I asked for it, but I've been very tempted to give advice just this week. The first is an older lady who uses the rowing machine completely wrong and inefficiently, and the second was a younger guy who was resting his full weight on the top of the elliptical and his legs were going 100 mph....

    I generally assume unsolicited advice won't be received well, but kinda wish the trainers would step in and help these people...:ohwell:
  • CarlKRobbo
    CarlKRobbo Posts: 390 Member
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    If it's something new, or a tweak on my form then I'm ok with it, Depends on the person giving it though.

    I'll only step in if I see something badly wrong (Knee benders "Squatting" etc)

    Also depends on the person if they listen, Namely the "Heads up" Bencher, the "one hand 1 foot closer than the other" Bencher! and Miss "I've got such an incline on this treadmill I've got to hold on or I'll fall off, But look! It's great for my calves\abs!" (Last one's an actual quote!)
  • RGv2
    RGv2 Posts: 5,789 Member
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    I did it once....mainly because I didn't want to be the one administering First Aid after their knees buckled under their squat form.

    I did ask first...
  • JustJennie1
    JustJennie1 Posts: 3,843 Member
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    If I am clearly doing something wrong and someone comes up to me and corrects my form and corrects it in the proper way then I'm ok taking unsolicited advice. On the flip side I've seen people doing exercises that were new to me and I would ask them what it was, what it works and how to do it.

    I will never take advice from someone who is doing an exercise improperly verging on hurting themselves as so many people at our gym are doing.
  • RGv2
    RGv2 Posts: 5,789 Member
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    oh so annoying. noone knows except me what my history, goals, feeling on the day in question, intention with the weight/equipment i've chosen or journey is. I don't care if you're a random or a fitness guru, if i haven't asked your advice, then shut it.

    Even if it could prevent injury?
  • BigDougie1211
    BigDougie1211 Posts: 3,530 Member
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    I tend to be ok with it, don't follow it all, but I think most people's hearts are in the right place.
    Strangest piece of advice I ever got in the gym was about how I should use chicken soup as a pasta sauce.
    Never tried it, never will, but I'm delighted I get to tell people abou the time the guy in the gm recommended it to me.
  • AJinBirmingham
    AJinBirmingham Posts: 497
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    I used to pull someone aside if I saw them doing something blatantly wrong because I didn't want to see them get hurt... now I just stare and laugh.

    Why would you change your mindset from wanting to help people avoid injury to laughing at people who are risking injury? What happened?
  • Cr01502
    Cr01502 Posts: 3,614 Member
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    First and foremost I ONLY give advice to women.

    I usually approach them in my usual 'know it all' manner and tell them that they're form is off regardless of whether the form actually is off or not.

    I then demonstrate the form incorrectly as this is standard 'bro gym code' so another one of my bro buddies can hit on the girl further down the line and correct her form. Also, it prevents the girl from lifting properly and therefore being able to lift more than me.

    When all is said and done I usually finish up with something like 'Now do you think you can handle that baby' accompanied by a wink and a smile.
  • Cr01502
    Cr01502 Posts: 3,614 Member
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    oh so annoying. noone knows except me what my history, goals, feeling on the day in question, intention with the weight/equipment i've chosen or journey is. I don't care if you're a random or a fitness guru, if i haven't asked your advice, then shut it.

    Are you some sort of Life Coach?
  • Ashshell
    Ashshell Posts: 185
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    I appreciate it when someone tries to help me. An older man, who clearly knew what he was doing (hello, muscles), recently approached me and helped me correct my form while doing rows. Since I started doing them the way he taught me, I can feel a huge difference. Perhaps I enjoy unsolicited advice because I'm by no means a fitness pro and often question my form.

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