Crappy Gym Advice from a Dude

weese17
weese17 Posts: 236 Member
in Chit-Chat
So another post on here got me to thinking of all the time I've gotten terrible a@@vice from a dude at the gym. I lift heavy, and there have been times when I'm the only chick in the weight room. Over the past year, I think there has only been ONE TIME when I visited the gym and didn't get "advice" from some random bro on my form or whatever. The best part, though, is that their advice is almost always horrible! I am sure I'm not the only woman this has happened to.

My favorite time ever was when some dude told me I shouldn't be squatting so much because I would hurt my back. He then loaded up the barbell for benching, sat down on the bench, stared at the barbell for about five minutes, then got up and walked out of the gym.

Tell your stories!
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Replies

  • diodelcibo
    diodelcibo Posts: 2,564 Member
    Don't listen to people at the gym 99% have no idea.
  • digitalbill
    digitalbill Posts: 1,410 Member
    You should always lift with your back.....
    always.

    And warm ups are for sissies.
  • weese17
    weese17 Posts: 236 Member
    Don't listen to people at the gym 99% have no idea.

    Oh believe me, I don't. It's just funny how often I get horrible advice!
  • UsedToBeHusky
    UsedToBeHusky Posts: 15,228 Member
    :laugh: Hahaha! I workout at home, but that story was so amusing!
  • TravisBikes
    TravisBikes Posts: 674 Member
    lol@ him leaving the gym.

    My dad got really into powerlifting and body building, and as I was in Jr. High and HS, taught me proper lifting forms etc. There are times I'm at the gym and want to make comments to some of the "bro's" but decide it would be a wasted effort.


    Good on you for lifting heavy and NGAF about the bro's
  • benol1
    benol1 Posts: 867 Member
    Empty vessels make the most noise. Hence, I take any unsolicited advice with a boulder of salt, or two.
    kind regards,

    Ben
  • BurtHuttz
    BurtHuttz Posts: 3,653 Member
    The first time I'd ever been to a weight room my wife was showing me how to do some lifts. There was a dude trying to do some 50-lb-per-arm dumbbell presses. Dude asked me to come spot him/help him get the dumbbells in position . . . lol.

    I was like "uh, so, you want me to uhm, encourage you or something? Uh. Go bro!"

    I really wanted to say "maybe you should talk to my wife, she's the decision-maker of the household in this regard."

    Wth love,
    Burt.
  • sammys1girly
    sammys1girly Posts: 1,045 Member
    Once I finally got up the nerve to start lifting in the "men's" section, this old man came up to me and told me I was bench pressing the wrong direction. Huh?? He got me all flustered but I watched all the people who were fit and actually lifting weights and I was doing it just like them. That was awhile ago but I have since read up and he was wrong. He said he was afraid I'd hurt myself. Great advice from an old shaggy guy who mostly just walks around the gym and is out of shape.
  • GiddyupTim
    GiddyupTim Posts: 2,819 Member
    Um. That dude? Coulda been me. I often look at that barbell I have just loaded and think: "Tomorrow. Tomorrow would be a good day for working out."
  • Cr01502
    Cr01502 Posts: 3,614 Member
    I've gotten WAY too much to name.

    I think an all time favourite though was when I was doing good mornings and someone came up and told me that I was doing straight legged deadlifts wrong.
  • JonathonMars
    JonathonMars Posts: 358 Member
    I try not to judge people and I would NEVER say what I think out loud, but...

    People are stupid. I am a TOTAL novice, but some things that people do obviously make no sense at all.
  • bumblebums
    bumblebums Posts: 2,181 Member
    Huh, that never happens to me, and I'm in the "men's section" all the time. I wear headphones, though, so that must send the right signal.

    But given some of the things I've seen people do in the weights section, I am glad they never give me advice. I'd probably throw dumbbells at them if they did.
  • Junken_Diraffe
    Junken_Diraffe Posts: 716 Member
    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.
  • vim_n_vigor
    vim_n_vigor Posts: 4,089 Member
    Back in the 90s at my gym there were the stereotypical weight lifters of that time. Their upper bodies were huge and they looked like they were walking on toothpicks. Little ole me challenged them to leg presses. There was money involved and everything. They said girls couldn't lift. Pffft, whatever. After I more than doubled what they could press I informed them that they should look into where women have most of their strength - in their legs!
  • wonderbolt
    wonderbolt Posts: 48
    I've lost count of how many guys who've wandered over to me when I'm in the squat rack, setting up my warm up weights:

    "You alright, daaaaarlin'? Need any help?"

    ........."This is my warm up set"

    Then I continue to squat over my body weight and they stand there gawking.

    Just because I'm 5ft 2
  • OddChoices
    OddChoices Posts: 244 Member
    I haven't had too many bad experiences. But I do get a good laugh when some newbie guy goes straight yo the 50lb dumbbells and then curls them like his arms are about to fall off.
  • HJMAYES
    HJMAYES Posts: 72 Member
    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.


    ^^^this....is borderline illegal. I would have sacked him in his naughty bits. But that too is questionable behavior.
  • Krys_140
    Krys_140 Posts: 648 Member
    I've lost count of how many guys who've wandered over to me when I'm in the squat rack, setting up my warm up weights:

    "You alright, daaaaarlin'? Need any help?"

    ........."This is my warm up set"

    Then I continue to squat over my body weight and they stand there gawking.

    Just because I'm 5ft 2
    I just fell in love.
  • billsica
    billsica Posts: 4,741 Member
    I usually always ask questions and talk to people. I'm at a new gym so I had to ask were the best place to do dead lifts stuff are now. I actually always get good advice, but I only hung out in smaller gyms were people actually do stuff.
    This thread has inspired me to just start giving out random unsolicited advice to people. Also I will fully endeavor to make it the worst contradicting stuff I can possibly think of.

    First bit of advice I will give to the next girl I see even touching a barbell... "Doll-face, you should really be doing those curls in the squat rack, for safety."
  • Drussander
    Drussander Posts: 266 Member
    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.....
  • al369
    al369 Posts: 170 Member
    Thankfully, it hasn't happened to me. I've seen guys in there with terrible form though, so I know better than to take their advice.

    I'm really glad now that I took a weight training class in college that did a good job of teaching me the basics and good form.
  • Amazon_Who
    Amazon_Who Posts: 1,092 Member
    This guy Some Dude is always trouble. You hear cops tell a lot a stories about him. :laugh:
  • _GingerSnap_
    _GingerSnap_ Posts: 339 Member
    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.
  • bumblebums
    bumblebums Posts: 2,181 Member
    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?

    That presupposes that these dudes can read.
  • _GingerSnap_
    _GingerSnap_ Posts: 339 Member
    I've lost count of how many guys who've wandered over to me when I'm in the squat rack, setting up my warm up weights:

    "You alright, daaaaarlin'? Need any help?"

    ........."This is my warm up set"

    Then I continue to squat over my body weight and they stand there gawking.

    Just because I'm 5ft 2

    You're my hero!
  • BeachGingerOnTheRocks
    BeachGingerOnTheRocks Posts: 3,927 Member
    I have a ratty t-shirt that says Helltown, Ohio on it that I wear sometimes. There's an old man who asked me if I was from there, "no", then of I'd ever been there, "no". Then he said "well, then you must be a satanist." Huh??? Then he hit on me.
  • chosengiver
    chosengiver Posts: 1,462 Member
    I'm usually the only female in the man cave section of our gym, granted you may find another woman every now and then.
    They usually ask me what I am trying to achieve or "What's your goal?"

    Last night, a power-lifter asked & I could not help myself but to say: "Bulking!" I'm trying to get big and bulky! LoL
    He knew I was kidding.

    Most of them don't really say anything to me, they are just all peering at me like, "What are you doing over here?"
    One day, I'm going to ask one of them to spot me on bench, so I can get over the fear of benching more than 65lbs--yeah, I'm a weakling.
  • fbmandy55
    fbmandy55 Posts: 5,263 Member
    Most of the bros in my gym do as many reps as fast as they can with crappy form and look at ME like I am an idiot for taking thing slow and steady.

    Like really, is this a race to see who can lift the fastest?
  • MHackrott
    MHackrott Posts: 84 Member
    The "men" section at the gym intimidates me where I go now! I used to go to a small gym mostly body builders and I didnt mind at all doing weights there and I was never given poor advice I stood my own ground and felt comfortable. That gym has since closed and I am now at a chain and I usually just avoid the "men" section and use the weight machines with the pins and such. I see very few women over in the free weights section. I wish I felt comfortable enough to use the free weights section again but there are mostly the D-bag type there in the mornings when I go. I have been given awful gym advice from a trainer...Don't do more than 25minutes of cardio and quit my long distance running...Um I am not looking to body build I just want to be tone and fit. You need the lean muscle and cardio together to burn fat and tone...25 mins of cardio might be heart healthy but will not help you loose weight...and long distance running is my hobby so not giving that up!
  • moontyrant
    moontyrant Posts: 160 Member
    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.

    facepalmed myself so hard. did he tell you you'd also feel more comfortable in the kitchen, and that women's suffrage is a pipe dream? GOOD FOR YOU! PUMP IRON REGARDLESS OF WHAT GENDER IS AROUND YOU!

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