Should you correct those with bad form in the gym?

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Replies

  • bumblebums
    bumblebums Posts: 2,181 Member
    I honeslty am quite surprised at all the different views on this subject. I personally would never be offended or taken aback by someone meerly just trying to help me out. As long as it's done in a respectful way, what's the big deal?

    I think some of you need to relax a little, take a moment, smell the roses and just breath. Not everyone is out to get you.

    lol not everyone who doesn't want unsolicited help, is paranoid.
    Assuming someone thinks people are out to get them, for wanting to be left alone is as rude as pushing advice on people who don't want it.
    #justsayin

    Fer real. Some of us just want to be left alone at the gym. I've had some guys chew my ear off where I'd much rather get back to my workout.
  • JustJennie1
    JustJennie1 Posts: 3,749 Member
    I always see people at the gym doing their exercises incorrectly and don't say anything. The only time my husband has said something is when it's a little old lady or when it is very obvious that someone is clueless. He does it in a very nice and polite way.
  • melmckay99
    melmckay99 Posts: 358
    I honeslty am quite surprised at all the different views on this subject. I personally would never be offended or taken aback by someone meerly just trying to help me out. As long as it's done in a respectful way, what's the big deal?

    I think some of you need to relax a little, take a moment, smell the roses and just breath. Not everyone is out to get you.

    lol not everyone who doesn't want unsolicited help, is paranoid.
    Assuming someone thinks people are out to get them, for wanting to be left alone is as rude as pushing advice on people who don't want it.
    #justsayin

    Fer real. Some of us just want to be left alone at the gym. I've had some guys chew my ear off where I'd much rather get back to my workout.

    Of course, and it goes both ways. If advice is offered in a respectful way, you should be able to turn it down in a respectful way as well. I just like to believe that most people are generally good and have good intentions,... though this is probably a flaw on my own part. I am a gullible person and I know it, and I tend to trust people too easily.
  • wffolkes
    wffolkes Posts: 186 Member
    Everyone has a differing opinion interesting to find out what people think about it...
  • ZoeLifts
    ZoeLifts Posts: 10,347 Member
    My opinion is no, for the most part, unless it looks like a dire situation. I have assisted people in the gym that needed help understanding the equipment, like the guy that had 4 plates loaded on each side of the leg press and didn't know how to unlatch the lock. I also had to explain to him that he needed to have his feet set before he unlocked it, so yeah, he made me nervous.

    There is one guy at my gym that is there working out every single day and loves to go around and give people lifting advice and he himself has horrible form on everything he does. He has tried to correct me with wrong info several times and offered many unhelpful suggestions and he is the absolute worst spotter in the gym. I just let it roll off me now, and just smile and nod at him, though it used to make me angry, .
  • jaycbadass
    jaycbadass Posts: 325
    Never, You should be so focused on your lifts, and rest, not even the newb next to you choking under 135benchpress should interupt you.
  • MsEndomorph
    MsEndomorph Posts: 604 Member
    I think like most things, it's not about what you say as much as how you say it. I can tell when someone is being genuinely friendly and helpful, even if a little over zealous I can also tell when someone is being condescending and/or egotistical. To me, it's the attitude that matters. I can politely let you know that I'm ok or I might thank you profusely for helping me when I was completely lost. I can also publically rip you a new one.

    Of course there are always the hyper-sensitives who would be offended if Jesus himself descended to tell them to straighten their back. Nothing you can do about that.

    Personally, unless someone clearly looks confused, I keep my mouth shut. But I'm also hardly an expert.
  • FakingFitness
    FakingFitness Posts: 325 Member
    I honeslty am quite surprised at all the different views on this subject. I personally would never be offended or taken aback by someone meerly just trying to help me out. As long as it's done in a respectful way, what's the big deal?

    I think some of you need to relax a little, take a moment, smell the roses and just breath. Not everyone is out to get you.

    lol not everyone who doesn't want unsolicited help, is paranoid.
    Assuming someone thinks people are out to get them, for wanting to be left alone is as rude as pushing advice on people who don't want it.
    #justsayin

    Fer real. Some of us just want to be left alone at the gym. I've had some guys chew my ear off where I'd much rather get back to my workout.

    Of course, and it goes both ways. If advice is offered in a respectful way, you should be able to turn it down in a respectful way as well. I just like to believe that most people are generally good and have good intentions,... though this is probably a flaw on my own part. I am a gullible person and I know it, and I tend to trust people too easily.

    For the record, I don't want someone in the grocery store telling me I'm buying the wrong kind of yogurt or that I'm stacking my cart wrong either. ;)
  • afreelandgti
    afreelandgti Posts: 73
    When dealing with something that could potentially kill you? The answer should be a resounding yes. I remember when that football player from USC almost decapitated himself lifting. I always think of that when I see a guy struggling.
  • ZoeLifts
    ZoeLifts Posts: 10,347 Member
    I honeslty am quite surprised at all the different views on this subject. I personally would never be offended or taken aback by someone meerly just trying to help me out. As long as it's done in a respectful way, what's the big deal?

    I think some of you need to relax a little, take a moment, smell the roses and just breath. Not everyone is out to get you.

    lol not everyone who doesn't want unsolicited help, is paranoid.
    Assuming someone thinks people are out to get them, for wanting to be left alone is as rude as pushing advice on people who don't want it.
    #justsayin

    Fer real. Some of us just want to be left alone at the gym. I've had some guys chew my ear off where I'd much rather get back to my workout.

    Of course, and it goes both ways. If advice is offered in a respectful way, you should be able to turn it down in a respectful way as well. I just like to believe that most people are generally good and have good intentions,... though this is probably a flaw on my own part. I am a gullible person and I know it, and I tend to trust people too easily.

    For the record, I don't want someone in the grocery store telling me I'm buying the wrong kind of yogurt or that I'm stacking my cart wrong either. ;)

    You also would not suffer a debilitating injury from buying the wrong yogurt, or stacking your cart wrong, though.
  • melmckay99
    melmckay99 Posts: 358

    For the record, I don't want someone in the grocery store telling me I'm buying the wrong kind of yogurt or that I'm stacking my cart wrong either. ;)

    You also would not suffer a debilitating injury from buying the wrong yogurt, or stacking your cart wrong, though.

    Hehe....well maybe if it was really expired yogurt that could give me a bad case of food poisoning. I would want someone to tell me if I didn't notice :).
  • Joreanasaurous
    Joreanasaurous Posts: 1,384 Member
    I have been corrected once or twice at the gym and I am genuinely grateful. I think it just depends on how you're approached. At another gym someone told me I would look like a man if I hungout in the free weight section and to get the **** out. That I didn't appreciate.
  • FakingFitness
    FakingFitness Posts: 325 Member
    I honeslty am quite surprised at all the different views on this subject. I personally would never be offended or taken aback by someone meerly just trying to help me out. As long as it's done in a respectful way, what's the big deal?

    I think some of you need to relax a little, take a moment, smell the roses and just breath. Not everyone is out to get you.

    lol not everyone who doesn't want unsolicited help, is paranoid.
    Assuming someone thinks people are out to get them, for wanting to be left alone is as rude as pushing advice on people who don't want it.
    #justsayin

    Fer real. Some of us just want to be left alone at the gym. I've had some guys chew my ear off where I'd much rather get back to my workout.

    Of course, and it goes both ways. If advice is offered in a respectful way, you should be able to turn it down in a respectful way as well. I just like to believe that most people are generally good and have good intentions,... though this is probably a flaw on my own part. I am a gullible person and I know it, and I tend to trust people too easily.

    For the record, I don't want someone in the grocery store telling me I'm buying the wrong kind of yogurt or that I'm stacking my cart wrong either. ;)

    You also would not suffer a debilitating injury from buying the wrong yogurt, or stacking your cart wrong, though.

    Well, I would think it would fall under the job description for the gym employees to monitor whether their patrons were on track to suffer a debilitating injury. After all, who's going to suffer the lawsuit; the gym or the busy body?

    lol I think this thread is getting really carried away, so I'll leave you to tell me I'm wrong. After all, that is the topic, isn't it.

    ~Peace
  • EddieHaskell97
    EddieHaskell97 Posts: 2,227 Member
    No, and that's common sense.
  • ZoeLifts
    ZoeLifts Posts: 10,347 Member
    I honeslty am quite surprised at all the different views on this subject. I personally would never be offended or taken aback by someone meerly just trying to help me out. As long as it's done in a respectful way, what's the big deal?

    I think some of you need to relax a little, take a moment, smell the roses and just breath. Not everyone is out to get you.

    lol not everyone who doesn't want unsolicited help, is paranoid.
    Assuming someone thinks people are out to get them, for wanting to be left alone is as rude as pushing advice on people who don't want it.
    #justsayin

    Fer real. Some of us just want to be left alone at the gym. I've had some guys chew my ear off where I'd much rather get back to my workout.

    Of course, and it goes both ways. If advice is offered in a respectful way, you should be able to turn it down in a respectful way as well. I just like to believe that most people are generally good and have good intentions,... though this is probably a flaw on my own part. I am a gullible person and I know it, and I tend to trust people too easily.

    For the record, I don't want someone in the grocery store telling me I'm buying the wrong kind of yogurt or that I'm stacking my cart wrong either. ;)

    You also would not suffer a debilitating injury from buying the wrong yogurt, or stacking your cart wrong, though.

    Well, I would think it would fall under the job description for the gym employees to monitor whether their patrons were on track to suffer a debilitating injury. After all, who's going to suffer the lawsuit; the gym or the busy body?

    lol I think this thread is getting really carried away, so I'll leave you to tell me I'm wrong. After all, that is the topic, isn't it.

    ~Peace

    Dude, you are the one that compared lifting weights with bad form and the possible physical injuries that can result from that to buying yogurt and putting stuff in a grocery cart. The rest of us are discussing the actual question and ramifications at hand.

    And I pretty much stay away from correcting anyone unless I see a safety issue, because, guess what? I work out at 4:30 in the morning at a 24 hour gym when there is only one employee on duty and they stay parked at the front desk which is down stairs from the actual gym. So, no, there are no employees around to monitor the situation. So I sometimes (rarely) decide to be a decent human being and try to prevent someone from hurting themselves too badly if it's an obvious issue. Cause I'm a human like that.
  • Shawshankcan
    Shawshankcan Posts: 900 Member
    Only time I have ever spoken to someone in the gym is when they looked lost. And the one time, I got a friend to do it. Two girls came in and were trying to use the back extension machine, but weren't even close to doing it right. They were sitting on top instead of in it. I asked a female friend to go talk to them. I figured if I did it, they would think I was hitting on them.

    Other time, two people came in. They looked like it was their first time in a gym - arms crossed, deer in headlight eyes. They went straight for a bench press, since that is what every male does. Problem is some frat boys (University gym), had taken the bars for their conversations..I mean workouts. I found a bar on a different piece of equipment that wasn't being used. Walked it over to them, put it on the bar and nodded at them, then went back to my own workout.

    Other than that, I leave people alone unless spoken to.
  • ncahill77
    ncahill77 Posts: 501 Member
    If someone looks new or lost or like they are about to hurt themselves I will casually ask a few questions then offer some advice, if someone is using bad form but looks like they have been working out for a while then it's tough sh#t for them for not bothering to research methodology more.
  • tlab827
    tlab827 Posts: 155 Member
    No, because the general public is crazy. I'm sure you could pick up on that just reading the responses in this thread.

    Yeah, yeah, I watch too much Dateline.
  • Unknown
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  • halleymw
    halleymw Posts: 246 Member
    I was at the gym the other day and a guy was doing his squats in the rack. He failed, hurt his back and was stuck under the weight with the bars set at the lowest position. Had to have help to get the weights off. He hobbled out of the gym, not been back since.
    A couple of days later a girl was squatting with the bars at level one. Having just seen the injury, I told her the story and I recommended she put the safety bars up in case she had a problem. Of course she informed me that she was not lifting anywhere near her max and that she would be fine without the bars being at a safe level. So, no more helpful tips from me to anyone else!
    Mike
  • Prek2005
    Prek2005 Posts: 58
    I say it's all in how you approach them. If you say "do you mind if I give you some pointers to avoid an injury?" Something along that line so they can easily say "no thanks" . At least you've tried. I work out at our Company gym and its very small. The guys are good at pointing things out. I appreciate them.


    That's what I would have done as well. It is not harm in helping someone :-)
  • SteelySunshine
    SteelySunshine Posts: 1,092 Member
    So i'm going to a new gym and spotted couple of younger guys who have terrible form when using a couple of the free weights.

    I minded my own business and continued with my own workout.

    The question is should you correct someone when you see them using the wrong technique?

    I mean I'm no expert but before I do any new exercise I always make sure i've got the correct form.


    Yes you should correct them and explain why the way you say it is correct. I have a tendency to listen when I get more details on why another way to do something is better.
  • chrisdavey
    chrisdavey Posts: 9,834 Member
    I'm a trainer, so yes I do :tongue:

    As a regular gym goer, if I was actually spotting someone with TERRIBLE form that was looking potentially dangerous then yep, I'd say something for safety sake. Not if they are doing there own thing though.

    You also have to remember that there are plenty of people who do things not to the book because it actually works better for them e.g. Dan Green promotes flaring elbows in bench whereas most will say to tuck them for shoulder safety. And many of the upper back rounded dead lifters.
  • Factory_Reset
    Factory_Reset Posts: 1,651 Member
    I love anyone willing to help me.

    LOVE them :wink:
  • angelams1019
    angelams1019 Posts: 1,102 Member
    Feel free to correct my form ANYTIME! :drinker:
  • Joehenny
    Joehenny Posts: 1,222 Member
    NOPE! I let em go to Snap City. That outta teach em.
  • TheRealParisLove
    TheRealParisLove Posts: 1,907 Member
    Yes, but use the sandwich method: Compliment them on something positive they are doing, correct the problem, then compliment them again.

    That way they won't just think you are being an elitist jerk.
  • MoRiv1986
    MoRiv1986 Posts: 379 Member
    I've never had anyone tell me my form was bad at gyms in America, but here in Korea, the personal trainers walk around and correct people's form. I appreciate it because I don't want to do the exercises wrong.
  • Hexahedra
    Hexahedra Posts: 894 Member
    A couple of times I offered advice to teens who seemed to be lost but eager to work out, as opposed to just goofing around. Since I'm about the same age as their dads and likely older than their teachers, they didn't take it badly. I also offered advice to an older lady, but only because I overheard her asking questions to other people about the equipment.

    However, I steer clear from offering any advice to anyone who clearly has that "leave me alone" look on his face. I saw this guy trying to do curls with dumbbels that were clearly too heavy for him; he rocked his entire body to swing the dumbbels, and it was ridiculously amusing. But since he seemed to be so serious about it and not about to launch the dumbbels my direction, I left him alone.
  • melmckay99
    melmckay99 Posts: 358
    I was at the gym the other day and a guy was doing his squats in the rack. He failed, hurt his back and was stuck under the weight with the bars set at the lowest position. Had to have help to get the weights off. He hobbled out of the gym, not been back since.
    A couple of days later a girl was squatting with the bars at level one. Having just seen the injury, I told her the story and I recommended she put the safety bars up in case she had a problem. Of course she informed me that she was not lifting anywhere near her max and that she would be fine without the bars being at a safe level. So, no more helpful tips from me to anyone else!
    Mike

    So you let ONE experience of trying to help someone at the gym dictate how you feel about it forever? ok.....

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