Correcting people at the gym

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Replies

  • upsidedownjelly
    upsidedownjelly Posts: 52
    Not gonna lie, I am a horrrrrible people watcher at the gym. I see people doing things I just don't get (spotter in the smith machine?) all the time, but Im not going to say anything. I assume that they, like myself, have a specific goal in mind and its been working for them so far... I see the same 10 guys at my gym in the AMs and they've been going there forever.
    However I did want to ask the guy doing snatches with lots of weight loaded on the bar if he was aware he was using a women's 35 pound bar. It just seemed odd to me.

    As far as getting advice, its happened and I hate it. Unless someone can definitively tell me if my pendlay rows are right, f off. I do also have the benefit of having been very well trained in the weight room during high school basketball, and know I don't have form issues. Headphones help.
  • 34blast
    34blast Posts: 166 Member
    90% of squats and dead lifts done at the gym are way wrong. I have seen trainers teach 1/2 and 1/4 squats. I find it best to just ignore them. If someone is interested in proper form, I reference them to Rippetoe.

    I can't tell you how many back rounded and bounced dead lifts I see daily. Bouncing bench press so hard off the chest, I don't know how they don't break bones. I find it more the norm to see this crazy stuff rather than proper form. If I see someone doing proper form, sometimes I strike up a conversation just to be friendly. There is one guy twice as strong as me that has the best form in all lifts. He usually invites me to work in. In makes for a bit of a break to the monotony of working out alone.
  • MsJulielicious
    MsJulielicious Posts: 708 Member
    Nope. I mind my own business at the gym.
    I have been asked for advice before.
    I was flattered. I gave the best to my knowledge.
    But, if its not solicited I keep my mouth shut and focus on me.
  • WakkoW
    WakkoW Posts: 567 Member

    However I did want to ask the guy doing snatches with lots of weight loaded on the bar if he was aware he was using a women's 35 pound bar. It just seemed odd to me.

    Some men like to perform the olympic lifts with the women's bar at times. Apparently it is more flexible and easier somehow. I'm not good enough with my olympic lifts yet to really understand, but I've been told it does have an advantage and some men enjoy occasionally using it for a change (though not often).

    Or maybe he had small hands.
  • Dnarules
    Dnarules Posts: 2,081 Member
    Never mind.
  • lngrunert
    lngrunert Posts: 204 Member
    The gym is my time for me, not anyone else. I am not there to talk or make friends, i prefer to be left alone and I leave others to whatever they are doing.

    This. So. Much. This.

    Unless you are an employee of my gym and I am doing something that is against the rules, you need to GTF away from me. I will be sure to show you the same courtesy.
  • angelzprophecy
    angelzprophecy Posts: 130
    Nahhh, i dont want to come off as the kind of guy who thinks hes always right and his way is the right way and only way. i dont even like to correct my friends if they have been working out for longer than me. Or if i do it'll be like "hey man, want to try it this way" and then i would show them my advice. But if i dont know them then no way

    Except once when i saw a tall guy doing romanian deadlifts with a super rounded back so i told him he should pinch his shoulder blades back. I got a back injury from deadlfts so thats why i talked to him about it

    and one other time when a guy was really having trouble figuring out how to use the hanging abb straps. i could tell that he just saw me use it and was trying them after me but didnt really know how to use it. He welcomed my advice
  • sarahg148
    sarahg148 Posts: 701 Member
    I keep my head down, don't make eye contact and wear earphones. :bigsmile:
  • arcticfox04
    arcticfox04 Posts: 1,011 Member
    Last year I did it 2 times total. Normally I'll just do my own thing. Both times happened in January when all the "New Years Newbies" show up for the 3-6 weeks before they quit.

    1st was for back squats where the person had rounded there back to the point I had to step in due to I didn't want to see the person in the hospital.

    2nd was for another back squat. Person had the bar & shoulders was behind the toes. For the safety of everyone when he fell backwards and take someone out on the way I had to correct.

    That and deadlifts. Its the other one exercise I see messed up all the time. Rounded backs all over the place kinda scary.
  • silver_arrow3
    silver_arrow3 Posts: 1,373 Member
    My trainer said she had been working out at the gym and one of the guys came over to give her pointers in form. I'd like to point out that she just placed in a fitness competition and is trained by a Mr. Olympian... She knows what she's doing. The guy came over while she was working with me and apologized because he hadn't realized she was a trainer.

    Personally, I keep my trap shut. I'm not certified to give anyone pointers.
  • bernicesmission
    bernicesmission Posts: 100
    so weird this happened to me last night, I was at the gym on the lat pull down machine and next to me is this guy who i would say is in good shape but not a pro he was bench pressing really heavy weights and no one was spotting him, he was holding his breath his face was almost purple and his arms were seriously shaking from the strain, but he keep on going and i was getting nervous...
    i didnt know what to do and didnt want to disturb his concerntration, at one point he got stuck and couldnt lift the bar so i stepped in and said i could spot him if he likes..... he was absolutely pissed and proceeded to be very rude including " what makes you think i need help from a fat girl like you!" kind of comment in chinese!
    I was furious and made a huge scene and called him a rude ( beep beep beep), so from now on other peoples safety is not my resposibilty and that sounds ****ty but most people think that being fat or overweight means your f**cking stupid and lazy and i have no opinion that is valid to anyone regarding basic logic and common sense!
    I hate gym ar*eh*les!
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
    Well, for me, it depends on how the correction is done.

    i had some guy come up and aggressively correct me on the way i was using a machine. It was all I could do to not tell him to go fly a kite. Instead I thanked him and moved on.

    I've had other people in a friendly manner give me pointers and took them with grace. Why? Because they were simply willing to share during the course of conversation.

    Of all advice given to me, I actually use the suggestions.
  • Booksandbeaches
    Booksandbeaches Posts: 1,791 Member
    No, I stay out of it unless they ask me specifically for advice. If I really see someone using dangerous form (and that's rare), I'll alert the staff, but otherwise I stay out of it.
  • whit_7
    whit_7 Posts: 5 Member
    It’s not what you say it’s how you say it. I have been lifting for about two months now, and when I first started I was so intimidated. I wish someone would of notice that I needed some assistance and helped me. If they would have said what the heck are you doing you’re going to hurt yourself I might have not been so pleasant. On the other hand if they would of said another way of working on your arms is doing this be careful with that exercise you might pull a muscle, I would of been able to receive that advice. I think everyone needs to remember that they did not automatically know the correct way of doing things and everyone can’t afford a trainer. So if you’re correcting someone because you think they look like an idiot I would say keep your comments to yourself. If you are correcting someone because you truly want to help and you would like to give some pointers I say go for it.
  • demonsoul
    demonsoul Posts: 16 Member
    Nope. I mind my own business at the gym.
    I have been asked for advice before.
    I was flattered. I gave the best to my knowledge.
    But, if its not solicited I keep my mouth shut and focus on me.

    this. I have found its just the best policy. Do something wrong? pain is also a good teacher.
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
    I corrected a couple of teen boys at the gym just last week. I explained to them that I was doing leg lifts on a table that was facing them and happened to notice them and asked if I could give them some friendly advice. They said sure and that it was appreciated. I spent about 5 minutes helping them get it right, lowing the weight until they could get the form correct, and explaining why. They were going to end up blowing out their shoulders if they continued with what they were doing (overextending on a chest fly - they were letting their arms go straight back behind them!).

    They seemed genuinely appreciative and agreed that they could actually feel the burn in their chest now. One of the kids mentioned that his shoulders were hurting but he didn't want to say anything to his buddy.

    I don't do that very often, but if I see someone about to hurt themselves, I try to help a little. Most people appreciate it. The ones that don't just are embarrassed because their ego got in the way. I've been lifting for 25+years and have been corrected a few times too and always appreciated it.

    On a side note, there was a "trainer" watching these kids hurt themselves and didn't say a word to them...

    That is sad. You would think a trainer would be the first to speak up.


    trainers get a very bad rap for offering unsolicited advice.

    I have walked up to one or two people and kindly asked if they would like some help- I've said- hey I see you working technique- you seem to be having a hard time with X... would you be okay with some advice?

    it gives them the option to take it or not.

    Then you have a graceful way out as do they and you can go back to judging them for having crap form if they chose to ignore you and then laugh when they say "I don't dead lift any more because I pulled my back out"

    sure- sure you did- nothing to do with your form- just heavy weights and a bad lift. Right.

    There is a way to talk to people about such things- and there is a way to sound like a condescending jerk or come off as a guy trying to help a girl and be a know it all.

    No one helps me really- it's nice to have a knowledgeable person critique me- I also don't take advice from random people.

    But I think that's the rub- lots of people want to offer advice- few people truly have the knowledge to do so.
  • BossLadyDSimp
    BossLadyDSimp Posts: 257 Member
    The gym is my time for me, not anyone else. I am not there to talk or make friends, i prefer to be left alone and I leave others to whatever they are doing.

    This. So. Much. This.

    Unless you are an employee of my gym and I am doing something that is against the rules, you need to GTF away from me. I will be sure to show you the same courtesy.

    YES!!!

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  • Bocch
    Bocch Posts: 191 Member
    I prefer to be like the people in Vermont (not from Vermont). If a person asks for help or is struggling, I will gladly help (and have done so). If a person does not ask for help, I mind my own business. I never ever think that I am an expert in an exercise routine.
  • upsidedownjelly
    upsidedownjelly Posts: 52

    However I did want to ask the guy doing snatches with lots of weight loaded on the bar if he was aware he was using a women's 35 pound bar. It just seemed odd to me.

    Some men like to perform the olympic lifts with the women's bar at times. Apparently it is more flexible and easier somehow. I'm not good enough with my olympic lifts yet to really understand, but I've been told it does have an advantage and some men enjoy occasionally using it for a change (though not often).

    Or maybe he had small hands.

    Ah, thanks. That makes sense. I thought perhaps he had not realized he grabbed it, the weight room at my gym is generally a disaster and you have to hunt for missing bars quite often.
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member

    However I did want to ask the guy doing snatches with lots of weight loaded on the bar if he was aware he was using a women's 35 pound bar. It just seemed odd to me.

    Some men like to perform the olympic lifts with the women's bar at times. Apparently it is more flexible and easier somehow. I'm not good enough with my olympic lifts yet to really understand, but I've been told it does have an advantage and some men enjoy occasionally using it for a change (though not often).

    Or maybe he had small hands.

    Ah, thanks. That makes sense. I thought perhaps he had not realized he grabbed it, the weight room at my gym is generally a disaster and you have to hunt for missing bars quite often.

    I use the short bar if I'm in a higher traffic area- you run less risk of someone walking into you and botching a lift. It has it's advantages sometimes.

    I really prefer them for walking lunges too- but that's probably because I'm lazy and 75 lbs sounds better to me than 85 lbs!

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