Unsolicited Advice in the gym

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Replies

  • randomtai
    randomtai Posts: 9,003 Member
    A strange person coming up to me while I'm working out and offering unsolicited advice is going to get a death glare and explicit instructions to mind their own beeswax. I'd give a pass to an employee, because it might be a liability issue; but if you're just some random person, pay attention to your own workout and please stop looking at or thinking about me. Regardless of your intentions, I'll find it creepy and/or invasive.

    In that case, would it be OK for me to offer you the advice *after* you're rolling around in agony because you've seriously injured yourself and I'm helping get you into the ambulance? Or would that be creepy and/or invasive as well?

    Or you can mind your own business. Some people don't want/need unsolicited advice no matter what the intention. Different strokes for different folks.

    Fair enough. In your specific case I'll point and laugh my *kitten* off rather than help you to the ambulance.

    Fair enough.

    i-don-t-care-o.gif
  • imjolly
    imjolly Posts: 176 Member
    Definitely Say something. We are all in the gym to get fit and if we are wasting our time (or going to injury ourselves) because we aren't doing the exercise correctly I would want to know. Maybe some people will be offended but I think most would appreciate that you care.
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
    Definitely Say something. We are all in the gym to get fit and if we are wasting our time (or going to injury ourselves) because we aren't doing the exercise correctly I would want to know. Maybe some people will be offended but I think most would appreciate that you care.

    except you don't know about the person- and I don't know if you know anything.

    9/10 when someone offers advice- they are giving the wrong fricking 'advice'

    you aren't a trainer
    you aren't insured
    you aren't paid to help.

    you are a costumer.

    "do your own work out and mind your business" is almost 100% fool proof for doing the right thing.

    There are a *FEW* exceptions I will make- but most of the time- that's how I roll. If someone wants help- they should ask for it- like the rest of us do.
  • There is this guy that goes to our gym and he does every exercise wrong. EVERY EXERCISE. He lifts more than he should, uses momentum, and looks like he's going to throw his back out. This same guy also "coaches" people that he brings to the gym and he shows them how to do the exercises the exact same way he's doing them.

    There have been several times my husband and I have wanted to go to the person he's "coaching" and gently tell them that they really should stay away from him because they're only going to end up hurting themselves but we zip our lips and just sit back and watch the show.

    There have been a few times he's corrected people on what they're doing but they're little old ladies and he'll do it in a 'Can I ask you a question? What body part are you trying to work?" and they'll tell him and he'll say "Well, try it like this instead." and that gets him the big smile and a huge thank you. But then again little old ladies LOVE my husband so that could have something to do with it too. LOL.
  • Who's to say that you are an expert in fitness and have the credentials and experience to give that woman advice? If you are spending your time watching her in the gym instead of working out,it sounds as if you know nothing about fitness.It's creepy and weird to watch others work out.Mind your own business and if she injures herself THEN help her.Worry about your own routine because you sound super lazy .If you want to watch something,stay home and watch TV.
  • LanceKarcher
    LanceKarcher Posts: 43 Member
    Exactly, sounds like you've already spent too much observing her. I would bet you are going to come off as a knuckle dragging, mouth breathing creeper. Why not just casually ask her about the weather or her sneakers and see how that comes off first?
  • 1pandabear
    1pandabear Posts: 336 Member
    Lots of good tips already. It's just hard for me because I'm somewhat socially awkward. It also doesn't help that I don't exactly look like the person a strange woman wants walking up and talking to her. And then I think hey, maybe I'm wrong. But I just... ok... this is what I'm seeing, like, 5 nights a week. Also, this is late at night and the gym is not staffed at those times, for what that's worth.

    This woman has a lot of right ideas. She comes in and hits the treadmill for a solid hour each time. Right on, sister. And she wants that incline burn. High five. However.... ok... I'm just going to paint the pictures. Sauna suit or heavy heavy sweats, a hoodie, and a ski cap. Ok, fine. I'll never even bother with that one. She gets on the treadmill and cranks the incline all the way up to to max and that is where it stays the entire time. Bad *kitten*. Except.... she then proceeds to, well, strap herself to the treadmill. She wraps several pieces of rope and bungee cords around her back and attaches them to the sides of the treadmill so she is literally leaning back on a sort of belt. She then proceed to attach more bungee cords and light ropes to the front of the treadmill to fashion handles, which she attaches to her wrists. It's like some crazy 50 Shades thing. This woman is bound into that treadmill. And yeah, calories burned. But we know that even lightly touching the side of the treadmill reduces calorie burn by 15%, so literally strapping your hands to the front of it is going to cut that burn by a minimum of 30%. Leaning back and allowing your bungee / rope belt to support your bodyweight completely defeats the purpose of the incline. Her feet are bearing maybe 25% of her bodyweight between all of these ropes. I don't want to say anything because she sees so into it, and she really is consistent. I don't want to ruin her mojo. And she isn't in any real risk of injury that I can see. I mean, it's physically impossible for her to fall down.

    Yeah, I'm just gonna leave it alone.

    Funny! If I was about to injure myself I would like someone to tell me but frankly anyone noticing my form would make me self-conscious regardless of their motives, so I wouldn't exactly like that... She on the other hand would be hard to miss.
  • RunMyOregonBunsOff
    RunMyOregonBunsOff Posts: 862 Member
    I would try to sneak a pic on my phone and then go in during the day and show a staff member...I don't think they will fully believe you otherwise.
  • littleburgy
    littleburgy Posts: 570 Member
    If someone came up to me and said "I'm very worried that you may injure yourself doing it that way, this might help..."
    I would actually appreciate it. I think it shows some conscientiousness on someone else's part in that they're trying to avoid seeing someone else get hurt.
  • brevislux
    brevislux Posts: 1,093 Member
    It's not your job. That's what the trainers in the gym are for. If you're not a trainer just mind your own business (unless they're doing something dangerous, and in this case - please do it).

    I hate people giving others "tips" at the gym. I came to the gym and got my tips from the trainer, and I don't need any self-appointed expert to interfere with what I do. At best, tell one of the people who works there.
  • ashenriver
    ashenriver Posts: 498 Member
    It would all depend on the situation.

    If I am doing something wrong then I would love advice on how to do it correctly since I am a beginner and learning. Especially if the person asked politely first if I wanted that advice. I would also double check to make sure that the advice was valid later.

    I am also a people watcher, I notice and watch other people in the gym, and still focus on my own workout, so I see what other people are doing. I am curious. Maybe watch is the wrong word, notice maybe.

    Besides if I am not looking at other people how would I notice in the mirror that the guy doing mat work was 'ahem' peeking out of the bottom of his shorts the last time I was in the gym. I changed my stance so I was no longer looking in the mirror. It was not something I wanted to see.

    Or the girl who has amazing flexibility I am in awe. But it also took me over a week to notice she has one arm)
  • SaintGiff
    SaintGiff Posts: 3,678 Member
    I can't believe this thread is still alive. Since it is still being read I figured I would offer an update / resolution. I did approach the woman as she was on the treadmill next to mine and I finished during one of her slow paced walking breaks. I simply asked if she was training for something specific, such as mountain climbing. She laughed and said "No, not at all. Someone told me that if I go uphill all the time I will burn more calories and lose one pound every day. But when I tried this I kept falling off so I have to use these straps so as not to fall...". I then asked, very politely, how it was working for her. She replied that while she wasn't losing weight, she was enjoying it and felt she was getting healthier. I told her she was doing great and left her to it. Had she wanted my opinion she would have asked.
  • FromHereOnOut
    FromHereOnOut Posts: 3,237 Member
    I can't believe this thread is still alive. Since it is still being read I figured I would offer an update / resolution. I did approach the woman as she was on the treadmill next to mine and I finished during one of her slow paced walking breaks. I simply asked if she was training for something specific, such as mountain climbing. She laughed and said "No, not at all. Someone told me that if I go uphill all the time I will burn more calories and lose one pound every day. But when I tried this I kept falling off so I have to use these straps so as not to fall...". I then asked, very politely, how it was working for her. She replied that while she wasn't losing weight, she was enjoying it and felt she was getting healthier. I told her she was doing great and left her to it. Had she wanted my opinion she would have asked.


    Well, I was fully expecting some sort of tinfoil hat stuff, but instead it's just plain ole run-o-the-mill "I heard from somebody something, so I took it to the Nth degree" gimmickry. :ohwell:


    Well handled.
  • SilverRose89
    SilverRose89 Posts: 447 Member
    Personally I would ask her why, out of interest, she uses all the cord set up. I'm a complete beginner to the gym myself and that sort of thing would really intrigue me. Maybe she's training for something super specific? Or maybe she's nuts :ohwell:

    But either way I'd be wanting to find out just for my own curiosity.


    EDIT, oh I see you found out!