Gym Etiquette
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As someone with no experience in a gym or lifting i would appreciate any gentle advice given. Dont assume that someone doesnt want help maybe they are too shy to ask. I personally agree with a few of the posters here,tell someone working here i also believe as humans it is our responsibility to tell others when we see them doing something that is dangerous,if they dont listen after that then atleast you tried.0
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From a personal standpoint... I had a guy at the gym help me with my squat form once. I have never been able to afford a session with a trainer so I was going off what I had seen online. A guy came over between sets and said, very kindly, "Hey, you're doing great. But do you mind if I give you a couple of pointers?" I was actually grateful for the help and he showed me how to position my legs better and use my glutes more. I have always used his advice ever since.
I guess my point is that if you go about it the right way, unsolicited advice can be okay. You just need to tread very carefully. I also think you run more risk because they are guys - not to gender stereotype, but I think guys at the gym are generally a little more touchy/aggressive than women. They might be more likely to get peeved off than I was.
If it was me personally I wouldn't say anything, but I'm also easily intimidated.0 -
leonsinned wrote: »Unsolicited advice on form is almost never appreciated. I'd say just don't do it. Now, I've had someone ASK me for advice, and in that case I think it's fine to offer help, but 99 times out of 100 if the person doesn't ask you then they probably don't want to know your opinion on their form.
Now, if they're leaving dumbbells on the ground or not returning their weights to the stacks, then I say absolutely correct them on THAT behavior!
let me get this straight. if they are going to hurt themselves ignore them BUT if they leave the place dirty point it out to them.
wow.
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Repeat after me
"not my circus- not my monkeys"
so unless someone's doing something that's inherently dangerous to other/many members (for example walking around swinging a barbell in the air casually) leave it be. It's their business to educate or not educate themselves. Unless someone is asking you- then no ;don't say anything.
Yup yup yup
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being deaf dumb and blind never did any of us anything for any of us.
Yeah it did- because I did my own research- I didn't have people constantly coming over to correct me. That's just annoying. It's 2015- everyone has access to the internet and research and books- and if you say "they don't have internet at home" the library is free- and has books and internet.
it is LITERALLY not my responsibility to take care of people who are perfectly capable of going out and research these things themselves.0 -
I'm constantly amazed at how much attention people pay to others in the gym.
Am I the only person who focuses on what I and I alone am doing?0 -
floridamatty wrote: »So we all know the rules for gym etiquette, but I wanted to get an idea if im the only one who feels they should say something to someone who doesnt know what they are doing.
This morning there were three guys in the gym who were all using weights way above there capabilities. I saw one guy doing a One Armed tricep push down on a cable machine, he was obviously struggling from rep one and I could tell by his face he was about to have a stroke
Another was doing bicep curls and his body was sawying back and forth like he was on a boat
And another was doing lat pulldowns so heavy he was using his whole body to move it and when the weight would come down I was thinking it was going to yank his arms out there sockets.
Im not being a d__k just dont want to see these guy getting hurt. What do you think, should us with more experience be saying to these people (in the nicest way possible) Hey buddy, I think your using a little bit to much weight and then show them how to do it properly. Thanks
If they don't know what they are doing, you could prevent a huge injury or accident.
if its something that they can break the equipment, or really hurt themselves.
Walk over, introduce your self, break the ice.. ask them how long they been lifting and then when you are giving out advice be defensive about it.0 -
If I see clear risk for major injury, I'll usually step in -- for example, a couple of teenagers were doing jump-squats on some stools which were meant for such things. Okay, no problem, until they started stacking them. I said something there. (No, I don't think they were appreciative, but whatever).
However, IME, a guy doing a tricep push on a cable machine with a weight too high doesn't want to be told to he's lifting wrong. The saying during bicep curls is so common I start to wonder if there's something I don't know about it. (If not, then it's again a case of trying to lift too much, which they don't want to hear). I'm not even sure that gym staff will do much about it if it's not endangering anyone or damaging equipment, but if you feel the need to say something, talk to the staff.0 -
Didn't we learn anything from the last gym etiquette thread?0
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ceoverturf wrote: »I'm constantly amazed at how much attention people pay to others in the gym.
Am I the only person who focuses on what I and I alone am doing?
I notice other people while I'm looking around between sets but not to the point where I overly concern myself with what they are doing.
There is a young guy at my gym who is very thin and with very little muscle tone who does (or attempts) a million curls with way too heavy weights. His whole body just kind of waggles forward and backward as he swings the dumbbells. I see and think "oh there's Gumby again" but I wouldn't ever consider going up and trying to give him any unsolicited advice or guidance.0 -
ceoverturf wrote: »I'm constantly amazed at how much attention people pay to others in the gym.
Am I the only person who focuses on what I and I alone am doing?
I notice other people while I'm looking around between sets but not to the point where I overly concern myself with what they are doing.
There is a young guy at my gym who is very thin and with very little muscle tone who does (or attempts) a million curls with way too heavy weights. His whole body just kind of waggles forward and backward as he swings the dumbbells. I see and think "oh there's Gumby again" but I wouldn't ever consider going up and trying to give him any unsolicited advice or guidance.
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Most guys ego lifting at the gym get offended when you try to give them advice. I once gave a younger kid advice and even showed him the correct form, all I got in return was the death stare
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nordlead2005 wrote: »Didn't we learn anything from the last gym etiquette thread?
Yes. Prancercize always brings the LOLZ.
As for this thread? I agree with Jo. Cuz she's hot. And right.
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Alright guys, thanks for your input. I guess i'll let them learn from their own mistakes and hope they dont hurt themselves0
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ceoverturf wrote: »I'm constantly amazed at how much attention people pay to others in the gym.
Am I the only person who focuses on what I and I alone am doing?
Yes, you are.
Though I try not to focus on other people at the gym, sometimes something will happen that is so outrageous I just can't help but watch. If I'm on a cardio machine and whatever is on the gym TV isn't to my liking, then of course something will catch my eye if it's out of the ordinary.
Here's what you're missing:
A gentleman went on the treadmill right next to mine and he placed one foot on either side (the non-moving part) of the conveyor belt until the belt was up to full speed - that alone was enough to catch the corner of my eye. I normally walk myself up to speed but ok, to each their own.
Then he proceeded to use his arms and the treadmill handles to lift his body up so his feet were dangling over the moving conveyor. At this point, he then started wildly swinging his feet until they "matched the speed" of the belt. As if that wasn't enough to get everyone's attention, he then screamed as he dropped (swinging feet and all) onto the moving belt. Seriously, how could anyone miss that. He proceeded to run at full speed for about 10 seconds before stopping the treadmill. There was no one filming this for a youtube channel, so I guess it's just what he does.
A couple months ago, I was on the stair machine and I saw a man standing on a balance ball (full round, not half round, and it was one of those yoga style ones that wasn't designed to be stood on) and he proceeded to juggle two medicine balls. I thought he was going to fall face first into the machine in front of him. Luckily, he didn't.
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ceoverturf wrote: »I'm constantly amazed at how much attention people pay to others in the gym.
Am I the only person who focuses on what I and I alone am doing?
I notice other people while I'm looking around between sets but not to the point where I overly concern myself with what they are doing.
There is a young guy at my gym who is very thin and with very little muscle tone who does (or attempts) a million curls with way too heavy weights. His whole body just kind of waggles forward and backward as he swings the dumbbells. I see and think "oh there's Gumby again" but I wouldn't ever consider going up and trying to give him any unsolicited advice or guidance.
Why Not, if I looked like Randy Orton or somebody who looks like they have been in the gym for awhile, I would offer advice. Find out what his goals are then give him a reasonable plan to accomplish it. If he says, no thanks, then I would just walk away0 -
No, unless they were in imminent danger of injury. Even then its the way that you do it.0
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I don't typically butt in when I see wrong form in the gym. However, since the gym owner is also my trainer, if I see something wonky, I will pull him aside and tell him. Sometimes, he will go over and talk with them and sometimes, he says "screw 'em"! Ha! This guy is passionate about fitness and was a former bodybuilding champ and he still maintains his physique. He genuinely wants to help people and appreciates it when his gym members point things out to him. He feels it is his duty to ensure ALL gym clients know what they are doing, even if they do not purchase personal training time with him. No one would dare smart off to him because he is huge and intimidating at first contact. (I was quaking in my shoes during my very first training session with him!)0
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I don't think I've seen a single person do bicep curls without swinging back and forth since 19920
http://youtube.com/40GSMS1ACQI
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