Are you an ego lifter?

Hooliekom wrote: »

ninerbuff wrote: »

Guys are notorious for lifting WAY MORE than they could really handle for actual REAL REPS. Just to get a little attention and admiration, but in reality most serious lifters know they are just ego lifting and brag about it to people unfamiliar with actually working out.

How utterly pointless it is to 'lift' a weight that you can barely move - the only attention they would get from me is a slightly raised eyebrow. Which I can lift perfectly, keeping my form and lowering with control...

While I agree lifting 1rm outside of a competition isnt useful. Some of my training involves lifts that are 92% for singles or 81% for 5s are barely moving and can be very useful towards my goals. Just because the barbell is slow or fast doesnt equate proper intensity.

"Form" is non existent. There isn't a definition that is universal.

Even the most elite lifters cannot replicate their reps or "form". Its a word that is town around that literally has no definition that applies to everyone.

nossmf wrote: »

ninerbuff wrote: »

But even when I'm working out and NOT wearing my gym uniform, I'll mention it to someone if I see it. It's rare that I've had a bad reaction.

I'm not a trainer or certified, but I have spoken up a few times. Or rather, I used to speak up, because I had a couple occasions of a highly negative reactions. I like to think I'm polite, and my approach would usually be of the "excuse me, may I ask a question, I'm trying to learn, why are you doing this exercise in this way?" Usually this got me a polite explanation, and I could then express my opinion and usually be received well. But one guy immediately belittled me for having less muscle and therefore couldn't possibly know what I was doing, while another time I was going to ask a girl my question but couldn't get beyond "excuse me" before a dude (presumably a jealous boyfriend) was literally in my face, spittle flying, telling me to back the **** off.

I've since left everybody strictly alone, with the exception of one time I got the attention of a PT I knew and pointed out somebody, and once I stepped up when I saw a couple skinny, young teenaged boys doing something patently dangerous not only to themselves but to people around them.

Oh, man, yes: Whether this is going to work out well is very dependent on who's doing the suggesting! Someone who looks like @ninerbuff, male, correcting lifting form? Other than the boyfriend kind of scenario you mention, or some other cases for women who've had bad past gym experiences with guys, probably could go OK.

It's not lifting, but despite long experience, some age-group competition results, and having earned coaching certs, I never offer people suggestions about rowing machine technique at the gym, because pretty much no one wants advice from a li'l ol' lady (and many don't want advice from a woman at all, IME). If I have a polite opportunity to get into a non-interruptive social chat with them, maybe, or if I know them. Otherwise, no, Not At All. It won't go well. If they're doing something that looks truly dangerous to me, I'll talk with the gym staff about it (which I have), and that's it.

I personally would never approach someone with bad form unless they asked for my opinion (which, why would they?). One--I'm an introvert and two--I don't think most people would be receptive to it.

ninerbuff wrote: »

Spadesheart wrote: »

Okay, in general I agree and that video is ridiculous, but I'll add a counterpoint.

For some exercises, I am not a form junkie, especially if it's relatively safe, it's being done to an exhaustion at some point in one of the sets, and it's a compound lift where other muscles can be utilized. If you're pulling cables and you're doing as much weight as you possibly can, is it really bad? Your probably using a greater deal of your musculature to do the work, and you're still exhausting the muscles. If you need to pull back your back on a lat pulldown because you're doing more weight than you "should" be doing, I don't really know if I count that as ego lifting per say.

The key phrase here is "as much as you POSSIBLY" can. I can do a knee bend with TONS of weight, but why? What's the purpose? To show my knee bend is super strong? Or I can swing the hell out of barbell on a curl with twice as much a I do strictly, but again what is the purpose unless I'm in a sport or job that uses that kind of leverage (say a haybaler).
It's mostly with men and not with women, but the instinct to be better than the next guy has many in the gym trying to prove they are on par or better than their peers in the gym. Not intentionally mind you. But for ego lifters it's their time they feel they shine and think they are getting respect.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

I think we mostly agree. I will say that major form breakdowns for me have generally occurred when linear progression stopped. I think this is probably where it comes from for a lot of guys; feeling like you're doing more and getting stronger every week is the drug that gets people into the gym, chasing that high gets harder the more advanced you become. I'm definitely don't want people watching me do work anyways though, so perhaps I don't have the negative personality trait that some do?

Now I've never been as ridiculous as that video, nor do I think anyone should. That being said, with some compound lifts, so long as the lift itself is done to exhaustion, and the breaking of form is safe, I don't think adhering to the form is strictly necessary. Swinging a barbell in a curl does nothing as you're just using momentum to do the work for you. Likely at the expense of pulling or pinching your shoulders. Not only that, but as it isn't a compound lift; it's not really going to hit anything else anyways. However things like a lat pulldown or a cable row, go ahead and pull back if you'd like, so long as you can't do another rep on at least one of those sets.

yirara wrote: »

nossmf wrote: »

The biggest case of "ego lifting" I observe in the gym is the incorrect use of spotters on the bench press. I was taught that a spotter is there "just in case"... if the spotter actually has to exert a single muscle to help complete a rep, the set is done. (Negative reps are a different situation.)

But there's been more than one time I've been at the gym and witnessed somebody load up the bench press, have a spotter ready, lower the weight... and the spotter has to almost do an awkward deadlift to help raise the weight. Yet instead of racking the weight, the bencher goes for another rep, again requiring serious help up... and a third rep... While it's possible the goal was negative reps, controlling a heavier-than-able weight on the way down, I doubt it, as the bencher lowered the weight super fast, not in a controlled fashion.

I had some accidents that could have been ended ugly doing bench press. But I was the only person that that accommodation gym, where the whole kit was completely *kitten*, btw. Once I just about got the weight up. It was lower than previous time. But then could not hold it and the weight went down to my chest. Nearly. I just about managed to break it. But then it sat there and I was underneath. Ouch! Afterwards I did bench presses inside the squat rack even though I lost full range of motion that way.

Another time I was done, put bar back into holders, and for some reasons my hands remained underneath the bar when it fell down behind me. (like I said: *kitten* equipment) I guess I'm lucky that I'm rather flexible.

I've spotted for some guys that want to go for one rep to many and made me do all the work. I've found that just keep my hand under the bar not touching but just under. Works good that way if the bar drops just a little or they stall you can give just enough to keep the bar moving.

I was reminded of this lost the other day at the gym. So a couple of YOUNG teenage boys (I'm guessing 14 at the most) under the "direction" of probably one of the kid's dad. From the beginning it was clear the kid had too much weight and had poor form throughout, but good old dad kept him going 🙄.

Nope i've been slow to add weights although I'm limited to what I got to with at home lol