Do You Inform People When You see Them Lifting Wrong?

[curling]

I work out at the gym i work at. So i often try to correct people in a friendly way. And I have not yet gotten any heat for it. Well except the guys who says "ive always been doing it this way" well guess what, you have always been doing it wrong.

Sometimes, after correcting the same people about the same thing hundred of times, i can get a bit pissy. Legpress is a classic here. Some of the local heroes see me doing cardio, and load up the legpress like crazy. I avoid watching them, but from the corner of my eye i see them looking my way everytime they do a set. Hoping to impress me i gess. And they do these with a rep range of a limp dick (meaning, not long). So after finishing my cardio, i walk over to them. Say in a high enough voice so the whole gym hears it "You know, if you unloaded 200kg of that legpress you might be able to do 1 correct rep" and walked away.

LOL

 

[Tweakle]

No, they won't listen and they'll think you're an asshole for doing it. And I enjoy seeing people do stupid shit in the gym

I've had PT's ask me if I was going to man up and do some 'real' deadlifts when I was doing rack pulls, people tell me box squats are cheating because they make it easier (you know, that 'rest' at the bottom), people offer me all kinds of helpful advice thats completely inapproriate to my bodytype

 

[BiggT]

Only if they are kids do I offer to help. A lot of times, I have seen high school athletes (and even college ones with obviously either no s and c program or a very poor one) absolutely butcher cleans, so I've shows guys how to clean before. Younger guys who are athletes are usually greatful and will listen.

I don't bother with the older guys who have been at the gym since 1989 butchering the form on cable triceps pressdowns and barbell curls in the squat rack. I just always want to help somebody who wants to work hard and is willing to give it their all, but just needs a little instruction and know-how.....like a kid reverse curling their cleans or quarter squatting etc, they're at the gym to work, they just need someone to give them a clue.

 

[Protobuilder]

I lift at home, but when I was a junior/senior in high school, I worked out at a gym. I always appreciated someone showing me stuff b/c I had no clue what I was doing and was willing to listen. I still remember this one guy who was very nice and pretty muscular telling me that he thought I could fit 200 on my frame. I didn't believe in myself at the time -- I was 130-35 -- but his saying that still sticks with me today. It was cool to hear someone have some faith in you when you're scrawny, weak, and clueless. LoL

 

[Illuminati]

I watched this dad training his daughter at the gym last week doing shrugs. He was showing her wrong by telling her roll her shoulders instead of just up and down. And I said I am sorry to bother you but have you heard that is really bad on your rotator cuff to do it that way and they said thanks but I hated to correct what the dad was trying to show the kid but I didn't want her learning something that could eventually hurt her. Was I wrong do say anything? And do you say anything when you notice people doing something wrong?

with most people, its not worth it. they aren't going to listen. so just shake your head in disgust...

 

[WhiteCastle]

I have seen too many people get hurt in the gym.....

I used to never say anything to anyone about the way they worked out because I didn't want anyone to say anything to me.... (I mean, shit, I KNEW EVERYTHING! LOL!) But, as I got older and started learning more and realizing how wrong I was doing some things, and how lucky I was to not be crippled already, I started to try and help SOME people when I saw them doing something wrong/dangerous.

If it is something that is dangerous, i.e. deadlifting with your back, I will say something...... but if it is just something like 'you would get a better workout if you go all the way up', I just keep my mouth shut... because they will get the idea sooner or later.... I know I did.. If they are serious about training, they will do everything in their power to learn what works and what doesn't, and how to do it, and how not to.

 

[FlexOhio]

My gym is soooo bad that I only help a young person avoid getting hurt. I would never get anything done if I helped 99% of the "stupid" people there...

 

[Protobuilder]

Well, another thing to consider is, a lot of times, people are intentionally doing things that you either (a) think/have been told are bad or (b) have just never seen/heard of. For instance, every gym monkey tells you to do barbell curls without moving anything but your elbows . . . OK, but there are several well-regarded trainers who promote "power curls". Same goes for power shrugs. If I were doing power shrugs, dipping down to the power position in the low hang and then triple extending hard, most gym-goers would "inform" me that I'm "cheating" and it's "dangerous" and I ought to really "hold the squeeze at the top" blah blah blah. That'd just piss me off b/c then I'd have to explain how the power shrug trains part of the clean, which I'd then most likely hae to explain, and then have to describe "which muscle" the clean works, blah blah blah.

Frankly, most people "offer advice" b/c they like to feel smart and superior.

 

[BiggT]

Well, another thing to consider is, a lot of times, people are intentionally doing things that you either (a) think/have been told are bad or (b) have just never seen/heard of. For instance, every gym monkey tells you to do barbell curls without moving anything but your elbows . . . OK, but there are several well-regarded trainers who promote "power curls". Same goes for power shrugs. If I were doing power shrugs, dipping down to the power position in the low hang and then triple extending hard, most gym-goers would "inform" me that I'm "cheating" and it's "dangerous" and I ought to really "hold the squeeze at the top" blah blah blah. That'd just piss me off b/c then I'd have to explain how the power shrug trains part of the clean, which I'd then most likely hae to explain, and then have to describe "which muscle" the clean works, blah blah blah.

Frankly, most people "offer advice" b/c they like to feel smart and superior.

Agreed 100%.....some people who know nothing besides 3-4 sets of 8-12 with 'fitness geek' type exercises often will be dumbstruck with explosive lifting......or guys using boards/bands/chains etc etc

 

[djeclipse]

I've had PT's ask me if I was going to man up and do some 'real' deadlifts when I was doing rack pulls

Are you kidding me? That guy must have some balls to say that to you...