Today at the gym...

[makedah]

A nice older gentleman offered me some advice as I was leaving the weight room. "On those squats back there," he said, "bring your legs closer together."

Bless his heart!

He seemed puzzled but nodded a lot when I started going on about about torso-to-leg ratio, women's pelvises and such. Ha!

 

[zackdarnell]

A nice older gentleman offered me some advice as I was leaving the weight room. "On those squats back there," he said, "bring your legs closer together."

Bless his heart!

I've been told this several times, too.

 

[spatts]

One size doesn't fit all, that's for sure. Becca Swanson's 600+ pound squat is pretty narrow.

 

[natural-mike]

Been there...done that.

I still get the guys who squat 225 bodybuilder style, telling me that squatting on a box will hurt my back and its dangerous and foolish. This usually comes from people who squat with borads under their heels. In fact my gym has a piece of wood specifically designed for this....HELLO.

I also draw such a lovely audience when using bands (I've discussed this before)

My new shtick to comments of the sort is quite simple.

Whenever bodybuilders give me advice, I nod my head then simply say "Do you Powerlift?" and they reply "No" and I reply "I do so thanks anyway"

Mike

 

[Hannibal]

Whenever bodybuilders give me advice, I nod my head then simply say "Do you Powerlift?" and they reply "No" and I reply "I do so thanks anyway"

Mike

 

[I'D RATHER BE DEADLIFTING]

I love this stuff. Especially being smaller, I think the bigger guys at the gym all ASSume they know more than me. I had a guy benching 105 with his feet on the bench tell me I was gonna hurt my spine when I was doing seated goodmornings. Do they really think that some average Joe off the street is going to walk in and start doing seated goodmornings with good amount of weight?? Obviously if I didn't know any better I'd be doing benches to my neck, curls with a heavy back cheat and 1/12 rep machine squats. I just kinda told the guy inbetween breaths that I was working my back and he left the room. People are so afraid to do anything unconventional.

 

[natural-mike]

Exactly,

You gotta love this stuff and laugh it off.

My favorite is benching with feet on the bench, someone help me someone..anyone please explain why they do this???????

As far as good mornings, dont get me started on that. I'm the only guy that does 'em and get this, the "TRAINER" that works in the GYM, asks me "what am I doing?" He did not know what Good Mornings were. And he is certified..be afraid..be very afraid.

Mike

 

[Drifter]

Ok, I'll admit I used to put my feet on the bench when pressing. I had some sort of convoluted idea that it would help isolate things better if you took your legs out of the equation.




Hahaha, I have since learned not to do that among other things.

 

[natural-mike]

Hey we all did things wrong in the early years.

My first year of lifting I forgot that muscles existed below my waist. I never did legs for a year. I paid for it later.

Now I get f*cking amped up for squats and deads and arms and chest are no big deal anymore.

Mike

 

[circusgirl]

Been there...done that.

I still get the guys who squat 225 bodybuilder style, telling me that squatting on a box will hurt my back and its dangerous and foolish. This usually comes from people who squat with borads under their heels. In fact my gym has a piece of wood specifically designed for this....HELLO.

I don't get this - shouldn't the piece of wood go under the toes to teach correct form (weight on the heels) and not under the heels? And if not, what is the point of using a prop to throw the bodyweight forward? (I'm having trouble remembering to keep my weight back on my heels right now, so I've been putting things under my toes when practicing form with a broom handle). Wouldn't a prop under the heels destabilise the squatter?