The desire to give advice in the gym

[Citruscide]

Tonight, I really wanted to help a kid who was doing bench press... he must have been around 16 years old... skinny, but I mean, for 16 his physique was what it should be.

He sat down to do 135lbs, and since I figured he was probably a little under that, if not around that weight I thought that was pretty good... but he only lowered the bar down a little less than half-way down. So was basically doing the upper motion.

I wanted to tell him to use a lower weight, go all the way down, and he'd get stronger by doing that weight... either that, or I wanted to sit there with him and have him do negatives

Ahh well... I never know how to point out bad form to someone... people are usually lack gratitude.

C-ditty

 

[circusgirl]

Unfortunately he'd probably get all defensive . The sad thing is, he was probably taught to bench like that by a buddy, and doesn't realise that he's doing it wrong - either that or he has a shoulder problem from overextension and is trying to avoid another injury.

Maybe the best thing to do is go up to him and say, hey, I see you're serious about weight training, that's a big bench for a young guy like you, check out this website, it helped me make big gains, and give him the link to a site like this one, or exrx.com or something - couching it as something positive, and maybe he'll learn correct form from that...

 

[Citruscide]

Unfortunately he'd probably get all defensive . The sad thing is, he was probably taught to bench like that by a buddy, and doesn't realise that he's doing it wrong - either that or he has a shoulder problem from overextension and is trying to avoid another injury.

Maybe the best thing to do is go up to him and say, hey, I see you're serious about weight training, that's a big bench for a young guy like you, check out this website, it helped me make big gains, and give him the link to a site like this one, or exrx.com or something - couching it as something positive, and maybe he'll learn correct form from that...

I thought you were going to say "Hey, you look like you're into bodybuilding... do you want to buy anaboics?" LOL

C-ditty

 

[zackdarnell]

I always want to give advice in the gym. There are so many people who use bad form, or don't know what they are doing, or who just look scared to even be in the gym at all. Unfortunately, the few times I have tried to offer advice, they have been very defensive about it, like circusgirl said. So, I have stopped offering my advice. However, If someone at the gym asks, I'm happy to help them.

 

[Fatty4You]

I know exactly what you mean. I see people do so much crap in the gym. I want to go over and say something, or tell them that they are gonna get hurt or something, but i have learned not to. People generally give you attitude if you try to help.

There is this guy at my gym who i am friendly with. He does chest EVERY DAY! Its crazy. He litereally does bench and flys every single day of the week [mon-fri]. He keeps telling me that he wants to get bigger, and i just dont have the heart to tell him that he is messing his body up by doing it every day - he needs time to rest. Buts its like the more he wants to get big , the more he benches.

So sad. But I pretty much just assume that people will have to learn on their own. Read some magazine, some books, thats how i learned.

When i see people do half reps on bench and get up all gloating that they just benched a lot of weight, i just feel sad for them cause as many people as there are that are looking thinking "Damn that guy lifts some serious weight" there are also people looking at him and thinking "That form sucks, hes got nothing to be proud of."

-Fatty

 

[m0t03]

It sux wheh you see people using bad form, it pains me But I usually never say anything. Some people are just bastards and they will think that your more or less makin fun of them. So I just keep my mouth shut. If they wanna waste their time in the gym by usin crap form thats their business. I would have done what u did C-Ditty, nothing.

Mike

 

[ThePolishHammer]

Circus girl had a pretty good idea.
but its not something i could pull off anymore, now that im down to 170lbs.
You need to be a big guy to have any credibility with the new guys.

 

[Lumberg]

I feel it is my duty to at least offer some words of correction when I see someone doing something eggregiously wrong in the gym. So I do. The decision to ignore should be the person receiving the advice, not the person with the proper knowledge. Not everybody has access to the knowledge we have.

My approach is when I see someone doing half-reps, I say "why aren't you going down all the way?" That way if s/he has a good reason I don't look like an ass, and they don't feel so defensive.

IF they don't have a good reason, and I explain what the proper form of the exercise is, and I see them still doing it wrong the next week, THAT's when I write them off as incorrigible idiots.

JC

 

[PolishHammer1977]

C,
I'll make you a karma bet. I go in to do back tonight after work, around 5-5:30. I will see at least 3 to 5 kids doing some ridiculous shi*. I will want to help and demonstrate correct form in a positive way. I will end up saying nothing because the kid will most likely stare me down like he wants some. I will just walk away, get a rinse of water, and continue doing my Bar row, weighted towel pull ups, & seated row combo. Some kids!!!!!

 

[bignate73]

its hit and miss. everyone is different. i have taken the proverbial slap in the face many times, especially as a new trainer. now i watch people, alot of times they catch me watching and will actually straighten up (like they know they were doing it wrong). sometimes you will help someone and they will tell you they never knew that, sometimes they will nod you off and go back to how they did it before. so be it for those people.

this morning for instance, i was training with another trainer and we were doing rear delt raises. 2 benches down, another woman was doing them identical to how we were. as she was bringing back her dbells, she mentioned how many of the "regulars" just watch what the trainers do, their form etc. and mimic or try it out. that was rather incouraging to me since i had usually pegged most of the "regulars" as being rather set in their ways. but actually its just a means of being a gym veteran and still not asking for help. whatever works for people to ease their egos i guess.

with regards to the younger kid benching, chances are if an older, more experienced guy helps or offers help, they will listen. if you can give him a good reason why full range is better and he should lighten up (overcoming the teenage ego) he will follow it. despite what his buddies are doing because...."the big guy said so". people take alot away from someone who has done it. (its a good/bad thing because some of the "big guys" do things wrong)