Another Gym Etiquette Question - about form
If I see someone doing a form wrong - to the point where it is possibly going to harm them - should I tell them? Should I just grab one of the trainers at the gym instead and have that person tell the other person?
For example, I saw someone doing a dead lift the other day...it was painful just to watch. He arched his back, grabbed the bar while staring straight down at it, then lifted it up using his back the entire time. His knees were locked as he did this.
I am not all that experienced at dead lifts - but I do know horrifically wrong when I see it. I started doing my dead lifts with just the bar all by itself so that I could get the form down properly first (bar weighs 40 lbs, so it was not 'nothing', just effectively nothing). After that, I slowly increased the weight but only increasing it after I knew I was doing the form properly at that weight. It took me weeks to get to the point where I was actually struggling to move the weights, but I knew I was doing the form properly as I did it (and the mirror helps).
So what do you guys think? Tell him myself or get a gym trainer involved?
- Bookmark
- 0
- 0
If they ask I'll help, otherwise they are on their own.
I typically just let it go. The only exception to that is of they are very young and training alone. I am 36 and my "training partner" is a 15 year old guy who lifts while his mom does her Zumba class. I noticed him in there for about two weeks, religiously busting his ass but using horrible for because he had obviously never been coached. One day I saw him doing bicep curls and taught him proper form. He was so stoked to have someone teach him how to actually lift that he asked if he could follow me around and have me teach him my lifts. I was happy to help and her is making awesome process now.
But other than those rare instances I just let it go
I see people with horrible form doing deads all the time. It is due to the crossfit movement. I just shake my head and do my thing.
Thanks everyone, I will do that. I would WANT someone to tell me I was doing something wrong, but I check my pride at the door when I walk in. I am there to gain muscle and strength, not to be some big shot or such.
EDIT: When I did my first deadlifts, I asked some of the guys who had been doing them to watch me and make sure I was being safe and correct. They were thrilled to be asked. The one guy said I was doing it pretty good - then went on to correct just about everything I did.
Pride has no place in the gym, which is why I ask for help. I have never been turned away.
Thanks for the input guys, I will cringe and just look away.
Depends on how you'll take it if they don't like the critique. Personally I wouldn't bother unless it was someone I knew. I go to the gym to work on myself, not others.
40 lb bar? Never seen one of those
That is what the trainer said it weighed. He said they took it to the scales and weighed himself with and without it and it was 40 pounds. I did not bother to do the same thing myself, no reason not to believe him.
relentlessDont say anything. Let it be. There are more important things you should conserve your energy for.