Do you guys advise people who're using improper form when training? And how do you react when people ignore your advice?

I was at the gym today when two guys came in and started dicking around with the gym equipment.

One of them was benching some pretty heavy weights and his friend was spotting, and all of a sudden the guy couldn't push up the bar.
What did he do? He just let go of the bar thinking his spotter could save him, but his friend couldn't lift it up so I went over to help. He didn't even secure the weights and they naturally slid off the bar and fell to the floor. I told him that he was benching too heavy and he should secure the weights; he just waved his hand dismissively and grunted.

Later, the spotter guy was doing some cable lat pulldowns, but he was using his waist to help pull the weights down, and kept leaning back and bouncing up. Yet again, I said to him that he was using improper form, and he said "yeah I know, i'm doing heavy weights".
As far as I know, doing heavy weights doesn't exactly excuse you from using proper form does it?

I then said that it wasn't the way to train, but he just ignored my advice and continued doing it. Suffice to say, I simply ignored them for the rest of the time I was there.

But I can't help thinking if I should have made more effort to explain and convince them to use proper form. And yet another part of my mind urges me to simply ignore all those guys who're ego-tripping on lifting weights using bad form, and let them learn about serious injury the hard way.

I admit i'm still considered a beginner, and my physique isn't exactly eye-popping yet, but does that mean I am not qualified to give advice about form?

It's possible you are qualified. But that's not the issue. The issue is credibility. You haven't established it yet. There are as many ways to bench press as flavours of ice cream.

For the sake of humanity and good karma, I'd try to advise them once. If the reception is good, obviously it makes sense to go further. But if the reception is cold, I'd leave them alone.

Lynx,
using wrong form and injuring himself is his problem.
But letting the weight slide off and drop to the floor is dangerous to people nearby.
It's no fun having 30-40kg on dropping on someone's toes.

I never advise others. People always have weird reasons to justify for what they do.
E.g.: quarter squatting in the smith machine using all the plates in the gym (100+kg)... until the smith machine was shaking and sliding around, the gym owner had me stand on the corner of the machine to keep it from sliding.

A nice chap asked why not below parallel in his squats, his excuse: his knees are weak. The other guy tried to explain to him why squatting parallel is safer for his knees, and he just wouldn't listen.

Bench pressing with the feet in the air (it's not even on the bench)... to reduce leg drive. Stupidest shit EVER.

Ahhh... no eye see.
These guys should just go and ask the gym owner if they don't know how to freaking do an exercise properly/safely.

This post has been edited by iamyuanwu: Jul 1 2009, 03:31 AM

Don't.
Simple as that.

I tried it once,a guy benching ~50kgs was bouncing the bar like crazy,i politely asked him if he wanted a cracked rib,he said no but that was the way his friends taught him so that he gained added momentum.

Told him never to listen to those idiots again.

Unless what they're doing endangers someone else, leave it alone.

I try to at least tell them if their form's dangerous. If they don't listen, then I couldn't give a damn if they break something.

My advice is "LET THEM DIE".

- Few years back when i was a noob, i saw this guy doing DB tripcep extension and his is wobbling and the body is moving swaying ard trying to wriggle the weight up, as to my astonishment i run and help him to carry the dumbell, then he quickly put down the weight (i forgot how he did it) and then he say "no no no just my hands hurt", in my heart is like "if it hurts then u shall stop...why do u still doing it ???"

so from there i learnt to stfu and laught when ppl doing awful form or trying to spread their ego to the crowd.

Like iamyuanwu mention about thsoe ppl who reason alot, yes there is ALOT and WORSE is those ppl will come to u and advice .

Tats part of the reason i dun like to go to gym during its peak hour, too much jokers ard.

This post has been edited by jamis: Jul 1 2009, 05:54 PM

Yeah, unless there's a threat to my toes (I sometimes go barefoot), I just shake my head and smile to myself.

Or until they actually get stucked.

Aiya, maybe they know something you don't.
Don't say anything easier.

Actually, we do the same to other also mah.

A guy come over to me and tell me the free weight squats is dangerous and sort of forced me to use the smith machine. Cis! I so wanted to kick him in the balls. =P

for some reason its true also to a certain extend.
if ur form is wrong and weight is too heavy, u gonna get urself fked up...
it all depends on individual actually.
some may op for smith squat some free weights.
at the end of the day, its all about the results and also whether u r still standing properly or not.
no point having a nice shape but ur parts are tearing apart.

if they tell sumthing that might seems to be new and MIGHT be useful, u can search ard the net and find the ans, but if they are saying sumthing like full squat gona spoil ur legs then......... I think i have to get a new shirt written "STFU and squat"

I've been squatting for 1 year plus consistently, and within my limits. And the fella come and kacau me all of the sudden. LOL!

And it wasn't out of good intention either. He just wanted to use the bar for deadlift.

MYOB.

I've seen some pretty peculiar things; I've seen guys take a dumbbell and start swinging it like a yo-yo and there's this one guy who's been doing the same bench press technique that is at best, partial bench press, for the past 2 years with bad form. But, hey, if it works for them then good for them. I'd rather take care of my own form than others unless they specifically ask ME for help.

I was told once not to drop the dumbbells / barbells by a PT in Celebrity Fitness because it disturbs the other people's training.

My last gym session, the one of the PT from Celebrity Fitness were dropping dumbbells for his client all over the gym.

Maybe I should advice him not to?

In the end of the day, I couldn't be bothered at all.

Barney, that's probably dumbbell swings. I do that too! =)

Kianweic, maybe you can kacau the PT by telling him that you're being distrubed by the droppings of DBs. X^D

@iamyuanwu,

Good idea. Also maybe I could drop the dumbbells while he is dropping them around.

I am fine with control drop of dumbbells and barbells as long as it doesn't endanger anyone. Besides, the music in the gym is more distracting than the dropping of weights.

You guys make me glad I work out at home.

hahahaahah the other way at my gym,

no one bother to give advise to other,

sometime me also need some advise, if my form correct or not,

hmmmm things that i hat most when people not doing anything but

chating at the dumbbell rack and machines arrhhhh kacau saja la,

wanna chat go to Cyber Cafe la........@$#%#@%