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........@$#%#@%

Sometimes I wanted to give advise as well but their faces damn cocky.

so biar la.

where can buy this? it's cool t-shirt

i did advised people once for the proper squat form in the gym.
but normally i just biar, let it be.
there was one fellow told me full squat bad for knee too, choi him dou sou!

i only give advice during meetup with lowyatian

When is the next meet up?

Our love will never die noOOOO!!!!
You'll always be a part of me
I'm part of you indefinitely
Girl don't you know you can't escape me
OO darling, cuz you'll always be my baby!

Layan David Cook a bit....Morph and I are meeting up on the 14th of July. Then we're flying off to Kelantan for a sports science conference. That'll be our meet up!

Please report after the sport science meet.
Summary and what not.

i tot tat suppose to have one tat suggested by registryeditor, but it seems to went cold again. Go and heat up the gathering thread pedro

Gym should be a friendly place... where stranger knowing each other.. talking about nutrition , what's gd, what's bad... giving advice is really good.. maybe u can make partner at the gym someday because of your kindness.. those people who ignoring is just arrogant.. they think they know what they are doing.. once you advice them... they ignore it.. u better do your own job and concentrate at your workout... THEY IGNORE YOU, YOU IGNORE THEM..

This post has been edited by hakimz: Jul 6 2009, 07:54 PM

I just met the most stubborn gym rat today.

I was chatting with the gym owner when this fella came in.
He picked up a magazine and saw those american bb'ers huge ripped abs.
So he asked how to get them.

Another fella join the conversation and said those fella inject substances so the their abs grow and become ripped. As if it's similar to injecting silicon into breasts. LOLz!

The gym lady recommended the abs-wheelie.
Then he became super defensive and said the abs wheelie is only effective the first time he did it.
And claimed that the wheel is only good for training the arms and shoulders... abs no feel at all. No matter what the lady said, he just plain refused to listen.

The gym owner then looked resigned and at me when a blank face. I so wanted to wallap that idiot for disrespecting the gym owner, and for talking smack... when he knows nuffin'.

Talk about giving advice. Even when the advice is sought, the person himself might still reject it. Some people's head are made of adamantium. Nothing penetrates.

I saw a guy playing PSP in the changing room inside the gym last week.

The janitor was looking at him while he gleefully play his PSP.

I went out did my 1 hour 30 mins workout, came back he still playing PSP.

Probably his exercising routine = playing PSP.

Don't know what to say anymore.

Lol, PSP gym workout.

You can only teach the teachable. If the person is dead on unteachable, regardless of your credentials, background and other attributes, you're only pouring water of a duck's back.

I generally keep to myself and friends. At most, I'll ask other patrons whether they are done with the machines. My reason is that it's Asian mentality to be hostile toward strangers even if a stranger offers advice.

How many times has a stranger offered small talk while you were waiting in a public place / in public transport?

Most people go to the gym to milk their ego. Horrible form with weights that are too heavy for them. My best advice for you is to treat them as entertainment and let them be. Unless they're about to hurt you.

PSP can workout your fingers & brain~..

at home his wife or son will kacau him play..so hide in gym play..nobody disturb.

I'm still fairly new at this whole weight lifting thing, but have been discouraged with helping ppl out when they brush off advise....especially in situations when it was bleeding obvious they were f***ing up. These days i just mind my own business, STFU, and train. I want that t-shirt la lolz!

ouww dont be like that... not everyone are arrogant

haha, i dont give a shit, mind my own business.

A good way to say it is

"I know it's none of my business, but it would be better if you could <insert advice here>"

"I used to <insert workout here> like that too, but when the weights got heavy I piled on some injuries that really affected my workout, then I learnt from other lifters that I was doing it wrongly"

"Just passing on some healthy comments, it's up to you to take it. After all, who am I to tell you what to do, it's not like I'm very strong. I just don't want to see a fellow lifter get injured!"

"Wah lau eh, my best friend used to squat exactly like you man! Gawd, the memories. So he was doing it like you, when one day he collapsed under the weight! He severed both quadriceps, destroyed both knees, his damn cun girlfriend is now mine, and he is a cripple in a wheelchair."