I'm still fairly new to lifting, and I put up low numbers. But yesterday at the gym I saw someone benching and their bar was going up very lopsided/crooked. I was doing lat pulldowns, and had the perfect seat to watch them bench. I went up to them after we had both finished our sets to let them know.
It was awkward! I started by telling him that he was way stronger than me, but I wanted him to know what I saw. He gave an excuse of being sore. I told him I just wanted him to know, because he didn't have a spotter and I was lined up perfectly to see him. He was cool about it, and thanked me.
Was strange, because I'm pretty sure he knows way more about lifting and benching than I do. Did I do the right thing? Or should I have just let him be?
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Thread: Advising someone at the gym
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12-14-2017, 03:22 PM #1
- Join Date: Feb 2016
- Location: Highland, California, United States
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Advising someone at the gym
9/26/17: 327.0 lbs
01/05/18: 304.6 lbs
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12-14-2017, 03:25 PM #2
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12-14-2017, 03:26 PM #3𝓐𝓲𝓻 𝓕𝓸𝓻𝓬𝓮 𝓥𝓮𝓽𝓮𝓻𝓪𝓷 1976 - 1999 - 𝓒𝓪𝓷𝓷𝓪𝓫𝓲𝓼 𝓔𝓷𝓽𝓱𝓾𝓼𝓲𝓪𝓼𝓽 𝓼𝓲𝓷𝓬𝓮 𝓽𝓱𝓮 1960'𝓼
ᖇᗴ丅Ꭵᖇᗴᗪ ᗩ丅 40 ᑕᖇᗴᗯ - ᔕᗝᑕᎥᗩᒪ ᗪᎥᔕ丅ᗩᑎᑕᎥᑎǤ ᗴ᙭ᑭᗴᖇ丅 - ᒪᎥᐯᎥᑎǤ 丅ᕼᗴ ᗪᖇᗴᗩᗰ
ƚo| ɒ ꙅɿɘʞʞuꟻ bᴎɒ ɿɘʞʞuꟻ ꙅᴎuoᴎoɿq ɿɘbᴎɘǫ ɘʜƚ ɘꙅu I
𝕀 𝕕𝕠𝕟'𝕥 𝕒𝕝𝕨𝕒𝕪𝕤 𝕒𝕘𝕣𝕖𝕖 𝕨𝕚𝕥𝕙 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕞𝕖𝕞𝕖𝕤 𝕀 𝕡𝕠𝕤𝕥
🄸 🅃🄴🄻🄻 🄸🅃 🄻🄸🄺🄴 🄸🅃 🄸🅂, 🄸🄵 🅈🄾🅄 🅆🄰🄽🅃 🅂🄼🄾🄺🄴 🄱🄻🄾🅆🄽 🅄🄿 🅈🄾🅄🅁 🄰🅂🅂 🄾🅁 🅂🄾🄼🄴🅃🄷🄸🄽🄶 🅂🅄🄶🄰🅁 🄲🄾🄰🅃🄴🄳. 🄸 🅂🅄🄶🄶🄴🅂🅃 🅈🄾🅄 🄶🄴🅃 🄰 🄷🄾🄾🄺🄴🅁 🄰🄽🄳 🄰 🄿🄾🅆🄳🄴🅁🄴🄳 🄳🄾🄽🅄🅃
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12-14-2017, 04:25 PM #4
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12-14-2017, 05:09 PM #5
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12-14-2017, 06:11 PM #6
Saw a guy pulling the pin on an adjustable bench in the incline postion while using the mechanism under the bench for leverage with his other hand. If I had not stopped him, it would have seriously messed up his hand. He got all snooty when I stopped him and explained what the bench does when you pull the pin.
I've given a few bench tips while spotting someone, just obvious things like hands in different position relative to the knurling and rings.
OP I would get a few more years under the bar and just observe if I were you. Lot of stuff that doesn't make sense right now may make sense later. But anything where you see imminent danger, by all means speak up.Don't put that on me Ricky Bobby, don't you ever put that on me.
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12-14-2017, 06:29 PM #7
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12-14-2017, 06:43 PM #8
- Join Date: Nov 2006
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I haven't had a lot of advice given to me over the years in the gym. There have been occasions when somebody has indeed suggested an exercise, or a bit of a different way to perform a movement. It was always appreciated. The few times were positive and encouraging comments. Each time the advice came from somebody who looked and trained like they knew a whole lot more than I did. LOL I guess I sot of felt good that they thought enough to offer me some advice or tips.
paolo59
"If you're going through hell, keep going!" Winston Churchill
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12-14-2017, 07:54 PM #9
- Join Date: Aug 2016
- Location: San Jose, California, United States
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I normally keep my mouth shut. Just because that seems to be the accepted etiquette, as pointed out by previous posters.
The only exception I've made was when I saw people load the bar unevenly, which happened a couple of times. I figure that nobody does that on purpose. And starting to squat with more weight on one side of the bar could end up ugly. They were thankful that I told them.
I had people giving unsolicited advice a couple of times. I didn't follow it, but I was not offended either. It seemed that they were genuinely trying to be helpful, so it didn't bother me at all.
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12-14-2017, 08:20 PM #10
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12-14-2017, 08:42 PM #11
- Join Date: Jun 2007
- Location: New Westminster, BC, Canada
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I had a bit of shoulder injury developing at some point and I was told repeatedly by some good willing Samaritans that my bar is crooked. First time it was ok, but it was repeated week after week. I always have camlocks so there is no danger of plates falling off.
Ok, that is one thing. Another thing is comparing yourself to anybody else in a gym, be it in a good way or whatever. You said you started your talk with that. It never is good. I think we need to write a little booklet on gym etiquette.
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12-14-2017, 08:46 PM #12
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12-14-2017, 11:20 PM #13
- Join Date: Aug 2016
- Location: San Jose, California, United States
- Posts: 1,448
- Rep Power: 17154
Oh well, I guess I haven't done this nearly long enough to have seen it all! They probably wanted to correct an "imbalance"?
It was squat once, and deadlift the other time. I don't think anything bad would have happened with a deadlift, but squatting with an unevenly loaded bar seemed potentially dangerous.
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12-14-2017, 11:44 PM #14
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12-14-2017, 11:54 PM #15
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12-15-2017, 02:50 AM #16
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12-15-2017, 03:32 AM #17
Now I only give advice if asked. I once mentioned to a young lady doing squats on a Smith Machine that setting the safety stops would provide protection in the event her feet slipped and would not interfere with her range of motion. (She had her feet forward of the bar so the potential to fall was real) She thanked me. Next time I saw her the stops were not set. I didn't say a word.
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12-15-2017, 08:21 AM #18
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12-15-2017, 08:44 AM #19
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12-15-2017, 08:53 AM #20
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12-15-2017, 10:19 AM #21
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12-15-2017, 10:22 AM #22
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12-15-2017, 10:54 AM #23
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12-15-2017, 03:58 PM #24
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12-16-2017, 12:39 PM #25
- Join Date: Jun 2010
- Location: Wisconsin, United States
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If people want to use $hitty form, swing their whole body doing curls, etc I don't care. The only time I say anything is when someone has been given bad advice & its flat out dangerous. Had some goofball set a #50 DB on end on the bench of the seated cable row machine, he wanted this chick to sit on the DB while rowing because it with strengthen her abs. I literally walked over & told her to get off the DB, I took it & put it back on the rack & told her it was the dumbest fukkin thing I had ever seen. She actually thanked me & said she was scared to try it but her bf was insisting. I looked at him & told him to knock off the cirque du soleil bs.
"You know that little thing in your head that keeps you from saying things you shouldn't? Yeah, well, I don't have one of those."
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12-16-2017, 12:44 PM #26
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12-16-2017, 01:22 PM #27
It doesn't seem any worse than this girl at my gym who stands on two Dumbbells doing goblet squats.
It's funny to me because she does goblet squats with 25lbs. Dumbbell (granted, I would not use any heavier either if I were to stand on DB's).
So, I lift a 85lbs. Dumbbell with my both hands (cuz heavy), and place it on a bench, and do my goblet squats, while she's doing hers with 25lbs. while balancing standing on those things.
I have no idea what the point is what she's doing but she probably thinks the same about me.Last edited by Cass40; 12-16-2017 at 01:28 PM.
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12-16-2017, 01:36 PM #28
It’s not typically a good idea to do what you did OP but it sounds like he appreciated the kind gesture and it’s nice to know there are still some ppl like you out there that are courageous enough to walk up to a stranger like that and talk to him because you were concerned for his safety. You’re to be commended.
~Chill Crew~ (⌐■_■)
Grateful family member checking in シ ♡
Be the reason someone smiles today
Fight the good fight every moment
Every minute, every day
Fight the good fight every moment
It's your only way -Triumph
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12-16-2017, 02:12 PM #29
Stupid $hit month is only a few weeks away. Can't wait...
𝓐𝓲𝓻 𝓕𝓸𝓻𝓬𝓮 𝓥𝓮𝓽𝓮𝓻𝓪𝓷 1976 - 1999 - 𝓒𝓪𝓷𝓷𝓪𝓫𝓲𝓼 𝓔𝓷𝓽𝓱𝓾𝓼𝓲𝓪𝓼𝓽 𝓼𝓲𝓷𝓬𝓮 𝓽𝓱𝓮 1960'𝓼
ᖇᗴ丅Ꭵᖇᗴᗪ ᗩ丅 40 ᑕᖇᗴᗯ - ᔕᗝᑕᎥᗩᒪ ᗪᎥᔕ丅ᗩᑎᑕᎥᑎǤ ᗴ᙭ᑭᗴᖇ丅 - ᒪᎥᐯᎥᑎǤ 丅ᕼᗴ ᗪᖇᗴᗩᗰ
ƚo| ɒ ꙅɿɘʞʞuꟻ bᴎɒ ɿɘʞʞuꟻ ꙅᴎuoᴎoɿq ɿɘbᴎɘǫ ɘʜƚ ɘꙅu I
𝕀 𝕕𝕠𝕟'𝕥 𝕒𝕝𝕨𝕒𝕪𝕤 𝕒𝕘𝕣𝕖𝕖 𝕨𝕚𝕥𝕙 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕞𝕖𝕞𝕖𝕤 𝕀 𝕡𝕠𝕤𝕥
🄸 🅃🄴🄻🄻 🄸🅃 🄻🄸🄺🄴 🄸🅃 🄸🅂, 🄸🄵 🅈🄾🅄 🅆🄰🄽🅃 🅂🄼🄾🄺🄴 🄱🄻🄾🅆🄽 🅄🄿 🅈🄾🅄🅁 🄰🅂🅂 🄾🅁 🅂🄾🄼🄴🅃🄷🄸🄽🄶 🅂🅄🄶🄰🅁 🄲🄾🄰🅃🄴🄳. 🄸 🅂🅄🄶🄶🄴🅂🅃 🅈🄾🅄 🄶🄴🅃 🄰 🄷🄾🄾🄺🄴🅁 🄰🄽🄳 🄰 🄿🄾🅆🄳🄴🅁🄴🄳 🄳🄾🄽🅄🅃
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12-16-2017, 02:34 PM #30
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