Approaching someone at the gym that is doing something wrong, would you?

[bodyhard]

Last night my wife and I were doing legs. We went to the leg area and both the hack squat and the leg press were occupied, both by guys in their early 20's I would assume.

So my wife and I waited for the first one to be vacant. The two guys doing the leg press had good form but weren't doing a hell of a lot of weight 1 plate per side but high reps, nice slow movement full ROM. The other two guys using the hack squat had 4 plates per side and only bending their knees.

I pointed out to my wife that they had no clue what they were doing and I explained to her how the movement should be performed.

While we waited for the first one to be available to my surprise, well not really a surprise, but the two guys doing the hack squat were loading more plates.

At this point two guys doing leg curls actually looked over to these two guys and started laughing, literally, out loud. They looked in my direction and I just nodded my head and smiled. The two guys doing the leg press finished so my wife and I started doing the leg press and now these guys had 6 plates per side my wife said "John tell them that they are doing it wrong" I said to her they are not going to listen to me, but you can clearly see that these guys had no idea what the hell they were doing.

As I watched them do set after set (they got to 8 plates per side, faces red, holding their breath and just unlocking their knees) I kept feeling myself hesitantly ready to go over to them, but I never did. My wife felt bad for them and I kinda did to, I don't think they were lifting for ego nor looking for attention I genuinely think these guys just had no idea what the hack squat was for.

[gkrane]

I think in that case I might approach them as there would be some concern that they could seriously injure themselves. Especially since you said it appears they had no idea of what to do.

[hollywoodguns]

I just giggle and leave them alone. They are at the "I know everything" age!!! I see it in my gym all the time. slamming the legs into the locked position. I've tried to help a few, but they don't listen or they cop an attitude.
my 2c

[mlp_22531]

As a newbie, I was pretty intimidated by the gym. I went a few weeks and it was very uncomfortable for me. I started putting together a home gym and I workout at home now. Anyway, I think if a newbie is committed and he's doing it wrong, he'll figure it out eventually. If he's doing it dangerously and it's obvious he's going to hurt himself, I would intervene, if not I'd say it's better to let him learn on his own, with maybe some occasional gentle tips.

[gixxer0.6g]

If there is one thing I've learned about lifting, there are hundreds of different ways to building muscle and what I might think of as wrong turns out to be just a differnt technique down the road.

Unless you're Mark Rippetoe, it's probably best to keep your advice to yourself unless they ask.

[kimsquit]

it depends on how cute she is

[bodyhard]

I just giggle

You giggle?

[pharmamarketer]

I mind my own business at all times. I have found in life, not just the gym, that 99% of people don't want to hear it from people they don't know or report to from a business standpoint. That being said, if I saw they were in danger of injury I would. But that is probably the only time I would open my mouth

[bodyhard]

it depends on how cute she is

Ohh always ready to help a fine (notice the stress on fine) girl/woman in distress

[RM281]

I know if I was doing the exercise wrong I'd want someone to tell me and show me the right way. sometimes when doing a new exercise I always wonder if my form is right...people see you better than you can see yourself in the mirror.

[snoack]

I've saved a couple dumbasses from seriously hurting themselves (bench press, leg press), but, for the most part, I just sit back and enjoy the show...especially if I'm being treated to squat curls. Love those...

[litljay]

I need to remember to take my cell phone into the gym and creep some vids of just about everybody there.

My gym is the king of 1/32 reps.

*edit - I failed to answer the question...no, I leave them be.

[ironwill2008]

I don't often train in commercial gyms these days, but when I did, and when I do, I mind my own business, keep my head down, do my own work, and then leave.

If someone wants my help/advice, they'll ask for it.

[lanolar]

Unless I was on some sort of speaking terms with them I would not say anything.

[justasquid]

I mind my own business. If I said something everytime I saw someone doing something I thought could be done better, I'd never workout, I'd just be correcting everyone. And as said, there are so many ways to build muscle, so many various idea's, who's to say the way I think it should be done is correct for their goals?

I can tell you, not that long ago, I witnessed the worst case of squats I have ever seen. Similar to your situation, lots of weight and no rom. But, the guy was in way better shape than me, huge legs, huge everything. A friendly guy too, he actually started up a conversation with me, and through that, I found out he was mearly getting use to a new weight. A few weeks later, the guy was squating that same weight with full rom.

I guess my point is, things arent always as they seem. People have different goals than I do, so I keep my mouth shut, unless some asks me something. The gym is already full of ego's, ( at least the gym I go to is anyway) and someone stepping up to tell someone else they are doing something wrong when they don't know the goals of the person working out, is just proof of that. Someone powerlifting is not going to carry the same form as a bodybuilder. Just as most athletes have very specific workout routines that vary greatly.

[socket]

When I trained at Golds, I would help newbs if they seemed genuine about wanting to learn and train. The Golds I went to was very small and was mostly regulars, so the new guys stuck out like sore thumbs. It was usually easy to tell which ones were serious and which ones were just clowns. If a guy was doing something wrong and acted like a know it all, well, you know.........................fck him/her.
When the Golds franchise kicked out the original owner and they moved to the giant facility, the place basicly turned into 24hr fitness, it was packed with newbs. It became dangerously over crowded, went from 4 power racks to 2, they got rid of the oly weight section and the DL platform, and it got too high class, so I left the place..........home gym since

[x-trainer ben]

Last night my wife and I were doing legs. We went to the leg area and both the hack squat and the leg press were occupied, both by guys in their early 20's I would assume.

So my wife and I waited for the first one to be vacant. The two guys doing the leg press had good form but weren't doing a hell of a lot of weight 1 plate per side but high reps, nice slow movement full ROM. The other two guys using the hack squat had 4 plates per side and only bending their knees.

I pointed out to my wife that they had no clue what they were doing and I explained to her how the movement should be performed.

While we waited for the first one to be available to my surprise, well not really a surprise, but the two guys doing the hack squat were loading more plates.

At this point two guys doing leg curls actually looked over to these two guys and started laughing, literally, out loud. They looked in my direction and I just nodded my head and smiled. The two guys doing the leg press finished so my wife and I started doing the leg press and now these guys had 6 plates per side my wife said "John tell them that they are doing it wrong" I said to her they are not going to listen to me, but you can clearly see that these guys had no idea what the hell they were doing.

As I watched them do set after set (they got to 8 plates per side, faces red, holding their breath and just unlocking their knees) I kept feeling myself hesitantly ready to go over to them, but I never did. My wife felt bad for them and I kinda did to, I don't think they were lifting for ego nor looking for attention I genuinely think these guys just had no idea what the hack squat was for.

I only say something when it looks like an extreme fck up bordering on dangerous. Things like the seated tricep extension machine where they grip it incorrectly.

As others have said, the gym ego's don't allow for others advice unless you some how impress them. Many at the gym seems to be trying to look cool and act as if they "know it all." Because of this culture, i tend to wait for extreme examples to jump in.

[david_0729]

It depends on what is going on. If it is an middle aged guy making up some exercise. You know you have all seen this. Weights getting swung all over the place or a full cable workout. I just watch in amazement and ponder how long till they quit.

If it is someone who is attempting standard lifts and obviously is new. I go over and start small talk. Then get into their work out and form. Almost every time they are happy to have you help them. I will stay and spot or correct posture. I have never had a woman get upset or ignore me. Women are usually intimidated by the atmosphere. The tard that ignores you is always the guy wearing the new gloves with a sweat band on his head. That is too smart for his own good. As he is cranking out 8 sets of rotators.

[Capt_Lou]

If I stopped and corrected everyone in the gym that was doing something wrong I would never get my workout in

[MrMostly]

I ran into the same thing a few days ago.
These two guys were doing dead lifts. Their form was awful from my perspective watching from the side. Funny thing was they were Trainers that worked at the gym but were working out on their day off!
I did the Rippetoe thing. I never commented on their form just talked up how beneficial dead lifts were and said that I had found several YouTube videos with Rippetoe doing dead lifts that I really thought were good.

[BuckSpin]

I will, if I see something that I know is potentially injury causing, walk over to the owner & mention something. This allows him, if he wants, to talk to whomever. He looks good, caring & knowledgeable plus avoids a potential lost customer, and the bad form goes away.

If I see someone doing something that could injure someone else due to recklessness I have no problem letting them know about that myself.

[Tyrbolift]

Perhaps only if I know the person and what they are doing is a common mistake they'd want corrected if they knew.

Example: A few years back I noticed an early morning regular/acquaintance was doing wide grip pulldowns, but was obviously favoring her left side, pulling it further down so the bar was at a slant at the bottom. I just walked up to her and said "You are pulling the left side down farther than your right."

She said she didn't realize it and became more conscious of doing it equally.

But 99% of the time I let them be, and if I am not friendly with them in a chit chat sort of way, 100%..

[jayoheazy]

I mind my own business at all times. I have found in life, not just the gym, that 99% of people don't want to hear it from people they don't know or report to from a business standpoint. That being said, if I saw they were in danger of injury I would. But that is probably the only time I would open my mouth

^^ THIS

Most of the time ppl won't listen to you anyway, either they're embarrassed, confused or just downright arrogant. I find it best to keep to myself, but it instances where the person may end up hurting themself (100 lb DB "elbow" presses instead of bench presses) I may jump in and help'em out. I think it's best to just let sleeping dogs lie

[DougTheCoder]

There are usually a bunch of PTs walking around my gym and guys that know a hell of a lot more than me. So, if anything, I would expect someone else to step in before me. Anyways, I would be afraid that they might make fun of my water bottle or something. Then sh*t would get srs.

[ironwill2008]

One more thought on this topic, and then I'm out.

In the gym, there are some guys you just can't help, no matter how well-intentioned you might be. All you can do is get out of their way, so you don't get hurt, too.

[mikieson]

Ummm...from my experience in the gym back in the day, HACK SQUATS were about as difficult a movement on your body as you can do. IF they were doing 4 or more plates they were either very experienced and strong lifters....OR...not doing them even a 1/4 ROM...or just ignorant and not knowing what they were doing at all.

Hack squats are nothing to take lightly. Those mothers will absolutely KILL you if done correctly.

Should you have said something? Probably not. UNLESS they asked or a conversation started up some how between you all....The people running the gym are supposed to go around and give out pointers and suggestions.

[bobbyt321]

I'm with the "Say nothing" crowd. There is one guy at our gym that does shoulder lateral raises and literally looks like the cymbal-banging-battery-operated-monkey when he does. In addition to that, most any other move he does involves every muscle moving first - except the muscle being worked. Killed me at first to keep my mouth shut - but now not so much.

[DaddyR]

I figure if they're too stupid to watch and emulate what us more experienced guys do, they're too stupid to benefit from any wisdom that I could try to impart to them. Besides, if they injure themselves, then the rest of us get more time on the apparatus while they're laid up!

[Iceman1800]

If there is one thing I've learned about lifting, there are hundreds of different ways to building muscle and what I might think of as wrong turns out to be just a different technique down the road.

Perfect answer

[Do_Somethin]

I mind my own business. If I said something everytime I saw someone doing something I thought could be done better, I'd never workout, I'd just be correcting everyone. And as said, there are so many ways to build muscle, so many various idea's, who's to say the way I think it should be done is correct for their goals?

I can tell you, not that long ago, I witnessed the worst case of squats I have ever seen. Similar to your situation, lots of weight and no rom. But, the guy was in way better shape than me, huge legs, huge everything. A friendly guy too, he actually started up a conversation with me, and through that, I found out he was mearly getting use to a new weight. A few weeks later, the guy was squating that same weight with full rom.

I guess my point is, things arent always as they seem. People have different goals than I do, so I keep my mouth shut, unless some asks me something. The gym is already full of ego's, ( at least the gym I go to is anyway) and someone stepping up to tell someone else they are doing something wrong when they don't know the goals of the person working out, is just proof of that. Someone powerlifting is not going to carry the same form as a bodybuilder. Just as most athletes have very specific workout routines that vary greatly.

Well written & repped.