Sticking Your Nose In Other People's (Workout) Business

[MariahSnow]

There is a possibility that someone who smokes is also someone who knows what they're talking about when it comes to fitness (maybe they're former pro-athletes or something). But the majority of people who smoke are probably not concerned with their fitness or health (otherwise they wouldn't smoke). So while it's not fair to judge someone because they smoke, chances are they don't know what they're talking about anyway.

 

Smoking aside, saying someone is stupid and lazy because they're doing something specific is just bad times right there. Even if someone is doing some really dangerous, you still shouldn't call them stupid. If they knew it was dangerous, they probably wouldn't be doing it - stupidity is not the same as ignorance.

[I-Jo]

There's a whole lot of wrong about those comments- smoking aside.

 

I agree with you Mariah. 

 

But yeah- I just tend to laugh at people who smoke who try to give me advice- they could very well know better- but it's really frigging hard to listen to them.

 

My BF's sister- her BF- he is a personal trainer- big barrel chested Italian kind of guy- says smoking and all the scare mongery- it's all a tactic and fake.

 

Facepalm.  He's an idiot.  it scares me she thinks she's in love with that clown.  But she wears huge arcylics with like fake acrylic bows on them- that look like she has glue stuck to her nails- at the tender age of 20 or something- and didn't understand why she should wear low cut shirts while she bartended.

 

I'm not saying whore yourself out- but understand your market... so it's not like she's the fastest rising to the top either. A mess- maybe they are perfect for each other LMAO

[samanmoran]

I try to use the situation of seeing someone doing something incorrectly at the gym as an opportunity for personal growth. Keeping my mouth shut can be a challenge, but I do it anyway. I absolutely hate it when people approach me with that stuff. I'm learning at my own pace and need to make my own mistakes and as much as I feel I could save the others the trouble I've been put through, it's their problem and their thoughts are probably somewhat akin to mine own. Sometimes it's difficult to resist the temptation and that's where my personal growth comes in- just one more craving or temptation to ignore and push through.

[Machete]

I never say anything unless asked. 

 

First, if people want your help, they will ask.  Do you want some dude coming over to you to correct your form?  Have you ever had it happen?  I had a "trainer" come over one time and tell me I shouldn't be using the squat rack and should only use the smith machine.  I did not appreciate his "helpful" advice.  Unsolicited advice is rarely welcomed.

 

Second, focus on your own sets/reps.  Don't look around and get wrapped up in what other people are doing - even whilst resting.  Focus. 

 

Pretty much this. Every dude seems to be an expert at gymming, and telling them otherwise would be akin to questioning the size of their penis. Even moreso in a martial arts scenario. No guy ever wants his fighting ability to be put into question, so as a former instructor I just cringe and try not to laugh as tough guys with Tapout shirts (and no drive to actually attend a martial arts class) flop around and slap the punching bags with lousy techniques they "learned in the streets".

 

With females, especially attractive ones, I don't bother. It would probably be like the 6th time they were approached by a guy trying to give them "tips" at the gym that day (when all they were really offering was a different "tip").

[Estrix]

When people offer me advice, it honestly depends on who they are and what I've seen them doing in they gym.

 

The bunch of guys talking about how smoking a bong is like the valsalva manoeuvre while doing nothing buy curls, yeah I ignored them. On the other hand the dude that I've seen do deadlifts at 200kg x5, I listen to him when he gives me advice on the deadlift. So I tend to try and observe the people giving me advice to decide whether they are worth listening to. 

 

On the other hand, even as a novice I did go over and talk to a guy that was clearly also a novice when he was benching. He had 40kg on the bar, and it was waving like a flagpole, it wasn't stable in any direction, and I've seen on of my friends hurt themselves the same way. So I went and suggested he try lowering the weight to make the bar stable as that had worked for my mate and he seemed fine about it. 

 

So I guess it all depends.

[Hrothgar]

I don't say anything unless someone is in danger of hurting themselves. And even then I don't automatically correct, I just offer to spot and strike up a conversation. That leads me to finding out where they may have learned certain form (or not) and I offer my experiences. By the end of the day, I don't seem like a douche and I've got a new friend.

 

A few years ago, I was at the gym doing some full body exercises and a random guy started lecturing me on the best way to get results is one muscle group at a time. And he knew because he had shared a cell with a professional bodybuilder. Different people in the gym have different goals, and they may even be doing some movements that are foreign to us. That doesn't mean we butt in. Again, only when there's a chance of injury, and don't lecture.