Correcting someone in the gym?
Discussion
No.Let him learn by his mistakes.
In ten years when he performs full Olympic squats that pain in his
lower back will remind him to use good technique.
Thankless task correcting people in a gym.Doesn't matter what quals
you have most (and a lot on PH) seem to think having a degree or btec or whatever makes you an expert:
on paper it does,but weights is about actual experience and years spent lifting as
much as any paper qualification.
In ten years when he performs full Olympic squats that pain in his
lower back will remind him to use good technique.
Thankless task correcting people in a gym.Doesn't matter what quals
you have most (and a lot on PH) seem to think having a degree or btec or whatever makes you an expert:
on paper it does,but weights is about actual experience and years spent lifting as
much as any paper qualification.
It's a difficult one for sure. I have thrown in my two penneth with a few people but generally don't. The preacher curlers who lurch with their back won't hurt themselves with their idiocy, neither will the 1" bench pressers or the 175 deg squatters. It's the people who will hurt themselves or others I step in with like the people who step out the squat frame and are clearly struggling, the people doing one rep too many on the bench with no spotter, the jerks who mindlessly walk infront of you mid pull on a clean and jerk.
I do wish that the gym staff would step in a bit more. The amount of times I have seen them gormlessly chatting and some chump is trying to crush thelselves under the bench is mind boggeling. I really wish they were more proactive and would stroll up and ask if people training alone would like a spot and take more care of the obvious new starters.
I do wish that the gym staff would step in a bit more. The amount of times I have seen them gormlessly chatting and some chump is trying to crush thelselves under the bench is mind boggeling. I really wish they were more proactive and would stroll up and ask if people training alone would like a spot and take more care of the obvious new starters.
Buzz word said:
It's a difficult one for sure. I have thrown in my two penneth with a few people but generally don't. The preacher curlers who lurch with their back won't hurt themselves with their idiocy, neither will the 1" bench pressers or the 175 deg squatters. It's the people who will hurt themselves or others I step in with like the people who step out the squat frame and are clearly struggling, the people doing one rep too many on the bench with no spotter, the jerks who mindlessly walk infront of you mid pull on a clean and jerk.
I do wish that the gym staff would step in a bit more. The amount of times I have seen them gormlessly chatting and some chump is trying to crush thelselves under the bench is mind boggeling. I really wish they were more proactive and would stroll up and ask if people training alone would like a spot and take more care of the obvious new starters.
Absolutely correct re:gym staff stepping in.I do wish that the gym staff would step in a bit more. The amount of times I have seen them gormlessly chatting and some chump is trying to crush thelselves under the bench is mind boggeling. I really wish they were more proactive and would stroll up and ask if people training alone would like a spot and take more care of the obvious new starters.
My point exactly that no paper qual will tell you when someones going to drop a bar,only experience.
Perhaps general technique is so poor that obvious new starters aren't recognisable as such!
goldblum said:
Absolutely correct re:gym staff stepping in.
My point exactly that no paper qual will tell you when someones going to drop a bar,only experience.
Perhaps general technique is so poor that obvious new starters aren't recognisable as such!
Yep your not wrong about experience. It's the ever slowing drive, shaking muscles and grimace that give it away. Once you have been there yourself it's pretty obvious when somone else is suffering.My point exactly that no paper qual will tell you when someones going to drop a bar,only experience.
Perhaps general technique is so poor that obvious new starters aren't recognisable as such!
I agree, you learn really by doing. The squat for me is the perfect example. I started lifting probably 30kg on that exercise. Feet forwards, legs close together, nearly falling over and driving through the toes. Just through experience I found if my feet followed my knees it hurt less, wider stance was more stable and gave better movement, driving through the heels helped balance and hurt less. Turns out thats how you are supposed to do them too. I would have liked a few pointers though as doing stuff like that is a luck thing if you get an injury before you work it out.
I think the new starters are always pretty obvious, no definition and usually always chest pressing or curling. That and the bad form of course. Its when they get the ez curl out and have 10kg+ a side and are swinging it for all they are worth that makes me laugh.
Just having years of experience of lifting weights doesn't make a person an expert at weight training.
If nobodies taught them how to do it correctly in the first place they could well be doing it wrong too.
A combination of a good qualification and experience is the right combination for some one to correct/teach/perscribe exercise.
Infact I'd bet that 99% of people in commercial gyms are doing something wrong. Whether they've been training for a month or 10 years.
You could argue that's the gyms fault. But why should that be? They just provide a place to exercise. Surely it's up to the individual to take responsiblity for their own well being.
If nobodies taught them how to do it correctly in the first place they could well be doing it wrong too.
A combination of a good qualification and experience is the right combination for some one to correct/teach/perscribe exercise.
Infact I'd bet that 99% of people in commercial gyms are doing something wrong. Whether they've been training for a month or 10 years.
You could argue that's the gyms fault. But why should that be? They just provide a place to exercise. Surely it's up to the individual to take responsiblity for their own well being.
el stovey said:
Doniger said:
I guess I'm in the minority then. If I was doing something really badly in the gym and in danger of hurting myself so long as the person correcting me was polite about it and didn't ridicule me I'd thank them and take the advice gratefully.
Me too. GMJ -
"You could argue that's the gyms fault. But why should that be? They just provide a place to exercise"
No,not quite.
An old fashioned free weights gym owned privately and that might be the case.
The new modern "chain" gyms have it as a condition of Public Liability ins that there is a ratio of
instructors to punters,and the instructors SHOULD be instructing...basic H+S.
"You could argue that's the gyms fault. But why should that be? They just provide a place to exercise"
No,not quite.
An old fashioned free weights gym owned privately and that might be the case.
The new modern "chain" gyms have it as a condition of Public Liability ins that there is a ratio of
instructors to punters,and the instructors SHOULD be instructing...basic H+S.
el stovey said:
Doniger said:
I guess I'm in the minority then. If I was doing something really badly in the gym and in danger of hurting myself so long as the person correcting me was polite about it and didn't ridicule me I'd thank them and take the advice gratefully.
Me too. If it came from an instructor I might be OK tho - so I'd say go with that option.
el stovey said:
Doniger said:
I guess I'm in the minority then. If I was doing something really badly in the gym and in danger of hurting myself so long as the person correcting me was polite about it and didn't ridicule me I'd thank them and take the advice gratefully.
Me too. I remember I saw a young lad who was doing squats and I went against form and advised him on full squats and the danger he was putting his knees in, in the form he was using. 30 mins later he found me and warmly thanked me for the advice, said he could feel it much more on his legs. So I think so long as you load the advice with, 'hey did you know', or, 'are you aware you can do that exercise like this' then the right sort of person will take it on board.
goldblum said:
GMJ -
"You could argue that's the gyms fault. But why should that be? They just provide a place to exercise"
No,not quite.
An old fashioned free weights gym owned privately and that might be the case.
The new modern "chain" gyms have it as a condition of Public Liability ins that there is a ratio of
instructors to punters,and the instructors SHOULD be instructing...basic H+S.
And I agree with that to a certain point. If some one approaches a gym instructor for help and advice then the instructor should help."You could argue that's the gyms fault. But why should that be? They just provide a place to exercise"
No,not quite.
An old fashioned free weights gym owned privately and that might be the case.
The new modern "chain" gyms have it as a condition of Public Liability ins that there is a ratio of
instructors to punters,and the instructors SHOULD be instructing...basic H+S.
But if some one has chosen to come in to the gym and exercise without seeking advice then on their own heads be it.
Obvouisly that's very black and white and life's not like that. Yes the gym instructor should be keeping an eye on the gym users and pointing out mistakes. But the gym instructor training is very limited and there's a good chance they don't know that much more than the average gym user.
I know I've done the course.
But can you really expect a GI to help every body all the time? That would like having a free PT whenever you walked into a gym.
As a gym user you must take some responsibliity for your own actions and if you are uncertain or do not know a particular exercise then seek professional help.
GMJ said:
goldblum said:
GMJ -
"You could argue that's the gyms fault. But why should that be? They just provide a place to exercise"
No,not quite.
An old fashioned free weights gym owned privately and that might be the case.
The new modern "chain" gyms have it as a condition of Public Liability ins that there is a ratio of
instructors to punters,and the instructors SHOULD be instructing...basic H+S.
And I agree with that to a certain point. If some one approaches a gym instructor for help and advice then the instructor should help."You could argue that's the gyms fault. But why should that be? They just provide a place to exercise"
No,not quite.
An old fashioned free weights gym owned privately and that might be the case.
The new modern "chain" gyms have it as a condition of Public Liability ins that there is a ratio of
instructors to punters,and the instructors SHOULD be instructing...basic H+S.
But if some one has chosen to come in to the gym and exercise without seeking advice then on their own heads be it.
Obvouisly that's very black and white and life's not like that. Yes the gym instructor should be keeping an eye on the gym users and pointing out mistakes. But the gym instructor training is very limited and there's a good chance they don't know that much more than the average gym user.
I know I've done the course.
But can you really expect a GI to help every body all the time? That would like having a free PT whenever you walked into a gym.
As a gym user you must take some responsibliity for your own actions and if you are uncertain or do not know a particular exercise then seek professional help.
Yes,I see lots of lads doing that.
Someone corrected me once in the gym when I was doing squats. To be fair I appreciate being told if I'm doing something wrong, but not everyone will see it that way.
I've recently just quit going to the gym though. Apart from the fact I am not using it enough to justify the money, I find some of those places full of w
kers who seem to like grunting as loudly as possible and then admiring themselves in the mirror for 5 minutes between sets.
I've recently just quit going to the gym though. Apart from the fact I am not using it enough to justify the money, I find some of those places full of w
kers who seem to like grunting as loudly as possible and then admiring themselves in the mirror for 5 minutes between sets.Don't, unless you are a personal trainer or a professional.
9 times out of 10 you'll get a defensive reaction from people who don't like to have their style or routine questioned.
Too much pride and testosterone in most gyms to start offering uninvited constructive criticism. There is one beefcake down my gym whos workout posture and movement is terrible when he is doing weights, yet still he persists with big weights and as many as he can before he physically can't. He'll do himself a mischief one day.
9 times out of 10 you'll get a defensive reaction from people who don't like to have their style or routine questioned.
Too much pride and testosterone in most gyms to start offering uninvited constructive criticism. There is one beefcake down my gym whos workout posture and movement is terrible when he is doing weights, yet still he persists with big weights and as many as he can before he physically can't. He'll do himself a mischief one day.
Slagathore said:
Shrugs!!
Can almost guarantee each time I go to the gym there will be someone doing them wrong. Rolling the shoulders in a circular motion, can't be good, according to what I've read about correct form when performing them.
When people do this they are holding the contraction on their traps:not harmful but looks odd.Can almost guarantee each time I go to the gym there will be someone doing them wrong. Rolling the shoulders in a circular motion, can't be good, according to what I've read about correct form when performing them.
pbirkett said:
Someone corrected me once in the gym when I was doing squats. To be fair I appreciate being told if I'm doing something wrong, but not everyone will see it that way.
I've recently just quit going to the gym though. Apart from the fact I am not using it enough to justify the money, I find some of those places full of wkers who seem to like grunting as loudly as possible and then admiring themselves in the mirror for 5 minutes between sets.
I was corrected while doing squats after a break from lifting - I was quite taken aback by the discussion, and slightly defensive about it since squats have always been the exercise I pride myself on doing well. However, my form was off at the time - I'd come back after a break and had started lifting without thinking about form at all. I gracefully accepted the advice after the initial awkwardness, and all was well.I've recently just quit going to the gym though. Apart from the fact I am not using it enough to justify the money, I find some of those places full of w
kers who seem to like grunting as loudly as possible and then admiring themselves in the mirror for 5 minutes between sets.If he hadn't been polite about it, then I wouldn't have listened at all - but he was very polite, quite happy with the potential that I might disagree with him. He just said his piece, then left me to it.
goldblum said:
Slagathore said:
Shrugs!!
Can almost guarantee each time I go to the gym there will be someone doing them wrong. Rolling the shoulders in a circular motion, can't be good, according to what I've read about correct form when performing them.
When people do this they are holding the contraction on their traps:not harmful but looks odd.Can almost guarantee each time I go to the gym there will be someone doing them wrong. Rolling the shoulders in a circular motion, can't be good, according to what I've read about correct form when performing them.
I was told that it damages a part of the shoulder if you do them like that.
Just done a quick Google - this is one of the first ones that comes up http://www.muscleandstrength.com/forum/exercises/9...
Third post suggests it's bad for you. Mind you, I didn't really understand much of it
Edited by Slagathore on Saturday 31st July 14:55
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