While I’m at the gym I often see other people using certain machines totally wrong, or doing an exercise with the wrong form.
Example 1: Woman on the elliptical, set to very low resistance, going so hard that the machine is almost bouncing. It’s loud, probably harmful to the machine, and fairly useless as an exercise.
Example 2: Guy is doing oblique crunches on the incline. He’s bent forward too much and isn’t isolating properly.
I’m not a personal trainer (yet), but I am a fitness instructor and teach at this gym.
Would you be offended if I said something to you (in a nice way, of course)? Please state your gender and fitness level.
If you prefaced with, “I’m a fitness instructor here,” then I would appreciate the advice and not be offended. If it was coming from Joe Random Schmoe, probably not so much.
I’d like you to have the bod that goes along with doing it the “right way”, of course. You’d get more of my attention that way, buf it you looked like Chris Farley doing that Chippendale’s dance number, I’d probably just not my head and place my tongue between my teeth and bite down really really hard.
I wouldn’t be offended unless there was something in your manner or tone that irked me. But at the same time I would take your advice with the caveat that it’s just coming from some random stranger at the gym. If I recognized you as a fitness instructor or trainer I’d give your advice much more weight.
Either way, unless I knew or felt I knew from experience that your advice wouldn’t work, I’d try it at least once anyways. I’ve picked up a lot of useful tips from random people over the years, so I know they do come in handy.
Male, has been going to various gyms for 12yrs now, can usually differentiate between barbells, dumbells, and the lugnuts who lift them.
If I’ve seen you before, I have the sense that you know what you’re doing, and you’re not obnoxious about offering advice. Not offended.
If I don’t know you from Adam or Eve, or I’ve seen you work out with horrible body position or do “stupid” things in the gym, or you’re an arrogant twit about it. Then, yes.
I’ve gotten unsolicited advice from a couple of people at my gym. But I knew them by sight and I’d seen them work out. They’ve given good advice (kind of a quick demo of what I should be doing) and they’re right. I was thankful for their help. But I don’t think I’d appreciate “help” from just anyone.
My guess is that “Example 1” would be offended.
Female. Currently not very fit, but I have been in the past and I do feel comfortable around free weights.
No, thank you. I can’t count the times I’ve gotten “advice” at the gym from people who don’t know what the hell they are talking about. Now, I’m no expert but just because I am using a piece of equipment differently from the little picture doesn’t mean that I am totally ignorant.
Two cases where you can give advice once you’ve seen me in action enough times to know that I am truly ignorant (unless I’m about to hurt myself):
If you work there.
If you are a truly gifted amateur and have the experience and bod to prove it.
(I must admit, I am not now, nor have I ever been a gym-goer)
Not so much offended as irritated–is it possible that what I’m trying to accomplish is not what you think it is? And how do I know that you know better than me? (I’m willing to grant that you probably do, but how do I know that?)
female–not particularly fit, though I’m working on it in a low-key way
If you asked me, first, if I minded some unsolicited advice, I’d probably thank you and accept. If you just walked up to me and started telling me what I was doing wrong and how I could do it better, no matter how kind your voice, I’d probably get defensive.
Male - been going to gyms on and off for about 10 years, have a trainer.
If (and it’s a big if) you prefaced your advice with “I work here and am a qualified fitness trainer” I would listen to you but would reserve the right to ignore what you’re saying if I don’t agree, as my own trainer gives me pretty extensive advice and is always very praising of my technique and form. Of course, as others have said, if you obviously have the body I’m aiming for then I’ll probably listen more, but maybe not as I see some very nicely bodded people in my gym doing exercises completely wrong (comically so, sometimes).
If you just randomly came up to me and said “want some advice on what you’re doing?” I’d respond immediately with “Have I hired you as my personal trainer? No? Then piss off”.
I don’t use a gym for this very reason, but I think it would make a difference if you were warning me that I could badly hurt myself (or the machine) doing something, or if it just wasn’t the most efficient way. Sometimes just being active in any way would be a great improvement for me, so if you came up to me and told me to increase the speed on the treadmill or my heart rate wouldn’t hit the desired target, or whatever, I would want to smack you.
Ok dokie, I shall keep my damn mouth shut then! I figured it would be rude if I said anything, and am sure I would react in the same way if someone came up to me and said something.
Honestly, the only reason I’d want to say something is if I thought someone might hurt themself. But perhaps I’ll just bring it to the attention of the full time gym staff and let them deal with it.
Seriously, this woman is going to break the elliptical machine! She had earphones in and I don’t think she can hear the racket she’s making! Her RPM’s are up around 175 (if you’ve ever been on an elliptical with a computer, try it, it’s crazy!)
If you were a random guy, I’d be offended if the first words I ever heard from you weren’t introducing yourself, but rather “hey, you’re doing that wrong.” Even if you were an employee of the gym.
It all depends on how pushy or self-serving the advice seems to be. In many cases I’d be happy to get advice on things I could do better. However, I’ve had some very pedantic “Dude, you need to do 6 minutes of cool down between every 50 reps–I counted and you are only doing 3 minutes” type of jerkwaddery before though.
I’ve seen people use machines in an utterly wrong and unsafe way. Maybe you’re not trying to accomplish what I think you are, but if you’re using a particular machine in a way for which it wasn’t designed, you’re probably not going to get the results you want in any case.
But to the OP, depends on the advice. A random stranger helped me out with a machine and it vastly improved results and performance. He was a random schmoe at the gym, but he’d signed up for the tutorial on the new-fangled thing. I’d been using it wrong. Not wrong enough to hurt myself, but wrong enough that I was wasting my time on it.
So nah, I’m not offended by people who’ve given me pointers in a friendly way. Particularly if they seemed credible and could explain in detail why they were doing what they are showing me. Unsolicited advice from strangers has definitely helped with my running, rowing, squash and that one whacky machine. It’s easy to tell the difference between someone who is a friendly advanced-skill level enthusiast and a total dickhead show-offs who are being a passive-aggressive form of competitive.
If I am doing things so wrong that I am likely to hurt myself, the equipment or an innocent bystander–then for heaven’s sake, clue me in. Or draw the attention of the full-time staff to the situation so that they can clue me in. Danger to people or equipment should outway the risks of irritating the clueless.
It depends on the social skills of the person giving the advice. Being aware of the fact that it could be annoying or offend would tend to make a person with good social skills find a way to do it with some finesse. Or be able to read whether it’s appropriate in a given circumstance.
So, yes, it can be obnoxious. If you’re not clued into that you’re almost certain to be obnoxious when you do it.
If I’m endangering myself or someone else (‘Hey, that weight’s about to slide off!’) then by all means, say something.
Otherwise, while I wouldn’t be offended by your ‘advice,’ I’d be plenty annoyed. I don’t like talking to anyoneat the gym, and when I do take advice it’s from class teachers or from trainers (many of whom cannot agree on certain techniques).
