The Gym Advice Dude

Training Powerlifting
21

[quote]VTBalla34 wrote:
I don’t understand this problem. Maybe the people in DC are just so passive and awful that they don’t have an opinion one way or another on working out, but I have never once in my training career had someone come up to me and offer me unsolicited advice. Not once.

I am a pretty big guy naturally at 6’5, but I have a hard time believing it is just because I’m so big and awesome nobody bothers…maybe I just look like a pissed off motherfucker nobody wants to talk to?

That’s ok with me![/quote]

Yeah, you would think so. But I’ve had this problem several times in the past years, just not for a while lol. It varies a lot. In my case it was often people who worked at the gym, which was commercial. Which is especially annoying.

22

Where do you guys train? I have never ever had something like that happen to me.

23

Some people are just going to always interject their “muscle and fitness-inspired” or “flex-inspired” opinions. I am a performance coach and pt at the gym where I train, and I still had a guy last week come and tell me what to do based on what he read in a bodybuilding mag. Normally I shrug it off, I never get mad about it, but sometimes perplexed.

I do not want to appear prideful to these or anyone else, but when I have the biggest numbers in the place, and it is my occupation, you would think it would not happen. It just goes to prove that no matter your credenials; some people will always say something. More often then not, the better scenario plays out; someone asks a good question like, “why do you squat so low?” or “why are you benching with those boards?”

My favorite comes when I am doing defecit DL’s for my speed work… those are good questions. They provide opportunities to coach, and hopefully lead to new clients. Even with the stupid magazine-inspired questions, I try to turn it into a teaching opportunity unless not possible.

Oh yeah- the guy that offered his free advice last week… he was trying to tell me how best to warm-up on bench without exhausting myself; yeah, I was using just the bar at the time. hilarious

24

You must all have very friendly faces. No one ever bothers me unless they want a spot or advice on something.

25

Lately this happens to me a lot less frequently than it used to but it still happens.
Like that one guy said once you start pushing some relatively big weights around people stop
giving you unsolicited workout advice.
But nonetheless it still happens because you always have that guy that thinks it’s his
duty to tell other people how to work out.
Last time it happened to me I was working out with my buddy who is about 5’10 weighs
265 and doesn’t look fat but just really big but is a lot weaker than he looks because
he’s pumped up on cell volumizing supplements.
We were doing good mornings and this guy working out with his girlfriend(that is the
gayest thing in the world unless your girlfriend actually works out and knows how to spot
you and whatnot) doing all
these stand on the half bouncy ball thing and squat with no weights comes up to us and
says you know that’s really bad for your back now mind you we were doing them good form
keeping the arch in our back and coming up as soon as we were about to lose it. My buddy
is not as nice as me and he just stares at him I just say I’ll keep that in mind and turned
away. It doesn’t really bother me but I’m never rude to anyone that does it.

26

[quote]thefreshmanverve wrote:

We were doing good mornings and this guy working out with his girlfriend(that is the
gayest thing in the world unless your girlfriend actually works out and knows how to spot
you and whatnot) [/quote]

Since he has a girlfriend I’m going to say it’s not “gay”.

27

[quote]VTBalla34 wrote:
It depends…are you jacked? Do you look like you work out? Do you have a resepctable squat?

If the answers to these 3 questions is at least “SOMEWHAT”, then you are fully authorized to help someone out. The best approach to keep someone from getting pissed is to start small talk and follow up with “do you mind if I offer a couple tips I’ve found help me out?” Then go into whatever corrections you want…everyone wins in this scenario

If the answer to either of these 3 questions is at all debatable, then dont detract from your workout and keep lifting until you look like you spend some time in the gym…[/quote]

I would say those are good rules, but the problem is this. I’ll never be big enough and I’ll never be strong enough, and I dont like interrupting my workout. So the question really is “at what point should you feel obligated to help someone?” Is it only if they are young and at risk of hurting themselves?

28

[quote]Efeguwewe wrote:

[quote]matsm21 wrote:

[quote]Efeguwewe wrote:
I don’t listen to anyone weaker than me. Arrogant and ignorant I know, but just my thoughts[/quote]

+1 its not arrogant at all. the whole sport is about learning and getting better though time. strength follows that. eventually you get strong enough that no one says shit to you.[/quote]

Actually I never realized this till now. I used to get critiqued a shitton when I would DB press with the 70’s but this past year using the 90’s and the 100’s, no one as said anything to me. So to remedy gym advice dude situation, get stronger lol[/quote]

I think thats a bit one dimensonal. So AJ Roberts should not train with louie simmons.

I get where you are coming from in reference to this thread, but a common saying is that the greatest coaches were always mediocre athletes.

29

[quote]tveddy wrote:

[quote]VTBalla34 wrote:
It depends…are you jacked? Do you look like you work out? Do you have a resepctable squat?

If the answers to these 3 questions is at least “SOMEWHAT”, then you are fully authorized to help someone out. The best approach to keep someone from getting pissed is to start small talk and follow up with “do you mind if I offer a couple tips I’ve found help me out?” Then go into whatever corrections you want…everyone wins in this scenario

If the answer to either of these 3 questions is at all debatable, then dont detract from your workout and keep lifting until you look like you spend some time in the gym…[/quote]

I would say those are good rules, but the problem is this. I’ll never be big enough and I’ll never be strong enough, and I dont like interrupting my workout. So the question really is “at what point should you feel obligated to help someone?” Is it only if they are young and at risk of hurting themselves? [/quote]

If someone is doing something that could either harm themselves, someone else, or the gym equipment I’ll say something. The most common scary thing I see is high schoolers doing deadlifts relatively heavy for them with stiff legs and a rounded back. Since they’re high schoolers, they think they’re invincible so I only briefly mention the safety part and mostly go into how good form can improve performance.

30

[quote]thefreshmanverve wrote:
Lately this happens to me a lot less frequently than it used to but it still happens.
Like that one guy said once you start pushing some relatively big weights around people stop
giving you unsolicited workout advice.
But nonetheless it still happens because you always have that guy that thinks it’s his
duty to tell other people how to work out.
Last time it happened to me I was working out with my buddy who is about 5’10 weighs
265 and doesn’t look fat but just really big but is a lot weaker than he looks because
he’s pumped up on cell volumizing supplements.
We were doing good mornings and this guy working out with his girlfriend(that is the
gayest thing in the world unless your girlfriend actually works out and knows how to spot
you and whatnot) doing all
these stand on the half bouncy ball thing and squat with no weights comes up to us and
says you know that’s really bad for your back now mind you we were doing them good form
keeping the arch in our back and coming up as soon as we were about to lose it. My buddy
is not as nice as me and he just stares at him I just say I’ll keep that in mind and turned
away. It doesn’t really bother me but I’m never rude to anyone that does it. [/quote]

I’m sorry man, but this was absolutely painful to read. Please use proper paragraphs when posting.

31

[quote]tveddy wrote:

I would say those are good rules, but the problem is this. I’ll never be big enough and I’ll never be strong enough, and I dont like interrupting my workout. So the question really is “at what point should you feel obligated to help someone?” Is it only if they are young and at risk of hurting themselves? [/quote]

Well, considering this is the Powerlifting forum and not the fucking bodybuilding forum where everyone is obsessed with implementing CT’s newest super secret black ops program that only requires 36.4 seconds rest between sets, half of which has to be spent drinking the newest super secret black ops supplement while performing activity recovery in the 3rd gym session of the day, I don’t really think the whole “interrupting my workout” thing has much merit.

We are obviously passionate about training here. Do you not have a desire to share that passion with others and help out those that are in need? If not, then you are a selfish douche. Nothing wrong with that I suppose. If you need a criteria for when you should feel guilted…oops ‘obligated’…into helping someone then its probably best that you don’t help anyone out at all.

My policy is I will help out anyone that looks like they are trying and actually wants to improve themselves (and not just going through the motions), but just need a little nudge in the right direction.

32

[quote]VTBalla34 wrote:

[quote]tveddy wrote:

I would say those are good rules, but the problem is this. I’ll never be big enough and I’ll never be strong enough, and I dont like interrupting my workout. So the question really is “at what point should you feel obligated to help someone?” Is it only if they are young and at risk of hurting themselves? [/quote]

Well, considering this is the Powerlifting forum and not the fucking bodybuilding forum where everyone is obsessed with implementing CT’s newest super secret black ops program that only requires 36.4 seconds rest between sets, half of which has to be spent drinking the newest super secret black ops supplement while performing activity recovery in the 3rd gym session of the day, I don’t really think the whole “interrupting my workout” thing has much merit.

We are obviously passionate about training here. Do you not have a desire to share that passion with others and help out those that are in need? If not, then you are a selfish douche. Nothing wrong with that I suppose. If you need a criteria for when you should feel guilted…oops ‘obligated’…into helping someone then its probably best that you don’t help anyone out at all.

My policy is I will help out anyone that looks like they are trying and actually wants to improve themselves (and not just going through the motions), but just need a little nudge in the right direction.[/quote]

I agree with this. Its finding that fine line I guess. I have made one suggestion to someone in the last year or so, and I see TONS of bad shit going on. Usually either in the squat rack, or shrugs, or rows.

My last suggestion was to a nice college aged guy, who works out hard and has made great progress, I always see him in there and we usually at least nod at each other. One day I saw him squatting, pretty good form, but he was wearing straight up running shoes. I simply made this comment to him, “Man, your squats are great, I bet if you tried some flatter shoes you would see your numbers go up.”

He looked at me perplexed and asked what I meant, and I filled him in with the advantages of squatting in a Nike Free trainer, Chucks, Adidas Sambas, or even Oly shoes etcetera. After telling him a bit about it, he told me he had been experiencing knee pain. I laughed and told him to give it a try, three months later he came up to me and told me his knee pain was gone and his squats were more solid.

So, that is probably one of the few I’ve ever said anything to. I NEVER comment on someones form unless they directly ask me-- just for the simple fact of, you don’t know why someone is doing what they’re doing. There is a guy who does nothing but lifts in a smith machine, and curls. I always thought he was just a lame lifter. Just recently I found out, he had been in a severe accident on his motorcycle and his back and nervous system is all fucked up… It was a sad story actually, but at face value, you couldn’t tell.

33

[quote]VTBalla34 wrote:

[quote]tveddy wrote:

I would say those are good rules, but the problem is this. I’ll never be big enough and I’ll never be strong enough, and I dont like interrupting my workout. So the question really is “at what point should you feel obligated to help someone?” Is it only if they are young and at risk of hurting themselves? [/quote]

Well, considering this is the Powerlifting forum and not the fucking bodybuilding forum where everyone is obsessed with implementing CT’s newest super secret black ops program that only requires 36.4 seconds rest between sets, half of which has to be spent drinking the newest super secret black ops supplement while performing activity recovery in the 3rd gym session of the day, I don’t really think the whole “interrupting my workout” thing has much merit.

We are obviously passionate about training here. Do you not have a desire to share that passion with others and help out those that are in need? If not, then you are a selfish douche. Nothing wrong with that I suppose. If you need a criteria for when you should feel guilted…oops ‘obligated’…into helping someone then its probably best that you don’t help anyone out at all.

My policy is I will help out anyone that looks like they are trying and actually wants to improve themselves (and not just going through the motions), but just need a little nudge in the right direction.[/quote]

You caught me. I’m am selfish. The only reason I talk to people is if they are bigger than me and I want to learn from them.

The reason I was playing devils advocate and asking for a protocol was to show that not every asshat in the gym is trying to give advice based on their ego. There are some people who do try to help people out. There are also some who falsely believe they dont need advice.

34

I’ll never be bigger and stronger than the biggest and strongest men at the gym, so I settle on being mean looking, unapproachable, and plugged into my ipod. I’m rarely bothered by people trying to critique my workouts. More often, they bother me to offer to spot my bench warmup or say “you’re really strong for a girl.”

Thanks.

35

[quote]VTBalla34 wrote:

[quote]tveddy wrote:

I would say those are good rules, but the problem is this. I’ll never be big enough and I’ll never be strong enough, and I dont like interrupting my workout. So the question really is “at what point should you feel obligated to help someone?” Is it only if they are young and at risk of hurting themselves? [/quote]

Well, considering this is the Powerlifting forum and not the fucking bodybuilding forum where everyone is obsessed with implementing CT’s newest super secret black ops program that only requires 36.4 seconds rest between sets, half of which has to be spent drinking the newest super secret black ops supplement while performing activity recovery in the 3rd gym session of the day, I don’t really think the whole “interrupting my workout” thing has much merit.

We are obviously passionate about training here. Do you not have a desire to share that passion with others and help out those that are in need? If not, then you are a selfish douche. Nothing wrong with that I suppose. If you need a criteria for when you should feel guilted…oops ‘obligated’…into helping someone then its probably best that you don’t help anyone out at all.

My policy is I will help out anyone that looks like they are trying and actually wants to improve themselves (and not just going through the motions), but just need a little nudge in the right direction.[/quote]

Same as most here, I just keep my mouth shut and train. But at my old gym (big box kinda thing) I offered advice to a couple of people without being asked. I’m not big, about 180. I can deadlift near 3x BW but you probably wouldn’t know it unless you saw me do it :).

The first guy I helped was a young guy who was hyperextending so much when he deadlifted that it looked like he was trying to get his back parallel to the ground. This was done as an exaggerated movement after he had fully locked out his lifts. I told him he was locking out just fine and to take it easy on the hyperextending. He just assumed I was some weak guy to ignore. But I tried.

The second guy seemed to be trying to deadlift for the first time. He had his arms straight in front of his knees. Not outside - convential style, or inside the knees - sumo style. Right in front! It was the most awkward looking thing I’ve ever seen so I gave him a quick tutorial to save his back and he seemed happy enough.

I bench like a little girl so I keep my mouth shut no matter what I see people doing there!

36

[quote]pushmepullme wrote:
I’ll never be bigger and stronger than the biggest and strongest men at the gym, so I settle on being mean looking, unapproachable, and plugged into my ipod. I’m rarely bothered by people trying to critique my workouts. More often, they bother me to offer to spot my bench warmup or say “you’re really strong for a girl.”

Thanks.[/quote]

I’m usually kind of unapproachable and intense looking by nature. For this I credit never being groped on the Toronto subway. However, I once had a guy tell me when I’m squatting that I should put the bar higher on my shoulders and it would be easier. I replied that I’d take his advice when he took the tampon off the bar and did more than a quarter squat.

He just had that look of trying to impress his gym buddy by helping out a chick. It wasn’t his ‘advice’ so much as the smug look on his face after he said it that I had to wipe right off.

37

^^ grin Well played.

38

Yeah bros. I lift in Pittsburgh, and the gym is okay. Before i moved, i was blessed to lift in a competitive gym with guys that were there training to compete. I got spoiled. Everyone there had something to contribute to the group. It was a great atmosphere.

The gym i am at now would not be defined as “commercial” but it is also definitely not a powerlifting gym. Its got enough to get the shit done you need to get done, but sometimes it is just comical to go in and be surprised by what someone may be doing. Here is an example:

There are two power racks at the gym in the back. They are side by side with mirrors (typical set up). I shit you not, in one of the power racks, two dudes had the safety bars set at about waist high with a Reebok step up box bridging the bars. The reason? So they had somewhere to put there laptop so they could watch their p90x dvd and do the workout. It was a brash and ballsy move on their parts, but they were warriors none-the-less.

But not everyone at my current gym are the typical “those dudes”. Many people there see my workouts, and see the things i do and ask honest questions. What are my goals? How do you do this or that? How can they implement some of the different things into their routines? Which is why i originally posted. I have a good reputation at my gym as a cool dude and am always helpful if people just ask. I bullshit in the gym just like anybody else.

But this dude wasnt cool. He was some smarmy 32 year old former baseball player that must have minored in exercise science or bought a magazine once. I am not the kind of guy to get pissed, but i lift with a group of dudes (all running 5x3x1 with good results) and they had to interrupt him because they could tell i was not happy. I mean, it wasnt the advice he was offering, it was how he presented it. He was condescending like he was capable of and routinely did more weight with great technical precision. When in all actuality, he was as average as a pepperoni pizza.

But overall, if he does offer his advice again, and guys like this are always repeat offenders, i at least can take comfort knowing that it is proper gym etiquette to tell him to fuck off.

39

[quote]ouroboro_s wrote:
I’m usually kind of unapproachable and intense looking by nature.[/quote]

x2. I am rarely approached by people in the gym with advice or otherwise.

40

At my gym stranges dont talk to eachother unless they ask for a spot or when you are done with the rack/bench etc. I follow this unwritten rule too, even though I want to say something when someone roles their shoulders
in shrugs, but I never do it.

ps. I am not big and strong by anybodys standards, so I am probably best off keeping my mouth shut.