When You See Bad Lifting Form...

Off Topic
1

Right now I train at a very small community college. There aren’t any serious lifters in their besides me. Its mostly mirror muscle curls and what not. What ever, thats not what this post is about.

The past few days I’ve seen 2 different situations where the form was so bad on lifts I just wanted to say something to them. I didn’t, as who am I to tell someone how to lift.

The first was 2 highschool kids doing smith machine squats. They were hunched over so far back it looked like he was holding on to a pole taking a dump off of a boat dock, back rounded into a friggen hump.

The other was a very young kid, probably 12 or 13 doing dumbell squats. He was going low, but his knees were a foot forward from his feet and the whole angle looked like his legs were about to snap away from his joints.

Should I correct shit like this or let it go? I don’t want to be the guy who tells everyone what they should be doing, but at the same time I don’t want someone to get hurt because of shitty form.

2

[quote]mthomps wrote:
Right now I train at a very small community college. There aren’t any serious lifters in their besides me. Its mostly mirror muscle curls and what not. What ever, thats not what this post is about.

The past few days I’ve seen 2 different situations where the form was so bad on lifts I just wanted to say something to them. I didn’t, as who am I to tell someone how to lift.

The first was 2 highschool kids doing smith machine squats. They were hunched over so far back it looked like he was holding on to a pole taking a dump off of a boat dock, back rounded into a friggen hump.

The other was a very young kid, probably 12 or 13 doing dumbell squats. He was going low, but his knees were a foot forward from his feet and the whole angle looked like his legs were about to snap away from his joints.

Should I correct shit like this or let it go? I don’t want to be the guy who tells everyone what they should be doing, but at the same time I don’t want someone to get hurt because of shitty form.[/quote]

Let it go. This has been discussed way too many times before. With a decrease in the numbers of experienced lifters in gyms everywhere, it is only natural that most of the people training have no fucking clue what they are doing.

I just left the gym abut 45min ago (much earlier than I usually go) and the scene was pretty damn pathetic. I see why I started training later at night. there may have been 4 people in the whole crowded gym at that time who looked impressive in terms of serious trainers.

It would be a waste of my energy and concentration, however, to think it is my duty to correct every jackass taking up every bench in the place.

Concentrate on yourself.

Also, go during times when less “general fitness” people are training.

3

I think it is really up in the air and your call. I hardly ever see anyone in my gym doing squats but when I do I would say 90% of them have bad form. Only once have I ever taken the time out to say “Hey youâ¿¿re really going to Fuck your self up.” The only reason I even said anything was b/c they were right next to me and were trying to do 315lb and I was genualy scared for them mostly b/c they were doing as much weight. So I took the time to try and help them.

But the other 99.9% of the time I keep to myself. For the 13 year old kid I would just let it go he shouldnt be in there any way. As for the older kids thats up to you. It will take you all of ten min to show them what they are doing wrong, but again its your call. I would say tell them about this website but unless they can relegate themselves to the beginners forum and stay off the Rate My Physique forum, NOT A WORD!!!

(edit) my “one time” was an exception just to be clear.

4

I say if someone comes up to you and asks your for advice you should help them out, other then that your just going to waste your time. The serious new people will come to you looking for help.

5

[quote]shizen wrote:
I say if someone comes up to you and asks your for advice you should help them out, other then that your just going to waste your time. The serious new people will come to you looking for help. [/quote]

Point

6

I stopped caring. More injuries, less crowded the gym is.

7

only if it puts them in immediate danger.

being at a gym all day, I’d never do anything else if I chimed in at every opportunity.

besides, people don’t being told they’re doing something wrong.

i almost tried to help this young guy yesterday when I was working out, he was doing goodmornings with a barbell on his upper back/neck, and he was flexing so much at the thoracic spine it scared me, but i still didn’t.

8

Since these kids were so young I would be more inclined to show them proper form or offer a couple words of advice. If it takes, great. If not, at least I tried.

This is only when I see bad (i.e. dangerous) lifting form. Otherwise, I mind my own business unless someone asks me for help.

9

If they fit the profile of someone who’d be open to advice (out of shape, lifting by themselves, lifting slowly as if they’re actually TRYING to do the exercise correctly, but just don’t know how), I ask them if they’d like some tips. If yes, I teach them.

Otherwise, live and let die.

10

I’ll echo what X said, frat curlers and bench guy are nowhere to be seen at 9:30pm on a Friday night.

11

To answer the original question, as long as they are not in the squat rack doing whatever nonsense while I’m waiting, who cares?

But seriously, allow me to offer an alternative point of view. Unless you are an “expert” in every sense of the word, I don’t think you have much place offering anyone any advice.

Do you know how many so called experienced lifters have looked over at me crooked when performing a zercher squat? How about a good morning (wonder how many genius’ thought I was cuttin it short on a squat). Pull thrus? Speed bench? (“Dude, you should really slow down the reps so you don’t hurt yourself and you can also get a better pump”).

Get my point? I know you’re eluding to obvious misadventures (or so I hope), but you never really know do ya?

12

[quote]TheBodyGuard wrote:
To answer the original question, as long as they are not in the squat rack doing whatever nonsense while I’m waiting, who cares?

But seriously, allow me to offer an alternative point of view. Unless you are an “expert” in every sense of the word, I don’t think you have much place offering anyone any advice.

Do you know how many so called experienced lifters have looked over at me crooked when performing a zercher squat? How about a good morning (wonder how many genius’ thought I was cuttin it short on a squat). Pull thrus? Speed bench? (“Dude, you should really slow down the reps so you don’t hurt yourself and you can also get a better pump”).

Get my point? I know you’re eluding to obvious misadventures (or so I hope), but you never really know do ya?[/quote]

True, but then someone would have to be a little off to correct someone your size in the first place.

13

Go early or go late. Not at lunchtime.

I never correct people unless they politely ask me to work in at the station I happen to be using. Last week I was doing cleans (in the squat rack) and someone wanted to use the rack for squats and asked to work in. I watched for two sets before I felt a need to open my mouth. This guy had 315 loaded on the bar and was doing a partial squat/good morning. I suggested that he might want to take the weight down and work on form and showed him a technique that might help him. He thanked me and took my advice. Yesterday he was in the gym doing squats and he asked for feedback on his form the second I walked over to the rack and asked to work in.

I think if you are a consistent face in the gym and people recognize you as a serious lifter it is easier to do this. I don’t, as a general rule, make it a habit to correct every frat-curler who is lifting improperly. If asked I will give my opinion but I always state it as such and try to give alternative views where possible.

14

I think if it were a perfect world, everyone would be open to other people’s criticism about working out. Especially things like bench, deadlifts, and squats, or other complex or compound movements. It’s not a perfect world, and as frustrating as it is sometimes, eluding to what jehovas said, no one likes to be corrected. Fuck 'em!

15

people on this site seem to have an alwful concern about what everyone else is doing in the gym. no one cares to hear your advice in the gym, if they did they’d ask you for it.

16

[quote]DOOM wrote:
I stopped caring. More injuries, less crowded the gym is.[/quote]

Hilarious.

But seriously, if it’s a newbie kid, offer advice, but JUST DON’T embarrass the kid…he’s trying, which is more than you can say for most teens out there.

If it’s an adult, I’d either ignore it, because you’ll get attitude, or do it passive aggressively, if you will: do the same exercise next to them with proper form and maybe they’ll catch on. I’ve done this with deadlifts with guys using their arms, or doing some weird bent-over curvy back thing.

But yeah, if you see someone about to drop a plate on their head or junk…then maybe you should say something, unless they cut in front of you to get a sip or water or something.

:wink:

17

[quote]Professor X wrote:
TheBodyGuard wrote:
To answer the original question, as long as they are not in the squat rack doing whatever nonsense while I’m waiting, who cares?

But seriously, allow me to offer an alternative point of view. Unless you are an “expert” in every sense of the word, I don’t think you have much place offering anyone any advice.

Do you know how many so called experienced lifters have looked over at me crooked when performing a zercher squat? How about a good morning (wonder how many genius’ thought I was cuttin it short on a squat). Pull thrus? Speed bench? (“Dude, you should really slow down the reps so you don’t hurt yourself and you can also get a better pump”).

Get my point? I know you’re eluding to obvious misadventures (or so I hope), but you never really know do ya?

True, but then someone would have to be a little off to correct someone your size in the first place.
[/quote]

LOL true but you do get the looks (the what the eff is he doing look)- or at least I used to when I went commercial. Now I have an oversized detached garage and basically what I need. The only thing I do miss is a good training partner.

But on a more salient point for instance, and I know you understand this, something as small as the knees going foward in a squat or similiar movement is not the blasphemy it is often alleged to be in some of these threads. There is more than one way to squat (as most of us know) and there are occasions when it is perfectly desirable to do so. That not doing so places less stress on the patella tendon is a given but I digress :slight_smile:

So, I think everyone is better off minding their own damn business :slight_smile: Or do you want to be the one to stop that gym bunny from doing stiff legged deadlifts from atop a flat bench?! Dangerous? Yes. Something we want to discourage? Heck no! LOL.

18

[quote]LIFTICVSMAXIMVS wrote:
Go early or go late. Not at lunchtime.

I never correct people unless they politely ask me to work in at the station I happen to be using. Last week I was doing cleans (in the squat rack) and someone wanted to use the rack for squats and asked to work in. I watched for two sets before I felt a need to open my mouth. This guy had 315 loaded on the bar and was doing a partial squat/good morning. I suggested that he might want to take the weight down and work on form and showed him a technique that might help him. He thanked me and took my advice. Yesterday he was in the gym doing squats and he asked for feedback on his form the second I walked over to the rack and asked to work in.

I think if you are a consistent face in the gym and people recognize you as a serious lifter it is easier to do this. I don’t, as a general rule, make it a habit to correct every frat-curler who is lifting improperly. If asked I will give my opinion but I always state it as such and try to give alternative views where possible.[/quote]

good point; i always give advice if i’m asked or if i have seen them enough where i know they will be receptive.

19

The only time I really open my mouth is when someone is about to hurt someone else. I’ve seen a few guys about to paralyze their girlfriends in the squat rack, and I’m not shy about letting them know that. Otherwise, their body, their call.

20

[quote]TheBodyGuard wrote:
Professor X wrote:
TheBodyGuard wrote:
To answer the original question, as long as they are not in the squat rack doing whatever nonsense while I’m waiting, who cares?

But seriously, allow me to offer an alternative point of view. Unless you are an “expert” in every sense of the word, I don’t think you have much place offering anyone any advice.

Do you know how many so called experienced lifters have looked over at me crooked when performing a zercher squat? How about a good morning (wonder how many genius’ thought I was cuttin it short on a squat). Pull thrus? Speed bench? (“Dude, you should really slow down the reps so you don’t hurt yourself and you can also get a better pump”).

Get my point? I know you’re eluding to obvious misadventures (or so I hope), but you never really know do ya?

True, but then someone would have to be a little off to correct someone your size in the first place.

LOL true but you do get the looks (the what the eff is he doing look)- or at least I used to when I went commercial. Now I have an oversized detached garage and basically what I need. The only thing I do miss is a good training partner.

But on a more salient point for instance, and I know you understand this, something as small as the knees going foward in a squat or similiar movement is not the blasphemy it is often alleged to be in some of these threads. There is more than one way to squat (as most of us know) and there are occasions when it is perfectly desirable to do so. That not doing so places less stress on the patella tendon is a given but I digress :slight_smile:

So, I think everyone is better off minding their own damn business :slight_smile: Or do you want to be the one to stop that gym bunny from doing stiff legged deadlifts from atop a flat bench?! Dangerous? Yes. Something we want to discourage? Heck no! LOL.

[/quote]

Good point you brought up. We’ve seen on this very forum where some newbie claims a pro bodybuilder is training “WRONG” because he doesn’t touch his chest with the bar or extend fully during the rep while completely ignoring that is why he got that damn big in the first place.

I have my headphones on and my mind focused on what I am doing the majority of the time. Someone would have to literally be in the process of dying for me to walk up to them out of the blue and correct them.