I’m (M50) a regular gym goer and have been for many years now going to a proper spit and sawdust type of gym rather than your treadmill and peck dec franchise types of gyms and I’m experienced with Olympic bar type of exercises having worked with various PTs over the years.
But I wouldn’t describe myself as muscle bound type. For me it’s more about just keeping healthy and keeping what muscle mass I have rather than building big guns!
So yesterday I was doing a set using fairly light weights in comparison to other gym users (40kg squat for example) working on mobility and after having a small break for a couple of weeks.
Next to me were a couple of new members to the gym and from my impression new to weight lifting looking at them physically.
They threw 100kg on a bar and started squatting but immediately I could see them struggling – quaking legs and not even performing half squats! Risking an injury!
So here’s my question. Should I have spoken to them and suggested they dropped the weight or should I have left them to it?
What’s the right thing to do? I’ve never really been sure on what’s the right thing to do when you see someone struggling under too much weight.
26 comments
They wouldn’t listen unless you looked like Brock Lesnar on a cycle, so at most point it out to a member of staff
Just leave them to it.
In my experience of years in gyms you can’t tell people anything. Just leave them alone to get on with it.
Don’t give advice unless asked for it, it’s never well received. If you were really worried for them you could ask a PT working there to have a word
It comes down to their character. I’ve appreciated it when someone came over and gave me pointers on how to use a machine as I was not using it properly. They looked like a regular gym person, that’s probably why I listened.
I’ve done this before and it was met with a bit of resistance, almost as if the guy was insulted. So I wouldn’t bother tbf.
Ultimately its up to the inviduals to ensure they are doing things correctly.
Just leave them to it. If they do get hurt doing something daft it’s on them.
It’s also worth pointing out that people who focus too heavily on maintaining form often stay weak forever. It sounds like your goals aren’t strength based so maintaining form throughout your sets is fine, for anyone who does want to be strong though form breakdown to a certain degree is to be expected when pushing yourself.
In general leave other people alone.
You can make exceptions on a case-by-case basis. I once helped this skinny kid who walked to the squat rack 30min before closing time, put an empty bar on his back and immediately started wincing from the pain in his neck. It took a minute to show him how to place the bar properly on his back so it doesn’t hurt.
The difference is that
– it was someone who is clearly a beginner and more likely to be receptive
– it was a limited piece of advice – I showed him how to do something and then left; didn’t need to provide a lot of coaching
– he was outright doing it incorrectly; many other things in the gym come down to opinion and personal preference. If I spent my time talking to anyone I personally disagree with at the gym, I wouldn’t get anything done.
Most of the time just let other people do what they want.
I’ve only ever stopped someone to offer help when they literally fell to the floor twice in a row and were about to do the same thing again.
I’d suggest if it’s a one-off, leave them to it. If you see them there day after day, making the same mistakes, then possible approach them.
“Guys, I see you here a lot and you’re really making a big effort! Can I offer you some pointers to help you get the most out of the time you’re putting in?”
That, but in a less cheesy way.
It’s not a done thing but I have thought the same before when seeing someone doing something completely wrong but I wouldn’t intervene unless they are actually about to hurt themselves
I saw a kid, probably 16 or 17 using a machine that was clearly too heavy for him. Literally moving it like a tiny bit at a time, arms and head shaking. He turned bright red and was gritting his teeth. God knows how he hasn’t done some serious damage. This is a bit shitty of me but I thought he’s going to have to learn the hard way as he wouldn’t have listened to me.
Let them make their own mistakes
I can see the argument a lot of you are making for just leaving them to make their own mistakes but this was 100kg which is a hell of a lot of weight for someone who’s not ready for it. That’s a potentially dangerous load.
Isn’t there an obligation to try and keep fellow gym members safe?
You could tell them and risk being told to mind your business.
You could drop a comment passing by and risk being labelled as a know-it-all dickhead
Best in my opinion is tell any staff around
Ask them if they want any advice.
No matter how you phrased it, what they would have heard was “You’re weak, try these baby weights, losers”.
They would have added even more weight just to prove you wrong. Best leave them to it, unless it looks like they might hurt someone else.
100kg on a back squat by a beginner. Ouch. I can already feel that sciatic pain down the back of their legs.
More fool them for thinking they’re Arnie. I wouldn’t say anything because it’ll probably be met with resistance, especially if they didn’t actually think half way through ‘wtf am I doing with this sort of weight?’ And change it down rapidly.
I go to the gym everyday and I see all sorts of stuff, I’ve actually tried to help someone before with posture on a deadlift and was actually told to go away.
Maybe slightly different for me because I’m a bodybuilder so generally people are more likely to listen, but i just speak to them generally and then just bring up how important good form is without being specific but still emphasising it. Normally they get where I’m going and fix it
We all need to go to Snap City at some point, best you get there in your teens where you can learn your lesson early.
Let them get on with it too much testosterone in a gym for critiquing people especially young lads.
I’m a similar age and go to a ‘proper’ gym too. As a regular I’m well enough known by most of the other people there – even if only on nodding acquaintance.
If I’d seen this, and couldn’t see the owner about, or someone I’m close enough to to talk to who ‘looks the part’ I would go across for a ‘you are new here’ or ‘hi I’m xxx, I’ve not seen you here before’ – and use that to lead into something like ‘that’s far more weight than I regularly squat’ and perhaps even a suggestion they chat to the owner (using his name) about a personal session to improve their form – to get the most out of such big weights.
Definitely don’t get involved in anyone’s training unless they ask you to/ call out for help
As a noob at the gym I’d appreciate the advice. I get anxious as fuck but did ask somebody once how to use something and they were super helpful
If you are to give advice best way is to go and ask if they want a spot, more the case for one person on their own, and in between give a bit of advice by asking have you tried it like this sorta thing. If you think they’d seriously hurt themselves better to go to get someone who works there
It’s better to leave them to it to be honest even if it’s hard to look at.
Yesterday I saw a guy doing lateral pulldowns with the weight at about 100kg and instead of keeping in a steady position with a straight back lowering and raising the weight in a controlled manner; this guy was genuinely flinging his body up when lowering the weight and slamming his ass onto the seat to bring the weight down.
I believe it’s called ego lifting so you feel like you are much stronger than you actually are when in reality you can’t control it, risk injury and won’t make much progress.
For people with form like this I think it’s up to a PT to approach and let them know they aren’t doing the exercise correct.
Its hard one because new me would be like ‘yay advice’ but since i’ve been going to the gym for about 12 years I now feel like ‘dont fucking talk to me’. These guys sounds like they’re very novice but also think they’re not which to me sounds like they wouldnt listen to you