• FreeTrainers.com Forums
• General Fitness & Exercise
• should i even bother?

Group: General Fitness & Exercise

should i even bother?

Velasca Posts: 441 Joined: 2006/10/26	2007/01/04, 07:40 PM the other day i observed a woman older than myself and in fairly poor shape doing a seated dumbbell tricep extention and was doing it totally wrong....she wasnt giving it a full extention...now im no expert but i do know proper form on many exercises....and i would never preach on something i dont practice or havent mastered.. so i very delicately tried to offer my suggestion..needless to say i got the *look over* and the brush off.. today i observed a man in decent shape..doing deep squats(going beyond parallel) and he didnt seem *experienced*....he looked like he could hurt himself..but i didnt say anything... is there a good/bad time to say anything? or should i just go about my business....i WISH someone would offer advice on my form ...sometimes there isnt always a mirror to watch myself..nor do i know it all ..
shaunbroyhill Posts: 115 Joined: 2006/12/30	2007/01/04, 08:02 PM I'd tell them and if they don't listen let them learn from their own mistakes. Just make sure you know the reason why and can back it up if questioned. Most people should be open if they are new, but be prepared for bad responses from people who "think" they are right or aren't open for suggestion.
Velasca Posts: 441 Joined: 2006/10/26	2007/01/04, 08:05 PM o i most definitely wouldnt say anything if i didnt know why and how and so on...im quite humble..but i would want someone to tell me...doesnt mean i have to necessarily agree and/or follow it...but atleast they cared enough to offer the advice..and sometimes even when we know how to do the exercise its hard to see ourselves doing the proper form or getting the full effect..i am so paranoid about proper form thanks to wrestler *evil grin*
mikencharleston Posts: 1,585 Joined: 2002/01/09	2007/01/04, 09:20 PM The only time I ever say anything to anyone is if they're doing something that's going to hurt someone or themselves. If they're unsafe go to the management or trainers and let them handle it. Half the people in gyms consider themselves experts even when they've been doing the same "wrong" things for years. If you know them... completely different story. Women especially don't like critique. :)
Velasca Posts: 441 Joined: 2006/10/26	2007/01/04, 10:42 PM whatcha trying to say mike? hehehehehhe ============ Quoting from mikencharleston: Women especially don't like critique. :) =============
conan_0822 Posts: 441 Joined: 2006/11/23	2007/01/05, 11:21 AM From my experience trying to correct people, some will be grateful and others look at you like you're an idiot. I gave up on trying to give advise to women. In a gym setting they are even more wary of men. I always got treated like I was hitting on them!! Even though i am happily married, it didn't make a difference. I doubt most of them even heard what I said!!
bb1fit Posts: 11,105 Joined: 2001/06/30	2007/01/05, 12:21 PM I have found make the 'approach' cautiously. In other words, start with a general suggestion like, did anyone ever show you that if you made a full extension....... See how the person responds. If they respond favorably, like some will and jump on the 'invite', then proceed on. If an unfavorable response that you detect like a quick well, I....then smile and move on. -------------- "If it ain't broke, you aren't trying."
7707mutt Posts: 7,686 Joined: 2002/06/18	2007/01/05, 12:45 PM I used to but not anymore.... -------------- Curl Jockeys, get outta the squat rack! Warning:Deadlifting going on! 7707mutt@freetrainers.com
msmogreen Posts: 717 Joined: 2006/04/22	2007/01/05, 01:29 PM Conan--I have noticed men don't have a problem trying to correct a woman's form, yet I wouldn't dream of saying anything to a man. And I don't think they are hitting on me--I think they are trying to be nice and helpful and assume they know more than me because they are men. It doesn't happen often, and I don't like it because they often don't know better than me, just think they do. However, I just smaile. I saw a guy doing something in between a good morning and a squat--really wasn't sure which he was going for although I think it was a squat. I didn't dare breathe a word.
ecle5c Posts: 1,312 Joined: 2003/07/10	2007/01/05, 04:29 PM One thing to remember though before you say anything is that you don't know exactly what the person is trying to accomplish. I've been doing cheat curls and had someone tell me not to swing the weight. I've been doing SL deadlifts and a guy told me to bend my knees and to not use my back as much. I've been doing speed bench and had a guy tell me that slower more deliberate movements were more beneficial. In all of these cases they had semi-valid points, but didn't know what I was trying to accomplish thus they were completely wrong.
Velasca Posts: 441 Joined: 2006/10/26	2007/01/05, 08:19 PM all good points..tysm :)
Hellscream Posts: 272 Joined: 2004/02/25	2007/01/06, 08:05 PM I think the only people who can give advice on forms and lifts in the gym are the huge guys or trainers. People tend to take their advice more cos the result is right in front of them. Since you don't look a huge guy, I wouldn't advice it unless their putting themselves in danger...people generally don't like advice or "being told what to do" as they see it from people they don't see as qualified to be giving them advice. -------------- Accept the challenges, so that you may feel the exhilaration of victory
flyonthewall Posts: 1,823 Joined: 2005/01/18	2007/01/06, 09:21 PM I have to agree with hellscream....and by the way, long time no see! I see a lot of scary stuff at my gym, but I leave it up to the trainers or "big guys" to advice, because if someone like me commented on my form, I really don't think I'd listen. Sad, but true.
wrestler125 Posts: 4,619 Joined: 2004/01/27	2007/01/07, 11:54 AM You can usually pick out the individuals that will listen to your advice. Females are more receptive than males, and no one likes to be corrected in front of friends, but some people you can just tell that you'd be wasteing your time on. Based on what fly and hellscream are saying, I don't understand why people listen to their trainers. I've seen more out of shape "personal trainers" in commercial gyms than I care to think about. -------------- Iron and chalk.
Velasca Posts: 441 Joined: 2006/10/26	2007/01/07, 02:43 PM I totally disagree..just because they are *big* or *trainers* ..i asked a trainer about box squats about a month ago and he said box what?...and just this past week i asked these 2 big guys about the bulgarian split squats and they had never heard of them before..and flyonwall..i would listen to you anyday :) ============ Quoting from hellscream: I think the only people who can give advice on forms and lifts in the gym are the huge guys or trainers.
	2007/01/07, 04:11 PM Some1 going deep on squats? I'd give him a medal.... Going to parallel is a bare minimum for most people....most of which dont....and end up half repping... I think offering advice is something that you may want to avoid. Unless the form is so completely horrible that there's imminent danger to others or the person. Problem sometimes you may see some1 do something weird and may not know that it's a structured component of their training...an exercise you never heard of...and trust me there are many....or doing some exercises the way most people never seen....hell some people purposely train themselves to handle situations where the form breaks down so the body knows how to deal with those situations safely....
frnchfry81 Posts: 301 Joined: 2006/12/02	2007/01/07, 05:07 PM I have to agree with wrestler about the personal trainers. The Personal trainer I had until $ ran out actually laughed at me when I asked how to do a exercise from this site that I had on my printout. then almost refused to tell me how to do it because I had gotten it from a FREE website. and not paid for more extremely expensive services from the gym. And very few of the trainers are what id call fit.
Carivan Posts: 8,542 Joined: 2002/01/20	2007/01/07, 05:13 PM Frenchfry, that trainer was probably one that took a 2 hr course from the gym he/she is paid commission from. As a professional personal trainer, you wouldn't get laughed at. -------------- A little discipline at the table and at the gym might help reduce that belly! Ivan Montreal Canada (City of Festivals)
wrestler125 Posts: 4,619 Joined: 2004/01/27	2007/01/07, 06:14 PM And most personal trainer certications aren't much more. I'm certified through 4 organizations and 3 of them mean nothing in my opinion (other than NSCA, which was actually a descent program). -------------- Iron and chalk.
Carivan Posts: 8,542 Joined: 2002/01/20	2007/01/07, 06:21 PM Wrestler...why did you get certified in "those 3 organizations" if they mean nothing to you? Wouldn't you agree that is a waist of hard earned $$? -------------- A little discipline at the table and at the gym might help reduce that belly! Ivan Montreal Canada (City of Festivals)
adalos Posts: 174 Joined: 2006/02/04	2007/01/07, 07:10 PM looks good on a resume
wrestler125 Posts: 4,619 Joined: 2004/01/27	2007/01/07, 09:03 PM They mean nothing in the way of knowledge. They look impressive on a resume (just like adalos said) and it makes a client THINK you know what you are doing. I think the most expensive ones were about $600 (ISSA & NASM) while AMFPT, the one that got me in the door, was only about $100. The gym I was working at paid the fee for any certifications I wanted, so everything after the first one was just icing. Free icing. While I was there, I also got massage therapy certification and a few nutrition certifications. -------------- Iron and chalk.
wrestler125 Posts: 4,619 Joined: 2004/01/27	2007/01/07, 09:05 PM My point is, that just because someone is "CERTIFIED" or looks to be in good shape does not mean they are knowledgable. We are getting off topic though. This is a whole different thread entirely. -------------- Iron and chalk.
Velasca Posts: 441 Joined: 2006/10/26	2007/01/07, 09:07 PM i agree...i dont like the way this thread is going...all points are very valid....ty for all the comments :)