When Can You Fix Someone’s Shape in the Gym?
Here’s a topic that sparked a lively debate in our call for gym etiquette : When can you tell someone they’re training wrong?
There is a simple answer to this question that will satisfy about 90% of your needs: never. We’ll discuss some of the exceptions below, but first, why should you hold your tongue when you know they are doing it wrong ?
Why you can’t correct someone’s shape in the gym
First, you don’t know them. You cannot tell by looking if they are using a strange shape because they are newbies and ignorant, or they know 100% what they are doing and have decided to do this exercise in a way that will heal the injury, learn a new technique, or whatever. what might be happening in their lives.
Second, you may not know the elevator. Yes, you think you ‘ve seen this before, but there are many different exercises in the world. One guy once told me that I was “cheating” on my overhead press when I was actually doing the push- press and he had never heard of them. Don’t be that guy.
Third, we are not the know-it-alls we think about. We’ve all been taught what turned out to be untrue. Maybe some coach told you that you will break your knees if you squat down in a certain way, but maybe this coach was wrong. Another person in the gym pays their coach to tell them what to do, not your coach, let alone your opinion on your memories of what your coach said.
Or worse, you complain . Sorry, but this happens to women a lot. Guys come up and say we’re lifting too much, or about to get hurt, or doing something wrong – or all of the above, only worse. So, if you are a man and think, “Well, I wouldn’t mind if someone corrected my shape,” please remember that the woman you are looking at from the side has been poorly corrected by a lot of assholes before you.
Okay, so what about the other 10% of the time? When can I speak?
Fix someone’s shape if you know him
If this person is a friend of yours, or, I would say, even a good acquaintance at the gym, you can offer some help or feedback, but do not start by telling them that they are doing something wrong. Instead, ask what they do if it sounds unfamiliar to you. Or at least start with something like, “Would you like a tip on this lift?”
If you don’t know the person very well, but feel like you really have to say something, try to get to know him better first. Say hello without any spookiness. Start a casual conversation when they’re done for the day, or when they’re clearly waiting in between sets. Maybe it’s when you find out about their injury or their hobby of doing little-known exercises that no one else has heard of. Then follow the tips above.
Correct someone’s shape when they ask
New people often need feedback, but what’s important is that they often claim to be open to it. In a friendly conversation, mention that you also really do powerlifting (or running, or yoga, or whatever), and you would be happy to answer questions or criticize their form if they want to. Many people will support you in this matter.
Correct someone’s shape when they are literally about to die
You can step in when there is a safety issue, but “god, this man’s knees go in front of his toes when he crouches” doesn’t count. If someone uses the equipment for other purposes, which poses an imminent danger to him or to strangers, then you can say something for sure. If what they are doing is against the rules of the gym, you can also say something or, even better, ask a staff member to intervene. Otherwise, if you just think that they are doing something that may end up giving them problems in the future, this is something that you, as a stranger, should immediately give up.
This story was originally published in August 2019 and has been updated with the Lifehacker style guidelines.