At What Point Do You Think You Are "Qualified" to Give Out Advice?

If you’re genuinely offended by someone offering their opinion (in a public place or even more so online), I think you need to sort yourself out… I’m happy to discuss my training methods at any time, and if anyone comments or offers me advice I’ll either try it out (if it sounds reasonable) or ignore it; and that’s regardless of the source. Either way, no big deal. Who really cares?

It could be that a beginner to lifting has better insight coming from a different background and could spot something we in the world of lifting wouldn’t necessarily. If they offer advice in good spirit and aren’t pushy / rude, it can only benefit everyone involved, especially if it leads you to question your methods and justify them.

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And thats the problem anymore…the current gym culture is such that its consider Bad manners to give helpful advice if not asked. Regardless of the good intentions of the one trying too be helpful… OR how qualified that individual may or may not be to give it.

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Communicating to other gym goers about what they are doing and why they are doing it is very helpful and constructive. Always can learn from someone else.

But that’s kinda in line with the rest of life. If I saw parenting that wasn’t how I would do it while out at the shops it would be rude to stick your nose in and interfere. Or tell a complete stranger that there shoes look awful with there trousers and to maybe try a different style. 9 times out of 10 unsolicited advice in any situation would not be well received.

that being said, it is a shame. I’ve seen a grown man get extremely hurt and disrespected that a woman gave him advice about his squats, she did it so politely, explained she was fully qualified and had worked with a lot of athletes, and that she was only telling him due to the high risk of injury with what he was doing wrong. Still he was not at all happy

after that i asked her to look at my deadlift!

People should welcome advice or help from people even if they think they know what they are doing is correct.

Can be as simple as “Have you tried using a underhand grip on rows?”
“No, is it good to do it like that?”
“I do it that like that and feel my back working a lot more, give it a go.”

I don’t see why anyone would get offended by something like this and can be very productive.

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If i see an exercise that looks a little different well thats fine each to there own but what i meant @Chris_Colucci was if they are using incorrect form and it is hazardous to there joints and they are at risk do i tell them or let them find out the hard way.

At my gym there are only a couple of people who do weights properly (as in go there to train and properly track their progress etc. ) Theres no seriously lifters really. everyone just does cardio or random weights. Like curls everyday and then proceeds to leave
I live in a small town and mainly mums/ or ladies wanting leg gains go to the gym and do there cardio along with there bosu ball exercises for “”““functionality””" and thinking there going to get nice legs and butt because they do a couple of half assed sets of leg presses. they are the ones who use incorrect form . They hardly do weights but when they do its with atrocious form.

Honestly it depends. They could be doing something you’ve never seen or heard of. In most instances its best to ask them what they are doing to see. Give an example of what you mean to expand.

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I dont ask because i am afraid of offending them. I dont know how people will respond to a teenager giving them advice

Also, where does “incorrect” form even begin? It’s not like there’s some kind of fixed consensus on what ideal technique even looks like on various movements.

This is one of the many reasons why it’s just so much more pleasant to train in a club atmosphere. Everyone knows everyone else, knows their experience level, goals, injury history, strength levels and so on and everyone talks about technique, programming etc all the time anyway.

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Incorrect form doesn’t exist. There is hundreds of factors affecting why someone might be doing something the way they are doing it.

Give an example of what someone was doing where you wanted to ask but didn’t.

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Primarily because I have in inherently negative view regarding human nature and rarely believe in instances of altruism. I’m not full blown Randian in thinking that altruism NEVER exists, but in instances of unsolicited advice, I observe that it tends to be less about someone looking out for someone’s best interest and MORE an instance of someone trying to assert superiority over someone else.

When you’re lifting next to someone in the weightroom and leaving each other alone, you’re equals. Once one approaches the other to offer advice, he has changed the dynamic of the relationship to one of superior and inferior.

For a fascinating observation of this phenomenon, witness all the free advice men give women online when said women are benching MORE than said men.

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Lat pulldowns wrong . There not even pulling to engage the lats there just going on the lat pullodnw sitting down and wasting there time because thy have no idea how to do it. They sit straight and pull the bar randomly and it just looks so stupd

What was that person’s goal?

Good point. I don’t view myself as asserting dominance over other people.

In this case I think its because of the key word online.
Most people just keep themselves to themselves in person at the gym.

Im just talking about the people that go there and do random things and hae no knowledge of how to do any exercise bevause they havent been shown or taken the time to learn themselves. They just go to the machine and do whatever they “think” the exercise is. Or they pick up a dumbell and swing it around doing god knows what

How do you know they are not training to meet their goals?

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Right. I am speaking to when that DOES not happen.

I meant the keyboard warriors telling girls that arching is bad for their backs will never say anything in real life. My bad.

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Unless there goal is socialise… then i really think they have no goal they just think doingrandom stuff at the gym is going to get them fit.

Doing things wrong still burns calories so they could still be reaching their goal that way.
You’ve got to realise everyone doesn’t want to get massive, strong and lean.

A lot of elderly/older people at my gym come in to socialise and feel accomplished. They still get benefits like halving the risk of osteoporosis from doing things wrong/incorrect.