Gym etiquette

[Annonembarassed]

Am I being over sensitive?

Over weight, 50 plus , self conscious, who had been going to the gym for about 12 months. Usually do the circuit classes. Went today but no class on so used the equipment I would normally use in a class and feel comfortable with.

On the skier, and a female, similar age but in better shaped came over and told me my technique was wrong, said I looked like I was skipping with my arms, rather than down hill ski ING and pointed to the lady using the other skier, and said her technique is excellent.

She was polite, I was polite but i decided to leave soon after. Now I'm over thinking it. I'm self conscious and the thought soneone was watching me, fills me with dread.

Should I be pleased some one has kindly told me I'm doing it wrong and shown me the right way to do it or annoyed that someone has made me self conscious by offering unsolicited advice.

Not quite sure how I should react. Also a bit nervous about going back incase she is there ready to critique me again. I've managed this long, quietly going and spending the hour in my own little world.

As long as she was nice about it then I think it's a good thing. It's easy to injure yourself on gym equipment when not using it properly, or exert more energy than necessary or in some cases not being working the relevant muscles.

She did comment that I was sweating and would hate to see one if her sisters put all the work in and not see any results. She was very polite but I have chewed on it afterwards.

From what you said it sounds as though it comes with good intentions rather than her being a twat
tbf there a lot of potential to damage yourself on a skier
some people’s technique is terrible potential to pull your back and also get nothing out of the workout due to poor technique

It seems that she meant her advice kindly.

I’d be inclined to ask for more.

Awww, I'd say she was trying to be nice and thinking that you were working your arse off for at best no results and at worst an injury. But she's left you feeling really u comfortable. It's hard because sometimes unsolicited advice is good, sometimes it's shite, sometimes it's welcomed and sometimes it's so incredibly unhelpful. If I were you I'd take it as someone trying to be kind, brush it off and check your technique with your instructor the next time.

Ask your class instructor to check your form on the SkiErg. But it sounds well intended to me ☺️

I think if she was nice about it then it’s helpful to be told the most effective way of doing it, it’s pretty bold of her to do it unasked, but you can usually tell if someone is genuinely just trying to help and after all - everyone was new to the gym once and if people don’t pass these tips down how would everyone know. But if she was doing it in a way that seemed like she was trying to shame you then that’s very bad gym etiquette and you were right to be upset with her. Its all in the delivery I guess.
I’ve been helped and asked for help when trying something new in the gym and I’d be chuffed to bits if someone asked me to help so I could feel a part of someone else loving the hobby I have, but I’d never want to make someone feel small or put them off by making them feel silly. It’s a pretty fine line to tread so I avoid giving advice in the main myself.

My DS is 15. Men in their 20s sometimes give him tips or correct his technique. I think maybe people see something of themselves and want to help. Unless someone is rude about it, they usually mean well.

Thank you all. I'll take it in the polite manner she seemed to intend and put my big girl knickers on and get myself back to the gym 😀

That’s great to hear, I bet next time your form will be spot on too and you’ll soon be helping out the next person who’s just come in and passing it on some more. In fact can you come to my gym as I’ve honestly never got the hang of those skiing machines and I’ve tried more than once… 😂

Agreed

I was doing deadlifts and on the third set managed to hurt my back.

Afterwards a guy came over really guiltily and said he’d noticed my form wasn’t great and I just needed to do X, Y and Z next time, but he’s so sorry he didn’t come earlier as didn’t want to correct me. I wish he had!

So please, if it’s done well-meaningly, take the advice, and however it’s delivered never let them put you off getting back to the gym!

That's a nice a gym. Far too many snobby gyms out there where people will snigger at another persons poor form.

Take her advice, make the small tweaks she has suggested. You may even be happy to train together, sounds like she had good intentions

I get how you feel, I really don't care for unsolicited advice especially from dickhead men, and I've had plenty but it seems like this woman's intentions were good and she was as helpful and polite as possible. I'm not sure I would have done it were I her - I tend to the MYOB school unless someone is in imminent danger - but under the circumstances I'd take the good, shrug off the embarrassment and get back in the gym.

She was trying to help you.

I see so many people doing weird things with the SkiErg which waste their energy and don’t do the exercise effectively. So they’re not getting full benefit.

You need to pull the handles straight down, you need to squat, not bend over as you pull down and you need to let your arms go straight up again - not the weird arms going in circles that I see people do.

So no she wasn’t being rude. She was being a supportive gym member.

She was trying to be constructive and trying to support you. Unless there is more to this she was on your side and making sure your form & technique were correct & effective.

She could be a gym instructor on a day off......

I'm a competitive rower so obviously spend a lot of time on the ergs. There is most definitely a correct way to use a rowing machine and most people down the gym have absolutely no idea. I'm a bloke and I loathe to be 'that guy' down the gym who walks around dispensing 'let me show you what you doing wrong' advice but sometimes when I see people doing things so spectacularly badly to the point of that there is a serious injury risk I have intervened. Nobody really likes to be told they are doing things wrong unless it is from a gym instructor so a bit of tact and politeness is required. So long as it is obvious that the advice is coming from a good place and is not some faux concern putdown then take it with good grace.

Yep, that was me😀
Skipping it was described as lol

Well, the problem is, you expend a fair bit of energy, but not very efficiently doing it like that. So not much effect for you really.

I like the SkiErg - it’s just a load of body weight squats so you get a good compound overall body workout.

Try to think of squatting - get your hips down and your butt to your heels (arse to grass). Keep the weight in your heels and pull the handles straight down. It’s harder but you can move the distance or the calories faster.

And believe me, when you’re set to do 50 calories or a 1000 metres on the SkiErg, you need to move efficiently and for the greatest effect for effort!!

Havefun playing with it - it’s a great exercise that develops aerobic capacity plus mobility and squat technique!

Sorry - a tad off topic but I thought you were supposed to hip hinge when using a ski erg, not squat.

OP - I agree with everyone who has said the advice sounds well-intentioned. I would have been irked, too, unless the unsolicited advice came from a member of gym staff. But ultimately if the advice is in your best interests it's better to have had it than not.

Yeah hip hinge but you’re also supposed to drop your hips not bend right over! Like a squat although a little more upright.

I think it's more usual to ask someone if they want advice, rather than offer it without checking. Except perhaps if it's a genuine safety issue.