Tis' The Season

[SwellMel]

Happy New Year to all of my MG Brothers.  This is the time of the year for "resolutions" and many of us will find the gym more crowded than in December, typically for a few weeks at least.   This is the time of year for patience as Newb's will be trying to shed some weight or get in better shape, in the limited space well all try to occupy and for some of us enthusiasts take very seriously. 

The real question for the brothers and one I contemplate is how do you handle the new guys and gals at the gym?  Helpful? Scornful? Ambivalent?

Personally, my pet peeve is folks who try to do a circuit on 2+ pieces of equipment, thus tying up equipment oblivious to gym etiquette.  I've tried to offer advice a few times, usually when I see someone about to injure themselves, but I find many of the new fellas are too proud to accept the information and make excuses, like "I'm injured that's why I am bending my arms when doing shoulder shrugs>"  Geez......it should be interesting.....

 

 

[JARHEAD2]

I know right! But no matter how many times we tell ourselves it's coming every year, I find myself unprepared for what's about to really go down. Lol I find my emotions always mixed. I want to help, cause after all someone was understanding with me. I do my best to be understanding so I don't discourage someone from trying to do their best to live healthier. At the same time, I did use common sense & so many these lack it!! It's not something someone has to put on the wall, make an announcement about, but it's just "common " sense! 

My theory is this, if they're still here next month, they must be really trying so they won't mind helpful advice. Good news is most of this crud will be over in three or four weeks!!

 

[Dolf]

Happy New Year Mel! I display patience unless they're  disrespectful. I'm with jarhead...if i see them still going at it in 2 months I'll help em out any way I can. 

I recently had a talk with some young guys who've been going at it for a few months now. They're skinny and remind me of myself years ago. I talked to them about the upmost importance of eating enough to grow. The term eat big to get big is true. Eat till it hurts, and then take another bite!

 

[Frankie-knuckels]

I myself work part-time in a gym and have done so since May when I started lifting seriously and I have almost seen it all from the guy doing 1/4 rep curls with a 100 pound dumbbell while holding on to the railing to the young kid pulling 3 plates with the ugliest of form to the guys going way to heavy on their squats and literally getting stapled to the floor because they did not raise the safety bar on the power rack to the correct height. But I have been warned about the crowd coming in now after the new year until now I thought the college kids home on vacation where bad and they are bad these kids first of all don't rack their weights and when they do it's a big ass mess. But I approach them with respect and ask them to please rack their weights and for the most part they listen. But then again you have those that try and be slick and not do rack their weights and don't respect others. That's when the Gym Nazi in me comes out and I have to put them in their place I have been known to literally stop them at the door and have them turn back and rack their weights. If not I'll wait for them to finish their sets and as they are walking away I'll ask them very sarcastically If they still have some left in them and they say yes and I'll So rack your weights then ..lol.... ! They get pissed but they rack their weights. But I always look out for their safety and if I can help someone correct their form I do for instance just the other day I had a kid doing squats with too much weight and he was just doing 1/4 squats for the most part he had good form so I had him take off the weight started him with the bar and had him warm up to a decent work set of 225 lbs for 5 sets of 5 and before he knew it he was squatting ass to grass bro's I actually felt proud for the kid and he thanked me afterwards. So if it's in my power to help I do if I'm around I'll spot someone too with no problem .. That said I have prepared myself mentally for whats coming.

 

[SwellMel]

Great comments, just trying to provide some thought provoking scenarios of what is about to descend upon us all, I agree, if the new guys ask for help I am very happy to offer guidance and if they are still there working out 2 months later, I'm very happy for them as working out isn't exercise, it is a way of life.

 

[Livelife76]

I try helping em out IF they are there for awhile (more than few weeks) and are aware of others needing weights, bench, etc. . . If they seem to have respect and are WILLING to learn, I'll help em out no problem! Hell there was a girl last year who started coming to my gym that I Helped out with weight loss that is still going to this day n she lost over 60lbs!!!! THAT my bros, is motivation to me!!

 

 

[strong]

I will compliment a young person or someone obviously new to working out if they have excellent form. That is the key to working out with weights. Positive reps, negative reps, Clean fluid motions. I will not go out of my way to offer advice to someone with terrible form. Not sure why, That's just me..

 

[calmb4dastorm]

Inclination when I see the resolutioners on my favorite Smith machine or hogging the dumbbells is to pull a Deebo, roll down on them and say "these my weights, Bitch!!" But then sensibility says, I was in their spot 5 years ago! So find an alternative exercise until I can get the equipment I need. I hate to see people with bad form but they don't seem to want advice so I say phuck it, those are your knees that will blow out while you are trying to out squat my ass day 1 in the gym. Males are the worst ones, the female f the species are a lil more accepting but I don't give much advice to them unless they ask me. It's crazy how newbs one in and try to lift Heavy! They have been sitting around eating honey buns and only lifting a remote all year long,January comes around and they come taking over my weights trying to squat all the damn 45's they can find. Knees and shit wobbling, then they don't have  spotter! Get one squat done, then start walking around with Invisible Lat Disease! 

 

[SenseiMiagi]

I help whenever I can.  Gyms need their memberships to keep the doors open, so its best for everyone to try and help them stick with it.  AHoles are AHoles and are dealt with individually.  Everyone has to start somewhere, and most of them are intimidated to even be in the building.

 

[JARHEAD2]

+1

 

[JARHEAD2]

I know tis the season at the gym, but what about at MG? Is it normal to get new folks the way we have the last few days around the new year?

 

[turnupthegas]

Same here and depends on the situation too, Where I feel bad is the little old man or lady that you know there doc told them to get some exercise and the are doing lat pulldowns with the lower back all arched out and jerking there spine around just to get it down, thats when i feel i have to help lol they are trying to extend their last years and not get a replacement spine <---not a real thing i know.

And naturally the smokeshows at the gym that look all cute and innocent, I can't resist helping them with their form Its the test tren mast sexdrive cocktail i think???smh

 

[SwellMel]

So far 2016 is treating me like a doormat, but it can only get BETTER.  Had hand surgery and while most fingers are getting better, the index is stuck and won't bend, have a bad feeling about this one.  Tried to get into the gym the other day after being out about 2 weeks and a bunch of equipment is gone and replaced with a bunch of new stuff and everything is moved.....I feel like I'm in a new gym...not sure if that is a good or bad thing.  Can't wait to heal up or get this thing repaired again and get rolling again.

 

[JARHEAD2]

Sorry to hear that you've started out rough, but I'm glad to hear you're looking at the bright side & that means you can finish well! We're always here for ya my friend