When Is It OK to Correct Someones Form at the Gym?
There is a simple answer to this question, which will cover about 90% of your needs: Never. Why you shouldnt correct someones form at the gym  First, you dont know them. You cant tell from looking if theyre using weird form because theyre new and clueless, or if they 100% know what theyre doing and have decided to do the exercise that way to rehab an injury, to learn a new technique, or whatever else might be going on in their life. Second, maybe you dont know the lift. Yeah, you think youve seen this one before, but there are many different exercises in the world. A guy once told me that I was cheating on my overhead press when in fact I was doing push presses and he had never heard of them. Dont be that guy. Third, we arent the know-it-alls we think we are. Weve all been taught things that turn out not to be true. Maybe some trainer told you that youll ruin your knees if you squat a certain way, but maybe that trainer was wrong. The other person at the gym is paying their trainer to tell them what to do, not your trainer, much less your opinions of your memories of what your trainer said. Or worse, youre mansplaining. Sorry, but this happens to women a lot. Guys will walk up and say were lifting too much, or going to get hurt, or doing it wrong  or all of the above, only worse. So, if youre male and youre thinking well, I wouldnt mind if somebody corrected my form, please remember that the woman youre side-eyeing has been badly corrected by a great many jerks before you. Correct someones form when you know them  If that person is your friend, or Id say even a fairly good gym acquaintance, you might offer some help or feedback, but dont begin by telling them theyre doing something wrong. Instead, ask about what theyre doing, if it looks unfamiliar to you. Or at the very least, start with something like Would you like a tip on that lift?  If you dont know the person very well but feel you really must say something, try getting to know them first. Say hi, in a non-creepy way. Strike up a low-pressure conversation when theyre done for the day or when theyre clearly waiting around between sets. Maybe this is when you learn about their injury or their hobby of doing obscure lifts nobody has heard of. Then proceed with the advice above. Correct someones form when they ask  New people often do want feedback, but heres the thing  theyll often state that theyre open to it. During your friendly conversation, mention that you are also really into powerlifting (or running, or yoga, or whatever the subject is) and youd be happy to answer questions or critique their form if they want. Plenty of folks will take you up on that. Correct someones form when they are actually literally about to die  You may intervene when theres a safety issue, but omg this persons knees are going in front of their toes when they squat does not count. If somebody is misusing equipment in a way that poses an imminent danger to them or to bystanders, that is when you can absolutely say something. If what theyre doing is against the gyms rules, you may also say something or, better yet, get a staff member to intervene. Otherwise, if you just think theyre doing something thats going to eventually maybe give them trouble down the road, thats something where you, as a stranger, should butt right out. This story was originally published in August 2019 and was updated to meet Lifehacker style guidelines.