So, here’s a question for you: have you ever been given MORE advice when you have been a little more ‘out of shape’? Or do people in the gym try to give you more advice when you are especially in good shape? What’s your experience?
I have noticed a dramatic decrease in people giving me advice in the gym in the past 5-10 years. In the early days of training I had far more people chatting with me and wanting to give their 2 cents’ worth.
But on this topic, I’d have to say I personally wouldn’t tolerate it very well. I have a coach (myself at the moment and Dan at other times) and I have a concrete plan. I don’t want verbal opinions at this time, not whilst in the gym. This doesn’t mean I don’t still want to learn. I just don’t want people’s opinion at the moment.
If you repeatedly receive unsought advice, especially from the same person and you are ‘open’ to it, when you really aren’t and you appear to be listening, it’s dangerous. The problem with being this agreeable is that they will see it as a invitation to keep doing it. And that is going to get really annoying really fast for you. “I have a coach,” is a great opt-out clause.
Very closely aligned to this topic is not perhaps ‘advice’ but statements like, “Oh REALLY, you’re six weeks out from a contest?”
And the incredulity in their voice is actually their way of suggesting to you that they don’t think you’re ready. This is just their way of messing with you and your mindset. They are being a jackass. If they then go to offer their ways of ‘cutting’ the simplest thing to say again is, “I have a coach”.
You DON’T have to put up with it. Even if you have time on your hands to chat with everyone at the gym and you don’t want to be rude. You want to (and possibly need to) shut that shit down for your own mental head space and peace of mind and there is nothing wrong with it. You don’t need to overexplain things.
Like when your friend asks you what you’re doing on the weekend and you are absolutely dying for some Netflix time because you are all peopled out. You don’t have to say, “I can’t catch up with you because on Saturday I am doing x, y and z and on Sunday I am doing a, b and c.”
Nope, trust me, the power of just saying, “No, sorry, I can’t catch up” is awesome. “I am busy,” without going into depth is perfect.