Expertice through Experience

Two weeks ago at MIT's gym (second-worst gym I've ever used) I was performing a Twisting Dumbell Shoulder Press from a Seated position where the seat-back wasn't perfectly straight--but rather one notch down--maybe at 100 degrees.  The committee is still out on what is the standard way of performing the movement--totally vertical is marked with stimulating more fibers of the shoulder while slightly declined allows fuller contraction at lockout and heavier weights.

Noting the fact that my bench wasn't at the 90 degree setting, some guy at the MIT gym approached me and told me that I would hit the shoulder with more intensity if I were to raise the seat back to 90 degrees.  He was not being rude--he was simply trying to offer a tip that seemed to work for him. 

He was visibly smaller as a whole with less-developed shoulders as a whole--and since he was doing the same thing on the other side of the gym I made note of his weights--30 pounds.  Not bad--for a beginner.

What do you do?

I very nicely told him that I was pressing 95 pounds in each hand and I would gladly listen to him when he reaches my level.

This is not rudeness on my part either--he honestly thought he had something to contribute and experience told me that he didn't.  The fact that his tip worked for him doesn't mean that he can instruct someone clearly out of his league--and likewise I would never try to correct someone else's bench press or abdominal work--because frankly I'm average on my best day in these areas. 

Even if you are certified as a trainer, there will always be some things that you are just plan unqualified to remark upon--if you've been a bodybuilder your whole life, it just makes no sense to instruct someone in powerlifting.  I do not run--I hate running with the heat of 1000 suns.  You will NEVER see me instructing anyone on cardiovascular work, so don't even ask.

As a result I would like to add a subheading to my "Three Laws of Weightlifting" in the category of etiquette. 

a) Thou Shalt not offer tips in an area where you are not an expert THROUGH EXPERIENCE.

So next time someone helpful wants to correct your method, it is safe to just go ahead and ask them how much weight they use--if they're not at your level you can go ahead and ignore them--tell them Ben said so.