It’s that time of year again: when the out-of-shape, inexperienced massed descend upon the sanctity of the weight room. What’s a hard-training powerlifter to do?

  1. Encourage them. See a new dude in the gym cranking out reps with 225 on the squat with the bar jammed up on his neck, knick-knocking knees, and a spinal position straight out of The Exorcist? He just needs a little more motivation! IT’S ALL YOU, BRO!

  1. Share the equipment. Yeah man, you can work in with your 15 sets of overhead press. With 95 pounds. While I’m doing max effort banded box squats with a safety bar. Yeah, that makes sense.
  2. Spread the knowledge. That new girl in the booty shorts on the treadmill definitely wants you to teach her to squat.
  3. Be nice. The guy who’s 25% bodyfat with 12-inch arms can totally step on stage in 8 weeks like he’s planning, so why tell him any different?
  4. Ignore them completely. Anyone using less weight than you can wait their turn. Squat rack will be free in two hours, fam!

Look, I know the huge rush of new gym members around New Years can be annoying. But they’re a fact of life, and rather than getting hung up on how much you’re being inconvenienced by having to wait for your favorite bar, try to reframe New Years as the best opportunity you’ll get to Live, Learn, and Pass On.

So yeah, you should encourage new gym members to stick with their plans and push hard — but if you think you can help out, offer to do so (gently — nobody likes the unsolicited advice asshole). If someone asks for your feedback on unrealistic goals, maybe try to encourage that person to set smaller, more realistic ones. You don’t need to go around showing off your chronic ILS and nitpicking every new guy you see, but try to be a responsible member of the strength community. At the very least, lead by example. The whole gym — including you — will be better off for it.