Dude, take a pill. You started this thread with a story lifted from another discussion, why are you so defensive? Stop challenging others bona fides, especially when you haven't established your own. Everyone isn't going to agree with you, that's no reason to take offense. Unless of course, you are the subject of the original story and you don't want others to repeat your experience.
Bench Press Spotter
- Thread starter jon16
- Start date
Dude, take a pill. You started this thread with a story lifted from another discussion, why are you so defensive? Stop challenging others bona fides, especially when you haven't established your own. Everyone isn't going to agree with you, that's no reason to take offense. Unless of course, you are the subject of the original story and you don't want others to repeat your experience.
An "expert" here (*ahem*) never uses a spotter and so expects other to universally do the same. Perhaps that is why there are so many injuries in the bench press in the weights room, everybody is an "expert" and they don't wanna be told different.
What is the purpose of a liftoff BTW? At what % do you expect someone to get a liftoff. Who provides a liftoff then?
I don't expect others to "agree with me". I expect others to be "reasonably knowledgeable" and where they digress from the opinions of established coaches/lifters to :-
1. Show us their technique explaining why established theory is wrong
2. Explain why or how injuries arise and how their "new teaching" will prevent those injuries.
Is it really so bad to do a couple of bench sets without a spotter? I get it if you're maxing out, you want a spotter since you know you might not make it. But I think most people can do good without a spotter. Maybe they can do better with one, and it is more safe, but not everyone has someone to train with.
If you use good technique, I don't think there is anything THAT dangerous with not using a spotter if you lift in a gym with other people.
Usually (well, not that usually, I rarely miss my lifts, maybe once a year) someone comes and lifts the bar off me, if not, I roll it off, or maybe tip it to the side. With the technique I use, the bar won't land on my neck (I touch the bar below my chest) and If I drop the bar, a spotter probably won't help much.. 3 spotters probably won't help much.
I get the lift-off argument. It's easy to lose tightness and bring your shoulder blades forward if you lift off yourself. But there's a technique to that too and I don't think I lose tightness when I lift off. Actually, I don't like spotters lifting off for me, because I lose tightness then. Probably because I'm not used to it and/or the spotters suck and lift the bar too far up, bringing my shoulder blades out of position.
I'm not saying it's better to not use a spotter, I don't think anyone is. I'm just saying that not using one doesn't always constitute that big of a risk. But this depends on the situation, of course.
If you use good technique, I don't think there is anything THAT dangerous with not using a spotter if you lift in a gym with other people.
Usually (well, not that usually, I rarely miss my lifts, maybe once a year) someone comes and lifts the bar off me, if not, I roll it off, or maybe tip it to the side. With the technique I use, the bar won't land on my neck (I touch the bar below my chest) and If I drop the bar, a spotter probably won't help much.. 3 spotters probably won't help much.
I get the lift-off argument. It's easy to lose tightness and bring your shoulder blades forward if you lift off yourself. But there's a technique to that too and I don't think I lose tightness when I lift off. Actually, I don't like spotters lifting off for me, because I lose tightness then. Probably because I'm not used to it and/or the spotters suck and lift the bar too far up, bringing my shoulder blades out of position.
I'm not saying it's better to not use a spotter, I don't think anyone is. I'm just saying that not using one doesn't always constitute that big of a risk. But this depends on the situation, of course.
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As has been mentioned, especially with contest level weights, it is easy to lose the tightness of your set-up (shoulder blades and arch) when you lift off yourself, particularly if you have short arms. When I was competing, generally anything over 355 or so I would get a lift off for, as I weighed just under 150. Again, for me, that kind of weight could result in injury if I misjudge something, so a spotter/hand-off guy was essential.
