A viral video circulating on social media shows a disturbing incident where a gym-goer was left stranded during a bench press exercise, as his spotter watched him struggle and fail to lift the heavy barbell.
This incident highlights the importance of proper spotting techniques in the gym, especially when performing challenging exercises like the bench press.
In response to the video, fitness expert Joey Swoll shared some tips on how to spot in the bench press correctly.
According to Swoll, having one hand with an overhand grip and the other with an underhand grip allows the spotter to have complete control in all scenarios.
It’s also essential to be ready and attentive at all times when spotting someone, so you can quickly intervene if something goes wrong.
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Swoll also emphasized that you should only assist the lifter if necessary.
For example, if the bar is moving down, and the lifter is clearly struggling, that’s the appropriate time to intervene.
However, if the lifter doesn’t need help, it can be frustrating if the spotter touches the bar unnecessarily.
When it comes to the bench press, safety should always be the top priority.
Spotting is a crucial part of ensuring safety in the gym, and everyone should know how to do it correctly.
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By following Swoll’s tips and staying attentive while spotting, we can prevent accidents and injuries from happening and create a safer environment for everyone.
Being spotted incorrectly during a bench press can be more than just frustrating.
It can also impact the legitimacy of your lift, especially if you’re attempting a personal record.
When you’re bench pressing a heavy weight, it’s natural to struggle a bit, and you might need some assistance to complete the lift safely.
However, if your spotter intervenes when he doesn’t have to to it can make the lift not count for you.
For example, if your spotter touches the bar to help you before you’ve reached the end of the lift, it could be considered a “no lift” in a powerlifting competition and as a personal record for you even training in your local gym.
The frustration of being spotted incorrectly during a personal record attempt can be compounded by the fact that the lift doesn’t count, even if you were capable of lifting the weight on your own.
This can be demotivating, and it might make you feel like all of your hard work and training was for nothing.
Furthermore, being spotted incorrectly during a bench press can also be dangerous. If your spotter interferes too much or too early, it could throw off your balance and cause you to lose control of the weight.
This could result in injury, which is the last thing you want when you’re working hard to achieve your fitness goals.
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That’s why it’s so important to explain exactly how you want to be spotted if you are asking a random to spot you in the gym.
The biggest mistake most spotters do is that they help you lift when you don’t need the help.
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This is of course especially frustrating if you are hitting a 1 rep max which you can handle but the spotter helps you in the middle of the rep because he doesn’t know how to spot correctly.
So let’s educate our brothers out there to spot correctly so fewer personal records will be destroyed in the future.
