Does anyone else prefer to bench without a spotter?

[BlackTigers]

Go look in the average crossfit gym and figure out how you could possibly dump weights...those people look like worker bees jumping station to station/area to area.

Haha, I've seen some people doing CF in my school gym. You can always tell the crossfitters because they'll randomly go from doing clean and jerks to like air squats or running over to a treadmill, and then back again, lol.

Also the assholes that take up the oly platforms for an hour, and dont let you use them until their done with their 15 super sets of random exercises.

 

[SociallyChallenged]

it's probably different doing crossfit. I don't think those guys use much weight.

Lmao. Do you ever look at brikis' workout journal? Everybody I know that does CF benches infrequently, but each and every one has a decent bench.

 

[Atty]

I prefer to do everything without a spot, mainly because it makes me work harder for that extra rep. Its all mental I guess.

I also only trust a handful of people to spot me, most random people at the gym suck at spotting and totally ruin my set and I'm too nice to tell them off.

 

[BlackTigers]

I prefer to do everything without a spot, mainly because it makes me work harder for that extra rep. Its all mental I guess.

I also only trust a handful of people to spot me, most random people at the gym suck at spotting and totally ruin my set and I'm too nice to tell them off.

I've had to yell at people to get away from the bar when I've been spotted before.

For fucks sake, step back for the first reps of the set, I really don't need a set of hands there when I still have explosive bar speed.

If you start doing rows on my grinders, I'mma kill you. That bugs me the most out of anything. Anytime anyone touches a bar, I consider it a failed lift.

 

[alkemyst]

Lmao. Do you ever look at brikis' workout journal? Everybody I know that does CF benches infrequently, but each and every one has a decent bench.

The CF tools around here have just jumped on the latest trend.

It seems most of AT H&F are exceptions to all rules though.

 

[darkxshade]

I've had to yell at people to get away from the bar when I've been spotted before.

For fucks sake, step back for the first reps of the set, I really don't need a set of hands there when I still have explosive bar speed.

If you start doing rows on my grinders, I'mma kill you. That bugs me the most out of anything. Anytime anyone touches a bar, I consider it a failed lift.

That's why anytime I have a spotter for whatever reason, I tell them not to touch the bar or do anything at all, even if I'm struggling... that they should only jump in once I say "help". Because for the most part, they are only there for insurance, their presense alone allows me to be more ambitious to bang out a few more reps than I normally would have.

 

[Deeko]

Yea, a month or two ago I was going for a new 5RM. I was at my local gym, not the powerlifting gym. Grabbed some random guy for my top set. I explicitely said, "this is a new top set of 5, its gonna be hard, but give me a lift off and don't touch the bar unless I ask". He said ok. Grabbed the bar....and held it the whole way down! I finish the first rep - 255lbs still in my hands - say "don't grab the bar unless I need it!" he says ok....doesn't let go. I say fuck it and rip out a set of 10.

"That was all you man! Great work!"

yea....thanks buddy

 

[Koing]

No.

Koing

 

[BlackTigers]

Yea, a month or two ago I was going for a new 5RM. I was at my local gym, not the powerlifting gym. Grabbed some random guy for my top set. I explicitely said, "this is a new top set of 5, its gonna be hard, but give me a lift off and don't touch the bar unless I ask". He said ok. Grabbed the bar....and held it the whole way down! I finish the first rep - 255lbs still in my hands - say "don't grab the bar unless I need it!" he says ok....doesn't let go. I say fuck it and rip out a set of 10.

"That was all you man! Great work!"

yea....thanks buddy

I used to like getting lifts as well, until I learned how to get the bar off the racks properly so I can stay tight in my shoulders and upper back. Everyone likes to lift the bar up 3 inches off the j-hooks and completely ruins any tightness I had.

 

[bommy261]

i would definitely rather have a spotter. If i'm not sure i can make another rep i still like to try. if i had no spotter i would not risk it bc i don't want to drop 300+ on myself.

 

[brikis98]

Go look in the average crossfit gym and figure out how you could possibly dump weights...those people look like worker bees jumping station to station/area to area.

Have you ever actually been to a Crossfit gym? They are among the very few gyms in this country that have bumper plates specifically so you can dump the weight when you are doing o-lifts and the like. Of course, we typically don't dump on bench since we have spotters and power racks, but if we had to, the same bumper plates would likely make it a safer proposition as well.

it's probably different doing crossfit. I don't think those guys use much weight.

I'd say half the girls at the CF gym I go to use more weight than you. As for talking about CF "not using much weight" it again shows a total lack of understanding of what CF is all about. The workouts that use light weight are primarily for conditioning; however, there are plenty of workouts that focus on strength/power and people go heavy. For your enjoyment:

Josh Everett does King Kong: for time, 3 rounds of 1 455lb deadlift, 2 muscle-ups, 3 250lb cleans, 4 handstand push-ups.
2009 CF Games Deadlift Event: 1 deadlift every 20 seconds, 1st bar: 315lbs, last bar: 505lbs. Done an hour after a 7km hill run. 16/50 competitors lifted all 20 bars.

 

[alkemyst]

I know what you are talking about there is a CF gym right by the dog park I go to in Delray Beach. Worker bees always and no heavy lifters. I stopped by a few times thinking if that's where I wanted to join. My local gym is great. No bumper plates or any of the neuvo stuff like that...just a decent iron house, full of racks, benches, dumbbells, cables and pulleys, etc.

There are alot of guys getting it popular now though, probably a nice gig to have for easy money.

Dumping weights off a bar is not so much the issue as the chain-reaction of the bar moving in the opposite direction once half is unloaded.

It's not pretty and extremely dangerous...lethal if you are in the way of the bar.

 

[brikis98]

I know what you are talking about there is a CF gym right by the dog park I go to in Delray Beach. Worker bees always and no heavy lifters. I stopped by a few times thinking if that's where I wanted to join.

Crossfit affiliates are allowed to use whatever programming they want, so naturally not all are going to be great. I don't know what yours does, but if they never do heavy lifting, they aren't really doing CF.

My local gym is great. No bumper plates or any of the neuvo stuff like that...just a decent iron house, full of racks, benches, dumbbells, cables and pulleys, etc.

First of all, bumper plates are in no way a Crossfit-specific tool - they come from the wolrd of o-lifting from which Crossfit uses a lot of exercises. Second, I'm not sure why you'd be proud of not having bumper plates at your gym. Olympic lifts like the clean and snatch are some of the best exercises you can do to build strength and power and bumper plates make them a whole lot safer to do.

Dumping weights off a bar is not so much the issue as the chain-reaction of the bar moving in the opposite direction once half is unloaded.

It's not pretty and extremely dangerous...lethal if you are in the way of the bar.

Your reading comprehension really is atrocious, so this is the last time I'm going to repeat this. Dumping the weights off the bar while benching is a last resort, only to be done when you don't have a power rack and are benching ALONE and therefore don't have a spotter. It is not the safest maneuver, but it is FAR less dangerous than getting trapped underneath the bar.

 

[alkemyst]

Your reading comprehension really is atrocious, so this is the last time I'm going to repeat this. Dumping the weights off the bar while benching is a last resort, only to be done when you don't have a power rack and are benching ALONE and therefore don't have a spotter. It is not the safest maneuver, but it is FAR less dangerous than getting trapped underneath the bar.

i'd be willing to bet in a gym you wouldn't be dying under weight on your chest.

Dump them and someone can die.

It's a fucking moot point though as only a fucktard would be benching where they'd get in that situation while alone.

 

[brikis98]

i'd be willing to bet in a gym you wouldn't be dying under weight on your chest.

From "U.S. Deaths & Injuries Associated With Weight Training":

In 1998, there were 9 deaths in 304 days or an average of 1 death every 34 days... All deaths involved males, most occurred in the home (78%) with the bench press or other supine exercise (67%) implicated.

I would hazard a guess that most of the bench press related deaths had to do with people getting caught under the bar. If the collars had been off, I'd suspect they might have survived.

Dump them and someone can die.

So, if you only dump weights when you are benching alone and get stuck under them... who exactly is going to die from it?

 

[CKent]

I lift without a spotter. When I was younger it was probably a bad idea, I was a typical stupid kid, obsessed with pushing limits, etc. But I guess I got lucky and never had a problem. Now I know my limits, I get a better pump doing 70-80% of my 1RM so if I had an issue (I haven't) it'd be easier to control than my full maximum. Being overall stronger now means I also have better control over it. I dunno, I just don't see the problem, but then, I'm the type of person who can use qtips without sticking them into my brain too ^_^

 

[Koing]

I need a spotter to get the bar off the rack. I've always been weak getting it out of the rack LOL.

Koing

 

[alkemyst]

From "U.S. Deaths & Injuries Associated With Weight Training":

In 1998, there were 9 deaths in 304 days or an average of 1 death every 34 days... All deaths involved males, most occurred in the home (78%) with the bench press or other supine exercise (67%) implicated.

I would hazard a guess that most of the bench press related deaths had to do with people getting caught under the bar. If the collars had been off, I'd suspect they might have survived.


So, if you only dump weights when you are benching alone and get stuck under them... who exactly is going to die from it?

totally alone you are a fucking moron to bench in the first place. 304 deaths in a year is pretty insignificant. I wonder if they tracked how many injuries occured from someone dumping weights?

Many are talking about also being solo, but with others around them.

I don't think you have ever tried to slide a stack of weights off a bar like this. Like I said above I personally saw someone's toe get destroyed and they weren't right next to the guy. I have seen a bar go pretty much flying and through a wall like it was a prop in a movie.

If you are totally alone...no pets, people...then that's the only way out. Just don't think you may not still be hurt or have collateral damage.

 

[TallBill]

If you are totally alone...no pets, people...then that's the only way out. Just don't think you may not still be hurt or have collateral damage.

No shit sherlock.

 

[alkemyst]

well this was not what was being presented here.

 

[darkxshade]

wow, some of those CF exercises look awesome, think imma try some out today. I like workouts with explosive movements.

 

[conorvansmack]

All hail the all-mighty, all-knowing, all-seeing Alkemyst, Ignorer of Facts and Statistics. Bow to his superior knowlege and wealth of experience.

In 1998, there were 9 deaths in 304 days or an average of 1 death every 34 days

It's his way or the highway bitches!

 

[darkxshade]

304 deaths in a year is pretty insignificant.

I would assume that number includes death associated with dumping of weights in addition to the bar dropping or do you think deaths with weight dumping is not considered part of the statistic? So if 304 is insignificant to you, there should be no issue either way. It's a perfectly acceptable risk to take, especially if no one is around. I don't use collars for benching... if someone is around, I'll yell for help... failing that, I dump the weights.

"U.S. Deaths & Injuries Associated With Weight Training"

 

[glenn beck]

there is no way I would go heavy without a spotter(but just for bench and maybe seated military press), I do lift heavy and there are some days even with a spot sometimes I think I have it and then it just gives out. Better safe than sorry. Although it does help finding the right spotter. Some idiots like to hold on to the bar the whole time, and some will just wait until it collapses on you.

 

[Whisper]

I generally grab a spotter for my last set or two of flat/incline bench and military press. Most other exercises I'll do solo. It's just reassuring to know that should you get distracted, or should a joint or tendon somewhere suddenly give out, you have someone there to at least try and prevent you from dying. As another poster mentioned, it also gives me enough confidence to try an extra rep or two that I might not normally do for fear of getting "stuck."

That being said, and again as other posters have mentioned, it can be a little frustrating when someone is basically doing all of your reps for you. Well-meaning I'm sure, but frustrating nonetheless.