Spot.

[Melbourne]

What is correct technique for spotting?

When I ask for a spot it is so there is someone standing by in case I can't get the weight to move or if I'm worried that my technique may become unstable.

What I get in the way of a spot is more likely to be someone putting their hands all over the bar while I'm still comfortably lifting the weight. Sometimes I reckon its more of a workout for them than for me. Even if I say something like I only want help if I yell out for it during the lift, they're still in there heaving away. Sometimes I get a useful "yeah" or "one-more" or the time honoured "its all you".

Am I wrong about what spotting is meant to be?

 

[AngryMuscles]

you don't rely on your spotters..spotters are there for assistance..but the lift is still yours!! they're just there for safety in case you locked out and stuff like that.

talk to your spotter first..let him know how you workout..

 

[02gixxersix]

I hate when people spot me and starting yanking on the weight as soon as it stalls. They seem to get scared and I guess it's better safe than sorry but a lot of people do it even if you tell them not to. I mean if I drop it then grab it but 999 times out of 1000 i will yell grab it or something like that.

 

[silver_shadow]

bang on about what a spotter should do melbourne. the problem is that for 99.99% of gym rats, "spotting" has an entirely different meaning - "they" think "spotting" = "helping" and most of them will attempt to lift loads much beyond their capacity necessitating alot of "helping". for the rest of us smart guys, we know what the hell we are doing and we also know that not only are we lifting within our reach, but when we attempt a PR or a heavy lift, if things go wrong, it's not going to be extremely dangerous - just a light push is good enough to get us out of the mess on most occasions.

there was this vid that a bro called tweakle had posted a while back on EF. so he's got i think somewhere around 600 lbs loaded up for a squat and he had the skinniest spotter possible... funny stuff... the spotter was too scared to get anywhere near him lol

 

[roccodart440]

Spottterd should be close enough for a quick grab but offer no assistance until the bar stalls or moves in the negtative direction.

 

[evansss]

agreed on all of the above. And i do see alot of spotters that look like there doing upright rows with their buddys on the bench. pretty fucking stupid if you ask me. Personally i like to completly fail and have the weight drop down alil before getting SOME assistance in the lift. Another bad spot technique is that once you seem the person fail, you help them as much as possible. I think its better to still give the person only just enough help to complete the rep. Another good way to spot is to blast sticking points. If sombody is struggling at a specific point on their way up, help them get through it then let them complete the rest of the rep themselves. And lastly of course is forced reps, where upon complete exhaustion, the spotter will give alot of help to the person lifting so they can complete extra reps that they normally wouldnt be able to do.

 

[Phil9999]

alot of times someone asks for a spot and they keep saying help me w one more. I get really temped to say i didnt plan on working my bis today.

 

[mister69]

i workout alone now..it sux

My old training partner is back at school...we would have great workouts.

Now what i need spots for is usually bench and squats . I just ask someone who is around and let them know that i do not want them to help me at all ..unless i fail completly.

Basically working out alone sux...but gotta do what u gotta do

 

[Tafman]

i get asked almost everytime i lift to spot, last time some curl jockey took my bench while i was spotting a guy who didnt even need it.

 

[t3project]

i workout alone now..it sux

My old training partner is back at school...we would have great workouts.

Now what i need spots for is usually bench and squats . I just ask someone who is around and let them know that i do not want them to help me at all ..unless i fail completly.

Basically working out alone sux...but gotta do what u gotta do

i know what you mean. i basically work out alone too. i lift mid-morning when hardly no one with any strength is there. it sucks when i want to go heavy.

 

[mister69]

agreed, honestly one thign that gets me pissed is when they give me attitude as if its such trouble for them to spot me on bench or squats

i know what you mean. i basically work out alone too. i lift mid-morning when hardly no one with any strength is there. it sucks when i want to go heavy.

 

[t3project]

agreed, honestly one thign that gets me pissed is when they give me attitude as if its such trouble for them to spot me on bench or squats

i dont let people spot me on squats. if i cant bring it back up, i'll ease it down and let is rest on the bars beneath me.