This kid at the gym (6’x155#) elected to try to squat 315 for reps after we had a converstation about the subject. He got so fired up (eager) about it that I reluctantly offered him a spot. I had seen him just finish a set at 225# and he was only doing quarters so I thought he’d barely get a quarter and give it up. But nooooo! He sits into 2 reps at about a quarter and on the 3rd goes deeper and losses it totally. It would have been ok but just as I got hold of his ribs he lets the bar roll off his back. I very barely got out of the way and 315 crashed down on the safety rails which were set about 12 inches off the floor. Neither one of us got hurt but that was damn close.
And you let him do it?
What were you thinking and stop it. There are enough injuries in the gym. Leave your case of dumb ass at home, please.
Which raises the related questions:
WHY are the rails on squat racks typically
far lower than the smallest midget would ever
need them to be? So low that letting the bar off onto the rails is highly awkward and perhaps biomechanically dangerous?
WHY do most lifters BACK UP OUTSIDE
OF THE RAILS before squatting, even when
the rails are a reasonable height but certainly not too high?
The ideal I think would be the adjustable
rails sold by Ironmind, adjusted either
so that you exactly touch super-lightly when
down as low as you plan to go (so that you
have verification on every rep of having gone to the planned depth, and if needed, can set the bar down perfectly easily), or just below
that (still allowing the bar to be set down easily.)
I agree that I’m just as responsible for not stopping him and not setting up the rack myself. Personally I squat alone and I set the rails at just below my lowest point.