Anyone know of any gadgets that spot you while squating or bench pressing for people who workout alone. I’ve been training for 10 years and I’ve had my share of training partners, but I’ve found that I am alot more focused, strong and determined when I workout alone. I look at it as meditation in movement.But sometimes, when going heavy I find myself needing a spotter and I don’t like asking anyone for assistance so that I don’t lose that focus in case they start to chat. I figure if there was any gadget out there to help in spotting, it would make a great tool for atheletes and for us T-men to try out!
Depending on what movement you are working, there are ways of spotting yourself. When I go really heavy on the bench press, I use a power rack. Set the bars at about chest height so when you are pressing you bring the bar down to just above the safety pins. For squating, do basically the same thing.
If you have to bail out, you just have to breathe out a little bit extra on the bench or bail forward on the squat. This is better than being crushed!
I enjoy working out alone also- training partners are a distraction for me.
Hope this works
Jeff
Squat-
I always thought thats what the pins in the squat rack were for.
Bench Press-
Can’t think of any good self-spotting methods for a pure bench press… there is always the smith machine…
YES. You can buy the “pillars of power” spotter racks from Ironmind.
This is exactly what they are for.
They adjust from 25 - 41 inches and can support FOUR THOUSAND POUNDS.
For what its worth…
I’ve used flat benches with spotters built into the benches at two different gyms. In essence, the bench had a mini power rack attached to it so you could set a bar at chest level on either side of you. On one bench it was literally like a mini power rack, on the other bench there were arms you could hook into a groove at the back of the bench that would catch the weight.
I read about a power rack cage that could adjust the pins in one sixth (1/6) of an inch increments.
The guy who made/sold it was using it for bench presses to slowly go from lock out down to his chest. At the time he was using about 500 lbs pressing it about six inches. Each workout he would lower the pin.