Gotta rant just a little bit. I don’t have a workout partner this summer so I have to ask random people to spot me. Why is it that when you ask someone to spot, and you say “only help me if the bar stops moving and starts going down”, that on each and every rep they’re helping you put the bar up? Why? I want to go to failure but its like they’re trying to shelter you from pain or something. I sure appreciate the help sizzle chest, but you pretty much ruined another workout. Another thing is the opposite. I may be trying to do a lot of sets and not go to failure (Pavel’s Bear) and some jerky who’s spotting me will yell “ya got one more rep in ya!” Oh really? After this you want to help me design my next training cycle? Whats bad is these lamers make a sigh of disappointment when you rack it, I guess not understanding the concept of you don’t have to train to failure everytime. They must be HIT lovers or something.
Comments?
I always tell them that weight training is not a team sport. i dont need help unless im about to die
Dude you are SOOOO Right. I absolutely despise the shit out of the people who do these things. I especially had this problem when I first started training about 8-10 months ago. I was doing the SHawn Phillips BP Program (stupid to start from that, I know) and some guys would just strain so hard at lifting the bar at every rep of mine that I thought I was the spotter for his upright rows. At every set I would fantasize standing up right after the set, taking 2 45 lb. plates and smashing the numbskull’s head in-Oh dreams so sweet of glory. Well, recently my brother visited me from college for about 4 weeks, and in his stay I used him as my spotter/partner, and I devised a perfect spotting strategy for him while we’re in the basement workin out. I’d be doing a hard set of bench and he’d be doing some curls or squats or somethin else and we agreed that he’d only save me from the accelerating newtons if I screamed (or gasped) something. This way, I made sure that nothing like that safety-concious spotting would ever happen again. Too bad he’s gone off again to summer prog.
This may sound funny, but my strategy is to get unprogrammed newbies (that don’t look TOO weak) to spot me. I tell them exactly what to do: “Don’t even TOUCH the bar unless it starts heading back down, just stand there and be ready.” If they do it right, I congradulate them, if not, I tell them what they damned to hell better NOT do next time. Now, I have a band of newbies trained to spot me exactly how I want. I recommend this strategy.
be lucky that you can have someone stop to help you. It might not be what you expect, that is because you did not tell them what you wanted. If someone offers to help, show gratitude…
Choad, you’re right on. Back a bit I was doing Ian King’s Super Strength and during the phase with the heavy negatives I could walk into the gym, look around, and think “I’m screwed on those sets today.” Then I did just as you said, found a couple newbie guys - high school football players work well - and tell them EXACTLY what to do. No probs after that.