yeah it’s pretty chump-like to expect 75% of your reps to be assisted. should be more like 1 or 2
[quote]waylanderxx wrote:
on edge wrote:
People have indicated they really like the way I spot. This is what I do. For the lift off I gave up on timing the lift along time ago. I just simply lift with what is probably around 30 or 40 pounds of pressure before they do. This way whenever they lift, the help is there.
I don’t try to place it at any point above their chest, I just simply add stability for them to get it where they want it.
Whey the begin to struggle I put my hands under the bar but don’t touch unless they stall. If they begin another rep when I think there’s a good chance they won’t get it, I switch to an overhand spot where I’m LIGHTLY gripping the bar all the way down and all the way up.
With the light grip you can really feel how much pressure to assist with to keep the bar moving, but with the minimum amount of help possible.
When I spot someone on bench I would never pull it off unless they totally failed. If someone goes for an extra rep with me, they better be prepared to grind because I’m going to assume they are there too work, not to get a freebee.
WRONG! You touch the bar before I say so and I fucking kill you.
lol jk. But seriously, as soon as someone touches the bar, my focus goes out the window and the set is over.[/quote]
So, are you saying you want to go “one”, “two” and on three your spotter grabs the bar and lifts in one movement. That doesn’t sound real smooth or consistent. I think you might want to work on your focus if you’re that easily disturbed.
It’s not like I’m standing there making love to the bar. A guy is getting set up, you can see when he’s about ready to go, you grab the bar and start lifting. He goes “one, two, three” and lifts. After the set he says “Wow, you timed that lift perfectly”.
This is reason #203943 why I’m glad as hell that I lift with a crew of guys that all know what the fuck they’re doing in the gym. Screw-ups like the ones described in this thread are completely inconceivable to us.
[quote]PRCalDude wrote:
Professor X wrote:
Iron Dwarf wrote:
Personally, I expect most people to be idiots so if I ask for a spot, it’s going to be from someone who clearly looks like they know the ins and outs of a gym and can handle the weight if I get into trouble. Even then I usually just have them stand there with instruction to only touch the weight if I get into trouble.
I try telling people that and it doesn’t work. “Just stand there and help if I ask.”
They can’t do it. I haven’t figured out why. I only ask for a spot on squats, so I think I just need to start squatting in the power rack so that I can just bail the bar if I really need to.
[/quote]
I work out by myself … If I need a spot I’ll ask someone I see in there on a regular basis and tell em exactly what I’m going for and if I need they’re help I’ll let em know.
Unfortunately being that direct with people, even those people who you might think know what the fuck I just said, doesn’t always cut it. So, if I see them going to help me out on a rep I’m grinding out I squeele out a “I got it” before they touch the bar. It’s actually helped me get through the grind on a few occasions.
I wonder if I could talk my gym into letting me teach a spotting class so fuckers know what’s up
I just discovered I can dump the bar on squats. God bless bumper plates. And I’m pretty weak on the bench so rolling it down my torso works just fine. I’ve had pretty good luck with spotters though, probably over 70% kicked ass. I just don’t like disturbing people to get help.
[quote]waylanderxx wrote:
on edge wrote:
People have indicated they really like the way I spot. This is what I do. For the lift off I gave up on timing the lift along time ago. I just simply lift with what is probably around 30 or 40 pounds of pressure before they do. This way whenever they lift, the help is there.
I don’t try to place it at any point above their chest, I just simply add stability for them to get it where they want it.
Whey the begin to struggle I put my hands under the bar but don’t touch unless they stall. If they begin another rep when I think there’s a good chance they won’t get it, I switch to an overhand spot where I’m LIGHTLY gripping the bar all the way down and all the way up.
With the light grip you can really feel how much pressure to assist with to keep the bar moving, but with the minimum amount of help possible.
When I spot someone on bench I would never pull it off unless they totally failed. If someone goes for an extra rep with me, they better be prepared to grind because I’m going to assume they are there too work, not to get a freebee.
WRONG! You touch the bar before I say so and I fucking kill you.
lol jk. But seriously, as soon as someone touches the bar, my focus goes out the window and the set is over.[/quote]
I agree with this. If you touch the bar, even if you aren’t helping, the rep doesn’t count. I can’t trust that you didn’t help or guide the bar, even just a wee bit.
I miss having arch enemies. I haven’t had one since I graduated. Maybe I can cultivate some at the gym.
[quote]rock27 wrote:
He’s a spotter![/quote]
epic zing
[quote]schultzie wrote:
yeah it’s pretty chump-like to expect 75% of your reps to be assisted. should be more like 1 or 2[/quote]
yeah i want assistance on that rep that i wouldnt do w/o the guy, the one thatd trap me under if i didnt have a spotter and thats it - which is the only reason i use a spotter.
i mean do people really think thats them moving the weight? like buddy, i have 40 pounds on you and use half the weight you do…think theres a connection?
thats why even when someone tells me what they can lift inside the gym i tell them yea, ill believe it when i see it.
[quote]pushmepullme wrote:
waylanderxx wrote:
on edge wrote:
People have indicated they really like the way I spot. This is what I do. For the lift off I gave up on timing the lift along time ago. I just simply lift with what is probably around 30 or 40 pounds of pressure before they do. This way whenever they lift, the help is there.
I don’t try to place it at any point above their chest, I just simply add stability for them to get it where they want it.
Whey the begin to struggle I put my hands under the bar but don’t touch unless they stall. If they begin another rep when I think there’s a good chance they won’t get it, I switch to an overhand spot where I’m LIGHTLY gripping the bar all the way down and all the way up.
With the light grip you can really feel how much pressure to assist with to keep the bar moving, but with the minimum amount of help possible.
When I spot someone on bench I would never pull it off unless they totally failed. If someone goes for an extra rep with me, they better be prepared to grind because I’m going to assume they are there too work, not to get a freebee.
WRONG! You touch the bar before I say so and I fucking kill you.
lol jk. But seriously, as soon as someone touches the bar, my focus goes out the window and the set is over.
I agree with this. If you touch the bar, even if you aren’t helping, the rep doesn’t count. I can’t trust that you didn’t help or guide the bar, even just a wee bit.
I miss having arch enemies. I haven’t had one since I graduated. Maybe I can cultivate some at the gym.[/quote]
What you do is go in and when someone asks you to spot em, when they fail and go again shout “IT’S ALL YOU” and walk away.
That’s sure to get you an arch enemy or two.
[quote]LiveFromThe781 wrote:
yeah i want assistance on that rep that i wouldnt do w/o the guy, the one thatd trap me under if i didnt have a spotter and thats it - which is the only reason i use a spotter.
[/quote]
Ya agree there, I’d only go for that rep with a spotter over me.
On the note of spotting heroes, I was recently in the gym when two fierce skinny fellas came, proceeded to “load up the bar” on the bench with a total of…30Kg, including the bar.
One lay on the bench, his buddy lifted off for him and helped on every single one of his 8 reps.
I couldn’t believe this shit…I would say sumthin but I was too busy laughing my ass off.
[quote]pushmepullme wrote:
waylanderxx wrote:
on edge wrote:
People have indicated they really like the way I spot. This is what I do. For the lift off I gave up on timing the lift along time ago. I just simply lift with what is probably around 30 or 40 pounds of pressure before they do. This way whenever they lift, the help is there.
I don’t try to place it at any point above their chest, I just simply add stability for them to get it where they want it.
Whey the begin to struggle I put my hands under the bar but don’t touch unless they stall. If they begin another rep when I think there’s a good chance they won’t get it, I switch to an overhand spot where I’m LIGHTLY gripping the bar all the way down and all the way up.
With the light grip you can really feel how much pressure to assist with to keep the bar moving, but with the minimum amount of help possible.
When I spot someone on bench I would never pull it off unless they totally failed. If someone goes for an extra rep with me, they better be prepared to grind because I’m going to assume they are there too work, not to get a freebee.
WRONG! You touch the bar before I say so and I fucking kill you.
lol jk. But seriously, as soon as someone touches the bar, my focus goes out the window and the set is over.
I agree with this. If you touch the bar, even if you aren’t helping, the rep doesn’t count. I can’t trust that you didn’t help or guide the bar, even just a wee bit.
I miss having arch enemies. I haven’t had one since I graduated. Maybe I can cultivate some at the gym.[/quote]
Maybe I misunderstood him misunderstanding me. I thought he was talking about touching the bar before the lift off. I would never touch a bar mid set unless it was a clear fail. That’s the worst kind of gym offense. Right up there with stinking and spitting luggies in the sink.
[quote]rock27 wrote:
LiveFromThe781 wrote:
yeah i want assistance on that rep that i wouldnt do w/o the guy, the one thatd trap me under if i didnt have a spotter and thats it - which is the only reason i use a spotter.
Ya agree there, I’d only go for that rep with a spotter over me.
On the note of spotting heroes, I was recently in the gym when two fierce skinny fellas came, proceeded to “load up the bar” on the bench with a total of…30Kg, including the bar.
One lay on the bench, his buddy lifted off for him and helped on every single one of his 8 reps.
I couldn’t believe this shit…I would say sumthin but I was too busy laughing my ass off.[/quote]
i dont even like having a spotter lift the weight off for me because it feels so awkward. i mean, maybe when i start benching 405 or whatever ill need a spotter for that but right now id rather unrack myself too.
[quote]LiveFromThe781 wrote:
rock27 wrote:
LiveFromThe781 wrote:
yeah i want assistance on that rep that i wouldnt do w/o the guy, the one thatd trap me under if i didnt have a spotter and thats it - which is the only reason i use a spotter.
Ya agree there, I’d only go for that rep with a spotter over me.
On the note of spotting heroes, I was recently in the gym when two fierce skinny fellas came, proceeded to “load up the bar” on the bench with a total of…30Kg, including the bar.
One lay on the bench, his buddy lifted off for him and helped on every single one of his 8 reps.
I couldn’t believe this shit…I would say sumthin but I was too busy laughing my ass off.
i dont even like having a spotter lift the weight off for me because it feels so awkward. i mean, maybe when i start benching 405 or whatever ill need a spotter for that but right now id rather unrack myself too.
[/quote]
Ya man I’m the exact same. I hate the way it feels when someone lifts off on the bench anyway. I feel in a worse position than if I were to lift it myself.
Wednesdays are my spot day. Awesome back workout.
Last week this guido asshat asks me for a spot, i usually have no problem, and since finding a good spot in the gym is hard, i figure i would do this guy a favor and save him from another asshat. He has 185lb on the bar and told me he was going for 8, i said cool.
Well he starts bringing the weight down on the first rep and brings it about 6 inches away from his chest and start to push but the bar goes nowhere… I lightly help him thinking it was his sticking point, but i was wrong, i grab the bar with both hands because i though he loaded the wrong weight, but he said “common man help me out i got 7 more”…
I could not believe it, the benches on my gym suck dick as well, making really hard to balance yourself, he benched really low as well which made it harder to row 185lb. I got a bruise on each shin from the way i had to position myself so i wouldn’t lose balance with a 185lb and fall on top of him…
[quote]matso1236 wrote:
Last week this guido asshat asks me for a spot, i usually have no problem, and since finding a good spot in the gym is hard, i figure i would do this guy a favor and save him from another asshat. He has 185lb on the bar and told me he was going for 8, i said cool.
Well he starts bringing the weight down on the first rep and brings it about 6 inches away from his chest and start to push but the bar goes nowhere… I lightly help him thinking it was his sticking point, but i was wrong, i grab the bar with both hands because i though he loaded the wrong weight, but he said “common man help me out i got 7 more”…
I could not believe it, the benches on my gym suck dick as well, making really hard to balance yourself, he benched really low as well which made it harder to row 185lb. I got a bruise on each shin from the way i had to position myself so i wouldn’t lose balance with a 185lb and fall on top of him…[/quote]
Did you thank him for spotting your rowing after you were done?
And the Lord spake, saying, ‘First shalt thou take out the
Holy Pin. Then, shalt thou count to three, no more, no less. Three
shalt be the number thou shalt count, and the number of the counting
shalt be three. Four shalt thou not count, nor either count thou two,
excepting that thou then proceed to three. Five is right out. Once
the number three, being the third number, be reached, then lobbest thou
thy Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch towards thou foe, who being naughty
in my sight, shall snuff it.’
This is how you count.
[quote]LiveFromThe781 wrote:
i dont even like having a spotter lift the weight off for me because it feels so awkward. i mean, maybe when i start benching 405 or whatever ill need a spotter for that but right now id rather unrack myself too.
[/quote]
I prefer a lift off versus unracking it myself. The benches in our gym are set at an awkward height and only have 3 levels. The top one is just high enough that when I unrack I have to pop out through my shoulders and I lose my arch and my back isn’t tight. After I unrack, it’s like I need to reset myself all over again. It’s tough being a benching princess 
[quote]ouroboro_s wrote:
LiveFromThe781 wrote:
i dont even like having a spotter lift the weight off for me because it feels so awkward. i mean, maybe when i start benching 405 or whatever ill need a spotter for that but right now id rather unrack myself too.
I prefer a lift off versus unracking it myself. The benches in our gym are set at an awkward height and only have 3 levels. The top one is just high enough that when I unrack I have to pop out through my shoulders and I lose my arch and my back isn’t tight. After I unrack, it’s like I need to reset myself all over again. It’s tough being a benching princess :)[/quote]
yeah i guess if youre shorter its gonna be different since ya cant even reach up there. whatever i should let you short people just die there since you all think youre soooo cool with your wicked small ROM anyway.
[quote]Mr.Bill wrote:
And the Lord spake, saying, ‘First shalt thou take out the
Holy Pin. Then, shalt thou count to three, no more, no less. Three
shalt be the number thou shalt count, and the number of the counting
shalt be three. Four shalt thou not count, nor either count thou two,
excepting that thou then proceed to three. Five is right out. Once
the number three, being the third number, be reached, then lobbest thou
thy Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch towards thou foe, who being naughty
in my sight, shall snuff it.’
This is how you count.[/quote]
everyone read this in the same voice.