Spotting 101
We’ve all probably seen it (or done it)… Someone is lifting weights and pushing themselves to the limit. Everything is fine and dandy until they go for that last rep but aren’t able to complete it. They end up with a barbell crushing them and they begin to panic. If they are lucky, someone will see them and help them out; but if they are unlucky, this could potentially be a life threatening situation- a life threatening situation that could have been easily avoided by simply using a spotter. This article will teach everything you need to know about spotting for all relevant exercises so you can help keep your fellow exercise enthusiasts safe.
General Guidelines for Spotting (all exercises)
Spotting is not a job that should be taken lightly. Spotting does not just mean standing behind someone twiddling your thumbs and waiting for the set to end. A spotter needs to give their full and undivided attention to their lifter and they need to be ready to act at any moment. Proper spotting is crucial to exercising safely. An inattentive spotter is just as bad as no spotter at all, so if someone asks you to spot them, make sure you are in a proper position to help if necessary and make sure that you give them every bit of your attention during their set.
When Should a Spotter be Used, and When Should a Spotter Not be Used?
In general, a spotter should be used when you are performing heavy exercises that involve putting your body between a weight and the ground. These exercises are typically “pushing” exercises. Example of exercises that are safer with a spotter include all form of squats, bench presses (dumbbell and barbell), incline presses (dumbbell and barbell), dumbbell overhead presses, and lying tricep extensions. A spotter should also be used when performing heavy exercises that involve extreme joint angles such as dumbbell chest flies (flat or incline).
There are a few different categories of exercises that do not require a spotter. The first category of exercises that do not require a spotter is “pulling” exercises. In general, exercises that involve pulling a barbell, dumbbell, or your bodyweight up against gravity are very safe because they are done without putting the body in between the weight and the ground. Examples of “pulling” exercises include all forms of deadlifts, rows, pull-downs/pull-ups, When someone fails during one of these exercises, they can safely lower the weight (or their body) back to the ground. The next category of exercises that do not require a spotter is olympic lifts and their variants. These are dynamic exercises that involve lifting a barbell quickly. Examples include cleans, snatches, jerks, and push presses. They do not require a spotter because adding a spotter to the mix puts the lifter at risk of tripping over the spotter and it puts the spotter at risk of getting a barbell dropped onto them. The barbell can be easily and safely dropped back to the platform when failure occurs in the olympic lifts, so a spotter is unnecessary.
Spotting Technique
Spotting the Squat
There are a few different ways to spot the squat, all of which can be safe and effective. Method one involves standing behind the lifter and underhooking your arms underneath their armpits, then moving your body down and up with them as they perform their reps. From this position, you can easily grab the lifter’s torso and assist them back up in the event that they fail a rep. Another method involves taking the same position but rather than underhooking the lifter, placing your hands underneath the bar. This method is effective for relatively lighter weights (under 300lbs or so), but I would not recommend this method when spotting someone lifting heavier weights. The last method of spotting the squat involves two spotters. In this method, a spotter stands at either side of the bar and places the crook of their elbow directly underneath the end of the barbell and their other hand at the side of the weight plates. This is the safest method for spotting someone who is lifting heavier loads (400lbs+).
Spotting the Barbell Bench Press
The bench press is the most dangerous exercise that can be performed in the gym, because the only thing between the barbell and the ground is the lifter’s chest, neck, and face. If the lifter isn’t using a spotter and gets stuck underneath the bar, catastrophic injury or death could occur. You should always, always, ALWAYS use a spotter when benching heavy. In order to spot the bench press, simply stand behind the lifter and have your hands ready to grab the bar should failure occur. This does not mean to hover your hands in front of the lifter’s face, as this can be very distracting. Just stand there and pay attention, and grab the bar only if necessary. One consideration is that you should use an alternate grip to grab the bar (one hand over, one hand under) when spotting the bench press. This stops the bar from spinning in the event that you need to grab the bar and assures that you’ll be able to return the bar to the rack without grip strength becoming an issue.
Spotting All Dumbbell Pressing Exercises (Bench, Incline, OH Press) and Dumbbell Flys
Dumbbell pressing/fly exercises can be dangerous because there are two moving weighted objects rather than just one as in barbell exercises. The dumbbells also have the ability to fall in towards the lifter or out towards the ground which is different than barbell exercises which can pretty much only go forward or backwards. Letting the dumbbells fall in is an issue for obvious reasons, but letting them fall outwards can be an issue as well as this can cause serious injuries to the shoulder joint. In order to spot dumbbell pressing/fly exercises, crouch down and place your hands near the lifter’s wrists. Don’t grab them, but hover them close in case one or both of the dumbbells moves out of the groove and starts falling either in towards the lifter’s face or out towards the ground. In the event that either of these things occur, simply grab the lifter’s wrists and help them get the dumbbells back into the right groove.
Wrap-up
When in doubt, it’s better to be safe than sorry. If you’re going for a personal record or you’re just unsure about a weight you’re attempting to lift, ask for a spot. It’s far better to have a spotter but not need one than it is to not have a spotter when you do need one. Videos of all of the spotting techniques will be added to the Become Better Movement Library on YouTube in the next several weeks, so be on the lookout for that if you’d like to see demonstrations. Stay safe, use a spotter, and continue Becoming Better!
