Are spotters useful or useless?

[Jayhawk21]

I never lift with a spotter. I just use a lock-out bar in a power cage. Even when I bench press, I place the lock-out bar just where I can crawl out. For example, when bench pressing, is it necessary to have a spotter to help you do a few assisted reps at utter failure? Will this help increase mass and strength easier than just going to natural failure?

 

[Introspective]

when bench pressing, is it necessary to have a spotter to help you do a few assisted reps at utter failure?

No bench press is not supposed to be a team effort, team benching just makes you a moron.

 

[silver_shadow]

the problem is that whoever i ask in my gym thinks that if the bar is going too slowly, then i could benefit from a lift. if the guy hasn't touched the bar and i'm about to rack it, the dick wants me to crank out a few more, saying he's got it!
i keep telling my spotter "hands off unless the bar stops and goes down" but they interpret this as bar going up slowly (heavy weight).
spotter's are useful only to prevent an emergency.

 

[gunnermuscle]

I dont think spotters are entirely useless when it comes to forced reps or help on negatives, but I almost never use one and there are too many guys that use one on EVERY set and for every rep.My feeling is that if you cant handle the weight, even for one rep, you should lower it and concentrate on perfect form instead. nothing makes me shake my head more than 2 or 3 140 lb boyz spotting each other on every exercise and wondering why they cant seem to gain muscle.

 

[Chambewy20]

Spotters are useful as long as they don't help you do half your weight, they are a necessity for me.

 

[Wayneo]

So when benching would only use a smith machine? The only reason i ask is you won't be activating all your stabising muscles in the movement.

 

[djeclipse]

So when benching would only use a smith machine? The only reason i ask is you won't be activating all your stabising muscles in the movement.

Never use a smith machine!

He is talking about a power rack which is a real piece of gym equipment.

Not the smith machine which is only useful for stretching and keeping the morons out of the power rack/squat rack

 

[silver_shadow]

the only thing i would advise using the smith is for hanging your towel...
ok maybe not, maybe for chinups & pullups (put the bar up high) or you hang upside down and do ab crunches.

 

[djeclipse]

When lifting for a new PR I always use a spotter but I make it perfectly clear that he is not to even think about touching the bar unless I specifically ask him to. I say don't touch it unless it's on my chest and I can't breathe. That usually gets the point across.

Most of the time the spotter tries to get me to do a few more reps but I never give in.

One question about people that bench in the power rack. How do you geta full range of motion if you have the safety bars set up around the chest area? You just don't bench right ot your chest?

 

[silver_shadow]

One question about people that bench in the power rack. How do you geta full range of motion if you have the safety bars set up around the chest area? You just don't bench right ot your chest?

i've been wondering the same thing myself