Thoughts on spotters helping unrack weight

[perp69]

I don't but just curious how many people have the spotter help them unrack the weight when benching raw? What are the pros and cons?

Perp

 

[Lee]

pretty standard practice i would say. now having a spotter force reps is lame imho. but unracking isnt really that important.

 

[perp69]

pretty standard practice i would say. now having a spotter force reps is lame imho. but unracking isnt really that important.

I usually bench in cage without a spotter so I unrack the weight myself. I feel like it is important to unrack it yourself. I have heard others say unracking it can injury the shoulders, etc so that is what I was really trying to get at. Do people think this true?

 

[Tweakle]

its hard to maintain proper shoulder alignment and arch without a liftoff, plus my shoulder joints do not appreciate the movement.

there's not reason at all not to get a liftoff, provided the spotter knows what he's doing (bad liftoffs can really spoil your day)

 

[H_T_]

its hard to maintain proper shoulder alignment and arch without a liftoff, plus my shoulder joints do not appreciate the movement.

there's not reason at all not to get a liftoff, provided the spotter knows what he's doing (bad liftoffs can really spoil your day)

the only guy around for me on bench day fucking tosses the weight to me. i have to almost catch the weight.

 

[Kabeetz]

If you're gonna be helped unracking the weight, but then complete the lifts through a full ROM on your own... then hey go for it. If it's one of those things where you're being helped to unrack it because you can't friggin' lift the damn thing off the rack on your own.. there's a problem (and an all too common one at that). Essential difference between the two though.

 

[jml1984]

what about with a heavy DB military/incline press? Would it hurt to have someone hand the weight to you as opposed to flipping it up yourself?

 

[Powerbuilder333]

I used to always unrack the weight (and train without a partner) myself. Then I started to compete in powerlifting, and I needed to get used to getting a hand off. Now I train with a partner 2 out of 3 bench days and use a hand off. The other day I unrack it myself. If you have someone help with a hand off I recomend always using the same person so you get to know each others abilities and techniques.

 

[s8nlilhlpr]

what about with a heavy DB military/incline press? Would it hurt to have someone hand the weight to you as opposed to flipping it up yourself?

Just use a barbell and pick it up off the power rack.

I would love to have a competent (sp) partner for a hand-off. Sadly they seem to be in short supply at my gym. Very few people I actually trust to spot me, I generally just drop the weight if I get stuck (standing work). Bench, I stick below my max range.

 

[JohnRobHolmes]

I could see heavy weights taxing a shoulder when unracking. I dont have anybody to help me right now, so I unrack myself. Back when I lifted in school I had a partner, and he would always jerk the weight too much and screw up my posture. Fucking tool did it on purpose too.

 

[BiggT]

After a certain point weight-wise, like Tweakle said, it is hard to stay tight and stable if you unrack yourself. Mendolson's world record 713 raw bench he had a liftoff....I'm an old school stickler when it comes to everything in a weightroom, and I take liftoffs on bench work. NOW, if the spotters hands so much as graze the bar during the lift then it doesn't count and it's time to find someone else.

 

[Sets]

Train safe, Train smart, Train hard and use a spotter when needed.. Keep it tight on both sides of the movement...

 

[ar6]

NOW, if the spotters hands so much as graze the bar during the lift then it doesn't count and it's time to find someone else.

qft I always tell a spotter, "Please don't touch the bar unless it starts going down instead of up"

 

[Y_lifter]

Con -

Dying due to a crappy spotter dropping it on your head

 

[silver_shadow]

tweakle said it all. there are no cons unless the spotter bungles with his hand off. the problem without the handoff is that it's difficult (or impossible actually) to get into the correct position unless the weight is really light..

 

[blut wump]

qft I always tell a spotter, "Please don't touch the bar unless it starts going down instead of up"

I tell them not to touch it unless either I call for help or I'm unconscious.

Usually, I train alone so I unrack alone. I've never noticed any difficulty holding an arch and getting the bar into the right plane. Maybe my bench is still too crap to have encountered the problem.

 

[Lee]

i train alone as well blut, but i also probably dont move as much weight as you.

also with DBs, i think it is important to get them into position yourself because you have to be able to control the weight your using with a DB moreso then with a barbell.