Reassurance please after gym fail!

punkeson
punkeson Posts: 37 Member
edited November 8 in Fitness and Exercise
Hi guys
I had a bit of a close call at the gym yesterday. I'd done a 5 minute warm up on a bike and then moved into the weights area to start my workout. I did a dumbell bench press as my first exercise, with 8kg dumbells which is my normal weight for this exercise. On the second rep my arm wobbled horribly and the whole move went to pieces, I think I was lucky not to drop the dumbell on myself!
I'm now cross with myself as this seems like a close call - I'm putting it down to not warming up properly- from now on I will prbably do a small set of warm up reps with a lighter weight before embarking on my normal sets with full weight - is this a standard thing that everyone does?
There was also of course a bit of the embarrasment factor - I think only one of person saw but I figure that I've spent a lot of time in the gym now so of course the fails will start to mount up!
Has anyone else had any gym fails like this?
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Replies

  • rogerOb1
    rogerOb1 Posts: 318 Member
    Been there, done that. I have bailed out on my dumbbell lift on a weight I was fine with in the previous session. No big deal. Definitely do warm up sets until you are comfortable, then get into your working weight sets
  • DvlDwnInGA
    DvlDwnInGA Posts: 368 Member
    I have dropped an 80 lb dumbbell on my chest that left a bruise for a week. It happens, if you are going to lift weights you are going to miss on your lifts from time to time.
  • lisalsd1
    lisalsd1 Posts: 1,519 Member
    I saw a lady fall off of a treadmill and hit the wall like a ton of bricks. She was at the gym the following day. On a scale of embarrassment, that's much worse.
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    try failing on barbell bench press with no spotter and the bar is stuck on your chest ….that pretty much sucked…thankfully,I managed to maneuver the bar off of my chest…

    just realize it happens, and get back at it the next day …

  • 2013sk
    2013sk Posts: 1,318 Member
    We have all had embarrassing moments at the gym. I wouldn't even worry about it or lose sleep over it.

    I just get back there the next day & kiss *kitten*. Half the time I walk around the gym with big sweat patches on my bum......... Do I care? NO! Am I there for a reason? YES! Am I progressing? YES! Do I care what people think of me? HELL NO!!!!!!!!

    I pay my membership & do my thing, then go home..... You should do the same too. Don't worry if people are watching you, You just do your thing - Accomplish YOUR GOALS!!!
  • GraemeMcC
    GraemeMcC Posts: 44 Member
    ndj1979 wrote: »
    try failing on barbell bench press with no spotter and the bar is stuck on your chest ….that pretty much sucked…thankfully,I managed to maneuver the bar off of my chest…

    just realize it happens, and get back at it the next day …
    Me too :smile:
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    herrspoons wrote: »
    Well, for embarrassment, I split my shorts while squatting... whilst going commando.

    Awkward.

    at least you did not drop a deuce….
  • Mycophilia
    Mycophilia Posts: 1,225 Member
    herrspoons wrote: »
    Well, for embarrassment, I split my shorts while squatting... whilst going commando.

    Awkward.

    On the bright side, people probably got to see the mad pump you were getting in your glutes :smiley:
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  • 999tigger
    999tigger Posts: 5,235 Member
    Stuff happens. Im more wary of injuring myself as thats a disaster. If I cant lift a weight some days, then I just go lower and make a note of it. I know when im trying or not and just accept it.
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
    if you lift often- and you lift heavy- you WILL fail.

    You will get to greedy- or you'll just have a bad set up.

    it happens.

    I failed a weight I was more than comfortable with a while ago- thankfully I was benching in the powercage- I just had a really sh!tty set up- and biffed the lift- next go round was fine.

    It happens.
    Move on- chalk it up to learning experiences :)
  • Willbenchforcupcakes
    Willbenchforcupcakes Posts: 4,955 Member
    JoRocka wrote: »
    if you lift often- and you lift heavy- you WILL fail.

    You will get to greedy- or you'll just have a bad set up.

    it happens.

    I failed a weight I was more than comfortable with a while ago- thankfully I was benching in the powercage- I just had a really sh!tty set up- and biffed the lift- next go round was fine.

    It happens.
    Move on- chalk it up to learning experiences :)

    Yes. Last week a deadlift under my normal opener had me flat on my *ss. You shake it off and keep going

  • willrun4bagels
    willrun4bagels Posts: 838 Member
    herrspoons wrote: »
    Well, for embarrassment, I split my shorts while squatting... whilst going commando.

    Awkward.

    This is my worst nightmare. I do a squat test in all pants/shorts before wearing them to the gym for this very reason.
  • yopeeps025
    yopeeps025 Posts: 8,680 Member
    The roll of shame.
  • feralkitten1010
    feralkitten1010 Posts: 219 Member
    Sometimes you just have an off day. I had lots of them when I played softball. To ease your embarrassment, the random one person who may or may not have seen you falter won't even remember you or your lapse tomorrow.
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
    JoRocka wrote: »
    if you lift often- and you lift heavy- you WILL fail.

    You will get to greedy- or you'll just have a bad set up.

    it happens.

    I failed a weight I was more than comfortable with a while ago- thankfully I was benching in the powercage- I just had a really sh!tty set up- and biffed the lift- next go round was fine.

    It happens.
    Move on- chalk it up to learning experiences :)

    Yes. Last week a deadlift under my normal opener had me flat on my *ss. You shake it off and keep going
    lol that awkward moment when the lift comes up way to fast and you fall over backwards.. yeah- that's a thing LOL.
  • becky10rp
    becky10rp Posts: 573 Member
    I fainted at my gym (I was 3 months pregnant) - was walking to the water fountain - never made it.........! Yes, it was embarrassing - I 'came to' with a half dozen trainers peering down at me - but - I was there the next morning.........! Just keep doing what you're doing!
  • rides4sanity
    rides4sanity Posts: 1,269 Member
    Learn the roll of shame... If it starts to go roll a bit so the weight falls to the floor rather than your face or chest.
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    JoRocka wrote: »
    if you lift often- and you lift heavy- you WILL fail.

    You will get to greedy- or you'll just have a bad set up.

    it happens.

    I failed a weight I was more than comfortable with a while ago- thankfully I was benching in the powercage- I just had a really sh!tty set up- and biffed the lift- next go round was fine.

    It happens.
    Move on- chalk it up to learning experiences :)

    Yes. Last week a deadlift under my normal opener had me flat on my *ss. You shake it off and keep going

    at least if you fail on deads the damn bar is not stuck on your chest...LOL
  • Wronkletoad
    Wronkletoad Posts: 368 Member
    or on snatches where you can bonk yer schnoz!

    from reading your story, TS, it looks like you're really doing great and I see this as a sign of "the next level". keep on kicking arsch! yay!
  • luluinca
    luluinca Posts: 2,899 Member
    I'm pretty sure I generally look like an idiot every day at the gym............oh well! The worst was while setting up for some swiss ball jackknifes. As I was rolling out into position I just kept going, and rather fast, doing a face plant on the gym floor.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    I had to bail out from under a clean and jerk on Saturday...

    A part of life when you're lifting is missing lifts on occasion.
  • Willbenchforcupcakes
    Willbenchforcupcakes Posts: 4,955 Member
    ndj1979 wrote: »
    JoRocka wrote: »
    if you lift often- and you lift heavy- you WILL fail.

    You will get to greedy- or you'll just have a bad set up.

    it happens.

    I failed a weight I was more than comfortable with a while ago- thankfully I was benching in the powercage- I just had a really sh!tty set up- and biffed the lift- next go round was fine.

    It happens.
    Move on- chalk it up to learning experiences :)

    Yes. Last week a deadlift under my normal opener had me flat on my *ss. You shake it off and keep going

    at least if you fail on deads the damn bar is not stuck on your chest...LOL

    Which is why when I lift alone I hog the rack if I'm anywhere near my max.
  • stealthq
    stealthq Posts: 4,298 Member
    yopeeps025 wrote: »
    The roll of shame.

    I do this one all the time.

    Takes me several workouts to do a complete 5x5 bench at a new weight, and then when I finally succeed ... add 5 more lbs and failures all over the place. Yesterday, I failed rep 4 every set until I wised up enough to stop at 3. I really need to get a set of fractional plates and sneak them in (my gym doesn't allow outside equipment).

    More embarrassing for me was my last squat failure. During my warmup, of all things. I was sitting in the hole and working on getting low, used a bit too much dorsiflexion, tipped forward, overcompensated, and fell on my *kitten*. Bar made a nice bang and clatter when it hit the safety rails after falling a whole 2 inches, tops. It wouldn't have bothered me much except one of the gym's trainers made a bit of a deal over checking to see if I was OK.
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
    stealthq wrote: »
    It wouldn't have bothered me much except one of the gym's trainers made a bit of a deal over checking to see if I was OK.

    wildly annoying.

    failing a major lift only requires checking up on if the equipment failed- or you were completely alone and unsupported.

    I'm so grateful to lift in a gym where loud noises are the norm. no one rushes to help anyone if they fail unless they are benching alone- or something fell over. You have safety rails- that's what they are there for.
  • ucabucca
    ucabucca Posts: 606 Member
    It has happened to me and yes warm up is important but it still can happen just an off day wrong grip whatever. Just keep going that's why I try to use a spotter on heavy weights but any falling on you could hurt I guess beyond pride with bruises etc. We can also walk off a curb wrong too
  • dbmata
    dbmata Posts: 12,950 Member
    ndj1979 wrote: »
    try failing on barbell bench press with no spotter and the bar is stuck on your chest ….that pretty much sucked…thankfully,I managed to maneuver the bar off of my chest…

    just realize it happens, and get back at it the next day …

    @punkeson - what homie here said.

    I had that happen to me during my last bench session with 185# on the bar, I was doing a burn out set, and I burned out hard. The bar came down on my chest, and had to roll it off.

    5 minutes later I was benching another set. Just get back to it.
  • dbmata
    dbmata Posts: 12,950 Member
    luluinca wrote: »
    I'm pretty sure I generally look like an idiot every day at the gym............oh well! The worst was while setting up for some swiss ball jackknifes. As I was rolling out into position I just kept going, and rather fast, doing a face plant on the gym floor.

    Hahaha, I can imagine that. If it happens again, pop up, and exclaim, "Missed it by that much."
  • tulips_and_tea
    tulips_and_tea Posts: 5,741 Member
    lisalsd1 wrote: »
    I saw a lady fall off of a treadmill and hit the wall like a ton of bricks. She was at the gym the following day. On a scale of embarrassment, that's much worse.

    I've seen that happen, too. Poor gal was brand new and went flying off the treadmill. Thankfully, she was ok and all of us around her on the machines (after making sure she wasn't injured) assured her it has happened to ALL of us at one time or another. She got right back on and kept coming back.
  • Azexas
    Azexas Posts: 4,334 Member
    GraemeMcC wrote: »
    ndj1979 wrote: »
    try failing on barbell bench press with no spotter and the bar is stuck on your chest ….that pretty much sucked…thankfully,I managed to maneuver the bar off of my chest…

    just realize it happens, and get back at it the next day …
    Me too :smile:

    I have also been trapped under a bench press when I bit off more than I can chew. You just have to dust yourself off and get back at it.
This discussion has been closed.