do you lift alone or with a partner/spotter?

b218w

Just asking coz as the weight goes up ill probably need a partner/spotter.......

awkwardsoul

I lift mostly alone, and I'm up to 200lb squats, 100lb bench. Actually last session I was alone and bailed mid squat and dropped it behind me - it happens. I have also dropped OHP to the ground. I have rolled of shamed out of being stuck under a bench press, as well as ghetto tipped the uncollared bar to slide plates off.

What you do is look up videos on youtube on how to fail - bench I assume is the scary one for solo. Then you practice failing, at least once, so you know what to do.

DawnEmbers

I lift alone as well. Haven't failed on squat yet but did on bench a few times. I just racked on the lower spot while mentally and the occasion verbal reaction swearing "oh $#! £" lol. I also don't use the clips on bench in case. I tested and got to 3 reps at 100 max while lifting alone with no one around that late in the gym.

Look up and practice light weight fails and should be okay. But judgement call too. In the moment if you really want to snag a spot. You might be able to catch one.

parkerpowerlift

I lift alone currently. I'd love to get a rack for home, but settle for using my school's gym, since my tuition paid for my "free" access to their gym. I've failed on OHP, but haven't had to suddenly drop any weights (yet).

TravelsWithHuckleberry

I think most of us lift alone. As @awkwardsoul mentioned, definitely research and practice failing. Plus, as the weights get heavier, you'll also know yourself better -- you'll know if you have another rep or set in you, and can usually stop before you fail.

canadianlbs

awkwardsoul wrote: »

100lb bench

whoa. that's all. HERO

@b218 i lift in a public space but i've never asked anyone to spot me. don't know if i ever will either, although i honestly think anyone i did ask would be perfectly pleased to do it. i just have a kind of 'if you can't lift it safely by yourself then you shouldn't lift it' rule going on for myself. and i don't want some stranger standing over me giving me a view up his nose while he gets to watch me go all double-chinned and pop-eyed under the bar.
call me weird, but we're all allowed our little defensive pockets.

from what i've seen in my rec centre, it's perfectly kosher etiquette to just ask someone if they'd be willing to spot for you - provided you don't interrupt them or anything to ask them for it. i kind of like listening in on the arrangements for a spot because it's so friendly and cameraderie-ish it kind of warms my opinion of weight room culture. the lifter usually tells the spotter what s/he's aiming for so the spotter will be in the picture and know when/how they might be needed to help. 'this is a one-rep max' or 'i'm going for six' or something like that.

psych101

Practice how to fail. Seriously. Cos it will happen and you need to be prepared if you're lifting alone.

Also when lifting alone you gotta leave your ego at the door, know within yourself whether you have it in you to go for another rep or whether you need to call that set. Listen to your body, push it when you can, be prepared to fail and play it safe when you need to

Vailara

I usually lift with my son, but sometimes on my own. Bench is the only one that worries me when I'm on my own, so I use dumbbells instead for that. If I was going to use the bar, I wouldn't put the collars on (I don't anyway, even when not alone).

giusa

An important tip. Can anyone recommend any good videos?

Graceious1

I, like most people on here, lift alone. I fail on the OHP anyway and I'm alright with that. As others have said you begin to know yourself, such as I when to deload, increase or just stop. I prefer to lift on my own because it is one of the times when I get in my zone and build my mental as well as physical toughness! It would be interesting to know what others get out of lifting alone or with others.

dcresider

So far alone, but you are right about the bench press. Last workout, I could barely lift my bench press after my 4th rep. I probably looked ridiculous, feet and legs flying in the air. LOL! Looks like I'll be staying on this particular weight for a while.

debrag12

I'll be lifting alone, being over thinking this before I actually start. Do people use a power rack for exercises then?

My gym has 1 rack, 1 bench press, 1 squat/bench rack (not sure what it is), it's a small gym. I rarely see anyone use them though.

Fittreelol

I lift alone. I had a training partner for a while, but then my schedule changed. We still gym together occasionally. As everyone else said you just have to know how to fail. I will ask for a spot if I'm testing my 1RM for bench, but that's very rare. It's funny, but really sweet, to roll of shame and have 5 people run over to make sure if you're okay. I bench on a regular bench- not a sweet PL bench with safety arms. I would only bench in a cage if I went when the gym was empty or mostly empty for safety reasons. Like if I failed and passed out at the same time somehow so I couldn't roll of shame.

DawnEmbers

I use power cage and squat rack for squat and OHP when doing stronglifts, or right now I'm doing front squat/push press by holding the bar like OHP, squatting then lifting above my head. Fun times. I can use either but for regular squats prefer cage and for front squats and OHP I actually prefer the rack as the spots are just a tiny bit lower. For bench, I use a flat bench as the gym has 3 along with a couple incline/decline ones. I have seen 1 time someone use the cage for bench but he was resting the bar on the safeties and just focusing on pushing it up off them.

The bench has a lower place to rack, so I've used that twice so far during fails. I haven't done the roll of shame yet, though may happen some day.

I like lifting alone because you can get in your zone, listen to music if you want (I always do) and just focus on what you are doing. I do, on occasion, workout with a coworker as she can bring a friend to her gym any time. It's a very small gym. One power cage, two benches and one smith machine. I have to grab a bar from either bench or cage and just pick a random spot to deadlift or row there but there is rarely more than 3-4 other people in the whole place even at 10 am. It's more of a social experience though as when doing similar lifts (she does squat but doesn't follow SL or NROLFW as does more of the machines and such) we chat about work and people. It's nice to have the spot for bench but I also have to remind not to pull until I say when cause I don't need help unless I ask for it.

Both alone and with someone has good points and downsides when lifting, or that has been my experience so far.

xcalygrl

I lift alone, but I know some of the guys at the gym so I could get them to spot me if I needed. I practiced bailing out from under lifts before they got super heavy so I would know how to safely bail when my weights get heavier. I haven't had to bail on any of them yet, but I know that I could safely get out from under the bar if I needed to.

Sumiblue

I lift alone at home. I always make sure the safeties are there so if I fail I can just run away, lol. I haven't failed yet but I'm sure it will happen.

b218w

Thanks ladies.....practise failing....I'm definitely going to work on that....it's definitely scary though....

mirrim52

I lift alone. I have had to do the roll of shame once at one gym, but the one I go to now is women only, and they don't have a bench station. Anyone benching uses the rack or dumbbells. I always bench in the rack, but it is kind of annoying because I sometimes hit the safeties. Putting them any lower would be too low. It always throws me off if I hit them.

MissHolidayGolightly

I use a cage or squat rack with safeties for squat and OHP usually. Sometimes if I can't get a rack, I'll clean the bar and do OHP that way but I prefer to use a cage. I've practiced failing a squat and it was pretty underwhelming - I was expecting a big bang and people to turn and stare but it was quiet and no one noticed.

I try to bench with my husband so we can spot each other but I don't use clips so that I can roll if necessary. You can do the bench in the cage too with safeties I just never do because I'd feel silly taking up the cage to lift my cookie plates.

arabianhorselover

I've always lifted alone. Don't have anyone to do it with.