Why do some people feel the need to throw down a barbell?

Lupercalia

I drop the barbell when I'm doing power cleans and heavy dead lifts. My gym has rubber mat flooring and the weight plates are rubber as well, so while it does make a bit of noise, the floor isn't being harmed and neither is the equipment. I honestly don't care if it annoys someone who is clueless about why I do this. If you're the type who is too delicate to tolerate the sound of weights hitting the floor, perhaps a gym isn't the right place for you to exercise.

chrisdavey

lol

You want to see throwing down of weights...go and see a strongman comp that involves deadlifts for reps.

siany01

I drop the barbell when I'm doing power cleans and heavy dead lifts. My gym has rubber mat flooring and the weight plates are rubber as well, so while it does make a bit of noise, the floor isn't being harmed and neither is the equipment. I honestly don't care if it annoys someone who is clueless about why I do this. If you're the type who is too delicate to tolerate the sound of weights hitting the floor, perhaps a gym isn't the right place for you to exercise.

When your gym is set up for it then its all cool, my gym isn't, it has wooden floors and the dude this morning was just lobbing his weights. I have never seen one of the genuine regular lifters do anything other than a controlled drop which is cool but seriously, this dude made me glad I had finished in the weight room this morning.

contingencyplan

This is one of the main reasons why I prefer sandbags over barbells. Dropping a 160 lb sandbag is just fine.

In any case, Oly style lifting, which is commonly done in Crossfit as well, pretty much demands that you do this. However, these gyms used specialized bars, plates, and flooring designed to accommodate this. If you attend a globo gym that doesn't use flooring, bars, and plates designed to accommodate it, then it's perfectly reasonable for them to ask that you not do it, and this is one of the things you should take into consideration when initially joining a gym.

Jonesingmucho

There are some weight lifters who slam down weights. They are called boneheads. However, there are also a couple of exceptions that are worth noting.

First, when doing very heavy squats or deadlift singles you can experience a similar kind of near black out that fighter pilots experience. Or as we say in powerlifting , sometimes it takes a few seconds for your spirit to re-enter your body. It comes from tightening your core muscles to the point where you have the stability to support the lift, but one side effect is that blood is forced into your head. Under those conditions, reasonable safety precautions, such as a platform or power rack should be used, and the lifter should get a bit of slack if the return is not controlled because of dizziness.

Second, advanced power lifters learn to initiate their muscles very quickly at the bottom of a lift. Otherwise you'll never have enough speed to lock it out at the top. Neuromuscular coordination training of this type involves a brief break between the eccentric and concentric phases of a lift, after which you explode into it with all your muscle motor units. Done correctly, this is a disciplined motion and will not occur with sufficient force to be considered a slam. However, there is room for error and misperception, especially among people that think they know what they're doing, but don't.

Third, an Olympic lifters returning a near max weight from an overhead will have difficulty controlling the descent, almost by definition. They should be using a platform specifically made for those kind of stresses if they're going heavy. If that's not available, you can reduce the stresses with the kind of rubber mats they use for horse stalls.

^^ so well written, informative, and ...oddly arousing! LOL

downsizinghoss

For you people that do heavy lifting, why do some people feel the need to overload their barbell, then throw it down on the floor after attempting a lift?

I belong to a YMCA and a privately owned gym, and neither would allow that kind of behavior.

But I see it all the time on YouTube videos.

This whole thread is about something you haven't had to deal with, but saw on youtube?

Iron_Lotus

I lift at home, so no attention seeking here! It's because I have really squeezed out my last rep on my last set and my arms are about to fall off I have no other choice but to semi drop the weight instead of lightly placing it on the ground.

ItsCasey

Some of you really need to pull up your panties and quit actively seeking things to be offended by (particularly things you clearly don't understand). Unless someone is actually throwing a bar AT you, get past it and mind your own business.

shutupandlift13

The OP wasn't talking about those guys, though. She was talking about everyday people at everyday gyms, and for those folks my comment stands.

The OP was actually talking about videos on the internet. Who knows if they were average joes or professionals.

TonicSapphire

You do realize that bumper plates are meant to be dropped? And lifting platforms are built to have certain types of plates dropped on them?

This is spot on. You need to distinguish Oly lifting ( bumper plates) from Power lifting ( iron plates). Power lifters will rack the bar (except for dead lifts) Iron plates don't bounce too well.

nz_deevaa

The OP wasn't talking about those guys, though. She was talking about everyday people at everyday gyms, and for those folks my comment stands.

Actually, she's talking about videos from you-tube, most likely not all 'everyday' people.

(LOL snap!)

mountaingirl1961

Yes, I do lift every single goddamn lift heavier than 70% of my 1RM, as a matter of fact. My program dictates it. And, as others have pointed out, some of the lifts are a lockout above the head. That is the lift. You drop the weight when finished. That is the correct form. Jesus Christ you are obstinate and don't even know what youre talking about.

I do know this - I'm glad I'm not at your gym.

Enjoy your day.

cwolfman13

They ve managed to bend the dumbells at my gym...

Its always the attention seeking numb nutts that have an "invisible" male member on their foreheads

Lol. Classic ignorance.

Certain exercises require it because you can hurt your back or shoulders. Certain Olympic lifts, such as the snatch, require that when you're finished, you throw down the weight. There's no proper way to finish that lift nicely. If you do, you break form and can get hurt. There are many gyms that allow throwing the weight because its proper.

Yeah...it's kinda the whole reason their is an entire rack just for this purpose...it's called the power rack/cage for a reason.

Vonwarr

And are they lifting at >70%1RM EVERY DAMNED TIME?

Going that heavy isn't an everyday workout kind of thing, and it CERTAINLY isn't an everyday workout kind of thing for people who aren't lifting at that level.

LOL, 70% isn't an every day workout kind of thing? My work set weights are 80% 1RM and above usually for most lifts... so not sure where you got that info.

I'm probably an average guy at the gym... I also do power cleans and snatch to develop power. Using the correct equipment (bumper plates, half decent bar, platform) or even just some bumpers, it's perfectly fine to drop em. In a controlled drop where you keep your hands on it until it's close to the ground, it can even look like you're "throwing" the weight at the ground but as long as you aren't damaging equipment it shouldn't be an issue. If it is, change gyms. If you're launching it horizontally away from your body, then you're just being an *kitten*.

This is like the topic where people ***** about lifters "sitting on the bench" for 3 minutes between sets because they don't understand rest time requirements.

LorinaLynn

Question: I understand that when you're lifting really high weights, you risk injury by not dropping.

But wouldn't you also be gaining strength by lifting a somewhat lower weight that you can control on the way back down? If your goal is just to be fit and healthy, not to enter any lifting comps or break any records, that is.

My weights are upstairs. If I drop them, they'll end up going through my kitchen ceiling. :laugh: Ok, that's an over-exaggeration, but I'd still rather not drop them and make the whole house shake and freak out the cats.

cwolfman13

This is almost too much fun to watch. Non-lifters with an opinion about how lifters should lift.. lol

LOL....

cwolfman13

Question: I understand that when you're lifting really high weights, you risk injury by not dropping.

But wouldn't you also be gaining strength by lifting a somewhat lower weight that you can control on the way back down? If your goal is just to be fit and healthy, not to enter any lifting comps or break any records, that is.

My weights are upstairs. If I drop them, they'll end up going through my kitchen ceiling. :laugh: Ok, that's an over-exaggeration, but I'd still rather not drop them and make the whole house shake and freak out the cats.

Absolutely...but my program has me do a 1 rep 95% max evey 3 weeks....I'm dropping that clean and press as soon as I'm done lifting it.

alissadough84

Well it is because of how heavy it is. See, when done lifting a heavy weight the lifter has very little strength left in their grip and to avoid injury or dropping it on something or someone it is easier to just throw it down in a safe place.

If you have enough strength and control left to set it down gently then you must not have lifted hard enough. You can do better than that.

^^^ This. I CrossFit, we drop our weights all of the time!!!

chrisdavey

And are they lifting at >70%1RM EVERY DAMNED TIME?

you CLEARLY have no idea about olympic lifting.



hope that helps

usmcmp

And are they lifting at >70%1RM EVERY DAMNED TIME?

Going that heavy isn't an everyday workout kind of thing, and it CERTAINLY isn't an everyday workout kind of thing for people who aren't lifting at that level.

LOL, 70% isn't an every day workout kind of thing? My work set weights are 80% 1RM and above usually for most lifts... so not sure where you got that info.

I'm probably an average guy at the gym... I also do power cleans and snatch to develop power. Using the correct equipment (bumper plates, half decent bar, platform) or even just some bumpers, it's perfectly fine to drop em. In a controlled drop where you keep your hands on it until it's close to the ground, it can even look like you're "throwing" the weight at the ground but as long as you aren't damaging equipment it shouldn't be an issue. If it is, change gyms. If you're launching it horizontally away from your body, then you're just being an *kitten*.

This is like the topic where people ***** about lifters "sitting on the bench" for 3 minutes between sets because they don't understand rest time requirements.

^This! Just all of this.

ETA: Almost all my workouts are around 80% and when I "drop" Olympic lifts they are controlled.
See, bumper plates.

mountaingirl1961

In a controlled drop where you keep your hands on it until it's close to the ground, it can even look like you're "throwing" the weight at the ground but as long as you aren't damaging equipment it shouldn't be an issue. If it is, change gyms. If you're launching it horizontally away from your body, then you're just being an *kitten*.

This is the point.

There are people who throw the weights horizontally as a matter of course, even when they haven't lost control of the bar. There are people who drop them from full height every time and walk away while the bar rolls across the floor. And there are people who keep their hands on the bar so that it stays in some sort of control.

The first two kinds of people are jerks.

Thank you for saying it better than I did.

shutupandlift13

In a controlled drop where you keep your hands on it until it's close to the ground, it can even look like you're "throwing" the weight at the ground but as long as you aren't damaging equipment it shouldn't be an issue. If it is, change gyms. If you're launching it horizontally away from your body, then you're just being an *kitten*.

This is the point.

There are people who throw the weights horizontally as a matter of course, even when they haven't lost control of the bar. There are people who drop them from full height every time and walk away while the bar rolls across the floor. And there are people who keep their hands on the bar so that it stays in some sort of control.

The first two kinds of people are jerks.

Thank you for saying it better than I did.

The bar also bounces across the floor sometimes if I'm lifting light and I drop after super high rep sets, am I a jerk too?

Vonwarr

Question: I understand that when you're lifting really high weights, you risk injury by not dropping.

But wouldn't you also be gaining strength by lifting a somewhat lower weight that you can control on the way back down? If your goal is just to be fit and healthy, not to enter any lifting comps or break any records, that is.

My weights are upstairs. If I drop them, they'll end up going through my kitchen ceiling. :laugh: Ok, that's an over-exaggeration, but I'd still rather not drop them and make the whole house shake and freak out the cats.

Yes, you can also gain strength by using the eccentric portion of the lift. In fact, in most lifts, the eccentric portion is where the majority of the work is done and strength is gained.

However, some exercises are mainly or completely concentric in nature. For example, deadlifts can be done with an eccentric component but it is generally done mostly concentric.

Explosive/Olympic movements have no eccentric phase. You aren't using your strength to pull the bar up in a controlled fashion, you're exploding up. You can't lower it in a controlled manner either, especially at higher weights. The best you can do is drop it down your body, catch it at arms length on your thighs with straight elbows, and then lower it from there. And that's a good way to put a lot of stress on your shoulders and upper back, and collect some nice bruises on your thighs.

Unknown

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K_Serz

Wow, what an EXCELLENT QUESTION! I was watching the worlds strongest men competing on TV and I thought to myself, those guys are just totally seeking attention by screaming really loud and just dropping the heavy weights on the ground. I mean the nerve of those ego maniacs!! It's totally unacceptable. As professionals they should be setting down the massive objects they lift and move as if you didn't even know they were there! Why can't these guys just be all quiet like everyone else?

Micksmom9

idk y they do it...my dad and I used to laugh at the loud grunting that went along with it lol

saschka7

Well it is because of how heavy it is. See, when done lifting a heavy weight the lifter has very little strength left in their grip and to avoid injury or dropping it on something or someone it is easier to just throw it down in a safe place.

If you have enough strength and control left to set it down gently then you must not have lifted hard enough. You can do better than that.

No, it's because they're being an attention-seeking pillock.

I haven't come across the word 'pillock' in a while...good word. Thanks for the smile--and you're quite right!

eric_sg61

I put my weights down nicely, quietly and gently as to not upset the weak and the timid. The loud clang of iron will jostle even the most hardened souls into cardiac arrest and will cause the jimmies to rustle ever so softly.......

Jonesingmucho

I put my weights down nicely, quietly and gently as to not upset the weak and the timid. The loud clang of iron will jostle even the most hardened souls into cardiac arrest and will cause the jimmies to rustle ever so softly.......

In for jimmie rustling....

Bownzi

They are making up for something else they are deficient in...