Failing Lifts Properly

WhiteRabbit1313

It happens. I'm a little under 2 months in, and I've failed a few different lifts. While, I *believe* I know most of the proper safety measures, etc., I would like to hear your lists of tips on weight lifting safety. (Compound lifts and otherwise)

TIA! :flowerforyou:

JoRocka

Asking for a spot

Bench
> spotter
> roll of shame
> dumping to the side
> power cage

Squat
> power cage
> spotter

Deadlift
> um- just drop it

Over Head press
> not a good for a spotter unless light weights
> going heavy- no spotter- not a good lift to spot.
> just don't drop it on your head
> learn how to get the hell out of the way
> know what a front rack position is if you can catch it- buuuuuut be very careful with this- not for newbs

WhiteRabbit1313

Asking for a spot

Bench
> spotter
> roll of shame
> dumping to the side
> power cage

Squat
> power cage
> spotter

Deadlift
> um- just drop it

Over Head press
> not a good for a spotter unless light weights
> going heavy- no spotter- not a good lift to spot.
> just don't drop it on your head
> learn how to get the hell out of the way
> know what a front rack position is if you can catch it- buuuuuut be very careful with this- not for newbs

Lol, Deadlift "um-just drop it". Check! :laugh:

Ok. Thread finished. haha!

richardheath

I was benching at home in my garage with a slightly sore elbow. My rack has safeties that come out to cover my head, but not as far as my chest. I failed to push up on one rep as I felt my elbow go and ended up with the bar on my chest, not being able to move it, even onto the safeties. I had to holler until my son heard me and came out to save me! I now work out with him, so we can spot each other!

WhiteRabbit1313

I was benching at home in my garage with a slightly sore elbow. My rack has safeties that come out to cover my head, but not as far as my chest. I failed to push up on one rep as I felt my elbow go and ended up with the bar on my chest, not being able to move it, even onto the safeties. I had to holler until my son heard me and came out to save me! I now work out with him, so we can spot each other!

Oh, wow! That sucks! You weren't able to roll it, either?

rybo

Not training to failure

richardheath

I was benching at home in my garage with a slightly sore elbow. My rack has safeties that come out to cover my head, but not as far as my chest. I failed to push up on one rep as I felt my elbow go and ended up with the bar on my chest, not being able to move it, even onto the safeties. I had to holler until my son heard me and came out to save me! I now work out with him, so we can spot each other!

Oh, wow! That sucks! You weren't able to roll it, either?

No! I probably would have if there was no-one there, but at the time shouting for help seemed the best option

dbmata

Did you have the collars on? I never do collars on bench press.

I'd add power cage to the OHP as a safety feature.

usmcmp

I don't train to failure very often. I like to work in certain exertion ranges depending on the goal (60%, 70%, 80%). Not using collars is a good idea, as is leaving "one in the tank" if you can't find a spotter.

Leadfoot_Lewis

Did you have the collars on? I never do collars on bench press.

I'd add power cage to the OHP as a safety feature.

I think that's the # one rule when benching alone - DO NOT COLLAR THE WEIGHTS!

I workout alone @ home and do all the big compound lifts, no power rack just squat stands. Honestly the only lift I go to failure on is Deadlifts. If you're worried about it, invest some $$$ and get a good power rack. That should take care of any safety issues you're concerned with.

richardheath

Yes, I did have the collars on that time. Lesson learned though.

JoRocka

Not training to failure

well that's just no fun at all.

I'd add power cage to the OHP as a safety feature.

yeah OHP- I do in a squat rack- I actually prefer the rack to the power cage but yes OR the power cage so I'm not dumping it all the way to the floor- but ultimately -its' ditch the bar in front of you and back the hell away so you don't smacked in the face. There isn't really a "good" way to do it other than - put it in front (or behind if you are losing balance" and dodge the da*n thing.

Huffdogg

I think that's the # one rule when benching alone - DO NOT COLLAR THE WEIGHTS!

Or just bench in a cage/rack.


Here are the rules for failing safely:

1. Perform the lift in a rack/cage with the safety bars located just below the lowest point of the lift's ROM.
2. Fail

PtheronJr

I think the biggest unspoken rule of failure is that unless you're working at higher powerlifting standards, your body should in general be strong enough to counteract whatever terrible things could happen to you when you fail a lift.
That means your core is strong enough that your lower back won't start rounding as you fail a deadlift, your glutes and hamstrings are strong enough so that you don't tip over or lean too far forward or back when failing a squat, and when failing the bench, you're strong enough otherwise to roll the weight off yourself.
In essence, you should fail the lift because you didn't have the strength to do it with proper form, and not because your entire body, or large portions of it, is too damn weak to handle the weight in general.

The longer you train, the more common imbalances are.
For example, the most excessively common one is that the anterior part of the body is overdeveloped compared to the rear part of the body. Look in the gym and see all the people with their shoulders rolled forward that look like they have no lats and their backs are as flat as boards, that's when you do way too much work on your chest, abs, and anterior deltoids. I'm always afraid when I see people like that attempting back work because the whole muscular system is imbalanced. There's no strength in their lower backs to keep a good neutral spine, no strength in their traps to stabilize the lion's share of the work, and without fail, most people have absolutely no idea how to utilize and activate their lats during lifts. This means that when they fail, most of the time it's going to be an issue that stems from their lack of balanced strength in their body, and not because the weight was simply too much.
Failing properly is something that actually requires a balanced physique. There's failing because you weren't strong enough yet to lift the weight, and then there's failing because your training regimen has been bad and you've screwed over your body.

WhiteRabbit1313

I was benching at home in my garage with a slightly sore elbow. My rack has safeties that come out to cover my head, but not as far as my chest. I failed to push up on one rep as I felt my elbow go and ended up with the bar on my chest, not being able to move it, even onto the safeties. I had to holler until my son heard me and came out to save me! I now work out with him, so we can spot each other!

Oh, wow! That sucks! You weren't able to roll it, either?

No! I probably would have if there was no-one there, but at the time shouting for help seemed the best option

lol! I'm glad you got help!

WhiteRabbit1313

I don't train to failure very often. I like to work in certain exertion ranges depending on the goal (60%, 70%, 80%). Not using collars is a good idea, as is leaving "one in the tank" if you can't find a spotter.

Yeah, I'm still getting used to mental strength v. physical strength. Apparently, my mental is overloading my physical, just a tad...nothing serious. Lol! I'm using a spotter or cage from now on!!!

WhiteRabbit1313

I think the biggest unspoken rule of failure is that unless you're working at higher powerlifting standards, your body should in general be strong enough to counteract whatever terrible things could happen to you when you fail a lift.
That means your core is strong enough that your lower back won't start rounding as you fail a deadlift, your glutes and hamstrings are strong enough so that you don't tip over or lean too far forward or back when failing a squat, and when failing the bench, you're strong enough otherwise to roll the weight off yourself.
In essence, you should fail the lift because you didn't have the strength to do it with proper form, and not because your entire body, or large portions of it, is too damn weak to handle the weight in general.

The longer you train, the more common imbalances are.
For example, the most excessively common one is that the anterior part of the body is overdeveloped compared to the rear part of the body. Look in the gym and see all the people with their shoulders rolled forward that look like they have no lats and their backs are as flat as boards, that's when you do way too much work on your chest, abs, and anterior deltoids. I'm always afraid when I see people like that attempting back work because the whole muscular system is imbalanced. There's no strength in their lower backs to keep a good neutral spine, no strength in their traps to stabilize the lion's share of the work, and without fail, most people have absolutely no idea how to utilize and activate their lats during lifts. This means that when they fail, most of the time it's going to be an issue that stems from their lack of balanced strength in their body, and not because the weight was simply too much.
Failing properly is something that actually requires a balanced physique. There's failing because you weren't strong enough yet to lift the weight, and then there's failing because your training regimen has been bad and you've screwed over your body.

Oh, yeah...this. I realized that my quads are actually fairly decent from lots of power walking, but I've been using very few posterior muscles and very few upper body muscles (other than lifting my 30# daughter, groceries, that sort of thing). The times that I've failed have been a few reps in and my muscles gave in. All the proper form techniques in the world would not have saved the lift. haha! I'm doing a PHUL program, right now, so I'm hoping this combo will produce balance and symmetry, as it's designed to do, to avoid that of which you speak.

I am concerned that I'm not working my core enough, though. I know, compound lifts are supposed to help with that, but if I can/should do more, I'd like to hear about it and what I can do.

Huffdogg

Compound lifts absolutely are good enough to strengthen your core for the purposes of providing support and stability and protecting your spine.

I don't do ANY direct ab work, and a couple of months ago when a guy brought in a pair of boots that hook over a pull-up bar (to do suspended toe-touches) a bunch of us were taking turns seeing how many we could get. I was near the top of the list, above plenty of guys who put whole "ab days" into their program.