Free weights section etiquette - asking for a spotter

JCLondonUK · May 2014

Hi, I'm hoping you all can help:

My trainer is away next week, but has designed for me a four day split to do while he is on holiday. I have been heavy lifting with him for about 10 weeks, but have never done it alone. Most of the lifts I can manage on my own, but it will need a spotter if I'm going to do heavy weights on the bench press. I don't generally feel worried about being the only woman in the weights area, but that's because I'm nearly 50 and too old for caring about that.

But I'm a bit unnerved at the thought of asking the young guys there for help. (Not that I ever feel that they are particularly bothered by me either.)

So - is there an etiquette to asking someone to spot you? I'd like to keep progressing next week without my trainer, but don't want to put my foot in it.

I'm in the UK, by the way, if that makes any difference

Thanks for any help

wonderwoman234 · May 2014

I have often thought of this. In for responses....

Escape_Artist · May 2014

I am sure others are goin to add to this but here's my personal opinion. Unless you are trying to break PR and really unsure if you can actually lift the bar back up then you really shouldn't need a spotter. I wish i would remember from where i read this because it made so much sense to me :
Even if you have a spotter, if the bar falls down it will too fast for anyone to catch it anyways.

The way i lift : if you don't know if you'll be able to lift it back up alone, start from a lower weight and go up from there until its challenging enough bur not to much to not be able to complete your lift.

I only use a spot wheb trying to break a PR on max 1 rep.

I hope this makes sense.

Edit
****** reposted lower because this didn't make sense as much as i though at the time i posted! ********

SunofaBeach14 · May 2014

Ask one of us older guys, and the only etiquette is don't ask while he is doing his sets. Oh, and say "please."

SoLongAndThanksForAllTheFish · May 2014

Just ask politely when you aren't interrupting someone to ask, and don't take up too much of their time and many will be happy to help you.

cbhubbybubble · May 2014

Can you move the bench inside a power rack and use the rails as extra safety to make you feel more comfortable without a spotter?

DavPul · May 2014

Just walk up to whoever is working out near your station and ask. The answer will always be, "sure, no problem".

they may also ask how many reps you're going for and if you want help off the rack. If they don't be sure to tell them before you start your set.

kelly_e_montana · May 2014

I disagree on only using the spotter for 1 rm. Ideally I would like to work my reps to failure more often. For example, on a Wendler 5/3/1 progression, you will eventually attempt to find your max reps at 95%.

First thing is if you're talking benching, it's not super likely you're going to drop the weight on yourself from the top unless you have problems getting the weight unracked or if you miss re-racking. So, if you think that's a concern, tell the spotter you want help with a lift off. I don't so I usually just tell them, "Just help me get it up when I fail. I'll tell you when to grab it." Usually I can tell when the lift is going to be bad in a second or two and just say, "grab it." You're probably just going to fail in trying to push it up high enough after you've reached your chest. Unless you've been benching for quite a while and are proficient, the amount of weight you're going to be pushing is going to be like having a child or your partner on your chest briefly, not a car. You can comfortably sustain this weight for some time and can probably even do the "roll of shame." Do not fear; it's embarrassing but not really scary. You can probably do your warm up sets without a spotter once you are comfortable with your form.

Now, back squatting is kind of another issue because it can be really scary. You can do it in a rack and should so that if you fail, the side rails will catch it. However, optimally you would want a spotter behind you and close, following you down if you are doing high reps or high loads (for example, I just finished the 20 back squat challenge where you try to work your way back up to 20 of your original 1 rm after a period of weeks). Failing on a back squat with a guy spotter can be tricky because they might worry they are going to accidentally touch your breasts. I know this to be true because guys have told me this. Therefore, I prefer to only 85%+ back squat with spotters I know so that they don't feel uncomfortable and neither do. A bad back squat can be really bad. The spotter is also nice on the back squat so they can give you feedback on whether you are below parallel or not and maybe anything else they notice like your back angle, breathing, knee tracking, breathing, etc. That's all icing on the cake and you might not get that, but it's cool when you do.

I don't need a spotter for most of my sets. After you have been going to the same gym for a while, you will see the same people a lot and you will feel more comfortable. I usually just ask someone I see a lot who doesn't seem in a huge hurry when and when I feel I there will be a chance of going to failure.

MyChocolateDiet · May 2014

Thank you for this topic OP. I've always wondered the same thing.

It's easy to think when at the gym that all those people already know each other and feel awkward asking.

Thank you also to those replying.

JCLondonUK · May 2014

Thanks everyone. Really helpful responses. I was thinking I'd look for one of the older guys, and they will have seen me around, so I'm sure they won't mind. I get a sense mostly of good-natured interest from the guys there, if they care at all, so I'll try and pick a non-intrusive moment, and ask for a hand.

I'm thinking I'll be OK for most things, as I will use the Smith machine for squats, and I generally know when I'm about to fail on a clean and press, and can control the bar enough to get it back down. Dead lifts will be fine. My concern about the bench press is because this week I was doing it with my trainer with dumbbells (we are trying to make my weak left side work more) and my left arm failed without warning, dropping an 18kg dumbbell on me - which hurt a bit (the right arm failed in sympathy soon after :-( I'm still a beginner, and wouldn't know what to do if that happened with a weighted bar, but I will need to use the bar next week, as I can't get the heavy dumbbells up without my trainer helping. I'm not looking for 1 rep max next week, but would like to make progress on the heaviest weight I can manage for 6-8 reps, which is the range we are working on for strength.

Thanks again for your help. Any more responses would be great - I'm keen to learn all I can

spicegeek · May 2014

does your gym have floor trainers ? - i.e staff floating about in case someone needs help with a machine ? My gym has them and I accost them all the time to help me

You can also ask your trainer what his thoughts are

If you want to ask another person working out - this is fine - pick someone who is taking a decent rest time between sets - be set up and ready to rock when you ask them - try and not bother anyone wearing head phones - people usually do that to avoid being bothered - no one will mind spotting you - and there is no reason why you could`t ask another female

DavPul · May 2014

i'm sorry but that makes no sense

spicegeek · May 2014

Have you been using the smith machine for squats in the past ? if not do not start now - if you look at a squat rack it has safety bars on the side just raise them up to a good point for you - if you squat and can not get back up just drop and little more and let the safety bars catch the weight

TheFitnessTutor · May 2014

If you're 50 and you're worried about needed a spot, you need to fire your lame azz trainer with his/her lame azz programming. What a lame. Sorry. Welcome to the fitness industry! Where anyone can pass some weak test and start fiddling with people's physiology while not knowing jack squat about basic physiology. Good luck! Just do lighter weights for a week, you'll be fine. Or just ask for a spot.... But still fire your lame trainer.

3dogsrunning · May 2014

Can you elaborate? This doesn't make sense to me either.

TheFitnessTutor · May 2014

And yes, please NEVER squat in the crap I mean smith machine! I don't care who told you or who supports this idea.

spicegeek · May 2014

If you are lifting heavy you should never be "sure" you can get the weight up - everyone has bad days -

If someone is spotting you correctly on a bench press - they will have their hands in an opposing grip already around the bar so they will catch it

TheFitnessTutor · May 2014

To make a long story short, noone needs to lift anywhere close to failure to achieve just about any goal. Period. Like someone said above, unless your goal is powerlifting or something of the sort. If it is, then you should already know how to get a spot, and lets face it, we know this is not the op's goal.

3dogsrunning · May 2014

I completely disagree but at least understand your post now.

And why do we know this is not the op's goal?

HerkMeOff · May 2014

So.....you're a fitness expert?

How did this happen??

acpgee · May 2014

I've found most people are gracious about spotting, but if working out in an empty gym here's a trick I used to use for bench pressing on my own.

Lie in a tucked position with your knees on your chest. This also has the advantage of keeping the small of your back flat and fully supported by the bench. I prefer to cross my ankles as well. If you find you can't get the bar all the way back up to the rack, you should be able to get it up onto your knee and roll it onto your shins. Then you can kick the bar back up.

Similar in spirit to kicking dumbells up to shoulder height for shoulder press when the weight is to heavy to curl.

kelly_e_montana · May 2014

I agree. You won't develop the stabilizing muscles at all in the same way as you would with a regular back squat. It's a false sense of strength.

Escape_Artist · May 2014

Sorry, i guess after reading again my post didn't make that much sense after all.

So after getting back home from work i went ahead and checked where i read it.

Starting Strength : "the best spotter in the world cannot react quickly enough to save you from a dropped bar"

I strongly believe that as well. Now i personally decided to not have to need a spotter unless i am attempting a possibly too heavy lift. I wish to be abe to do my own lifts without having to ask someone to help me. I guess working out at odd hours where you are alone in the gym does that.

That being said, there is nothing wrong with asking for help if you are more confortable that way

Not working with 5/3/1 anymore i use a spot once in a while only but i totally agree with the poster who brought that point

I also want to point that a lot of people think they NEED a spotter when most don't! Its pretty much what i tried to say in my previous post but failed miserably lol

kelly_e_montana · May 2014

Many women following the most common strength progressions may work to failure. Not everyone is here for aesthetics. Some people are lifting to get better at sports or be stronger in general as opposed to simply looking a certain way. So while they are not a competitive powerlifter in terms of setting bench/DL/squat records, they are "power lifting" vs. body building. I think it's nice to see women getting into the business of functional strength.

DavPul · May 2014

wut?

Luke_I_am_your_spotter · May 2014

I'll spot you.

seriously though, it's just a common sense approach. If someone doesn't look busy-- you just ask politely. "Hey- Can you spot me please?" It's that simple.

MyChocolateDiet · May 2014

Can you explain to me why I would not need a spotter? I'm not sure I'm understanding?

DavPul · May 2014

since you aren't foaming at the mouth like some people, i'd like to address your response.

1) while your position isn't entirely unreasonable, i highlighted the key statement in it. for many people, there's a tremendous comfort factor that comes with having someone there for a spot. that raised comfort level manifests itself by increasing their confidence in doing lifts that are well within their range. they'll get an additional rep or two (still talking before failure) that they would have otherwise left on the table.

2) also, the weakest part of benching is getting the bar off the rack, where it's a large strain on your shoulders and you can waste significant energy just getting the bar off and into position. a spotter helps with that as well.

3) sure, if you drop the bar, the spotter can't really help. but just because they can't help in that situation doesn't mean they can't help in any situation. sometimes you fail before you anticipated, and they can help get the bar back after you've stapled yourself to the bench. sometimes an injury situation arises out of nowhere. sometimes you're not concentrating and hit the bottom of the rack during the lift or when trying to re-rack. it's not always some worst case scenario.

DavPul · May 2014

serious question:

Do people that don't believe in ever needing a spotter also think power racks are a waste of gym floor space?

TheFitnessTutor · May 2014

Got a question. Ask it here. or go to youtube where I show my face and I can answer it there. Otherwise, hey you made a cute remark on an internet forum. how did that happen?

jofjltncb6 · May 2014

In...

...for WTF IS GOING ON IN THIS THREAD?!?

Free weights section etiquette - asking for a spotter

Replies

Categories