Don't be and idiot, you could hurt someone

FrnkLft
FrnkLft Posts: 1,821 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
My distal biceps tendon (the one on the inside of my elbow, at the base of my bicep) has been feeling wrong for about 5 weeks now, and gets sore when I use it a lot.

I've decided to give it rest, but here's the bottom line:

I hurt it after agreeing to spot some kid who thought he could lift 225 lbs on the bench press. He was all excited, and just as soon as he started lowering the bar, it came right down to his chest. I helped him on the the first rep while his arms trembled, and moved to rack the weight since he obviously couldn't handle it, when he pulled it forward and went down for another rep. I helped him get the weight off his chest again and didn't give him a choice but to rack it.

I told him to find someone else to spot him.

Now my ****ing biceps tendons are hurt and I have to call it quits from my own training, from basically curling 225 lbs due to this dumbass. Not sure if spotting overhand would have helped avoid this, but that might have stressed my joints or shoulders (think dumbbell front raises with two 112 lbs dumbbells, or a barbell row with 225 lbs).

Lets be smart about this ****, and consider your spotter when you're asking a stranger to help keep the bar off your neck.

Replies

  • jwdieter
    jwdieter Posts: 2,582 Member
    That's kinda funny and unfortunate. But look on the bright side: the kid can now tell his friends he has a 1RM of 231. Sah-weet!
  • osothefinn
    osothefinn Posts: 163 Member
    Rep number two I would have left it on him and told him how to do the roll of shame.
  • bagge72
    bagge72 Posts: 1,377 Member
    Funny I hurt my upper bicep tendon from a bad spotter.
  • FrnkLft
    FrnkLft Posts: 1,821 Member
    Funny I hurt my upper bicep tendon from a bad spotter.

    Wait... how...?
    That's kinda funny and unfortunate. But look on the bright side: the kid can now tell his friends he has a 1RM of 231. Sah-weet!

    Rofl yeah, and the kid had the balls after I racked it to say "cmon man, just spot me on this next one, and this time let me struggle with it a little." He DID struggle with it lol :explode:
  • ilovedeadlifts
    ilovedeadlifts Posts: 2,923 Member
    very unfortunate situation. rest up, i hope you recover quickly.
  • sarahrbraun
    sarahrbraun Posts: 2,261 Member
    that sucks!

    That is part of the reason I only trust 2 people to truly spot me when I squat. Both of them are big strong guys that I KNOW can handle the loaded barbell without injuring themselves. A 3rd guy offered to spot me yesterday, and I said yes...but I knew there was only a slight chance he would have to step in and help.
  • FrnkLft
    FrnkLft Posts: 1,821 Member
    that sucks!

    That is part of the reason I only trust 2 people to truly spot me when I squat. Both of them are big strong guys that I KNOW can handle the loaded barbell without injuring themselves. A 3rd guy offered to spot me yesterday, and I said yes...but I knew there was only a slight chance he would have to step in and help.

    Not sure about your equipment, but if your rack has safety bars, you probably don't need a spotter. I bail on the safety pins all the time and don't have to worry about the spotter jumping in at all.

    THAT REMINDS ME OF ANOTHER STORY... when I was doing OHP and this kid who was working in with me, jumped in to touch the bar up while I was half way through my last AMRAP rep... I could have ****ing killed him. It was the last day in my cycle, and I had been training for 3 weeks to get to that lift...

    These kids need to learn that a spotter is there to keep the weight from pinning you, not to help you with your working reps!!
  • sarahrbraun
    sarahrbraun Posts: 2,261 Member
    that sucks!

    That is part of the reason I only trust 2 people to truly spot me when I squat. Both of them are big strong guys that I KNOW can handle the loaded barbell without injuring themselves. A 3rd guy offered to spot me yesterday, and I said yes...but I knew there was only a slight chance he would have to step in and help.

    Not sure about your equipment, but if your rack has safety bars, you probably don't need a spotter. I bail on the safety pins all the time and don't have to worry about the spotter jumping in at all.

    THAT REMINDS ME OF ANOTHER STORY... when I was doing OHP and this kid who was working in with me, jumped in to touch the bar up while I was half way through my last AMRAP rep... I could have ****ing killed him. It was the last day in my cycle, and I had been training for 3 weeks to get to that lift...

    These kids need to learn that a spotter is there to keep the weight from pinning you, not to help you with your working reps!!

    The rack does have safety bars, but I still feel better having a spotter on my heaviest set. There really has only been a few times that he has had to grab it, and I probably would have been OK...mostly he just helps me re-rack at the end of my set. I think it is just a mental thing for me.
  • bagge72
    bagge72 Posts: 1,377 Member
    Funny I hurt my upper bicep tendon from a bad spotter.

    Wait... how...?
    That's kinda funny and unfortunate. But look on the bright side: the kid can now tell his friends he has a 1RM of 231. Sah-weet!

    Rofl yeah, and the kid had the balls after I racked it to say "cmon man, just spot me on this next one, and this time let me struggle with it a little." He DID struggle with it lol :explode:

    Long story short I was on my last set of bench and I got 4 by myself so I said to the spotter "OK just help me with this one" and as I started to go down with the weight the spotter ripped it up and back instead of just helping me. It was pretty embarrassing because it was an decent amount of weight and it actually got stuck under where you rack it. So I was stuck holding the weight up there until two people rushed over to help the spotter rerack it. There is a whole mess of a story at the beginning that I left out. Just started lifting again two months ago after being out for 7 months.
  • arghbowl
    arghbowl Posts: 1,179 Member


    These kids need to learn that a spotter is there to keep the weight from pinning you, not to help you with your working reps!!

    ^^ THIS
  • Elliehmltn
    Elliehmltn Posts: 254 Member
    Rule #1: Consider your own safety first, whether a fellow gym participant, spotter, EMT, first responder, Good Samaritan, or well-meaning innocent bystander. ALWAYS consider your own safety first.
  • ilovedeadlifts
    ilovedeadlifts Posts: 2,923 Member
    Rule #1: Consider your own safety first, whether a fellow gym participant, spotter, EMT, first responder, Good Samaritan, or well-meaning innocent bystander. ALWAYS consider your own safety first.

    This.
    And if the weight is heavy, just try spotting him with a double overhand grip, no biceps tears then. Mainly requires an appropriate bench with the platform for a spotter to stand on.
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
    BOOOOO that sucks. Spotting is tricky business- I have since made it clear how I spot and what I want when asked- or when asking (which I don't do often at all for various reasons)

    I was doing 1RM lifts.. .you get 3 tries.... but it was for a competition (internal type deal- so on your honor) and I said can you spot me- and i didn't make it clear what I was doing... and he had his hands on the bar and felt it start to get light and I was like.. LEAVE IT LEAVE IT LEAVE IT

    I had to apologize for yelling at him- and then explained why I needed to either get it - or fail it.

    I only bench with a spotter- I don't squat with one. I can't- it bothers me. I only do it if I have two people to take the bar... most guys just want to stand there and grind your *kitten* while you spot- or just do that stupid hand on the back thing. that does nothing for me- it just annoys me that you are touching me.


    thanks but no thanks- i'll just sit the **** down on the safety pins.
  • sluggz
    sluggz Posts: 134
    getting hurt sucks in general, but it's worse when it's not even your own lift. For some people it takes a long time time to learn the difference between pushing yourself and being dumb.
    that sucks that you got the collateral damage on that one. Feel for you...
  • FrnkLft
    FrnkLft Posts: 1,821 Member
    Rule #1: Consider your own safety first, whether a fellow gym participant, spotter, EMT, first responder, Good Samaritan, or well-meaning innocent bystander. ALWAYS consider your own safety first.

    This.
    And if the weight is heavy, just try spotting him with a double overhand grip, no biceps tears then. Mainly requires an appropriate bench with the platform for a spotter to stand on.

    Yeah I thought about this, but that puts me at a mechanical disadvantage, and and puts my shoulders and arms in a wierd position doesn't it?

    I'm not sure there is a safe way to spot someone if they truely cannot handle the weight. You would just need two people.
  • sarahrbraun
    sarahrbraun Posts: 2,261 Member
    BOOOOO that sucks. Spotting is tricky business- I have since made it clear how I spot and what I want when asked- or when asking (which I don't do often at all for various reasons)

    I was doing 1RM lifts.. .you get 3 tries.... but it was for a competition (internal type deal- so on your honor) and I said can you spot me- and i didn't make it clear what I was doing... and he had his hands on the bar and felt it start to get light and I was like.. LEAVE IT LEAVE IT LEAVE IT

    I had to apologize for yelling at him- and then explained why I needed to either get it - or fail it.

    I only bench with a spotter- I don't squat with one. I can't- it bothers me. I only do it if I have two people to take the bar... most guys just want to stand there and grind your *kitten* while you spot- or just do that stupid hand on the back thing. that does nothing for me- it just annoys me that you are touching me.


    thanks but no thanks- i'll just sit the **** down on the safety pins.

    That is part of the reason why I am particular about the people I ask to spot me. I have a *thing* about my personal space. My 2 favorite spots are the kind that I honestly do not know are even there...unless I need them. Pretty sure my favorite doesn't grind on me since hubby didn't kill him after watching me lift a few weeks ago.
  • arcticfox04
    arcticfox04 Posts: 1,011 Member
    I found spotting for the bench isn't that bad. I use a hook group over/under with my front right leg bent forward. Worse comes to worse I'll deadlift *max rep is 405lbs* the weight let him roll out and place the bar on the bench. Though that happened 1 time with someone doing 250lbs he ended up tearing his Pec.

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