Proper Spotting

Going off of yesterday's post on bailing out of failed lifts, today's subject is equally as important for your heavy lifting days: proper spotting techniques.

Properly spotting somebody when they're going heavy is a necessary skill that everybody should be able to utilize in a gym setting. Just as with bailing out of a failed lift, proper spotting can help to avoid bad situations that could potentially cause some nasty injuries. So without further adieu...

Spotting The Back Squat

Let's take a moment to observe exactly how NOT to spot somebody on a heavy back squat:

Out of all of the horrendous things that are going on in this video (like fact that the athlete on the bar only quarter squatting, and to a bench at that, or the fact that the athlete shouldn't be squatting nearly this much weight when he's got a serious case of midline instability just supporting the bar, or the fact that he's using a weight belt), the spotting of the dude in orange is far and away the worst.

Here's how to properly spot a squat, and why the guy in the video did it oh so wrong:

1. Pay Attention!: If you need a spotter, make sure that you have somebody there who isn't easily distracted by shiny objects/his or her own reflection. The only duty of the squatter is to help you (the athlete) out of a lift should you need it. They can't do that if they're "dancing" (I hesitate to give him that much credit by calling whatever he was doing dancing) or talking to the pretty girls across the room.
2. Know Your Position: When spotting, put yourself in the proper position. You can't do anything to help your fellow athlete out if you're 8 feet away when the lift goes bad. For the squat, that means getting right up behind the person you're spotting (aka the "DoubleMint"). When the athlete on the bar lowers themselves, you (the spotter) lower yourself too. This way, you can immediately respond to any distress signals that might be sent your way.
3. Know Your Leverage: As a spotter, you need to have a solid grasp of the concept of leverage. This means knowing that if you grab somebody's hips to help them out of the bottom of a squat, you could very easily push them forward, causing them to dump the weight forward over their head and neck. Totally not safe, guys. When spotting the squat, the proper leverage point is right under the squatter's arms on their chest. This way, if they get stuck in the bottom, you can help lift their chest up. Worst case scenario is that they dump the weight off their back, in which case you (the spotter) just have to get out of the way (which is easy because you're on top of #1).

Here's two big dudes getting their DoubleMint on. Notice the hand position of the spotter. That's some good spottage right there...

Spotting The Bench Press

Keeping the above three points in mind, here's a great 2-part explanation on how to properly spot the bench press. Enjoy the knowledge bomb about to be dropped on you by basic barbell guru Mark Rippetoe...

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WOD 101123 Tuesday

Location: The Shell, 9pm

Warm-up

S/S: Pistol technique work, 10 minutes

WOD: Complete 3 rounds for time of:

-10 Thrusters, 135#

-10 Burpees

Finish: Plank Progression.

Results

Matt- 6:31