If you've ever seen someone doing a bench press with the person behind them ready to grab the weight in case their muscles give out you've seen a spotter action. If you're at the gym and find yourself needing a spotter you should grab one of the gym instructors or ask a stranger to help you with your exercise.
But if you know that you're going to need help in advance always ask a good friend to come along to the gym this way you can spot each other when doing the exercises. Friends working out together also have a certain level camaraderie which allow them to encourage each other and keep each other motivated through the routines. Gaining a relationship with a good lifting buddy who knows your limits is probably the best option when looking for spotter.
You may not need a spotter for every single exercise but make sure that you enlist one where it's necessary. These are some of the times when a spotter is absolutely necessary.
Trying to do an exercise for the first time you may not be in full control of the movement. By enlisting a spotter you can have someone who can guide you through the motion and to the point you can do the exercise yourself.
Of course at some point all of us are going to try to increase the amount of weight that we use. Bench pressing is a perfect example if you're trying to do 200 pounds of weight for the first time you want to make sure that you've got a spotter nearby. As soon as that bar comes off the standards you want to make sure that someone is near by to catch the weight if it comes down on your chest. You may get lucky the first 10 times you increase your weight but that last time may make the difference between you getting injured or just walking away from a failed attempt.
If you're trying to work yourself past failure which is one way to get stronger you'll definitely need a spotter. You may not be sure whether or not you've got that one extra in you. Have somebody nearby who can help with the weight if your muscles fail and you should be good to go.
Before you start your set explain a few things to your spotter. You want to make sure they understand how many repetitions you're going for. You need to let them know whether or not you think this is going to reach your maximum or you think it'll be fairly easy for you. If you think you can only do four reps and you tell your spotter 10 with no problem they may not be looking to spot you until after around nine or 10 when he should at least have your hand on the weights after the fourth rep. Make sure to vocalize when you need a spotters help. He needs to understand whether or not you need help immediately after the weight stops moving or if he is to do a count of three. Clarifying these points will help reduce injuries.
In my next article we will take a look at the requirements for the spotter. We will identify when to step in and take a look at the do's and don'ts of spotting. We will also take a look at additional exercises when there should always be a spotter.
Lee has been writing articles for over 5 years. Come visit his latest websites over at Crock Pots and Slow Cookers and Westbend Slow Cookers. These sites help consumers find the best products and information they are looking for when doing product research.
No comments:
Post a Comment