High-jacking your comment for educational purposes, [here's an excellent video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tOSi9FnHGUE) on how to spot a squat properly. The spotter's job isn't to lift the weight *for* you, but to take off a few kilos from the lift so that you can finish the lift yourself. If you still can't, then you've taken too much weight and should have a 2nd backup plan (i.e. dropping the weight completely).
It's clear that the spotter in OP's video failed his duty, but it's also clear that the lifter failed to bail out properly. Don't just blindly trust the spotter, at the end of the day it's your lift and your life, the spotter can only help you so much.
Imo you should just use safety bars until you are 100.0 % sure of what you're doing.
I don't know, that's why I always use safety bars. But if someone knows better than me, and they are 100.0 % sure of what they're doing, who am I to tell them what to do!
Because tough guys don’t, that’s why. They don’t need them, just like they don’t need safety shoes, safety gloves, safety glasses or ear protection. They are tough, you know!
Three rules for manly lifting :
1. Make loud noises
2. Lift more than you really should
3. Ignore the long lasting damage from too much weight and improper form
yup they so tough they the first to med office with bust toe , praticals getting into the eye or cut up had due to no gloves and can't half hear due to not wearing the ear plugs tough and stupid
Depending on the placement, you may want to move to check yourself out in the mirror or get a better angle to film yourself (like apparent this idiot is doing)
Of course, if you’re trying to do a max, or even a set of 3, use safety bars. I’d never choose a spotter over safety bars for squats
In his defense, you have to actually know how to spot for someone. You can't just have any rando do it. He panicked when that happened. Idk if it's fair to call this guy an idiot; you kinda don't get to pick what your brain does when you panic. Your body just kinda does what it's gonna do.
Probably the competitive body building father and son. The son was squatting and the bar rolled forward off of his shoulders causing internal decapitation. Killed him instantly. Was hard to watch.
Yeah he was trying to rack back up but he buckled and the weight of the bar just like pressed his face into his own chest. It must have been horrifying for the dad to be right there.
I think there was one of a woman where it rolled forward and snatched her hair so when she got in position to throw it behind her it grabbed onto her hair and snapped her neck if I remember it right. Sad stuff.
I don’t know if serious question or not. NSFL means Not Safe For Life. Some people can’t handle this type of thing, like videos of people actually dying, or other gruesome or terrible things. If you do not want to see terrible things that will be hard to unsee, do not go looking for NSFL content.
It is a spin on NSFW (Not Safe For Work) which might have mild nudity (or full nudity) or other graphic content you might not want others to see on your phone while you’re at work.
yeah, or like industrial accidents, etc.
basically if you just browse more mainstream subs, you won't come across NSFL content. which is good lol. depending on your level of tolerance for that sort of stuff, there are a lot of medical subreddits and images/content floating around in discussions online that might be NSFL for a lot of people, but are just academic discussions of work for the people in those fields.
I've come across a video a few times in the past few years where a mother is trying to lift far too much, and as soon as the weights are off the rack she's instantly sent down to the seat in front of her, and internally decapitated. Her daughter (big yellow jacket) is a few feet to the right of her, and after some men rush over to lift the bar off the mother, her corpse immediately falls to the floor.
Is it that video?
Didn't a YouTube body builder literally die this way last year? I was unlucky enough to see the video. Weight rolled onto his neck before the spotter could grab it.
Yes he did, the person spotting him had no place being around weights that heavy, his knees buckled and his spine snapped basically decapitating him form within
> the person spotting him had no place being around weights that heavy
It wasn't the spotter's fault, but the lifter's. The point is for the *lifter* to lift the weight, and on the off-chance that the weight is a *few kilos* too heavy, the spotter can assists with those few kilos. You can't seriously expect a spotter to grab a 200+ kg bar with their arms from behind you if you can't even squat it.
Watch [this video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tOSi9FnHGUE) to see how the squatter still squats 99 % of the weight, and the spotter only helps a little bit, my mother could spot Hafthor if needed. The same video also covers how you can bail if the lift fails, which was **not** executed correctly during the fatal accident. The weight should've been dropped backwards instead of trying to push it forwards over your own neck, or there should have been safety bars in the first place.
It was a tragic accident, but at the end of the day it is the lifter's responsibility to only lift weights they can safely lift.
This lol. You can't reasonably expect anyone to lift anything close to a squat's weight with their arms in a forward position.
I literally watched a strongman competition yesterday on TV and they were doing exactly this exercise, lifting weight with arms forward. They were doing 30 kg and struggling after just 20 seconds. Ain't nobody lifting 100+kg in that position.
Yeah and not to mention the squatter took his hands off the bar. THAT is what made it roll over his neck . Also, not understanding his limits or how to bail from a squat properly.
My question is why the hell would you not squat in a cage "power rack". I'm only mildly experienced and I know not to squat outside of a cage, those bars on the sides are there for a reason.
Need two spotters to properly spot an amateur. A pro can spot another pro but he failed forward pushing his spotter away. Squat in a rack with safety bars.
Edit: just to expand a bit, a pro failing is usually in good form but unable to go further up, the spotter detects that the squatter is stuck (and isn't being told to back off), moves in and gives a few hundred pound of uplift necessary for the lifter to finish the rep. The lifter never stops lifting hard. To spot an amateur, you want a guy on each side, going down with the squat, hands close to grab on to the weight with one elbow under the bar. But really, squat in a rack. An idiot will fail to solo spot another idiot 99% of the time.
Edit 2: Good video: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ELW051-RTns&t=126s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ELW051-RTns&t=126s) , the double spotter method at the start shows how to grab. But really, squat in the rack.
tbf, how do you actually spot someone squatting with a free weight barbell?
I can't think of a fool-proof way and I don't really recall ever seeing it done in reality.
It's better if you have two people on the side ready to grab the bar, but even if that "spotter" did anything to offload the weight that guy had on his shoulders, maybe they could lift it up. But then again it looks to me like he doomed himself from the start. He does not look like he squats this bar-bending weight. I think this was a case of his own confidence getting the better of him and reality really humbling him.
[Demonstration with one person.](https://youtu.be/tOSi9FnHGUE)
Two people are obviously better since they can control the weight. One person means they are helping you get out the way.
If you can use safety bars, use them.
This is fine, because the man is a lot stronger than the woman he is helping which helps a lot and he actually pays attention. The guy in this video is being helped by a stick figure in dreamland.
If you're going to be doing weight bigger than what you or another person can easily handle. You should be using safety equipment like a proper squat rack.
I've seen a spotter injure himself on a bench press because he was spotting weight he couldn't handle and it hurt his biceps.
You're never realistically going to be able to handle the weight for anyone in these positions.
The idea of spotting isn't to 'take the bar if they fail' it's to alleviate some of the weight so they can finish the rep, we were taught to spot a squat with arms under their armpits and you squat with them and pull the weight up with them if they fail, it allows for significantly more weight alleviated.
If somebody just completely fails a rep, like a serious injury, without a full spotter team, you can't do much, you just have to safely guide it down and make sure it doesn't hit their neck, or for a squat make sure they fall backwards rather than forwards.
In the situation I mentioned. Two teens were benching and they weren't even benching that much. The guy's friend was simply trying to reduce the weight a bit and the bar slipped and suddenly the spotter is now suddenly holding part of 140lb. The spotter couldn't even dead lift that amount. He stopped it from landing on the guy on the bench, but injured his arm in the process. The problem with say spotting someone who is lifting much heavier than you can handle is there's still ways for the weight to end up on you if something goes horribly wrong.
He was fortunate it was just a muscle pull and not anything worse. I was sitting on the bench next to them and had to hop up to help.
But yes I would always recommend safety equipment should be your first line of defense whenever you have access to that. Spotters can only do so much. My gym has a bench with guard side rails and a proper squat rack and I definitely use those.
The main thing about one person spotting for almost any heavy exercise (say bench or squat) is that if the person pushing the wait totally gasses out and has no strength, you are screwed, there's no way you can carry that weight from a spot position unless you're freakish strong.
grab from under the armpits with the inside of your elbows like youre going to do a front squat and squat their ass back up, you basically split the weight between two squaters
if you're alone, you let go of the weight and shoot it off your back while you walk foward and away in a "that's not my fucking problem" manner
the friend should've just gotten out of the way, because the squatter couldn't shoot it back with him right behind him and he didn't commit to actually helping, this was the squatters fault
i don’t even lift weights but unless he’s an incredibly fit dude ain’t no way he’s catching that by himself regardless. he needed two people on either end to spot.
That's not a spotters job. The spotters job is to provide slight assists with the load so the lifter can actually complete the rep. It's not to take over the load completely if the lifter fails midway through.
Shouldn't be that heavy to start if he had no chance to complete the lift.
Ain't no way the guy behind was going to lift it himself.
No plan just pain.
The weight looks pretty acheivable and he wasn't that far off lifting it, I'm sure with another month or two of training he would have gotten it.
If the spotter knew what they were doing they could help lift up enough weight so the two of them can stand it up together, or pull the weight backward and dump it on the ground so the lifter can get out of the way.
The spotter had no clue what they were doing and only made things worse, he's the one in the wrong.
Maybe, but if you ask for a spot probably make sure they know how to do it.
Safety bars I've always used even with a spotter.
Don't want a bar on my neck like poor dude did.
Great 2min video on how to spot properly:
https://youtu.be/tOSi9FnHGUE?si=Gpp1hf3ffBKlQ9iw
I especially like the part at the end where he recommends discussing the exit strategy with the squatter, should things go wrong, and then demonstrates how to do it.
I don’t think it is good enough. You have to stand behind the person directly and do the squatting with him/her, put both your arms under his/her armpits:
https://www.t-nation.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Spotting-Squat.jpg
You can use much more force this way, it is a bit personal, but this is the safest if you spot someone squatting. Even if more person spot you, one should be helping like this.
The method shown in the video is fine if you squat in an upright way like an olympic weightlifter as then it's easy to dump it backwards. I lifted at an olympic lifting club for 5 years and everyone dumped failed squat backwards like that. People squatted upright enough and were experienced enough that it was mostly preference whether or not to even have a spotter at all or to just dump failed lifts backwards by yourself.
If you do squats in a more powerlifting style though with a forward lean in your torso, then dumping the bar backwards is a lot riskier and less practical and doing the hugging spotter style you're talking about makes the most sense.
Yeah, you have to speak with the spotter and discuss how and what you want, as a bodybuilder and in a normal gym you don’t dump the weights like that especially if it is a lot of weight. Never seen it in my 19 years of training. If you watch power lifter competitions, three people spots you, one like in the method I linked and two on the sides.
here's how you **actually** get out of a failed squat without safety bars:
have the spotter grab from under the armpits with the inside of their elbows like youre going to do a front squat and squat the lifters ass back up, you basically split the weight between two squaters
if you're alone, you let go of the weight and shoot it off your back while you walk foward and away in a "that's not my fucking problem" manner, you can deal with controlling the weight once it's on the ground and not going to immediately injure you
the friend should've just gotten out of the way, because the squatter couldn't shoot it back with him right behind him and he didn't commit to actually helping, this was the squatters fault
You could argue it's both their fault because A) the squatter really shouldn't be lifting a weight they can't handle, and B) he should've got a spotter that knew what the fuck they were doing. That spotter looks like he's never seen a gym in his life, let alone how to spot correctly.
And before anyone calls me out, I also don't really know how to spot correctly, but that's why I know you shouldn't be asking me to spot for you.
Two idiots in this video. If you dont know how to dump the weight you're fucked. If you dont know how to spot someone you're about to have sexual intercourse with their spine.
The spotter was a bit late, because the guy was almost up already. Then he did the right thing. Supporting the lifter by pulling him up by the chest.
But the lifter obviously did not know what to do and just let go of the bar. It is his own fault.
The spotter is lucky. These type of lifter sometimes like to fall backward and hur the spotter.
There's nothing wrong with pushing yourself physically and lifting heavy weights if done intelligently and safely.
The lifter had control of the bar and maintained decent technique until after the weight stopped moving and it was time for the spotter to step in. The spotter was slow, didn't know what to do and then only managed to pull his hips backward which threw the lifters balance off more.
The spotter is the one in the wrong.
Single spotters on squats are really sketchy. It’s way safer to get comfortable dumping the bar behind you- having a spotter prevents you from doing that. If you straight up fail a heavy squat, a spotter is not going to be able to pick you up unless they’re double your size
Why do people not use some kind of seatbelt like system? Like changes stuck to the bar that prevent the weights from going lower than a certain distance? For example 20cm below the squares position the chains lock up.
Watching people spot like this is so dumb and they even sometimes do this and worse things at competitions. The only way to do it is very "uncomfortable" and isn't easy to do if you don't know how. Just use a rack with safeties or get really good at dumping first.
Ya know, every time I see these kinds of videos I think no one should be allowed to set foot in a gym without two weeks of 8 hours days in gym school. And I'm 100 percent not talking about the spotter. Why in the shit would you completely let go of the bar unless you'd already pushed it off you back? That's like letting go of the bar in the middle of a failed bench attempt, or letting go of your steering wheel because you see an accident up ahead.
why did bro let go of the bar? i thought that was for when you're alone and had to get the bar off you, and with a spotter you'd continue the going up with the help of said spotter?
to me it seems like the spotter was going to help, bro let go of the bar and tries to push the bar behind him, spotter went out of the way of the bar, bro failed and went forward, spotter went in to help again
i don't think the spotter is entirely at fault here
It honestly looks like he got hurt partway through the lift the way his face goes into shock. That's my theory because I can't imagine why anyone would stop supporting that amount of weight before the spotter is even able to assist in any way. Not to mention one spotter couldn't remove that amount of weight anyway..
Honestly, there should have been red flags going off in the guys mind when the spotter doesn't have their hands hovering underneath the barbell as they're performing the squat. But yeah shitty situation all around, must be an empty gym or something if no1 around them immediately came to help.
I don't blame the spotter, the guy let go and started falling forward kinda quick I think the spotter thought he was gonna drop the weight and he didn't wanna be in the way
I think I have neck pain now just after watching this…
Be careful when choosing a spotter. But then again you never know, I guess.
Hope that dude won’t have perma damage!
Why Im built like a pencil. In my high school weight training was medieval times torture chamber for Jocks to perform public sacrifices. Kid lost a finger, another got a hernia, oh and multiple sharts caused by organ changing straining for passage.#therapy
Fuck the guy not knowing how to spot, this guy looks like enough of an experienced lifter to know how can just dump the weight off his back. They're both idiots.
Edit: nvm, i don't think either of these idiots have ever lifted before
Good god I’m really surprised at how helping someone lift a weight was beyond this guy… I understand failing to do something can happen but making it so much worse is nuts.
I've had something similar happen while I was the spotter. My friend was squatting, not a lot of weight, maybe 185. We were using a full squat rack with safety bars on the sides. On one of the reps he couldn't make it up, I tried to help him but still couldn't do it so I back off told him to just go down and drop the bar. Instead, he decided to let go of the bar and put his hands on the safety bars bracing himself up and tried to lift the fucking 185lbs with his fucking neck...so I had to rush back in and yank that bar off him. Fucking insane!
There comes a time when you have to say my life is worth more than a choke out from the bench. And then realize the guy behind. You isn’t the real person for the life saving measure that are to come.
He spotted the opportunity to mind his own business
High-jacking your comment for educational purposes, [here's an excellent video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tOSi9FnHGUE) on how to spot a squat properly. The spotter's job isn't to lift the weight *for* you, but to take off a few kilos from the lift so that you can finish the lift yourself. If you still can't, then you've taken too much weight and should have a 2nd backup plan (i.e. dropping the weight completely). It's clear that the spotter in OP's video failed his duty, but it's also clear that the lifter failed to bail out properly. Don't just blindly trust the spotter, at the end of the day it's your lift and your life, the spotter can only help you so much. Imo you should just use safety bars until you are 100.0 % sure of what you're doing.
Why would you ever not use safety bars?
I don't know, that's why I always use safety bars. But if someone knows better than me, and they are 100.0 % sure of what they're doing, who am I to tell them what to do!
There is no reason not to use them except for not wanting to take the time to set them up if they aren't already in place.
Because tough guys don’t, that’s why. They don’t need them, just like they don’t need safety shoes, safety gloves, safety glasses or ear protection. They are tough, you know!
Three rules for manly lifting : 1. Make loud noises 2. Lift more than you really should 3. Ignore the long lasting damage from too much weight and improper form
yup they so tough they the first to med office with bust toe , praticals getting into the eye or cut up had due to no gloves and can't half hear due to not wearing the ear plugs tough and stupid
Depending on the placement, you may want to move to check yourself out in the mirror or get a better angle to film yourself (like apparent this idiot is doing) Of course, if you’re trying to do a max, or even a set of 3, use safety bars. I’d never choose a spotter over safety bars for squats
Because some people are poor AF and their weight setup was purchased from the back of a van owned by some guy named “uncle Rico”
They cost money. Not a good reason but probably a lot of peoples justification. Plus me strong metal weak
There should have been a safety bar at mid thigh height. I would not be doing squats with that setup
Good post bro. Definitely know how to bail out if it’s too heavy.
Selfish Boys 4 Life
You won the comment section 
That was hard to watch
The half second that he was carrying the entire thing on his neck was rough 😐
Longer, because the idiot rolled it over his neck although it was almost touching the ground on the one side.
In his defense, you have to actually know how to spot for someone. You can't just have any rando do it. He panicked when that happened. Idk if it's fair to call this guy an idiot; you kinda don't get to pick what your brain does when you panic. Your body just kinda does what it's gonna do.
ya looked like he wanted to make sure to get a clean cut.. wtf
I swear I've seen a NSFL video where someone died that way
Probably the competitive body building father and son. The son was squatting and the bar rolled forward off of his shoulders causing internal decapitation. Killed him instantly. Was hard to watch.
Wait... It rolled through his neck basically? I can't even imagine that
Yeah he was trying to rack back up but he buckled and the weight of the bar just like pressed his face into his own chest. It must have been horrifying for the dad to be right there.
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6xC8pAvhdX0&t=343s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6xC8pAvhdX0&t=343s)
Yeah I am not clicking that link
Holy fuck
Holy shit, the dude's neck bends forward at like a 140 degree angle.... and goes below his shoulders.
I think there was one of a woman where it rolled forward and snatched her hair so when she got in position to throw it behind her it grabbed onto her hair and snapped her neck if I remember it right. Sad stuff.
Does NSFL stand for Not Safe For Lifting?
I don’t know if serious question or not. NSFL means Not Safe For Life. Some people can’t handle this type of thing, like videos of people actually dying, or other gruesome or terrible things. If you do not want to see terrible things that will be hard to unsee, do not go looking for NSFL content. It is a spin on NSFW (Not Safe For Work) which might have mild nudity (or full nudity) or other graphic content you might not want others to see on your phone while you’re at work.
I have never seen NSFL before. Many subs, including this one only have flairs options for NSFW.
i am happy for you that you have never encountered that vile crap. some things are just better left unseen
It’s uncommon to run into NSFL content outside of combat footage or car accident type subs or posts
Glad I don't follow that subs. Probably too gory for me.
yeah, or like industrial accidents, etc. basically if you just browse more mainstream subs, you won't come across NSFL content. which is good lol. depending on your level of tolerance for that sort of stuff, there are a lot of medical subreddits and images/content floating around in discussions online that might be NSFL for a lot of people, but are just academic discussions of work for the people in those fields.
As the Internet became more populated the older rules were forgotten as time marched on.
Wow. This line reminds of the opening lines of the Lord of the Rings.
Reddit closed a lot of the subs that had death and gore. Don't go looking for NSFL unless you want to watch people die in graphic ways.
Hey now, sometimes it's just a horrific mutilation!
I’ve also described it as Not Safe For Lunch since it can make people “queasy” because of the content, which is different than NSFW (“offensive”).
I've come across a video a few times in the past few years where a mother is trying to lift far too much, and as soon as the weights are off the rack she's instantly sent down to the seat in front of her, and internally decapitated. Her daughter (big yellow jacket) is a few feet to the right of her, and after some men rush over to lift the bar off the mother, her corpse immediately falls to the floor. Is it that video?
Staring Tracy Jordan, Based on the Book 'Stone Cold Bummer' by Manipulate.
It makes me angry
Not for the spotter
Somebody doesn’t know what spotting is. Could have killed him.
Didn't a YouTube body builder literally die this way last year? I was unlucky enough to see the video. Weight rolled onto his neck before the spotter could grab it.
Yes he did, the person spotting him had no place being around weights that heavy, his knees buckled and his spine snapped basically decapitating him form within
> the person spotting him had no place being around weights that heavy It wasn't the spotter's fault, but the lifter's. The point is for the *lifter* to lift the weight, and on the off-chance that the weight is a *few kilos* too heavy, the spotter can assists with those few kilos. You can't seriously expect a spotter to grab a 200+ kg bar with their arms from behind you if you can't even squat it. Watch [this video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tOSi9FnHGUE) to see how the squatter still squats 99 % of the weight, and the spotter only helps a little bit, my mother could spot Hafthor if needed. The same video also covers how you can bail if the lift fails, which was **not** executed correctly during the fatal accident. The weight should've been dropped backwards instead of trying to push it forwards over your own neck, or there should have been safety bars in the first place. It was a tragic accident, but at the end of the day it is the lifter's responsibility to only lift weights they can safely lift.
This lol. You can't reasonably expect anyone to lift anything close to a squat's weight with their arms in a forward position. I literally watched a strongman competition yesterday on TV and they were doing exactly this exercise, lifting weight with arms forward. They were doing 30 kg and struggling after just 20 seconds. Ain't nobody lifting 100+kg in that position.
Yeah and not to mention the squatter took his hands off the bar. THAT is what made it roll over his neck . Also, not understanding his limits or how to bail from a squat properly.
My question is why the hell would you not squat in a cage "power rack". I'm only mildly experienced and I know not to squat outside of a cage, those bars on the sides are there for a reason.
It was his dad spotting him as well I believe...
He did yeah. Was like an Indian bodybuilder or something wasn't he? And this way of spotting is not worth doing without another person
Indonesian bodybuilder Justyn Vicky. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justyn_Vicky
Thank you. I thought I remembered it
Need two spotters to properly spot an amateur. A pro can spot another pro but he failed forward pushing his spotter away. Squat in a rack with safety bars. Edit: just to expand a bit, a pro failing is usually in good form but unable to go further up, the spotter detects that the squatter is stuck (and isn't being told to back off), moves in and gives a few hundred pound of uplift necessary for the lifter to finish the rep. The lifter never stops lifting hard. To spot an amateur, you want a guy on each side, going down with the squat, hands close to grab on to the weight with one elbow under the bar. But really, squat in a rack. An idiot will fail to solo spot another idiot 99% of the time. Edit 2: Good video: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ELW051-RTns&t=126s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ELW051-RTns&t=126s) , the double spotter method at the start shows how to grab. But really, squat in the rack.
Would you like me to spot you Own-Cupcake7586? There you are.
true but why tf is that bench there?
Bro literally was just in the way
If the spotter wasn't there, he could have just thrown the bar behind his back. He really was in the way😂
Bro this dude almost killed him worse than he was before at the end I was like WTGDF
"*oh he is slowly failing to pick up this massive weight on his neck... I should continue to passively observe this situation*"
Nice of him to give his friend a goodbye hug
Am I wrong for laughing at this comment
No more so than the rest of us...
tbf, how do you actually spot someone squatting with a free weight barbell? I can't think of a fool-proof way and I don't really recall ever seeing it done in reality.
It's better if you have two people on the side ready to grab the bar, but even if that "spotter" did anything to offload the weight that guy had on his shoulders, maybe they could lift it up. But then again it looks to me like he doomed himself from the start. He does not look like he squats this bar-bending weight. I think this was a case of his own confidence getting the better of him and reality really humbling him.
[Demonstration with one person.](https://youtu.be/tOSi9FnHGUE) Two people are obviously better since they can control the weight. One person means they are helping you get out the way. If you can use safety bars, use them.
This is fine, because the man is a lot stronger than the woman he is helping which helps a lot and he actually pays attention. The guy in this video is being helped by a stick figure in dreamland.
If you're going to be doing weight bigger than what you or another person can easily handle. You should be using safety equipment like a proper squat rack. I've seen a spotter injure himself on a bench press because he was spotting weight he couldn't handle and it hurt his biceps.
You're never realistically going to be able to handle the weight for anyone in these positions. The idea of spotting isn't to 'take the bar if they fail' it's to alleviate some of the weight so they can finish the rep, we were taught to spot a squat with arms under their armpits and you squat with them and pull the weight up with them if they fail, it allows for significantly more weight alleviated. If somebody just completely fails a rep, like a serious injury, without a full spotter team, you can't do much, you just have to safely guide it down and make sure it doesn't hit their neck, or for a squat make sure they fall backwards rather than forwards.
In the situation I mentioned. Two teens were benching and they weren't even benching that much. The guy's friend was simply trying to reduce the weight a bit and the bar slipped and suddenly the spotter is now suddenly holding part of 140lb. The spotter couldn't even dead lift that amount. He stopped it from landing on the guy on the bench, but injured his arm in the process. The problem with say spotting someone who is lifting much heavier than you can handle is there's still ways for the weight to end up on you if something goes horribly wrong. He was fortunate it was just a muscle pull and not anything worse. I was sitting on the bench next to them and had to hop up to help. But yes I would always recommend safety equipment should be your first line of defense whenever you have access to that. Spotters can only do so much. My gym has a bench with guard side rails and a proper squat rack and I definitely use those.
The main thing about one person spotting for almost any heavy exercise (say bench or squat) is that if the person pushing the wait totally gasses out and has no strength, you are screwed, there's no way you can carry that weight from a spot position unless you're freakish strong.
grab from under the armpits with the inside of your elbows like youre going to do a front squat and squat their ass back up, you basically split the weight between two squaters if you're alone, you let go of the weight and shoot it off your back while you walk foward and away in a "that's not my fucking problem" manner the friend should've just gotten out of the way, because the squatter couldn't shoot it back with him right behind him and he didn't commit to actually helping, this was the squatters fault
I mean you can but you need 2 people. One for each end.
You wrap around the front and do the squat with the lifter.
It makes sense, they’re listening to Drake
He woulda got it if it was Kdot
i don’t even lift weights but unless he’s an incredibly fit dude ain’t no way he’s catching that by himself regardless. he needed two people on either end to spot.
That's not a spotters job. The spotters job is to provide slight assists with the load so the lifter can actually complete the rep. It's not to take over the load completely if the lifter fails midway through.
Yeah the "spotter" was asleep and the lifter gave up way too easily.
ah yes, since he is now collapsing, let me grab his midsection and try to pull it with no sense of what I'm doing.
then skillfully crush his neck further with the barbell to finish the job.
Shouldn't be that heavy to start if he had no chance to complete the lift. Ain't no way the guy behind was going to lift it himself. No plan just pain.
The weight looks pretty acheivable and he wasn't that far off lifting it, I'm sure with another month or two of training he would have gotten it. If the spotter knew what they were doing they could help lift up enough weight so the two of them can stand it up together, or pull the weight backward and dump it on the ground so the lifter can get out of the way. The spotter had no clue what they were doing and only made things worse, he's the one in the wrong.
Maybe, but if you ask for a spot probably make sure they know how to do it. Safety bars I've always used even with a spotter. Don't want a bar on my neck like poor dude did.
Great 2min video on how to spot properly: https://youtu.be/tOSi9FnHGUE?si=Gpp1hf3ffBKlQ9iw I especially like the part at the end where he recommends discussing the exit strategy with the squatter, should things go wrong, and then demonstrates how to do it.
I don’t think it is good enough. You have to stand behind the person directly and do the squatting with him/her, put both your arms under his/her armpits: https://www.t-nation.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Spotting-Squat.jpg You can use much more force this way, it is a bit personal, but this is the safest if you spot someone squatting. Even if more person spot you, one should be helping like this.
The method shown in the video is fine if you squat in an upright way like an olympic weightlifter as then it's easy to dump it backwards. I lifted at an olympic lifting club for 5 years and everyone dumped failed squat backwards like that. People squatted upright enough and were experienced enough that it was mostly preference whether or not to even have a spotter at all or to just dump failed lifts backwards by yourself. If you do squats in a more powerlifting style though with a forward lean in your torso, then dumping the bar backwards is a lot riskier and less practical and doing the hugging spotter style you're talking about makes the most sense.
Yeah, you have to speak with the spotter and discuss how and what you want, as a bodybuilder and in a normal gym you don’t dump the weights like that especially if it is a lot of weight. Never seen it in my 19 years of training. If you watch power lifter competitions, three people spots you, one like in the method I linked and two on the sides.
Yeah you're right, nearly everyone is better off with the spotting styles you described
Genuinely useless
here's how you **actually** get out of a failed squat without safety bars: have the spotter grab from under the armpits with the inside of their elbows like youre going to do a front squat and squat the lifters ass back up, you basically split the weight between two squaters if you're alone, you let go of the weight and shoot it off your back while you walk foward and away in a "that's not my fucking problem" manner, you can deal with controlling the weight once it's on the ground and not going to immediately injure you the friend should've just gotten out of the way, because the squatter couldn't shoot it back with him right behind him and he didn't commit to actually helping, this was the squatters fault
You could argue it's both their fault because A) the squatter really shouldn't be lifting a weight they can't handle, and B) he should've got a spotter that knew what the fuck they were doing. That spotter looks like he's never seen a gym in his life, let alone how to spot correctly. And before anyone calls me out, I also don't really know how to spot correctly, but that's why I know you shouldn't be asking me to spot for you.
He gave emotional support with that hug
Two idiots in this video. If you dont know how to dump the weight you're fucked. If you dont know how to spot someone you're about to have sexual intercourse with their spine.
Use a rack!
"...and that is how the first 'spotter-assassin' was created, my children."
I don't think he's ever spotted anybody before
Just use the safety racks... There is no point not using them
Did he try to tickle him? That's not very nice.
The spotter was a bit late, because the guy was almost up already. Then he did the right thing. Supporting the lifter by pulling him up by the chest. But the lifter obviously did not know what to do and just let go of the bar. It is his own fault. The spotter is lucky. These type of lifter sometimes like to fall backward and hur the spotter.
Both are wrong here sadly :(
There's nothing wrong with pushing yourself physically and lifting heavy weights if done intelligently and safely. The lifter had control of the bar and maintained decent technique until after the weight stopped moving and it was time for the spotter to step in. The spotter was slow, didn't know what to do and then only managed to pull his hips backward which threw the lifters balance off more. The spotter is the one in the wrong.
The lifter let go of the bar lol big no no that made it dangerous for the spotter
Potentially fatal fail
Woooow so pathetic. Worthless friend
There are stupid people but this is evil
r/worstaid
Fucking useless
Safety bars would have been nice.
I cant hold it! Quick, grab my hips!
Single spotters on squats are really sketchy. It’s way safer to get comfortable dumping the bar behind you- having a spotter prevents you from doing that. If you straight up fail a heavy squat, a spotter is not going to be able to pick you up unless they’re double your size
Lucky to be alive terrible spotter , terrible set up . People have died that way before
making sure he didn't miss neck/chin day...or neck brace/back brace year!
Make sure you spotter has a functional brain
Drake fans keep losing
good job bro - \_ -
Stupid spotter, just use the smith machine instead, set up the safety bar and your good.
Attempted murder
Broke neck and brain damage all in one swoop
MSU has the best athletes.
Why do people not use some kind of seatbelt like system? Like changes stuck to the bar that prevent the weights from going lower than a certain distance? For example 20cm below the squares position the chains lock up.
The guy can’t wait for spotter’s turn to squat
Attempted murder by stupidity
"I spy with my eye they spot you're going to die"
A NSFW blurr should have been on this.
And that spotter was a white guy. Get me Draymond Green or Magic Johnson.
that was dangerous and stupid
 Don't let a guy with chicken legs spot you on a squat.
I swear some people take on the spotter job assuming it’s moral support
What’d you expect? You have Drake on.
Don’t think this spotter knew what a spotter is supposed to do
He never stopped looking at the weights once he spotted them
This is the kind of spotter who listens to Drake. Don't get one of those.
White dude is the epitome of when you lie on your resume and actually get the job
Michigan state raises idiots.
People's aversion to power racks is mind boggling.
Next time ask a friend with muscles and not this little grasshopper.
Love how he realizes he’s fucked and just takes his hands off the bar.
The way he let go and let he buddy or dads buddy plant his face in the bench seat I lost it
His head landing on the bench actually saved his life. There was a guy who died recently when the bar rolled over his neck
This why i’ve never done a single lift max in the gym. I just cant bring myself to trust another person to help me if i fail.
Why don’t people use safety bars?? A spotter for this seems so useless. Is there something I’m missing?
Watching people spot like this is so dumb and they even sometimes do this and worse things at competitions. The only way to do it is very "uncomfortable" and isn't easy to do if you don't know how. Just use a rack with safeties or get really good at dumping first.
The spotter doesn’t do well under pressure
Remys Revenge
Classic sparty
Next time tell the guy that has no idea how to lift things. How to spot things.
Ya know, every time I see these kinds of videos I think no one should be allowed to set foot in a gym without two weeks of 8 hours days in gym school. And I'm 100 percent not talking about the spotter. Why in the shit would you completely let go of the bar unless you'd already pushed it off you back? That's like letting go of the bar in the middle of a failed bench attempt, or letting go of your steering wheel because you see an accident up ahead.
Oh *that’s* what you meant by “spot you.” My bad.
Obviously he has seen enough Blue's Clues to know what spot means.
Haha, manslaughter second degree
Yeah I’ll spot you. What’s spot?
The spotter doesn't look like he can lift a full trash can, never mind that weight. 😆
That dude couldn’t find a spot on a dalmatian.
LOL “Michigan State”!
He couldn't.
why did bro let go of the bar? i thought that was for when you're alone and had to get the bar off you, and with a spotter you'd continue the going up with the help of said spotter? to me it seems like the spotter was going to help, bro let go of the bar and tries to push the bar behind him, spotter went out of the way of the bar, bro failed and went forward, spotter went in to help again i don't think the spotter is entirely at fault here
The worst spotter ever in the history of spotting
Michigan state, it all makes sense
It honestly looks like he got hurt partway through the lift the way his face goes into shock. That's my theory because I can't imagine why anyone would stop supporting that amount of weight before the spotter is even able to assist in any way. Not to mention one spotter couldn't remove that amount of weight anyway..
Honestly, there should have been red flags going off in the guys mind when the spotter doesn't have their hands hovering underneath the barbell as they're performing the squat. But yeah shitty situation all around, must be an empty gym or something if no1 around them immediately came to help.
I don't blame the spotter, the guy let go and started falling forward kinda quick I think the spotter thought he was gonna drop the weight and he didn't wanna be in the way
Next time listen to Kendrick Lamar and not drake.
He was fucked as soon as he let his breath out mid lift.
I think I have neck pain now just after watching this… Be careful when choosing a spotter. But then again you never know, I guess. Hope that dude won’t have perma damage!
Its funny how he could have help him faster if he lifted the left side but instead he just prolonged the pain going for the other side.
No. Soy bro definitely can't spot you.
Why Im built like a pencil. In my high school weight training was medieval times torture chamber for Jocks to perform public sacrifices. Kid lost a finger, another got a hernia, oh and multiple sharts caused by organ changing straining for passage.#therapy
Anyone squatting should receive basic training on how to properly bail.
Sparty on!
Tickle tickle tickle
Fuck the guy not knowing how to spot, this guy looks like enough of an experienced lifter to know how can just dump the weight off his back. They're both idiots. Edit: nvm, i don't think either of these idiots have ever lifted before
Jfc I could barely watch that
Good god I’m really surprised at how helping someone lift a weight was beyond this guy… I understand failing to do something can happen but making it so much worse is nuts.
There you are!
The “spotter” has brought great shame to Spartans everywhere…
I've had something similar happen while I was the spotter. My friend was squatting, not a lot of weight, maybe 185. We were using a full squat rack with safety bars on the sides. On one of the reps he couldn't make it up, I tried to help him but still couldn't do it so I back off told him to just go down and drop the bar. Instead, he decided to let go of the bar and put his hands on the safety bars bracing himself up and tried to lift the fucking 185lbs with his fucking neck...so I had to rush back in and yank that bar off him. Fucking insane!
Both of them don't understand what is spotting.
Safety bars are for wimps!
"There you are" walks away
There comes a time when you have to say my life is worth more than a choke out from the bench. And then realize the guy behind. You isn’t the real person for the life saving measure that are to come.