No Wonder Women Don't Get Into Gym...

[TTT]

Gettin real tired of your intentionally deceptive home gym scenarios.

you're missing out...

[NickR33]

That's terrible! Nearly everything can be taught from a distance, I would have 'accidentally' elbowed him in the face if he didn't listen.

[JEPPE]

Yeah... a 10cm distance

Usually don't have someone hooking under the arms, just ready to assist with the bar shadowing it. When I used to do squats years ago in a supervised environment we were just instructed to drop them, never got assisted. Wrong or down to preference?

Although that was a while ago, could be mixing up the dropping with deadlifts. My memory is terrible.

Edited December 4, 2012 by JEPPE

[darksky34]

down to preference i believe. i've read people say (actually over in the gym thread here haha) that if you're going on heavy weights (where you might have difficulty) then don't use the collars, so that if you really are in trouble then just tip over and drop off the weights. remember that the bar will swing up though haha

[TTT]

^^^ That's only with Benching.

If you're squatting by yourself, you really should be doing it in a power cage with the safety bars there to prevent you crushing yourself or damaging the bar.

You can't spot a squat by shadowing the bar.

unless you want to hurt yourself and the lifter.

Edited December 4, 2012 by TTT

[JEPPE]

I suppose it wasn't spotting as much as it was assisting, I get what you mean though.

Have seen people using the cages before, sometimes they seem to do it at obscure angles though. Is it meant to be used as if squatting without a cage?

[darksky34]

I stand corrected.

And yes even in the video, it doesn't look very secure (with that type of spotting) - unless the spotter has extremely strong arms?

[TTT]

in a proper comp, you have spotters on either side of the bar too.

Their job is to help lift the bar.

the spotter behind is there to keep the lifter from falling or folding over etc.

Charlie - the safety bars can be removed.

you can do everything in there as the pin height where you put the bar has many heights.

Most of those cages will also have chin up handles on the top and some have dipping bars on the side.

That's why they are great for home gyms.

you get a power cage, a bench, barbell and weights and you can do 99% of what you need.

[Husky33]

the best technique in heavy squatting is to have no spotter behind you, and if you fail you just throw the bar behind you.

It's the safest and easiest, and means you don't need a power rack or a spotter to squat to failure.

[Trozzle]

the best technique in heavy squatting is to have no spotter behind you, and if you fail you just throw the bar behind you.

It's the safest and easiest, and means you don't need a power rack or a spotter to squat to failure.

I honestly can't see how it's possible to get the bar to fall BEHIND you on a squat that you failed due to being unable to lift it.

[darksky34]

Maybe he means drop it off your back and move forward at the same time? Since the bar should be sitting on your shoulders?

[TTT]

If you squat high bar and can keep your torso upright, it will be easier to dump the bar behind you.

Low bar and wider stance has you leaning forward more.

That would be hard to dump the bar behind you.

Also depends where in the lift you fail.

If your hips raise faster than your torso (bad form or fatigue etc etc) you'll end up in a good morning type position and you won't be able to dump the bar behind.

[Trozzle]

If you squat high bar and can keep your torso upright, it will be easier to dump the bar behind you.

Low bar and wider stance has you leaning forward more.

That would be hard to dump the bar behind you.

Also depends where in the lift you fail.

If your hips raise faster than your torso (bad form or fatigue etc etc) you'll end up in a good morning type position and you won't be able to dump the bar behind.

Yeah I was thinking this.

Plus I'm in the mindset of low bar anyway, high bar is uncomfortable as all shit for me.

[Birds]

Or you could squat in a rack/cage that has safety bars and ass to ground it onto the bars if you can't lift it...

[Trozzle]

Or you could squat in a rack/cage that has safety bars and ass to ground it onto the bars if you can't lift it...

Exactly.

[Husky33]

I honestly can't see how it's possible to get the bar to fall BEHIND you on a squat that you failed due to being unable to lift it.

let go of the bar and move forward. Maybe easier with a high bar upright squat but unless you are good morning the squat for some reason it's easy to do with a low bar squat too

[Husky33]

Or you could squat in a rack/cage that has safety bars and ass to ground it onto the bars if you can't lift it...

I hate squatting in a cage, everything is so close and i get a bit claustrophobic.

Outside is fine, it shouldn't be that often that you are failing on a squat in training anyway

[NickR33]

the best technique in heavy squatting is to have no spotter behind you, and if you fail you just throw the bar behind you.

It's the safest and easiest, and means you don't need a power rack or a spotter to squat to failure.

provided you have bumper plates and a floor that is okay to drop weight on

when at commercial style gyms I squat with no spotter and no safety bars... then you have no choice but to make the lift... you'd be amazed how a bit of panic/fear can help you out of the hole lol (don't do this with 1RM attempts obviously)

[Husky33]

provided you have bumper plates and a floor that is okay to drop weight on

when at commercial style gyms I squat with no spotter and no safety bars... then you have no choice but to make the lift... you'd be amazed how a bit of panic/fear can help you out of the hole lol (don't do this with 1RM attempts obviously)

I know, that's why i never squat with spotters or a rack.

I guess if you can't drop the weights then use a rack i guess. Spotters are useless imo for squatting when training

[NickR33]

Markos posted this on another forum... a must read for girls (make sure you read the last couple of pages)

http://startingstrength.com/articles/training_perspective_gillian.pdf

"In Mark Rippetoe’s words, “Your appearance when fit is almost entirely a result of your genetics,

which are expressed at your best only when your training level is at its highest, and this level is only

obtainable from a program based on an improvement in your performance, in the gym or on the

field. And the best improvements in the gym occur when participating in a program that looks more

like performance athletics – the kind of training done by competitive athletes – than one that looks

like waving your arms and legs around on a machine or slowly rolling around on the floor” (Strong

Enough?, p118)."