spotting question

[perfecto]

Latley ive realised that on certain exercises (flat db press, incline dumbell press, shoulder press) ive become dependant on a spotter. I feel that when i have a spotter i lift more weight, more reps and im worked alot harder. However when i lift on my own i always have to go down on weight and its alot harder to lift those weights.

Am i too dependant on a spotter? Or is it that as i lift heavier a spot becomes more necessary (for instance on a db shoulder press its quite difficult to get the weights from knee level to shoulder level) ?

Is it wrong to get a spot at say the 4th rep or should it be done perhaps on the 6th?

What are some general guidelines about spotting?

 

[nectron101]

I'm a bigenner and I lift 110 pounds, flat bench press...
I don't feel the need of a spotter until the 6th rep of the 3rd set..

Make sure you do the excersice correctly, with the weight that suits you..
Once you can do more reps, increase the weight and use a spotter..

 

[oaktownboy]

when you go heavier, ur definetly going to need a spotter

 

[Mudge]

Originally posted by perfecto
Or is it that as i lift heavier a spot becomes more necessary (for instance on a db shoulder press its quite difficult to get the weights from knee level to shoulder level) ?

Anything I delt press I can cheat curl, and/or I use my knees to help kick them up. I start with the lateral head before pressing though.

 

[OceanDude]

Damn mudge I wish I had thought of using cheat curls to help me get my inclined dumbell presses started. I can't start any of the heavies by myself but once I am up I'm good to go. This has been restricting my ability to make gains in chest since I often can't find anyone to help me. Shoulders seem blown out all the time...

 

[ArduousMeister]

Originally posted by OceanDude
Damn mudge I wish I had thought of using cheat curls to help me get my inclined bumbell presses started. I can't start any of the heavies by myself but once I am up I'm good to go. This has been restricting my ability to make gains in chest since I often can't find anyone to help me. Shoulders seem blown out all the time...

This is the reason that I screwed up my rotator cuff

 

[oaktownboy]

Originally posted by OceanDude
bumbell
interesting..

 

[oaktownboy]

This kind of reminds me when the commentators during the Niners game said Owens lifted 100 pounds barbells!

 

[OceanDude]

yah yah yah. Was dozing off...

 

[oaktownboy]

i'm just screwing with ur mind OC

 

[Mudge]

Originally posted by OceanDude
Damn mudge I wish I had thought of using cheat curls to help me get my inclined dumbell presses started.

For incline dumbells I use alot more weight (~40%) than overhead presses, so I use a knee one at a time to get them started. For a last set or two it gets light enough that I can cheat curl it up, as long as you feel somewhat confident with the weight otherwise I would just use a knee, for safety.

For reference, I normally will start dumbell curls with 55s, and for incline dumbell pressing after my flat work I will start with somewhere between 95-105 depending on rep range. I may work all the way down to 85s, depending on number of sets and such. I will not cheat curl more than probably the 85s, just no reason to kill yourself like that, and the knees save me energy too.

I do laterals with 50-55 pounders, and a paultry 75 or so for my pressing after lateral work. Most I have ever done that I can recall for a good 6 reps or so is 85 pounds, which was when I did them first.

 

[Arnold]

I am the same way, If someone is just holding the bar (not helping at all) due to psychological reasons I can do MUCH more weight.

 

[Mudge]

Some of it can be no fear of getting stuck under the bar. Really though it has not happened to me in a long time, and even a hard rep I can usually get up as long as I am watching my form, I throw my hands out a little more, pull my shoulder blades in a tad more and I can get it up, slowly.

At my gym there are multiple slots on the bench to put the bar though, and sometimes I only get it half way up.

 

[perfecto]

i realised it yesterday that its not so much about pushing the weight up, its more of a guidence thing. i mean for example i was dumbell pressing yesterday and when i wasnt being spotted i felt my arms moving to different directions as i was pressing up. yet with a spot the movement is more direct.

 

[firestorm]

I don't do spotters. I train alone and before my last injury (not weight training related), I trained heavy and did not use a spotter. For overhead presses I went as heavy as 100's. To get them into position was similar to a clean and jerk. pull up and sit down at the same time. Where there is a will there is a way. Part of your problem regarding reps may very well be psycological. The presence of a spotter and his hands under the bar gives you that added security so your mind is free to concentrate on completed the rep(s). Without a spotter, in the back of your mind your thinking "well should I go for another or will I get stuck" or,,, wow that last rep was hard so I know I can't get another,wish I had a spotter right now" thoughts like this are negative and therefore you get negative results or at the very least less optimum results. You need to focus, take a few big breaths and get psyced up before each set. Talk to yourself,, growl do WHATEVER gets you fired up and go for it. don't "press the weights up. Explode the weights up!! The battle is 80% mental and only 20% physical. You've proven this theory with your own original posting. More reps with spotter, less without.

 

[Burner02]

great post, fire!

damn! U can DB mil press 100lbs?!?
u da man!

 

[perfecto]

cheers firestorm, thats the kinda post i was lookin for

 

[Mudge]

I did 275 x 7 yesterday with no spotter, it was close to 6 1/2 though left arm shaking and voila, throw the hands out about a fingers width and pull your back together and push the damn thing.

 

[Skib]

psychological or not... it's a pretty scary feeling when you just can't get that last rep up

 

[Skib]

but with DB's i don't care as you can always just drop 'em

bench is a different story though

 

[Mudge]

Originally posted by Skib
psychological or not... it's a pretty scary feeling when you just can't get that last rep up

Thats the thing, I dont get scared anymore, I know pretty well if I can do it or not but I also have the advantage of a having alot of pegs on the bench so if I only get it up half way I can still rack it (I have done it a few times).