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Spotting: Mind over matter?

oats5

oats5

New member
I'm new here, but I had a quick search on the forums and a similar one on google to no avail.

I am having a debate with my training buddy and he thinks that spotting takes a large amount of weight off the bar in bench press however I think it is only a kilo or two when I do it.

I feel that it is your mind that believes I have taken a large amount of stress of the muscles and this allows you to finish the last or last two reps in your set.

We are both fairly new to training, both have been training off and on for several years but have only recently started training properly.
That being said we are only benching 55kg for him on free weights and 75kg for me and 45 kg dumbbell press for him and 60 for me.

He is doing 6 reps and I'm doing 10, so we are both fairly novice and that's why I am hear today asking your thoughts ausBB.

Help us settle this matter.
 
You do not touch the bar unless your friend fails...... That way your taking 0kg from the lift.
 
If anyone touches the bar the lift doesn't count. Simple as that.

If you can lift the weight no one should touch the bar. The spotter is just there to save you from hurting yourself when you fail a lift. Not lift the weight for you.
 
I'm talking about when they are at full exertion and are half way up and can't finish it. Neither of us like having to use a spotter to complete the set but sometimes it needed.
Does that sort of clarify the context?
 
I don't mean of the lift counts, if we need to spot either then we fail the weight range.
 
oats5 said:
I'm talking about when they are at full exertion and are half way up and can't finish it. Neither of us like having to use a spotter to complete the set but sometimes it needed.
Does that sort of clarify the context?
Click to expand...

Yes.

If you can't lift it on your own without a spotter you didn't lift the weight. Take some weight off the bar and lift it yourself and stop giving the spotter a workout.
 
I specifically want to know if you think that spotting is mind over matter, not really to do with the legitimacy of the set or weight range.
 
oats5 said:
I specifically want to know if you think that spotting is mind over matter, not really to do with the legitimacy of the set or weight range.
Click to expand...

Ok sorry.

No it's not mind over matter. The spotter is lifting the weight for you.
 
It could be argued that a rep at say 100kg, partially spotted in the sticking points is as valuable as an unspotted rep at 90kg for all but pride i'd think...

To the OP, I'd actually think the stabilisation of the bar would be a factor here.
 
Touching the bar takes a lot more than a kilo or two and it can not be controlled so who knows how much force you have applied each time.

In regards to mind over matter. When spotting squats I just touch peoples lats and this usually gives them a mental edge to tighten up and push through the rep. I do not hold or help and just lightly touch them with a finger.

So mentally it can help but you are way off on your thoughts on how much weight is removed by light spotting.
 
I rarely have a spotted but when i do; i tell him to place his index fingers under the bar.

Question

Your mate can bench press 55kg and db press 45kg? , is this db bench press? Damn. That's awesome!
 
That's what I thought, I wouldn't know the exact weight I was taking off the bech press.
However I only use an index finger to lift it, so I wouldn't think it was a lot of weight.
 
Handy tip... if the person doing the pressing can take a hand off the bar and rub their nose and then grab the bar again... you're probably spotting too much.
 
I don't use spotters. That's why safety pins were invented.

If you want to go past the point if failure then Pre exhaust the muscle.
 
GROAR said:
I don't use spotters. That's why safety pins were invented.

If you want to go past the point if failure then Pre exhaust the muscle.
Click to expand...

Frustratingly my gym is setup in such a way that it's almost impossible to setup a flat bench in a power rack. (a) blocks the main walkway, (b) is a slight decline as there is a high rubber mat outside the racks.

I've always found it mystifying that gym bench presses don't have safety bars as a matter of course given the risk factor.
 
I find that having a spotter there (who does not touch the bar obviously) can give me to confidence to hit a max effort or personal best set (desire to avoid the shame of missing a rep :P).
 
I don't use a spotter, I have the safety rails on the cage, plus I've learnt to get out of a bad lift.
 
It's surprising how little extra force is needed to complete a lift and just having someone there certainly can give you a mental edge.
 
NightFallTech said:
Frustratingly my gym is setup in such a way that it's almost impossible to setup a flat bench in a power rack. (a) blocks the main walkway, (b) is a slight decline as there is a high rubber mat outside the racks.

I've always found it mystifying that gym bench presses don't have safety bars as a matter of course given the risk factor.
Click to expand...

I worked out for years in commercial gyms no spotter. At one stage managed a 1RM touch and go (with ALOT of bounce) at 140kg. All I used to do when I failed was put it on chest and roll it down to my legs so I could sit up and move the bar.

You quickly get kicked out if you leave the collars off and just let the plates go shooting off each side, which is what I do at home. Even though I have a rack I never user the safties for bench.
 
Semillon said:
I find that having a spotter there (who does not touch the bar obviously) can give me to confidence to hit a max effort or personal best set (desire to avoid the shame of missing a rep :P).
Click to expand...

I find this interesting because in my opinion not having a spotter (ie. for squats, bench) is extra incentive for me to not fail the rep.

If i have a spotter im fairly sure subconsciously I only put in 99% of my usual effort (or less) because i know that if i fail the rep the spotter will help me get out of trouble.

So for me personally, i try and avoid using spotters unless if it's an significant safety risk.

I think squatting out of a squat stand with no spotter sometimes is a good thing because the very last thing you would want to do is dump the bar.
 
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