"Can I get a spot from you, man?" asks the aspiring bodybuilder of the new 'gym rat'. "Sure," says the newbie. Poised behind the bench press uprights, hands firmly grasping the bar, the novice peers down watching and listening to the bodybuilder as he prepares for a maximal effort. "I'll get four on my own, then watch me close on the fifth rep," grunts the bodybuilder. "No problem, man," replies the new guy, not having a clue what was meant or what is going on.

Then it happens: In an explosive and extremely concentrated effort that catches the spotter completely off guard, the bodybuilder moves the weight out of the rack. Unfortunately, so does the inexperienced spotter. Not anticipating the unexpected assistance, the bodybuilder juggles the bar in attempting to reestablish control. "I've got it," shouts the bodybuilder. "I've got it!" The neophyte instantly replies, "Sorry man,"then takes his hands away completely. Since the new guy was actually lifting about 30 or 40 lbs. of the total weight, the bodybuilder's concentration is once again broken in making the adjustment, but he initiates the set anyway. Upon successfully performing his fourth repetition ever so slowly, it is now time for that all important fifth and final forced repetition -- the one that makes or breaks the progress of the bodybuilder's entire chest workout.

After a slight pause and an exaggerated deep breath, the bodybuilder slowly lowers the weight to his chest under control, and then starts the positive portion of this final repetition. About half way through the rep the bodybuilder is successful so far, but struggling under the weight. Then, at that very moment when the bodybuilder was about to break through that all to familiar "sticking point", the new gym rat spotter proudly takes the weight away from the bodybuilder and racks the bar in the uprights. Needless to say, the bodybuilder is rather unhappy with the spot and understandably sends the inexperienced spotter to the emergency room for the treatment of multiple contusions.

The moral of the story?

Learning how to spot correctly may keep you out of the hospital! This article is designed to offer greater insight into correct spotting technique. The scenario above is a prime example of what not to do as a spotter. Always remember that it is the other person who is exercising, not you, and that you should only intervene when absolutely necessary.

Spotting the Beginner

Balance and Form

The first and foremost consideration in spotting beginning free weight trainees is safety and the prevention of injury. Safely spotting a beginner does not mean that you lift all or some portion of the trainee's weight. Previous planning should prevent this need, as a manageable weight should initially be selected. There are only two times during a set when a spotter may need to assist significantly in lifting or supporting the weight; #1-When initiating a set (unracking a weight); and #2-When completing the set (racking the weight). Even this assistance should be considered only when the movement of resistance from and to the weight's resting place requires movement outside the trainee's desirable biomechanical range of motion. Even in these cases, the minimum assistance necessary should be used.

With few exceptions, it is generally best to require the beginner to handle 100% of the total resistance throughout the entire range of motion to include most lift offs and racking. Spotting the beginner presents a unique nightmare. All beginners lack control, stability, and balance in using free weight resistance. Moreover, beginning free weight trainees are generally out to impress both you and themselves with an initial Herculean effort. Let your awareness of this typical phenomenon guide you in your efforts to discourage such actions before they occur. Discuss with the beginning trainee the potential risks involved in lifting too much too soon, and that the goal in the beginning phase of resistance exercise is the achievement of balance, control and concentration. Learning proper form will do much to minimize the likelihood of future injury.

How Much Help?

For the beginner? None!

Ideally, the beginning client should be required to have complete control at all times during the performance of resistance exercise when less than maximal effort is being applied. Spotting under these conditions generally call for the spotter to offer instructional assistance, some balancing, and an element of safety during exercise performance.

Once good form and control are learned and 100% set intensity is being practiced (100% set intensity is desirable even for the beginner), the real test of spotting skills begin. Proper spotting technique, even while assisting participants training at 100% set intensity, should never require the spotter to lift a significant amount of weight. Even the final repetition during a 100% intensity, 4-6 rep set (as outlined in the NFPT Manual's Charts & Tables), should not cause failure to the degree that the spotter will need to support more than 5-10% of the total weight used.

So long as the weight selected is within the participant's capability to lift for the required number of repetitions (100% set intensity), the following represent the basic functions of the spotter:

#1-To assist slightly in starting and finishing the set;

#2-To assist in balancing the weight;

#3-*To guide and/or assist, ever so slightly, in the completion of the final required repetition in a set at 100% intensity;

#4-To be prepared in the unanticipated event of the trainee\'s complete failure, for whatever reason.

It is a spotter's judgment and level of proficiency in providing guidance and a minimal required assistance during completion of the last and most difficult repetition of a set (just short of a forced repetition) that separates the good spotter from the bad spotter.

Spotter Strength?

Under appropriate circumstances, i.e., a participant's proper weight selection, intensity properly applied at the recommended 100% level, a participant's practice of good form, etc., a proficient spotter of some 110 lbs. should have no problem effectively spotting a 250 lb. man performing a 400 lb. bench press! How can this be? Simple. It works so long as the participant does not surrender the weight completely to the spotter (this should never be practiced by a trainee, nor allowed by a trainer)! The 110 lb. spotter in the above scenario, positioned properly, need only be strong enough to lift approximately 20-40 lbs. of the weight being used, and only through the positive portion of a single repetition (the final repetition).

Safety First

On the other hand, the value in having a larger, stronger spotter is considerable in the event that a stronger lifter fails completely, or is training at more than 100% intensity (as defined in the NFPT Manual's Charts & Tables as being "beyond failure"), as this overexertion will likely require a more extreme effort on the part of the spotter. For safety purposes therefore, a good rule to follow in the gym is for spotters to assist participants of similar size and strength whenever possible, while being extremely attentive and prepared for anything throughout spotting performance.

The Need for Complete Intervention

There are considerations that may dictate the need for complete intervention:

#1-If the trainee is extremely off balance under resistance to the point where complete loss of control seems inevitable;

#2-When extremely rapid movement and disregard for proper form is practiced you will want to intervene and discuss further the value of proper form;

#3-If the participant actually asks you to intervene for whatever reason (possibly due to the presence of contraindication).

A good spotter senses the difference between helping the participant, which is undesirable, and observing the participant, which is.

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