spotting

[macavity]

I have been training on my own for about three years now.... and today had my first ever rejection when I asked someone for a spot.

I asked and the guy, who had spent the previous half hour leaning on equipment and having a joke, said "sorry, too busy".

I was actually shocked, and said back "what, you are too busy" and he just said "yep" and turned away.

Speaking to some gym regular mates, and they said it is massively rude to refuse to point-blank give someone a spot. I have to agree - I have never turned someone down.

As a side point, the guy was covered with ICP tattoos - including on his neck and hands - and also had tribal tatts on the side of his head. Obvious high achiever.

 

[aqua_duck]

Yeh I've never turned down or been turned down. Only time I didn't spot someone was when there was a big bloke who had about 160kg on the bar and I told him if he dropped it he was dead because there's no way I'd be able to spot him

 

[Chicken_Hunter]

Definately goes against gym etiquette to refuse to spot someone.

 

[Johns Magic]

On the contrary, there is nothing more annoying than when you are pushing hard to get your last rep out, and know you are going to get it on your own, and someone will come over and help push your arms up when you don't want or need help...ruining the burn you have been working for.

Having to thank them after is painful.

 

[Chicken_Hunter]

lol I have never had that happen to me.

 

[Johns Magic]

It's happened to me a few times over the years...

 

[aqua_duck]

Just get someone to spot you knows what their doing and tell them not to help but merely catch the weight if you can't lift it

 

[SpaceMonkey]

Yeh I've never turned down or been turned down. Only time I didn't spot someone was when there was a big bloke who had about 160kg on the bar and I told him if he dropped it he was dead because there's no way I'd be able to spot him

Thats fair enough and I'm sure he respected your concern for his safety. But flat out refusal like the dude the OP described is just bad form.

TBH though the only thing I ever want a spotter for is bench press- I always have a giggle at peeps "spotting" squats by giving their mate a reach around, the only way to properly spot a deep squat is to have a person on each end of the bar. Just squat in the rack and dump on the safety bars if you have to.

 

[Thomas]

I saw two blokes working out the other week. They spotted each other while doing barbell bicep curls.

I am serious.

 

[S.S.T.I.D]

If you can't move the weight yourself than you have no business even trying. I've trained on my own for years without a training partner. Even when I'm pushing out a max on the press (140-150kg at times). If you are benching and are going for a max single just don't collar up the bar. I've had times when I haven't moved it off my chest, just wriggle it off and you'll be fine. Yeah, it makes a racket, but so what?

I can absolutely guarantee (as others have said already) that if you are pushing out a hard single, double or whatever, that some arse clown will panic and tear the bar away from you if you ask them to spot you. Set ruined and if it was a max effort you only get one shot per session.

In saying that, for their own peace of mind, I'll stand over someone if they ask me for a spot. The irony is that 90% of the time they didn't need it in the first place.

 

[abpanther]

If you are benching and are going for a max single just don't collar up the bar.

What does that mean?

 

[S.S.T.I.D]

What does that mean?

My bad. In Olympic Lifting they are called collars. In a normal gym they are the things that some people put on the end of the bar to stop the plates from moving. I actually don't know what they are called. They look like grippers or something. I'm not sure as I don't use them.

If you put them on the end of the bar when you are benching the plates aren't coming off. If you leave the plates open than you can wriggle the weights off of the bar if you fail.

 

[Thomas]

What does that mean?

He means don't put the little collars on the bar that stop the weights from falling off. That way, if you get in trouble, you just wriggle the weight off onto the floor.

 

[RHCP]

If I ever get a spot from somebody that I don't know very well, I just tell them to pull it out of the rack and pull it off my chest if it gets stuck.

This guy sounds like a tool but I wouldn't consider it rude to be turned down for a spot by somebody actually working out.

 

[Pete Cash]

Yes it is poor form

Here is a somewhat related question. I was in the gym late last saturday night and some kids were doing squats in the smith machine and they were doing literally everything wrong (and i dont mean just doing squats in the smith machine)

Should I have mentioned something to them or is it best just to ignore terrible form. Would they get offended if I just threw out a tip like keep your head still and focused on something just above your eye line or just let them wobble all over the place terribly.

 

[Chook Norris]

yep never been turned down. i carefully choose who i ask though, making sure i dont bother anyone who takes short rests or are busy doing something etc. Usually there are people waiting to use the equipment who will gladly help so you can move on and pass the equipment quicker

and yes pretty rude to be turned down especially if that person is doing jack all

 

[RHCP]

Yes it is poor form

Here is a somewhat related question. I was in the gym late last saturday night and some kids were doing squats in the smith machine and they were doing literally everything wrong (and i dont mean just doing squats in the smith machine)

Should I have mentioned something to them or is it best just to ignore terrible form. Would they get offended if I just threw out a tip like keep your head still and focused on something just above your eye line or just let them wobble all over the place terribly.

That's a tough one. I'd say not your problem - as long as they aren't doing thing that's going to get them injured/hurt, they can do what they like.

 

[GuardDog]

I have been training on my own for about three years now.... and today had my first ever rejection when I asked someone for a spot.

I asked and the guy, who had spent the previous half hour leaning on equipment and having a joke, said "sorry, too busy".

I was actually shocked, and said back "what, you are too busy" and he just said "yep" and turned away.

Speaking to some gym regular mates, and they said it is massively rude to refuse to point-blank give someone a spot. I have to agree - I have never turned someone down.

As a side point, the guy was covered with ICP tattoos - including on his neck and hands - and also had tribal tatts on the side of his head. Obvious high achiever.

I've never had any rejection for a spot.The dude was a definite w@nker for refusing a spot request from a trainer it sounds like he's the typical wanabe hard merkin that couldn't squat his bodyweight.Lol tribal tatts on side of his head.Was he even islander?

 

[dogslife]

I think I'm too nice. Some dope came up to me in the middle of a set tonight and asked me if I needed a spot, I was doing dumbbell curls... He then proceeded to give me a massive spiel about how if I wanted to curl an extra 10kg, all I needed was a spotter. My exact words were "No thanks champ, I'll just stick to weights I can lift properly." He didn't catch my drift because he then asked me to spot him while he did that exact thing. Begrudgingly I agreed to help him do one set, knowing full well he was going to look like a dropkick doing them. I was right, his "curls" were more like a full body heave. I suggested he try drop sets because they're basically the same thing as what he was doing, and told him to stick to lighter weights, I should have said it's cause you look like a f**king genius. It was bizarre too, because he had a pretty decent physique

 

[SpaceMonkey]

Lol tribal tatts on side of his head.Was he even islander?

Considering I've never seen an islander with tribal tatts on the side of his head (and as far asI know it's not traditional to tattoo that area at all) I doubt it.