Lifting without a spotter

[Formerly SK]

I mostly work with dumbbells and in a squat rack, but lately I've been dabbling with bench pressing a barbell. I can do sets of 10-15 with just the 45lb bar, but if I add 10lbs to it (5 on each end) I can only do 5-7. I work out alone and would like to push to increase my weight, but I don't have a spotter. So for you pros out there who can press 300+ lbs how did you build weight without a spotter? Or, did you always have one?

(Yes I know I can use the machines but I'd like to do as many free weights as possible. Actually, I've thought of doing presses with dumbbells leaning my back on a exercise ball to incorporate my core into it, but haven't yet. Would that be a good workaround if I don't have a spotter? It seems like dumbbells on a ball have less of an injury risk than a barbell on a bench.)

[tractor]

I usually try to do four sets of eight, then move up in weight, only doing as many as I feel comfortable doing before I stop. I use a spotter when I really want to push myself, or max out. With a spotter you can focus on moving the weight and not be worried about dropping it on yourself, although I have used the impending doom to give myself that extra push when I'm doing more than I should without. So to answer your question, without a spotter I wouldn't take a large jump in weight. In your case, does your gym have an 2 1/2lb weights? try those instead of the 5's when you work out. when they get easy, move on up. You might want to stick with just the bar for your first couple of sets, then add on the weight, do what you can (5-10 reps), then go back down. Repeat with each workout and over time you will find that it's time to move up to more weight as your starting set. I hope this makes some sense. Although I will add that with some lifts, you should always have a spotter, it's just safer.

I think you will find that in most cases, someone else is watching you and will jump in if they see impeding peril. I know I often watch others bench, ready to jump in if they get stuck with the bar on their chest (no one has ever told me they didn't need the help). I often try to at least have someone in ear shot if I get stuck and have to yell out a loud "Help" to keep it moving. I had to do that once in college, and it was amazing how many people came over to help out.

Being a hot sexy babe, you should have people falling all over themselves to spot you.

[Formerly SK]

Hmmmm...I'm too shy to ask someone to spot me and frankly would be horrified to yell "HELP!" at the gym (course if ya gotta ya gotta ). I think I'll search around for some 2.5lb weights and see how that goes.

Jul 20, 2011 15:59:34 GMT -5 tractor said:

Being a hot sexy babe, you should have people falling all over themselves to spot you.

I'm a sucker for a compliment. You, my dear Tractor, get karma!

[tractor]

Only you will know how far you can push yourself, I bet you would be suprised what you can really do if you had to. If I can say this without getting yelled at, the nice thing about doing 45-55lbs is you could probably sit up with the weight on your chest and roll the bar off onto the floor if you had to (I'm guessing you weight more than a 55lb bar). It's a little harder to do with 300lbs on your chest. Thanks for the karma.

[Formerly SK]

Jul 20, 2011 16:22:42 GMT -5 tractor said:

If I can say this without getting yelled at, the nice thing about doing 45-55lbs is you could probably sit up with the weight on your chest and roll the bar off onto the floor if you had to (I'm guessing you weight more than a 55lb bar).

Honestly, I've thought this myself. Course, I'm a novice and everyone always stresses safety/form/spotters, but even when I used 55lbs and hit my max, I just sit up with the bar in my lap. It doesn't seem to hurt anything doing that, but I figured I should ask the experts. ;D

ETA - then there's always the issue of what to do when I'm no longer pressing 55lbs. If I get up to say 100lbs, is it no longer safe to sit up with the bar (I weigh 130ish).

[Artemis Windsong]

Put your bench in the smith machine and set the stops where the bar cannot fall on you. That's what the guys in my gym do.

A red flag flew up for me with heavy dumbbells on an exercise ball that is not stabilized. Try taking the step part off the movable step platform and use one of the ends to sabilize the ball.

Sounds like your workouts are going great.

[pig]

So for you pros out there who can press 300+ lbs how did you build weight without a spotter? Or, did you always have one?

I haven't had a regular workout partner in a long long time. I only do one heavy set which is typically 2-4 reps. If you've been lifting for more than a couple weeks you should know if you're not going to get the next one so you stop after your last strong rep. If you're going for a max or something then just ask someone in the gym to give you a spot. Like someone said, having 45 pounds on your chest isn't going to hurt you even if it falls on you from arms length.

[Formerly SK]

"If you've been lifting for more than a couple weeks you should know if you're not going to get the next one so you stop after your last strong rep."

Yeah, this is basically what I do, but it's good to know that it's OK to do it that way. BTW - since my OP I'm now benching 3 sets of 10 reps at 55lbs. Yay me!

[pig]

3 sets of 10 reps at 55lbs.

Don't crush yourself! LOL No, that's a good way to do it, I mean you'll get good enough to know exactly when your going to hit failure on the next rep when you've been lifting a long time.

[tractor]

Good job Skinny. I was inspired to go up a little so I asked someone to spot me on my third and fourth sets on Saturday. I do find that it allows me to focus on moving the weight and not thinking about dropping it on myself. I did a clean 8 reps at 245, then failed on the sixth rep during the next set (after doing two easy sets at 225). Anyway, I think I'll start to move up again using 245 as my starting weight, increasing reps as I go. It's good to push yourself once and awhile.

[Formerly SK]

Damn...I cannot imagine pressing 245. I know you're a guy and all, but is it common to press that high (assuming you work for it). I mean, I weigh 130. I can somewhat imagine getting to the point I could press 130, but going OVER my BW seems crazy impossible. Do women do that?

[tractor]

I think you can with practice. I would suspect that men have larger pectoral muscles so they have a greater ability to bench press more. I used to do double my body weight, but don't think I'll get there again as my age is working against me now. I'm actually focusing more on reps than max weight, but doing the same weight all the time is boring, so going up seems only natural to me.

As far as it being "normal" I see lots of guys at the gym doing more, most with really bad form. It's all relative, if your 250lbs, and work out on a regular basis, I would suspect your bench is going to be quite high, for some, 245 would be a dream max lift. I'm striving to be like one of the old guys in the gym. He must be in his early 60's and he does 100lb dumbell curls. My guess is he has just been working himself up to it for many, many years and it just seems normal to him now.

[Deleted]

skinny, i cannot imagine pressing 245, either. I think i can press 135 if I give it my all for one rep.

[Artemis Windsong]

Tractor: This is where my dilemma is. Do I keep increasing my weights like progressive weight training indicates or just plateau for a while? I don't want to be in the gym doing 100 lbs on back extensions and ab push downs. It's time for another pyramid to set my training weights again.

The next question is, does it matter how much weight a female lifts? While keeping the reps a 2x15 or 3x10 or 1x30, will the muscle size keep increasing? My goal is tight and toned to prevent injury in sports, be a clothes horse, and have better quality of life in my older years.

[pig]

While keeping the reps a 2x15 or 3x10 or 1x30, will the muscle size keep increasing?

No. I'm astonished that women are afraid about becoming "bulky". It takes YEARS of incredible effort, supplementation and dedication to become "bulky" and it's not something that should even be on any woman's radar.

[tractor]

Artemis, I'm not a professional trainer or anything like that so my answers might seem flawed. As Pig pointed out, bulking up will not happen overnight. I do think most women are afraid of lifting too heavy a weight so they don't end up looking like some competative body building freak of nature. I would guess that some of those over-muscular women take more steroids than they would ever admit and did not get that way by simply pushing heavy weights over a period of several years. I see one woman who works out all the time, she pushing things pretty hard (her husband is her training partner) and while she is in very good shape, she is not "bulked up", and looks perfectly toned.

I think it is OK to plateau for a while, even if you just do the same weight over and over again, it will help keep you toned up. I would suspect that after a while, you will end up doing more reps, mainly because you can. It's kind of like running, after you run 1/2 mile every day, sooner or later it will get so easy you will want to go 1 mile next time to feel like you are getting some exercise. Speaking from personal experience, I get bored and don't feel like I'm doing any good unless I can keep adding either reps, or more weight. I try to mix things up once and a while, but the reality is it gives me a big rush to know that I have moved more weight or done more reps that I did before. It makes me want to add more weight next time.

I used to lift all the time when I was in college. I have only been on my latest kick for about 1 1/2 years. I think I push things pretty hard, and can move some decent weight for my size, but I am far from "bulked up". In fact, other than not having a large beer gut, with my cloths on I just look like a normal guy. With my cloths off, I hope I look like I work out, but I'm far from being even close to a competative body builder. I doubt I will ever be there, but that's not my goal, I just don't want to be one of those guys with a big gut hanging over my belt, and if lifting weights is my way to keep that from happening, I'm all over it.

So the moral of the story is doing something is better than doing nothing. I thing weight lifting is the quickest way to eliminate body fat, keep toned up, and if you don't overdo it, it's somethng that should help keep you fit well into your 100's.

[pig]

You can definitely tell you've been lifting Tractor, don't sell yourself short.

[tractor]

Jul 27, 2011 9:40:50 GMT -5 @pig said:

You can definitely tell you've been lifting Tractor, don't sell yourself short.

Thanks Pig, I still feel like I have a long way to go. Probably a topic for another thread, but I always feel fat and flabby.

[pig]

The women's bench press record is 531 pounds. That's pretty impressive! Not nearly as much as the men though.

[robbase]

as far as the OP, maybe someone else mentioned this but----

1) move a bench where the squat rack / or place where squats are done (sometimes looks like a Smith Machine but without the Smith Machine aspects if that makes sense?) see pics below





2) put a barbell on the adjustable spotting bars on the side (first adjust it to a height comfortable for you to lift it out and get full effect of the exercise)

3) add weight as needed

now you have a "self" spotter with these side bars, hopefully that all made sense?

although easiest way is to just "hey you" someone to give you a spot when you need it. I do this on my bench 2 or 3 times on chest day, I just try to ask a different person each time and ask when it looks like they have a minute (most people at the gym don't mind to give a spot)

[Deleted]

The women's bench press record is 531 pounds. That's pretty impressive!

Impressive indeed, but I was really sore after I was done.

[pig]

[Artemis Windsong]

The power lifters aren't so interested in tone and muscle looks.

Thanks for the input. I do feel bulky but a lot of that is diet and from the heat. Pushing that "pig" of a golf cart around those hills is definitely doing good things. Replicating that in the gym is impossible. Even my DH said my bag was heavy when he lifted it into my car.

All exercise is good. I agree with Do Something Every Day.

The cart was named pig many years ago doc.

[jarhead1976]

You will either die or be very embarrassed and grateful to the person that steps up....