198 Part IV: Lift and Curl: Building a Stronger Bod with Weights
How to spot and be spotted
If you spend enough time in the gym, sooner or
later someone is going to ask you, “Hey, mind
giving me a spot?” He’s not asking you to buy him
a puppy; he would like assistance with his next
set. You should be flattered at the request, but be
aware that spotting is an awesome responsibil-
ity. It falls on your shoulders to prevent the
weight from, well, falling on the guy’s shoulders.By the way, don’t hesitate to ask for a spot your-
self if you think you may have trouble completing
a set. A spotter is particularly helpful when you
graduate to a heavier weight. You can enlist help
from a health-club staff member; or better yet, ask
anyone nearby who doesn’t look too busy. (This
is a good way to make friends at the gym, too.) Fill
your spotter in on your game plan. Mention how
many reps you think you can do and on which rep
you think you’d like to call in the cavalry.
Here’s how to handle the job of spotting a fellow
weight lifter:Pay attention at all times.Don’t get into a
heated discussion about the war in Iraq. You
need to be ready, on a split-second’s notice,
to lift the bar off your spottee’s chest if his
arms give out. Politely tune out the rest of the
world until your spottee completes his set.
Ask your spottee where he’d like you
to place your hands. There are several
schools of thought on this subject. You can
rest a fingertip or two on the bar at all times
so you can give instantaneous help when
your spottee calls for it — usually during the
last repetition or two. Some people, includ-
ing us, find that position annoying, because
it diminishes the feelings of glory you expe-
rience when you complete a set by yourself.
We prefer the ready-willing-and-able spot-
ting technique. That is, have your hands
poised a couple inches from the bar; touch
the bar only when your spottee begins tostruggle. Some spotters also place their
hands on the joint or limb doing the move-
ment, as close to the bar as possible (for
example, on the wrists).If you don’t think you can handle spotting
someone, say so.This is no time for heroics.
In order to spot someone bench-pressing 100
pounds, you need not be able to bench
100 pounds yourself — you’re just there to
help out. However, if you have trouble lifting
the 5-pounders off the rack, you’re not a can-
didate for this job.
Use proper posture.This means not rounding
your spine, keeping a good center of gravity,
and making sure you’re in a stable position.Don’t over-spot.You’re there to help the guy,
not do the work for him. When you’re spot-
ting someone on the bench press, don’t lean
directly over the bar, grip it with both hands,
and pull it up and down. With a little experi-
ence, you’ll be able to provide just the right
amount of additional effort that the person
needs to complete the exercise. (If you’re
the one being spotted, you may want to say
something like, “Don’t help me until I really
need it.” You can also scream, “I got it! I got
it!” if it looks like your spotter is going to
prematurely swoop in to help.)
Always offer encouraging words. Say
things like “It’s all yours! You got it! You got
it! All you!” This gives your spottee inspira-
tion to squeeze out that last repetition. Plus,
it makes everyone else in the gym glance
over in admiration.No matter which end of the spot you’re on,
pleasant breath is a must. Remember, you’ll
be breathing forcefully right into someone’s
face. You don’t want to find a bottle of
Scope waiting for you in your locker.