No spotter for noob...bad idea?

[Tamara Cohen]

Originally Posted by Michael Dowling

been doing it 20 years now, never had a problem, my grip feels very solid thumbless. i don't typically bench over 230 anyway, i never max out on bench so it really isn't a problem.

Well, lots of people ride in their cars without wearing a seatbelt for 20 years and don't have a problem until they get in an accident and fly through the windshield. I bet a 230 lb bar to the throat can do a lot of damage. I mean, I bet a 95 lb bar to the throat can also.

Lifting weights has its risks like anything in life. It is true that a spotter can only do so much. It is true that the pins on a cage can fail. But, there are certain risks I just don't understand taking, and using a thumbless grip for bench is one of them.

[Katherine Derbyshire]

Originally Posted by Michael Dowling

suicide grip it's how i bench, just can't do it any other way. i do agree that the spotter is largely worthless. once you get up into the mid-200 and 300 lbs you'll barely slow the bar down at if it drops with your fingertips. the spotter can also offer a false sense of security where the lifter tries weight way outsde his capailities.

I was taught to put your palms *under* the bar when spotting, precisely because the fingers won't catch much of anything. For really heavy weight, though, I'd want a power rack or a spotter on each end.

As for suicide grips.... well, it's called that for a reason.

Katherine

[Jonathan Vechet]

Jim Wendler says he presses with the "suicide "grip (he calls it the "false" grip), not sure about bench press though.

[Michael Dowling]

Originally Posted by Tamara Cohen

But, there are certain risks I just don't understand taking, and using a thumbless grip for bench is one of them.

i suppose the same reason why i take my helmet off when i cross over into PA on the 84 on my harley... it's comfortable.

[Eric Montgomery]

Originally Posted by Jonathan Vechet

Jim Wendler says he presses with the "suicide "grip (he calls it the "false" grip), not sure about bench press though.

A dropped press is very unlikely to crush your throat.

[Tamara Cohen]

Originally Posted by Michael Dowling

i suppose the same reason why i take my helmet off when i cross over into PA on the 84 on my harley... it's comfortable.

Well, I'm a mom, so take that for what it's worth.

I refuse to watch videos or read articles about bench press accidents anymore because I always have nightmares.

[Wayne Riddle]

Originally Posted by Michael Dowling

i suppose the same reason why i take my helmet off when i cross over into PA on the 84 on my harley... it's comfortable.

I love Darwin, in the end he is often on the right track.

[adam adkins]

Originally Posted by Michael Dowling

suicide grip it's how i bench, just can't do it any other way. i do agree that the spotter is largely worthless. once you get up into the mid-200 and 300 lbs you'll barely slow the bar down at if it drops with your fingertips. the spotter can also offer a false sense of security where the lifter tries weight way outsde his capailities.

By this statement you seem extraordinarily inexperienced. Find someone who knows what they are doing and follow them. Quick.

[Michael Dowling]

Originally Posted by adam adkins

By this statement you seem extraordinarily inexperienced. Find someone who knows what they are doing and follow them. Quick.

i'll admit i am a novice when it comes to squats and deadlifts, complete novice with 12 year old girl strength and i've learned a lot from this site alone. but benching is something i've done for decades and i'm very comfortable with heavy weights (well working my way up to heavy weights again).

i DO use a spotter when i bench heavy, however most times it's some random bro in the gym who stands a good foot behind the bar with maybe his fingertips 6 inches from the bar. if i lose the bar he is not even a speed bump on its way towards my sternum. it's really a false sense of security (most of the time, unless you have a good spotter who knows what he's doing, which is very rare).

[Eric Montgomery]

The thing is, if you fail on a bench attempt you'll most likely be able to control it down to your chest at a reasonable speed until the spotter is able to help you out. If you lose your grip and dump a bench rep (much more common with a suicide grip) the bar is probably going to crash down on your neck or face before the spotter has a chance to react.

I'm still baffled as to why you "can't do it any other way"--what is it that's keeping you from wrapping your thumbs around the bar? If one of my clients let his knees come in and rolled forward on his toes on every squat rep, I wouldn't accept "I can't do it any other way" as a valid excuse...I would find a way to fix it.