Propper Spotting
Every time I go to the gym I see guys working together. One doing his benchpress
the other doing his upright rows. For the powerlifter "hands on spotting is a serious no no. I know, I know,
some of you are going to say "but I am only touching the bar I am not really helping". Thats all fine
and dandy but the problem is when the powerlifter/benchpresser gets to his competition, those fingers are not going
to be there. He has incognatively come to rely on them. This can be very detrimental to his performance.
If you are simply training for general growth or strengthening, and you feel better
having those fingers there, by all means go ahead. However when going for a new max or PR don't allow your spotter
to touch the bar during the performance of your lift. Even the slightes pressure on your spotters fingers will
add pounds to what you can move. This is because the upward momentum multiplies the force added by the fingers.
Your spotter may only put a pound of pressure on the bar, once it is already moving, and add 10lbs to what you
are capable of doing.
In the picture above Mike Brookman is allowing Clint Gray to get his PR on his own.
Yet he is fully ready to jump in if there is trouble.
