Weight Lifting Spotter – How To Be a Good Spotter

If you’re going to be working out with a partner, or you’re going to be lifting heavy weights… then you need to know how to be a good spotter.

The job of a spotter is to be there for the lifter if anything goes wrong. The idea is safety. If the lifter can’t complete a rep, i.e. the bar starts to travel back down — in the opposite direction of the lift — then the spotter is supposed to jump in and help the lifter “save” the lift. Which is usually helping the lifter get the bar back onto the rack.

Here’s some tips to make sure you’re doing it right:

Rule #1: Don’t Touch a Bar That’s Still Moving

This is the simplest of rules, but almost nobody follows it. Your rep doesnt count if your spotter touched the bar. If the bar is still moving, or has the potential to keep moving the spotter (you) should not touch it.

If your partner is benching and the bar stops moving, you don’t touch the bar until it stops moving up and starts moving down. Your partner may be grinding past a sticking point, and you’ve just ruined his rep.

Everyone who works out must keep an honest record of their lifting. If spotters are touching weights then it’s almost impossible to keep an honest record.

Rule #2: Not A Team Activity

Most guys today in the gym turn their lifts into team activities. The guy doing bench is working his chest and the guy spotting is lifting so much of the weight each rep, that he’s getting a lat and trap workout.

Don’t be those guys. Let me say it again: don’t be those guys. Lifting massive weights TOGETHER is not the goal of weight training — the goal is to build strength, build muscle and burn some fat.

Stick to rule #1 above and you won’t have to worry about being those guys.

Rule #3: Spot The Bar

In almost all cases you should be concerned with spotting the bar… not the lifter. If you’re behind a guy squatting, you should be reaching out for the bar to help the lifter–not trying to lift the guy if something goes wrong.

If your partner is benching you’re not going to grab his elbows and help push the weight up, you’re going to grab the bar and help get it back onto the rack.

Don’t spot the lifter, spot the bar.

Follow the three rules above and you’ll automatically be a good weight lifting spotter.